NL3 problem

zef · Joined: May 06, 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Sweden

I have a problem with my NL3. Sometimes, depending on location, all the leds suddenly starts to flicker. You can't get sounds out of it, just some strange high frequence wich peaks my Kaoss pad. It comes back to normal if you restart it but can freak out five minutes later if it's in that mood. But! In the studio, for example, it doesn't bitch att all. I can have it on for hours and tweak it back and forth without any problem. Now some gig is coming up and I need it dependable. So does anybody have a solution?

blue hell · Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 8:06 am Post subject:

Hi zef,

is it giving trouble on one location only ? If so, could it be a mains problem ? Equipment can behave pretty weird on short outages.

zef · Joined: May 06, 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Sweden

Thanks for your reply!
Well I've tried it on four different locations and it has behaved like that on two of them. And I guess that it's possible, what your writing, but I don't know how to fix it without repairing the whole synthesizer. I'm thinking some kind of buffer or so...I really have no clue.

blue hell · Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 8:47 am Post subject:

When it's on two different locations I'd consider the synth to be defective - it is a bit unlikely that the mains supply is that bad on two different locations.

You could try to use it through an uninterruptable power supply, but I'm not sure, the standard things used for PCs don't have anything like a clean mains output. I wouldn't reccomend this really, unless you'r sure to have something good.

It might be as simple as a defective mains lead. Does anything happen when you bend/twist or oherwise move it ?

It could also be that the internal connections between the power supply and the main board are loose or something, you could try to check that by opening the synth.

Next I'd want to measure the power supply, which in your case probably means you'll have to bring the synth to a repair shop.

Wout Blommers · Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 8:57 am Post subject:

Just unscrew all the large screws at the back, underside (2) at the both sides, but leasve those two at the back with the two washer.

Wout

zef · Joined: May 06, 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Sweden

hmm, but it seems so strange. How come it works perfect in some places and terrible in others? I've tried 3 different cables and they all give the same effect.

blue hell · Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 12:23 pm Post subject:

zef · Joined: May 06, 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Sweden

I shall look. Maybe it's so that my lead3 is just extremely sensitive to weak sources so that some form of cleanser or buffer is enough to make it dependable.

Olsen

I'm back in this forum with some taoists points of view about our friend's misbehavior:
I never (luckily) had the problem that you Zef described but i had and i still have others problems; my NL3 crushes each time i use a program with certain amount of resonance/release so the sustain goes out of control and there's no panic bottom capable of stoping this hell, this happen very very often, most of my sttings has lots of release or and reso..
I never had the chance of playing live with my NL3 but the only way of doing this with no risk is in the same way i use it in the studio, with the loop station; then when NL3 get frozen i just lower the volume gradually to 0 and keep playing the loop, in the meantime i restart the NL3 and go back to the program, press the panic bottom first and then i can start playing, this process can take a few seconds and does not affects the nature of my piece; when the keyboard get frozen or crashes again i press the panic bottom and voila.... Maybe this is the right way to use that famous panic bottom. Maybe we need to save the panic bottom active to each of the programs that make the synth to crash... but some of the programs has panic bottom active already from factory and when those programs make the NL3 to crash or get frozen of course the panic bottom nothing can do. Other way of get rid of a crash is to lower the volume gradually to 0 and press as many keys you can to exhaust the poliphony then the crash goes off but this method do not work most of the time so you also while pressing keys you have to change programs and banks to get the keyboard to cool off.
So the best thing to do to cool a crash off is to restart the keyboard.
I used to have trouble also with the outputs to make'em sound in true stereo but i change cables and now i can't complain anymore, it sounds great.
I recently bought a Korg TR 88 to use as a master keyboard and since then i didn't use the NL3 at all. i just give him a rest for since i bought it like 7 month ago i used it almost every single day. Now i'm using the beautiful pianos that the Korg has to record piano lines on top of the strange textures that i 've recorded with the NL3.
Someone in this forum, sorry i don't remember you name recommended me to sell my NL3 and buy the Modular, but i did'nt do it cause i'm so in love with my NL3 that i can tolerate all of his imperfections(for now).

Wout Blommers · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 12:36 pm Post subject:

Hi Olson,

Can you post some of those patches here, so we can test these also?
The panic button is always active, no matter which Program is loaded. Do you perform [Shift+Panic]? Anyway, Panic isn't a Program reset.

Are you sure you're are not playing in 'Hold' mode?

Wout

There is a difference between 'button' and 'bottom', you know Smile

Wout Blommers · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 12:46 pm Post subject:

To Olson,

Another option can be:
Is it possible the NL3 is receiving Midi during booting, which has no meaning to the synth itself?

Wout

Olsen · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 2:04 pm Post subject:

I don't really know if is actually receiving midi during start up...i guess not because if midi IN is conected to any other keyboard or computer usually they are off and i start them later on. The first thing i always started first after the mixer is the NL3, then the amp. I used the mac only to be controlled by NL3 for absynth or other softsynths that i have in the mac.
What could be is that is in HOLD mode and i'll check that tonight, is very probable because i use the sustain pedal with the other keyboards and then i sustain the NL3 via midi, but is very possible that is in Hold mode and i didn't know it; by the way that crashes is very very possible.
Thank you.

darman · Joined: Apr 27, 2009 Posts: 7 Location: Slovenia

Hello! I have the same problem! On two locations it doesnt work like it should, vry strange high frequency sound.... Anyone knows how to solve this problem?

darman · Joined: Apr 27, 2009 Posts: 7 Location: Slovenia

BTW I dont use any midi connections... only stereo output and it doesnt work like it should.

purusha · Joined: Mar 13, 2008 Posts: 131 Location: Ilkley

What firmware are you guys using? Latest?

I've had my NL3 out at some very hot and sweaty gigs and so far I've never experienced anything like these issues.

darman · Joined: Apr 27, 2009 Posts: 7 Location: Slovenia

purusha · Joined: Mar 13, 2008 Posts: 131 Location: Ilkley

Yes, I mean OS.

The only thing I tend to do at gigs is use a surge protector strip.

Can't hurt updating your OS. At least it'd eliminate one possibility.