G2 general pitch problem

crueltwist

Hello -
I've recently experienced some weird pitch problems with my G2 3 octave - most alarmingly of all these happened whilst onstage in the middle of a gig (a couple of gigs actually) -
first it seemed like a couple of modified hammond organ patches just suddenly shitfed up a cent - then another patch, in fact a performance, containing 2 monophonic hammonds and 2 monophonic synths had a problem - one of the hammonds shifted a cent or 2 but the other didn't - so I checked all the tunings of the patches, the global tuning and the individual oscillator tunings against almost identical patches that didn't have pitch problems and nothing seemed to be wrong -
so I double checked on of the hammond patches just before a gig - no problems - then it shifted again during the show - fortunately the music is pretty chaotic and it's not exactly the tightest band in the world, but some of the songs are 30 years old and people recognise them so it's still really embarrassing - plus I'm no real keyboard player so I can't just transpose the tune to the correct pitch mid song - I had to learn them by heart in advance on the correct keys -
now a couple of days ago I was trying some stuff out and the pitch stick went really weird on me - I had it shifting 24 cents so it sounded really far out but then the pitch just randomly returned to various pitches when the stick went to center - and I couldn't get it to go back to the correct pitch - the keys were all over the place -
I've read some of the posts of similar pitch stick problems and have contacted a local distributor in france to get a new pitch stick which I can fit myself -
it's by far the best pitch stick I've heard - like the floyd rose of keyboard pitch benders - but the glue on pressure sensitive resistors are a bit of a crap design considering how the stick's movement really invites heavy twanging! - and you can hear the springy vibration in the notes too -
Anyway, does anyone have any ideas about this - is it likely to be just the pitch stick causing all these problems or something else? -
Please help as I'm due in an expensive studio with this group on the 10th of august and then we're off on tour again - I can't afford for it to keep doing this
Many thanks
James

ark · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:57 am Post subject:

I'd suggest using a MIDI monitor program such as MIDI-OX to verify that the problem is the result of inappropriate pitch bend signals coming from the pitch stick. If that is indeed the problem, then take it to a repair shop Smile

mtvic · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:25 am Post subject:

It is the lamination on the resisters that reside on the pitch stick.
I have just had the same problem repaired on my G2X $90.00 + $75.00
for the part .You will need the pitch stick replaced to fix this problem.
Unless you are still with warranty.
m

crueltwist · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:50 am Post subject:

Thanks for the tips - I'll check them out - I'm ordering a pitch stick but I'll change it myself - out of warranty and it's not too hard - just 4 solder points -
m, did you experience weird pitch problems even when not using the stick?
thanks

mtvic · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:55 am Post subject:

Yes I did.
Funny thing.
Make sure when you do the replacement task,that you keep track of the
new pitch stick. As to not remove and install the old pitch stick as I did
when I tried replacing it myself.Mixed them up.
I installed the old stick I took out instead of the new and thought both sticks were bad .
That is when I took it in for service thinking the problem was deeper than the
pitch stick being bad.
A 90.00 mistake .
m