"Motorboating" on PX-350 ?????

[cpcohen]

I started-up my PX-350 after a long rest.  Started playing bass notes, using default "Piano" tone, at high volume:

 

. . . If the lowest C is "C1", the fifth F1/C2 gave full-volume motorboating (intermittent sound).

 

Some other intervals did that intermittently.  This morning, the critical pitches changed, but the motorboating was still there.

 

I've tried it with headphones -- same effect.   So it's not a loudspeaker vibration.  Worse, I've recorded it on the built-in USB drive -- so it's really coming out of the sound generator.

 

I've tried to attach a WAV file to this message -- the problem shows up clearly.  (The file has been trimmed in Audacity -- no other editing has been done.)

 

HELP !!!!

 

.     Charles

TAKE18 motorboating.wav

[Brad Saucier]

You'll need to service the keyboard.   How old is the keyboard?  

[Jokeyman123]

This is the sound-I've heard it before-having done years of ampling, looping editing-the sound of a short  segment of a sample loop-more or less getting "stuck" going through the entire sample-in this case a piano loop. Brad's probably right-could need repair-or a system reboot if you are lucky. Something is corrupting the Casio's ability to play through the entire piano sample. Since the wavetables are stored in the Casio ICs, not much can be done-although it could even be a loose cable inside-again-if you are lucky. I have experienced electronics sitting idle for a long time sometimes causing problems on starting up. Bench-test-leave it on for a few hours,-might have to turn off the Casio auto power off function-switch off and on again, see if the problem clears itself, it is possible. Electronic circuits can become unstable for various unpredictable reasons, and caps can deteriorate just by sitting, and cause all sorts of weird and ugly problems. If you know a good local tech, and it isn't under warranty-I would look inside, see if anything obvious might be causing this. And try another power wall-wart if you have one. These can go bad too and it won't always be obvious-small drops in voltage, bad caps in the wall-wart can cause problems like this.

[cpcohen]

Thanks, Brad and J-man.

 

I'm not the first case -- see here:

 

 

Now, I'm going to try a factory reset . . . .   Power off --> hold down GMTones & Function while powering up -- > "INITIALIZING" . . . 

 

. . . . Problem still present.

 

Run a few minutes of glissandos, up and down the white keys . . . . 

 

. . . . Problem still present.

 

Check the output of the power supply -- 12.15 vDC / 0,001 mV AC.

 

Check other tones:

 

 . . . Many (not all) of the tones on the "Grand Piano" button (variations of the basic Grand Piano Concert sound) have the problem;

 

 . . Tones on other keys -- Elec Piano, etc) do _not_ have the problem.

 

I'll leave it turned on overnight, and see if things change.  I bought the PX-350 when it came out, just before the P5s became available, whenever that was.

 

If the problem persists, I have two choices:

 

1.  . . . Continue using the MIDI output to drive Pianoteq, and ignore the built-in Grand Piano tones.

 

2.  . . . Bring it in for repair, if I can find someone who'll fix it.  I think this is a "no cure, no pay" situation, but the repairman might disagree.

 

Enough for tonight.  I have a choir concert tomorrow, with stuff yet to learn . . . 

 

I'm going to cross-post to the Piano World forum - less specific than this one, but with very large readership.  I'll report back, one way or the other.

 

Thanks again --

 

.     Charles

 

 

[cpcohen]

Grrrrr . . . .   the problem is still present, after several power on/off cycles, and "factory resets".

 

I'm not ready for professional help (and cost), yet.

 

I think my "solution" will be:

 

. . . Don't use any tones that derive from the "Grand Piano" sound.

 

"GM Piano 1" is corrupted -- I bet it derives from the "Grand Piano" sound.

 

The "GM  Piano 2" tone isn't corrupted (yet), and sounds OK as a piano patch.   The next time my choir needs the DP, that's what they'll use.

 

I'm going to leave it turned on for a few days, hoping for a miracle cure.  It still drives Pianoteq.

 

.    Charles