My Stage 3 causes a LOT of noise when guitars are near

[pterm]

Evidence seems to indicate it's the transformer.
There was an effective, but extreme solution implemented here:
post72099.html

[DJKeys]

I have a guitar with a single P-90, I lined the compartment of the guitar with copper tape and bought a Mojotone noiseless pickup. Took care of the problem by about 85%-

-dj

[EricBarker]

Yup, I just found that out this past week when I started playing bass and keys at the same time. My violinist is extremely sensitive to sound and it immediately bothered her. But silver lining is it made me remember my piano basics of not being too close to the keys. I've started positioning my rig so that I will stand at arms length, and it pretty much takes care of the hum AND I play more correctly. Win/Win.

[frederjo]

My SN3 does the same thing -- tight studio space requires me to play guitar seated in front of my SN3. I've noticed that the Strat and Tele are far worse than the Les Paul (hum buckers). But I still need to push around my guitar cable like an old TV antenna from the 60s' -- I also play a Roland D-70 and it does not do the buzz / hum / field effect junk on my guitars like the SN3. Pretty sure the SN3 power transformers are bare' and not in a shielded box -- bummer. I'm reluctant to open it up to add shielding. I've copper lined old Stratocaster cavities in the past and it adds a lot of weight...
Some times on quiet guitar parts I must power down the SN3 to get a clean' take.

[FZiegler]

No idea which NS3 version you have. In the first years, the power section still had ventilation slots; the latest version doesn't any more. So I have no idea if it's totally safe to fully shield that part of the housing.

[Y-Lnordist]

It happens to me sometimes on stages.

On some stages, each time I play the NS3, I’m having high oscillation interference on my in-ear monitor pack.
Like every time I hit the piano, I get a very high pitch RF noises.
It happened on a lot, on different stages, and all external equipment has been changed for checking it out.

When the pack is close to the keyboard, the high pitch is cery noticeable, and as I’m putting the pack away from the keys, on the back of my belt, the interference doesn’t exist.
It’s really frustrating and I heard of many more professionals who are having the same problem with NS models.
I never had this problem until the last 3 months, and my ns3 is like 6 years old.
I wonder if it’ll happen on nord stage 4 as well..

[pterm]

On some stages, each time I play the NS3, I’m having high oscillation interference on my in-ear monitor pack.
Like every time I hit the piano, I get a very high pitch RF noises.
It happened on a lot, on different stages, and all external equipment has been changed for checking it out.

When the pack is close to the keyboard, the high pitch is cery noticeable, and as I’m putting the pack away from the keys, on the back of my belt, the interference doesn’t exist.
It’s really frustrating and I heard of many more professionals who are having the same problem with NS models.
I never had this problem until the last 3 months, and my ns3 is like 6 years old.
I wonder if it’ll happen on nord stage 4 as well..

This is interesting. This is the first time I noticed this being reported on this forum (but to be fair, I don't follow the Stage forum closely).
I assume you use a wireless IEM pack. Please confirm.
If you get a wireless interaction between your NS3 and the wireless IEM, it indicates two things happening:
1. The NS3 produces electromagnetic radiation at some problematic frequency for the IEM.
2. The IEM is susceptible to that frequency.

If, perhaps 3 months ago, you disassembled your IEM (to change a battery for example) and reassembled it incorrectly (e.g., screws torqued to wrong specification), it could compromise the IEM's shielding and make it more susceptible to the fields around the NS3.

Similarly, if for some reason, you serviced your Nord 3 months ago, if incorrectly reassembled, it could now be radiating more than when it left the factory.

Another idea: Is the problem worse when near the cables? You might try removing all cables (except power), and then with the power switch ON add/remove one cable at a time to see if the problem relates to a specific cable. The problem might relate to multiple cables, so slowly build up to your normal cabling configuration and see if the problem appears or worsens. --If cables contribute to the problem they can often be simply treated with clamp on ferrite chokes.

Let us know what you find out.

[Y-Lnordist]

Hey, thanks for replying.
Yes, I do mean wireless IEM packs.
First of all - the weirdest thing is -
It does not happen in every stage I go to. Only sometimes.

The problem is not with my own IEM pack, it’s the backline companies packs, which are given to me at the venues.
The backline company (and the IEM packs) changes each time, as I perform with different artists and gigs, so the problem is not with a specific pack.

-The high pitched noise is hearable only when getting really close (with the IEM pack) to the NS3 board itself.

-Changing cables, power chord, IEM, IEM packs, PL cables, different stages, and everything that is changeable has already been tried.

-The problem doesn’t affect the main audio signal, so at least that.
I can hear it only through my In-Ear monitors when connected to a wireless pack.

-Just For clarifying, if I’m on a stage and the noise exists, other people that come close to the NS3 can hear that too, through their IEM packs!
So the problem is definitely with my NS3, that causes some kind of interference with the wireless packs signal when getting closer to the nord (some kind of radio frequency I guess?)

Please help!
No one really knows what’s the solution for this problem.
The only way to get around it is to put the pack on the back side of my belt, so it’s far enough from my nord keyboard.

[pterm]

The problem is not with my own IEM pack, it’s the backline companies packs, which are given to me at the venues.
The backline company (and the IEM packs) changes each time, as I perform with different artists and gigs, so the problem is not with a specific pack.

It could be the channel on which the IEM operates. Have you tried switching channels on the IEM system?

-The high pitched noise is hearable only when getting really close (with the IEM pack) to the NS3 board itself.

If possible, record the high pitched noise (maybe by placing the earpieces next to your phone). We can analyze the frequency content and it might point to a source in the NS3.

-Changing cables, power chord, IEM, IEM packs, PL cables, different stages, and everything that is changeable has already been tried.

Re-read my previous post about cables. I don't suggest changing cables at all. I want you to try to isolate the problem to a specific cable or cables that are acting as antennas to the NS3.
An electromagnetic interference issue requires:
1. Source (probably something in the NS3)
2. Antennas (usually cables in the NS3 and the IEM)
3. Receiver (the IEM in this case)
If you are able to determine which cable(s) (if any) act as antennas, a clamp on ferrite choke often suppresses the problem frequency.
Alternatively, I can recommend a selection or kit of clamp-on ferrite chokes that you can apply to ALL the cables on your NS3. This is inelegant and may not solve the problem if the source radiates from the interior of the NS3. Let me know if you want to try this. Kits cost approximately CAD100-200.

Please help!
No one really knows what’s the solution for this problem.

I'm trying to help. I solve problems like this for a living, but I need data, and sharing over an internet forum is sub-optimal, so the solution requires your participation.

The only way to get around it is to put the pack on the back side of my belt, so it’s far enough from my nord keyboard.

This sounds like a solution: Electromagnetic field strength falls off with the square of the distance to the source, so distance from the source always diminishes these problems. What's the issue with wearing the IEM pack on your back side? --It seems like you already have a solution.