Static emitting from Privia 150 while amplified

[gringo]

I have a Casio PX 150 and use it to play in a weekend cover band. I have used it for a little over two years for at least once a week for about 4 – 5 hours.

 

The problem I am experiencing is it has begun to produce very loud static sounds when plugged into my amp. I have tried new cables, different amps, separate AC line etc. The problem is random and I cannot determine a common environment that causes it.

 

To further complicate the matter, I cannot reproduce the problem when the unit is plugged into an amp while in my home. Since I cannot reproduce the problem at home I am reluctant to take the keyboard to a repair shop until I have sought out anyone with a similar problem and hopefully solution. Thanks for any help.

 

Mike

[Joe Muscara]

Is this happening at the same club or at different clubs? Do you share power at the gig with anyone else?

[gringo]

Different clubs. For the most part I use a different circuit that others in the group but it doesn't seem to matter. I have considered trying some sort of filter for the AC power.

[Display Name]

 

 

To further complicate the matter, I cannot reproduce the problem when the unit is plugged into an amp while in my home. 

 

 

Then it has to be a power or RF issue, not a Privia issue.  A lot of clubs are notorious for having "dirty" power so yeah something to clean that up may be the first place to look. 

[Jokeyman123]

I used to have this same problem specifically with an SY77 on gigs in many clubs that had no problems otherwise. Scott is right about dirty power-when I began testing outlets in clubs (yes I had to do that the problem was so bad!) I discovered some AC plugs were wired without grounds, others had reverse polarity-hot was neutral, neutral was hot, not good).

 

Over time, power supply capacitors can deteriorate a bit, or alot-thus the sudden problems you are having that did not occur before. The caps are the AC filters in your Casio  wall-wart adapter and most power supplies, (even the real good computer supplies) are just barely adequate to filter out any spikes or surges which run havoc with computer chips. If power supplies are running hot or letting dirty AC into the keyboard, static seemed to be the result. Some of the voltages i measured in clubs were as low as 90V AC, some were 130+ AC, certainly possible to damage delicate keyboards with voltages like this. Like you, when I used the keyboard at home it never happened.

 

I once almost ruined a gig as my SY77 emitted unbelievably loud static rips that sounded like a jet flew through and i had no prior indication anything was wrong. Was on a huge stage with many spotlights and terrible AC power-remember all your band's equipment will be running through the same AC circuit-might not be a problem for tube amps or solid-state stuff but anything with a computer chip is going to be in trouble.  I had to use a backup keyboard for that gig and others until I discovered what was wrong. Since it happened in many clubs I was sure it was the keyboard but once I did some testing on-site I discovered the horrible AC circuits common to so many clubs I played in and apparently the SY77 built-in power supply was not up to the task of filtering/regulating this out on its own.

 

I would get as full-featured a line filter you can afford-one with 1) surge and brownout protection and 2) very strong filter components plus 3) voltage regulation. I think you need all three, not all filters are surge protected and regulated and not all voltage surge protectors have line filters. I had to buy a very heavy-duty Tripplite power conditioner to partially solve this problem. A surge protector alone did not work. I say partially as it still happened occasionally and I always suspected it might have been due to lighting also-some types of lights in clubs (I think) were somehow affecting the keyboard-I seem to remember having trouble where there were fluorescent lights or spots in particular. Since there is usually no or poor RFI shielding in most keyboards and power supplies and certain lights emit RFI-especially where there may be light dimmers-(you can hear high-frequencies coming from bulbs on a dimmer when lights are lowered!) this could also be a problem a good filter might help prevent. Hope this helps and good luck.

[gringo]

Update on static problem. Tried new wall wart, bought voltage regulator with filter tried dry rid in case etc. It looks like a Privia problem and it needs to go to the shop. 

 

Thanks for the response to my original post. I appreciate the infor.

 

Gringo