My M3 changes pitch when I press a little hard the keys!!!

Pau Alvarez · Post by **Pau Alvarez** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:17 pm

Last week I posted a problem that I'm having with my sounds. I've been having really serious troubles caused by the pitch because it changes in a random way. I first thought it was caused bay the joystick that I recently repaired and changed it. I tried to deactivate the bend range and a few sounds were repaired, but not the rest. But yesterday I realized that when I press the keys a little hard the pitch raises a half tone in most of the sounds. It doesn't happens with some hammond sounds neither Piano EXP4, but it does with all the strings, pads, normal pianos and the rest of the sounds.
I'm really worried because I'm in the middle of a tour with all the stuff programed with the M3. Could you please help me?...

Thanks a lot!!...

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:36 pm

This does sound like a joystick issue then.

Organs and pianos are probably not programmed with pitchbend.

When the joystick is damaged electronically, signals from other controls can leak through for example on the Triton series the first sign was commonly the sustain pedal causing a pitch bend.

In your case it sounds like Aftertouch leaking through the connection.

Pau Alvarez · Post by **Pau Alvarez** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:47 pm

Thank you very much. I'm not quite good in electronics, is there any way to find a solution until I find the time to repair it?. I tried to deactivate the after touch in the global mode but I didn't find the way. I'm really getting mad!!...

Thanks!!...

dumeril7 · Post by **dumeril7** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:04 pm

First thing I'd try is to recalibrate the aftertouch. It could be that its currently too sensitive and keeps firing when you don't want it to. There's a menu command in Global mode, to start the recalibration procedure...

D7

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:10 pm

Disabling aftertouch in Global mode wouldn't solve the problem. Digital systems don't break easily - not like that anyway, if they break they just stop working altogether. Its the analog side that would have the problem, literally bleeding into the joystick circuit.

That is, if it is what I think it is.

vladimotor · Post by **vladimotor** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:27 pm

This does sound similar to a joystick issue common in MicroX model.
I believe this happens(in MicroX) after wire breaks off the joystick, then all kinds of random pitch shifting happens, also controls that supposed to control other things, like filter etc... begin to change pitch as well.

Pau Alvarez · Post by **Pau Alvarez** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:28 pm

I've already changed the joystick one month ago. It was working fine until last week during a gig when the sounds started to mess it all around. Now I've realized that when I press the keys hard the pitch of some sounds changes, even if the bend range is deactivated. Do you think is an afertouch issue or a joystick issue?. I'm desperate because there's not a way to repair it in an official delivery until september in my country!!

Thanks a lot!!

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:00 pm

That's interesting because if the bend range is zero then the joystick can't be at fault.

Basically, you've got to look at what controls can change the pitch, on the same circuit as the aftertouch.

Come to think of it, from my experience with the Tritons at least, the Ribbon Controller tends to be routed to pitch.
Considering the Ribbon has no moving parts, and your joystick was recently replaced, it could just be a slightly loose connection. Hopefully.

Alternatively without opening it up, you could try changing whatever parameter controls the amount of ribbon going to pitch.

madbeatzyo111 · Post by **madbeatzyo111** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:53 pm

Have you tried to MIDI the M3 to a control keyboard (with aftertouch)?

Pau Alvarez · Post by **Pau Alvarez** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:08 am

Not yet, I'm gonna try.. this is scaring the hell 0ut of me!!

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 1:49 pm

Pau -

UPS busted the crap out of the joystick deck of my triton ex and I've had similar symptoms to what you describe when the deck panel moves. It makes me wonder if there's not a mechanical factor in play here; either in the way the keyboard was remounted after the joystick fix, or if perhaps your joystick panel was not put back together exactly right - there may be some physical connection that's moving the assembly as you play.

All my pitch change glitches have been exactly 1/2 step up.

BB

dumeril7 · Post by **dumeril7** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:03 pm

Pau Alvarez wrote:I've already changed the joystick one month ago. It was working fine until last week during a gig when the sounds started to mess it all around. Now I've realized that when I press the keys hard the pitch of some sounds changes, even if the bend range is deactivated. Do you think is an afertouch issue or a joystick issue?. I'm desperate because there's not a way to repair it in an official delivery until september in my country!!

Thanks a lot!!

Based on what has been said about the problem so far, I'm still going with aftertouch as being the culprit. On the sounds that exhibit the problem, is aftertouch mapped to pitch? My theory is that aftertouch is configured to be too sensitive and the M3 is sending aftertouch messages when you don't want them. And on the problem sounds, that aftertouch is being routed to pitch. If that's the case, first I'd recalibrate the aftertouch. And if that didn't work I'd remove the aftertouch modulation mapping on the problem sounds.

D7

Pau Alvarez · Post by **Pau Alvarez** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:25 pm

How can I check if is aftertouch mapped to pitch on any sound?, I'm not quite sure of it... Thank you all!!

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:28 pm

Did you try changing the assignment of Ribbon to Pitch like I mentioned?

As I said, the problem can't be with an actual mapping of Aftertouch to Pitch because that would have to be set up for EVERY program. And a simple system reset would fix it.

These problems are usually related to damaged electronics where ground interference from other controls kind of 'takes over' the damaged controller, which in this case is likely to be either the pitch bender, or the ribbon.

dumeril7 · Post by **dumeril7** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:00 pm

X-Trade wrote: As I said, the problem can't be with an actual mapping of Aftertouch to Pitch because that would have to be set up for EVERY program. And a simple system reset would fix it.

I'm not following you here. The problem isn't occurring with every program, just certain ones. So it seems possible that it might only be occurring on programs in which aftertouch is mapped to pitch.

To the original poster: Can you tell us exactly which Programs are demonstrating this problem? Assuming they're factory Programs, it would help if I could look at the program internals....

D7