Digital Keyboard Goes Flat

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 29 Sep 2002 10:15 am

This has nothing to do with steel guitar, but I know there are some techs out there that can answer this.

I play acoustic guitar in a Praise and Worship band at our church. Every now and then, our keyboard player's keyboard will go flat, relative to everybody else's tuning. It's not a half-step or anything that drastic, just a hair flat. It's enough that I have to stop playing along with him. When the song is over, he can turn off his keyboard and then turn it back on again and all is well. In the past, it will just happened once, during a service. Today, it happened three times.

Could it be we have a fluctuation in voltage coming in to that particular electrical outlet? Or could it be a problem with the keyboard itself?

------------------
Lee, from South Texas

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Sep 2002 10:33 am

Nope, voltage fluctuations shouldn't have anything to do with it...that is, unless the instrument is of sub-standard design. At the heart of all these instruments is a precision oscillator circuit built around a fixed crystal, and that crystal (and the surrounding components, to an extent) is what keeps it "on key".

In other words...yes, that keyboard has gone kafluey.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 29 Sep 2002 11:21 am

Any possibility that everyone else is going sharp from all the excitement?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 29 Sep 2002 11:38 am

He definately needs to have it serviced. Something is definately wrong. I owned an Ensoniq ESQ-1 synth that used 3 oscillators to develop the sounds and I had a problem where they would randomly detune (independently in different directions and amounts) causing all sorts of problems. Of course, with most modern (last 20 years or so) keyboards, all the components are on 1 or 2 circuits boards and they just replace the whole board instead of troubleshooting to the component level.

------------------
Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 30 Sep 2002 2:13 pm

Thanks for your help, guys. Well, Donnie and Richard, anyhow.

I'll pass the info on to our keyboard player.

------------------
Lee, from South Texas

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 1 Oct 2002 3:36 am

Our key player had to replace the tuning adjustment pot. It was way beyond cleaning. It'd change pitch back and forth in the same song. It depended on how firmly he'd hit the keys. New pot installed... no problems...

------------------
My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

jerry wallace · Post by **jerry wallace** » 1 Oct 2002 8:39 pm

Lee, unless the oscillator crystal is in an "tempature controlled oven", ambiant temperature as well as heat generated by other componants inside and near can cause small changes in the pitch..

Frequency counters/calibrators made for high degrees of accuracy have there crystals in a "oven" and the temp is maintained at a very constant temperature..

------------------
Jerry Wallace-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://communities.msn.com/jerrywallacemusic http://www.jerrywallacemusic.com

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 1 Oct 2002 9:51 pm

I have been playing some session work with a keboard player friend of mine who has recently been experiencing something similar. We can be right in the middle of a take and all the sudden the keyboard will just take off south! It's pitch will just go extremely flat. He has to unplug it for a little while and then replug it and it is alright again. Strange...very strange...but usually real funny too!

Dave