NS2 Pitch Stick acting Funky

[Musicalaccents]

Hey there. To start with, I did call Nord Support (left a message) and emailed them. However, the issue I'm having requires immediate solution since it's my primary recording/teaching/performance board and I'd like to get it resolved asap. So just wanted to get that outta the way first.

Yesterday I start working on a project and the pitch stick started having intonation issues. Any patch with pitch stick activated has the same issue. After doing a bend, it will go slightly flat until I flick the pitch bend stick and then it sometimes will correct itself. When I take off pitch bend, there are no issues. Same thing happens when I used Nord as MIDI via software instrument in Logic Pro. The MIDI data captures the pitch stick issues.

I've had this NS2SW73 5 years ago (bought new) and one of the members in the FB forum sent me a link to the pitch stick assembly which is $140?? After doing research in the Nord forum and online, this assembly seems to be problematic and I’m having difficulties grasping how this could happen with such an amazing product otherwise. I’ve owned over 10 professional synths over the past 25 years with no issues like this ever.

I'm hoping that maybe there's an easy solution that doesn't require waiting for an expensive part, then finding a repair shop (I'm 60 miles from a large town), then waiting for the repair- that is if anyone can actually repair due to COVID.

Here is a link to a video I created and uploaded demonstrating the issue:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/puuj5i39ofih5 ... d.mp4?dl=0

TIA!

[maxpiano]

post68876.html as you can read there (and similar threads in this forum) replacement is the option to go for; if you know how to solder wires to a board you can just buy the part and DIY the replacement, otherwise any electronics repair technician should be able to do it for you in 30 mins max, including opening and closing the NS.

[Kaffimusic]

Since he wrote about the problem after using Midi control... is there a "Panic" button that resets all internal values to zero (e.g. pitchbend, note off...)?

[pablomastodon]

PLEASE NOTE: I was employed by the US and Canadian distributors of Nord products to provide tech support services to customers in those countries from March of 2010 through April of 2020. Someone else now holds that position.

The Nord pitch stick is subject to wear and tear. Once it begins to fail, replacement is called for.

Bless, Pablo

[tsss27]

On a related note, for those of you who use the pitch stick frequently (on any Nord product as they are all the same,) how often (if ever) do you find it needing to be replaced? This is common with standard pitch wheels too (and especially Roland's lever...) wonder if there is some way to add some extra life to these designs...

[baekgaard]

On a related note, for those of you who use the pitch stick frequently (on any Nord product as they are all the same,) how often (if ever) do you find it needing to be replaced? This is common with standard pitch wheels too (and especially Roland's lever...) wonder if there is some way to add some extra life to these designs...

I have never had any problems with Nord sticks.

Wheels contain moving parts and likely uses a potentiometer, which will wear mechanically with use as a small contact is moved over a carbon deposit, or some such equivalent, and the friction will cause wear. It can also be susceptible to dust.

Nord has a patent on their stick (https://patents.google.com/patent/US5696345), which uses a strain gauge to measure the deformation of a piece of metal. In principle that should be a more robust design (with no deadzone) since no parts cause friction.

So if anything, the Nord should last longer.

Sent from my phone in brevity

[baekgaard]

On a related note, for those of you who use the pitch stick frequently (on any Nord product as they are all the same,) how often (if ever) do you find it needing to be replaced? This is common with standard pitch wheels too (and especially Roland's lever...) wonder if there is some way to add some extra life to these designs...

I have never had any problems with Nord sticks.

Wheels contain moving parts and likely uses a potentiometer, which will wear mechanically with use as a small contact is moved over a carbon deposit, or some such equivalent, and the friction will cause wear. It can also be susceptible to dust.

Nord has a patent on their stick (https://patents.google.com/patent/US5696345), which uses a strain gauge to measure the deformation of a piece of metal. In principle that should be a more robust design (with no deadzone) since no parts cause friction.

So if anything, the Nord should last longer.

Sent from my phone in brevity

Unfortunately with regards to Nord design being more robust I am afraid that is not 100% accurate, the strain gauge is subject to... strain (stress) and can break or be altered with intense usage. Problem is that the small strain gauge mounted on Nord Pitch Stick is more difficult to find, replace and calibrate than the pot of a classic Pitch Bend wheel, so usually it is better/faster to replace the whole Pitch Stick.

[baekgaard]

On a related note, for those of you who use the pitch stick frequently (on any Nord product as they are all the same,) how often (if ever) do you find it needing to be replaced? This is common with standard pitch wheels too (and especially Roland's lever...) wonder if there is some way to add some extra life to these designs...

I have never had any problems with Nord sticks.

Wheels contain moving parts and likely uses a potentiometer, which will wear mechanically with use as a small contact is moved over a carbon deposit, or some such equivalent, and the friction will cause wear. It can also be susceptible to dust.

Nord has a patent on their stick (https://patents.google.com/patent/US5696345), which uses a strain gauge to measure the deformation of a piece of metal. In principle that should be a more robust design (with no deadzone) since no parts cause friction.

So if anything, the Nord should last longer.

Sent from my phone in brevity

Unfortunately that is not 100% accurate, the strain gauge is subject to... strain (stress) and can break or be altered with intese usage.

Surely it is not unbreakable, but there isn't any friction Of course there can be structural changes, if can maybe come loose (epoxy glue comes loose), or the metal can become brittle with wear, a wire disconnects, etc.

Strain gauges are often used in critical applications, AFAIK, where accessibility isn't good. Typical MTBF for a few such systems I looked at are on the 10 year range of continued use.

Changes to the equilibrium point isn't an issue as it is recalibrated on every instrument boot.

I think most problems reported here have more to do with wires coming loose?

My personal anecdotal experience is that potentiometer based controllers tend to become more noisy over time - they frequently break for me, at least.

So my point was more that the system shouldn't be worse that a potentiometer dial? I admit I didn't spend a long time with datasheets so if you have done so it would be interesting to see if you could share your findings, thanks!

Sent from my phone in brevity

[baekgaard]

Well I "studied" the (very interesting) Nord Pitch Stick patent you also mentioned and had a chance to attempt to repair one, wires were OK so it was the strain gauge being faulty, I tried to understand if I could find the parte and if/how it could be replaced on the same stick, but eventually I decided to get a new one (I still have the "broken" one somewhere btw).

[baekgaard]

Well I "studied" the (very interesting) Nord Pitch Stick patent you also mentioned and had a chance to attempt to repair one, wires were OK so it was the strain gauge being faulty, I tried to understand if I could find the parte and if/how it could be replaced on the same stick, but eventually I decided to get a new one (I still have the "broken" one somewhere btw).

Replacing the strain gauge itself is likely difficult as it's often glued with epoxy that is somehow cured, to make it stick well... (sorry for the pun).

Sent from my phone in brevity