Some keys have clicking/rattling noise (FP-10)

[jmahones]

I bought my FP-10 a few weeks ago and am absolutely loving the keyboard so far! I have noticed something though within the past week or so. Some of the keys on my keyboard make a particular clicking/rattling noise when I press them at anything more than a light touch. The keys I've noticed this on are the black keys in between middle C and the octave above E. I guess I sort of expected this behavior after a few years down the line possibly, but since I bought the keyboard so recently, it raises a serious concern with me. Since it's kind of hard to put into words the noise they're making, I recorded a soundbite with my phone and uploaded it to Google Drive.

Have a listen (FYI I just listened to this back and it seems my phone didn't pick up exactly how loud it is, it's actually just a little bit louder than how the soundbite portrays it):

Audio recording 2020-03-25 21-50-31.wav

drive.google.com

After contacting Roland support about it, they responded with, "According to our head service technician what you are hearing us normal. Even acoustic pianos have “key noise.” He said it is nothing to be concerned about."

Is that true? Do I have nothing to be worried about?

 

[delaware dave]

I few years ago I changed the internal battery on my GEM Equinox. When i did I unintentionally removed the screws of the 25 pound Fatar keybed rather than just the screws of the case. When i reattached the keybed I started getting that clacking sound, mostly with the keys in the middle of the keybed, and only the black keys. It turns out that they keybed shifted ever so slightly causing the clacking. Can't be heard when playing live because of the stage volume. Solution: slightly unscrew the keys holding down the keybed, adjust the bed so that they are hitting any other hardware (for mine it was the top lid it was just slightly touching). Once in place with no noise lock the screws down. Might not be your problem at all, but it was for me.

 

[happyrat1]

Rather than screw around with a screwdriver and risking the warranty I would visit a couple of music stores and do a comparison with your own ears.

If the sound is unlike the ones on your unit, just bring it back.

Most music stores offer a 30 day no questions asked return guarantee for either store credit or cash.

If yours is a noisier unit with a quality control issue I would not hesitate bringing it back to exchange for a new unit.

Gary

 

[Biggles]

I did play an FP10 and 30 before I choose my own DP.

The FP range have Roland's PHA4 keybed which I certainly found to have the best feel of any keyboard in the price range.

I played FP10 and 30 in a couple of different stores and none were especially noisy but your sample certainly sounds noisier than what I experienced.

The link is to Youtube where I have uploaded a video of the noise my keybed makes by way of comparison

 

[delaware dave]

Yours is way less noisy than my GEM Equinox 88 key fully-weighted FATAR action. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Can't be heard in a recording and certainly can't be heard live playing.

 

[jmahones]

First of all, thank you to all of you guys for the posts! Really appreciate the input!

So first of all, to address what @happyrat1 was saying about bringing it into a music store. That might be a little tough. I did look on Roland's website for a service center and there is one pretty close, but I'd have to call to see if they are even open, given that my city is basically on lockdown because of the virus and only essential places are open.

Next, regarding @Biggles post... thanks for the video and the info! Yea I'm not sure if something is defective with mine or what. Definitely doesn't seem like it should be making these noises after only a few weeks of playing on.

And @delaware dave how long have you had your GEM Equinox? You're right in that it won't be heard in a recording, but I think it is noticeable when live playing... and what if it gets even worse?

 

[happyrat1]

Did you buy it online or locally in a store?

If you bought it from Amazon they give you a no quibble 30 day money back guarantee.

My advice wasn't to take it to a store to compare.

My advice was to visit a music store and audition some demo boards (similar models if possible) and going from memory determining whether or not this is a normal sound.

Given the circumstances of the Covid lockdown, if you bought it online I would simply return it ASAP. Otherwise worse problems may develop later down the line when all warranties have expired.

If you bought it locally, hang on to your receipt and bring it back to the store at the earliest opportunity.

Perhaps write up a registered letter and send it to the vendor explaining the problem happened within the warranty period and signalling your intentions to return it at the earliest opportunity. That should buy you some time and secure your legal rights in the situation should this ever go to small claims court.

Otherwise you simply take your chances and if it does have a catastrophic failure in the near future you can only hope it will happen during the 1 year warranty period and even then you will be on the hook for shipping costs to an authorized repair center.

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

If that sharp “clicky” noise isn’t your fingernails on the keys it’s certainly unusual. Hard to tell without video.

Other than that your keybed sounds pretty normal for a digital weighted. They’re all somewhat noisy due to the hammer action as Biggles’ video demonstrates.

 

[jmahones]

Alright, I recorded a video of me testing out the keys (mostly the black ones) for you @CowboyNQ :

Yea I bought it off of Amazon @happyrat1 , and yea I'm aware of of that 30 day no hassle return policy. I'm just wondering if I should I return it immediately for a refund or wait until the local service center opened and take it in there to see if they can repair it. I think it's clear to me after reading everybody's comments that the piano should not be sounding like this, so making an effort to try and demo some other FP-10's or similar digital pianos doesn't seem worth it. According to this page on Roland's website, I'm covered under warranty for 2 years:

Roland - Support - Service & Repair - Warranty Information

Warranty Information

www.roland.com

 

[delaware dave]

And @delaware dave how long have you had your GEM Equinox? You're right in that it won't be heard in a recording, but I think it is noticeable when live playing... and what if it gets even worse?

I've had my Equinox since 2001 and have easily over 1000 gigs and 1000 practices. My noise is worse than yours and I've had no issues with the keybed. BTW, in a live performance mine cannot be audibly heard by anyone, including me. But at the end of the day it is your keyboard and your call.

 

[CowboyNQ]

BTW, in a live performance mine cannot be audibly heard by anyone, including me.

This is an important point @jmahones . If you're playing live (in a band), there's no way you're hearing your keybed action, I don't care how noisy it is.

 

[jmahones]

So I did post a comment on this thread like 4 hours ago but I guess because it had a couple of links in it, its still waiting on moderator approval until it goes live. It was a YouTube video of me testing out the keys on my FP-10. And I also had a link to a page on Roland's website proving I think the warranty for my piano is 2 years.

So I'm not in a band, and I guess what I meant when I said live performance is just playing through the built-in speakers instead of recording or playing with headphones plugged in. Since I'm a beginner, I mostly just setup the piano in my room and play. You probably don't remember back when you first got your Equinox, @delaware dave if it started making noise on key presses quickly or not huh?

I'm leaning towards wanting to either return it or bring it in to get it fixed.

 

[Biggles]

You may well be outside the return window for a full refund which is often a max of 30 days.

My Yamaha P series is certainly noisier than the 61 key synth action keyboards that I have had but as I play with headphones on the keybed noise is not that important.

Hence maybe if you get used to playing with headphones on you can concentrate on playing rather than being distracted by keybed noise.

 

[RSS]

Alright, I recorded a video of me testing out the keys (mostly the black ones) for you @CowboyNQ :

Yea I bought it off of Amazon @happyrat1 , and yea I'm aware of of that 30 day no hassle return policy. I'm just wondering if I should I return it immediately for a refund or wait until the local service center opened and take it in there to see if they can repair it. I think it's clear to me after reading everybody's comments that the piano should not be sounding like this, so making an effort to try and demo some other FP-10's or similar digital pianos doesn't seem worth it. According to this page on Roland's website, I'm covered under warranty for 2 years:

Roland - Support - Service & Repair - Warranty Information

Warranty Information

www.roland.com

I'm in Brazil. I have this exactly same problem, the exact same noise. I bought the keyboard just under 2 months ago. But the problem started within just a few weeks of use, in just a couple of keys but now it's kind of spreading out. I think, and I hope, this might be a bad lot. I like the keyboard a lot. This noise is not normal, sounds like things are getting loose inside. I hope I can get a replacement. I don't feel comfortable having they "fixing" it. I've seem in other forums people complaining about the same problem, but not a whole lot of people. So, I hope this is not a cheap cheat on Roland's part to make an entry level keyboard with good action but bad keyboard itself. Hope it's not a design, a project problem!! It's a very nice sound and feel this keyboard has. It would be a shame if this noise was expected to happen within such a short period of time!!

 

[Biggles]

RSS

The PHA-4 key action on your 10 is the same as is used in the 30 & 60 models and even in the new RD88, the FP 90 has a varient in the PHA-50 key action.

Hence as the RD88 and FP 60 which cost about 2x the price of an FP 10 the key action is hardly a cheap one.

Certainly the keybed action of the digital pianos in this price band that I tried before I bought my own were very similar except for a Kawai that was so noisy it would walk the neighbours if played with headphones on.

It would probably be best if you discussed the matter with your supplier with a view to returning it.

 

[jmahones]

I'm in Brazil. I have this exactly same problem, the exact same noise. I bought the keyboard just under 2 months ago. But the problem started within just a few weeks of use, in just a couple of keys but now it's kind of spreading out. I think, and I hope, this might be a bad lot. I like the keyboard a lot. This noise is not normal, sounds like things are getting loose inside. I hope I can get a replacement. I don't feel comfortable having they "fixing" it. I've seem in other forums people complaining about the same problem, but not a whole lot of people. So, I hope this is not a cheap cheat on Roland's part to make an entry level keyboard with good action but bad keyboard itself. Hope it's not a design, a project problem!! It's a very nice sound and feel this keyboard has. It would be a shame if this noise was expected to happen within such a short period of time!!

Sweet, now I'm definitely reassured that something is truly wrong with my FP-10 seeing as how you are having the exact same problem with the exact same keyboard. Yea it's interesting because after doing some research myself as well, it seems as though this is definitely a recurring issue that several people are having with this piano or ones similar, but not a very common one at that.

So get this, I actually took mine to an Authorized Roland Service Center (basically just this guy operating out of his house) a couple weeks ago, and after he looked at it, he simply dismissed my concerns and said how noise like this should be expected with any digital piano. He even had a couple of digital pianos in his garage (Yamaha and Casio I think) and after playing some notes on those, those ones definitely didn't have the rattly/clicky noise that mine has! I'm not sure if it was because he couldn't hear very well (he was a little bit older) or what, haha.

So then I went back to Roland support, via email, and asked if I could simply send it to them (I guess the official Roland U.S. Service Center is in California). But come to find out, because of the virus outbreak, their warehouse is temporarily closed. But I was comforted by, after confirming with Roland, the fact that the FP-10 is in the "Stage pianos and stage amps" product line, so the warranty is 3 years and 2 years for parts and labor respectively (https://www.roland.com/us/support/service_repair/).

So my plan of action will be to wait until the Roland U.S. Service Center is open again, hopefully within a month or so, and then send it to them for replacement instead of "fixing".

Stay safe out there everyone! My prayers go out to all of you

 

[RSS]

RSS

The PHA-4 key action on your 10 is the same as is used in the 30 & 60 models and even in the new RD88, the FP 90 has a varient in the PHA-50 key action.

Hence as the RD88 and FP 60 which cost about 2x the price of an FP 10 the key action is hardly a cheap one.

Certainly the keybed action of the digital pianos in this price band that I tried before I bought my own were very similar except for a Kawai that was so noisy it would walk the neighbours if played with headphones on.

It would probably be best if you discussed the matter with your supplier with a view to returning it.

I agree. The problem is not the action, is the keys themselves. It sounds like they get loose ou something inside them. I was told to take it to an authorised repair shop. I'll contact them, although getting "fixed" is not what I wanted. I'd rather get a brand new replacement. Things here in Brazil are a little more difficult. I'll keep this post updated though as to how it goes.

 

[delaware dave]

Listen to the keyboard clatter on this Nord Electro. Seems to be louder than yours, which is why I don't think that you have a keybed issue necessarily:

 

[Gearhead]

This is a little old now, but...

I had a Yam YPG 625 for many years, with the GHS keybed. One of the things that annoyed me about it was it developed clacky keys. It wasn't down in the hammers, it was in the keys themselves, felt very cheap to me although I liked the action otherwise. As an aside, it seems like the GHS action is bipolar; I've seen some of them that feel very tight and quiet, and others that seem loose and clacky. When I shopped a couple years ago for a replacement, quiet action was important to me. Maybe it's losing battle in the end, but I don't like that clickity clackity thing. Roland had the most solid feeling keybeds in the $1000 price range. I bought a DS 88, which has a G-feel keybed, not as high end as your PHA4 action, but it feels good and really solid. I've only had it a couple years so who knows, but it still feels pretty quiet and solid, with only the occasional click. It has some normal noises of course, but not clicks or clacks.

I don't think your PHA4 should do this.

Jeremy

 

[askold_ws]

Alright guys! I solved that problem after 4 months of experimets! I made a little photo instruction, everything is pretty simple

Fp-10 keys fix

12 new items added to shared album

photos.app.goo.gl