Yamaha Clavinova w/Rumbling Sound
Michael and Janet Inman
developed an occasional rumbling sound that comes from both speakers.
It only lasts a few seconds at a time, is unbelievable loud, very low in
pitch, and sounds just like wind noise on a microphone. Seems to happen at
random times although more common when someone is playing it. Volume
control position has no effect on the noise volume but does sometimes seem
to affect the timbre of the noise. It goes away when you plug headphones in
(you don't hear it in the headphones).
Without the benefit of a service manual/schematic, I have tried to trace the
analog audio signal with an oscilloscope to at least determine from which
stage the noise is coming. I'm suspecting it's originating in the power amp
section - the amps are IC "bricks", one for each channel but since it's in
both speakers equally I'm thinking it's not them. Due to the sheer volume
of the noise it actually loads the power supply to a point where signals at
all stages are affected. I did change the filter cap in the dc supply. No
improvement.
I did read some newsgroup accounts of noise in the Clavinovas being due to
dirty contacts in the volume control... I'm picking up some contact cleaner
today and will try that but I'm not too optimistic about it.
Any experience with this problem or guidance much appreciated.
Mike
Ricardo Matos Abreu
contact, creating that kind of noise that you described as "wind noise in a
microphone".
When playing, due to vibration, the intermittent contact may open and close
faster, leading to more noise.
It's very likely to have a bad solder near the power amplifier (I'd say, the
power amplifier IC and itself). Since it heats up and cools down every time
you switch the piano on and off, the expansion/contraction thing goes slowly
cracking a cold solder joint.
Also, it's likely the headphones signal is taken before the power amplifier,
so they aren't affected by that bad solder.
Check the PCB carefully in the solder side (use a magnifying glass),
especially that IC, it's vicinity and heatsink connections to the ground if
any.
Out of subject: are you satisfied with the Clavinova? I'd like to buy a
digital piano. I've tried several Yamaha but the keyboard response seems
quite unpredictable. Play lightly and can't hear the notes, play just a
little bit stronger and the piano shouts! Does this happens to you too?
Personally I prefer the Roland feeling. But Roland's are much more
expensive... (sigh!)
Ricardo
"Michael and Janet Inman" <inm...@vci.net> wrote in message
news:HzadnTWVePf...@vci.net...
Michael and Janet Inman
Although we'll probably get scolded for going off-subject, regarding your
question:
The main player of the Clavinova in our house is my nine-year-old daughter.
She's been taking lessons now for about five years. I've been a guitarist
for about twenty-five years - what I know on piano is enough to maybe
impress someone for a minute or two...
That said, I've been pretty happy with it as a digital piano. A local
university has occasional sales where they sell off the pianos used in their
music program that particular year and that's where we bought it. Different
models have different features but I believe they've all got touch
sensitive, weighted keys. There are some settings that let you adjust the
key sensitivity according to how hard you play. The other voices include
electric piano, several organ variations, harpsichord (I think) and a few
more. It doesn't have the cheesy guitar, flute, oboe, etc., settings.
Other than this little noise problem that has popped up, I've loved it. It
also... well... looks nice for a home piano.
Now, in playing a digital piano, although it feels like an acoustic, the
volume control could maybe "train" you to play with a little different
attack than you might with an acoustic, especially if that's all you play,
so I've worried that my daughter might have trouble adjusting when seated at
an acoustic. That evaporated after a few recitals. She seems to do just
fine.
I have read, in researching this noise problem, a lot of people complaining
about poor quality in Yamahas. My experience in Yamahas is limited to
guitars; I've owned three Yamaha acoustic guitars, I've still got one, and
for the money they're not really bad. I'd never use one (at least mine) on
stage but they are fine for learning, banging around the house, and camping.
They're not heirlooms but, hey, they sound fine and with the right setup,
have playability and action as good as guitars twice their price. The only
stage experience I have with Yamahas is other musicians I've known using the
venerable DX-7 but I'm sure that's dated by now... so am I. Of course, I
also have Bose speakers... which appears to be a cardinal sin among the
elite audiophiles.
Asimov
--- on the topic of "Re: Yamaha Clavinova w/Rumbling Sound"
MaJI> Of course, I also have Bose
MaJI> speakers... which appears to be a cardinal sin among the elite
MaJI> audiophiles.
That's okay, if you can endure them then enjoy your own version of hell!
... A stereo system is the altar to the god of music.
Bob Shuman
Continuing the OT thread...
We have owned a Yamaha Clavinova (don't recall the model CLP-???) electronic
piano for about 13-14 years now. My soon to be 18-year old son started
using it at the age of 5 when he first began taking piano lessons. About 4
years ago, he had progressed to the point where his teacher made it clear
that the feel of the Clavinova keys had become an impediment to much further
progress. At this point we took the plunge and bought a Yamaha acoustic
grand piano.
He still uses the Clavinova for late night practice sessions (having volume
control and headphones is a wonderful thing) and for composing music (the
Clavinova MIDI feeds an older computer which has a software package that
captures the keystrokes on musical score).
We have never had a single problem with the Clavinova. It has seen frequent
use by my two boys, my wife, and now my youngest who is a 9 year old
daughter. My oldest just finished auditioning at colleges and plans to get
a Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance. The Clavinova was what got him to
the point where he is today. Tell your daughter to stick with it and save
up since you will have a really big expense ahead of you!
Bob
"Michael and Janet Inman" <inm...@vci.net> wrote in message
news:_LOdnS_B2vn...@vci.net...
> The main player of the Clavinova in our house is my nine-year-old
daughter.
> She's been taking lessons now for about five years.
> That said, I've been pretty happy with it as a digital piano.
>
> Other than this little noise problem that has popped up, I've loved it.
It
> also... well... looks nice for a home piano.
>
Pistol Pete
is one?) Most dirty potentiometers exhibit exactly this behavior,
especially after five years. And yes, it gets quite loud as the amplifier
goes between volume extremes.
Just my .02, good luck
Pisto|Pete
"Michael and Janet Inman" <inm...@vci.net> wrote in message
news:HzadnTWVePf...@vci.net...
Joe Jaramillo
Jeff Liebermann
<joej...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I have the same problem on a C 430. I’ll be playing either quiet or loud and then a hear A rumbling noise that kind of trails off for a bit and then comes back. Did you ever find out what the root cause was?
speakers cause some electribuc component to vibrate, which then causes
audible noises in the speakers. If the gain and phase of the
amplifier is correct, it will produce low frequency feedback, which is
the rumbling noise you hear. If the noise was a high pitched squeal,
then it would be high frequency feedback.
In your case, you have a "C 430". That might be a Yamaha NX-C430
speaker system. The system does not have any built in amplifier(s),
so there's nothing wrong with the speakers. I suggest you remove your
speakers from the amplifier or receiver case, and the microphonics
will likely be reduced or stop.
Incidentally, you're only 19 years too late to catch the original
posters.
>On Wednesday, March 12, 2003 at 9:56:01 AM UTC-8, Michael and Janet Inman wrote:
>> I have a Yamaha CLP-411 Clavinova that is about five years old. It has
>> developed an occasional rumbling sound that comes from both speakers.
>> It only lasts a few seconds at a time, is unbelievable loud, very low in
>> pitch, and sounds just like wind noise on a microphone. Seems to happen at
>> random times although more common when someone is playing it. Volume
>> control position has no effect on the noise volume but does sometimes seem
>> to affect the timbre of the noise. It goes away when you plug headphones in
>> (you don't hear it in the headphones).
>> Without the benefit of a service manual/schematic, I have tried to trace the
>> analog audio signal with an oscilloscope to at least determine from which
>> stage the noise is coming. I'm suspecting it's originating in the power amp
>> section - the amps are IC "bricks", one for each channel but since it's in
>> both speakers equally I'm thinking it's not them. Due to the sheer volume
>> of the noise it actually loads the power supply to a point where signals at
>> all stages are affected. I did change the filter cap in the dc supply. No
>> improvement.
>> I did read some newsgroup accounts of noise in the Clavinovas being due to
>> dirty contacts in the volume control... I'm picking up some contact cleaner
>> today and will try that but I'm not too optimistic about it.
>> Any experience with this problem or guidance much appreciated.
>> Mike
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
legg
wrote:
>On Sun, 25 Sep 2022 11:23:10 -0700 (PDT), Joe Jaramillo
><joej...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I have the same problem on a C 430. I’ll be playing either quiet or loud and then a hear A rumbling noise that kind of trails off for a bit and then comes back. Did you ever find out what the root cause was?
>
>There's an important clue in the text:
>"It goes away when you plug headphones"
>
>My guess(tm) is it's some form of microphonics. That's where the
>speakers cause some electribuc component to vibrate, which then causes
>audible noises in the speakers. If the gain and phase of the
>amplifier is correct, it will produce low frequency feedback, which is
>the rumbling noise you hear. If the noise was a high pitched squeal,
>then it would be high frequency feedback.
>
>In your case, you have a "C 430". That might be a Yamaha NX-C430
>speaker system. The system does not have any built in amplifier(s),
>so there's nothing wrong with the speakers. I suggest you remove your
>speakers from the amplifier or receiver case, and the microphonics
>will likely be reduced or stop.
harness security, in this case - after the volume control section.
RL
Joe Jaramillo
Joe Jaramillo
Samuel Oh
legg
wrote:
defense.
Remove it and clean the area with alcohol, anywhere it comes
into contact with board traces or connector terminals.
RL