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I've become aware as I've gotten better as a player and play quiet passages, that the keyboard on my PC88 is pretty damn noisy! While it's pretty loud on the downstroke, it's the release, as the key spring back into it's neutral position that seems REALLY noisy.

Was my PC88 always like this, and I've just become sensitive to it? Is this something I should/could service? Is this an example of the "disintegrating action" that I've read about?

What's kind of odd is that it seems to happen evenly up and down the keyboard, even though the action has gotten much less action on the upper and lower registers obviously.

It's really starting to bother me, and my downstairs neighbor who say it's too load even when I'm wearing headphones. (I'm not that hard of a player!)

Ellington,

We have a PC88MX that we've had for 10 years. It, too, is quite noisy when someone is playing with headphones. We are about to replace it with an FP-7F, so I will then have something to compare it to. I am a little surprised that your downstairs neighbor is disturbed by your 'silent' playing. You might want to try placing some king of cushioning material between the PC88 and whatever you are using as a stand to help reduce the noise that is conducted into the floor.

Good luck.

That sound is pretty annoying and you can hear it even if you don't use headphones. The cushioning is somewhat worn off or needs to be replaced with better material.

Every digital piano I have ever played has noisy action. It is mechanical. Come to think of it the action on most acoustic pianos is also noisy. Anything mechanical makes noise to some degree.

Aaah… here’s an opportunity to point out something good about my Casio PX 130, since it seems to get little respect around here. It makes a very soft noise, as you would at least expect something. It’s a very faint thump. I can not hear it in my headphones at all. Will it get worse? Only time will tell.

Hello, I had a Fatar Studio 900, which I believe was the same action as the PC88. In fact when I A/B'd it with the Micro Piano to the PC88 I felt as though I was playing the same keyboard.

I hadn't played it in awhile before I sold it recently, but I felt as though it was noticeably louder, as if something in it was in fact disintegrating. I can totally relate to you post, and wondered the same thing myself. It never sounded loud in 1997 when i got it.

Ellington,

I thought I would update this since we got our new FP-7F. It is considerably quieter than the PC88 (with the sound off). To be fair, the FP-7F is brand new, while we've been pounding on the PC88 for 10 years. If I had to guess at how much quieter the FP-7F is than the PC88, I would say no more than half as loud.

PS
We found a nice home for the PC88. I'm sure it will continue to provide enjoyment for years to come.

I too have replaced my PC88, which has served me well for close to 15 years. It really was crazy loud. I sold it to someone for $400, plus sold some guitars, mics, etc. and managed to pick up a new Kawai MP5 for only a few hundred dollars out of pocket (I paid $1,095 flat for the Kawai).

What a difference! While it may not be the BEST action I've played in my testing (that would go to the top-of-the-line Rolands), it is amazing, and when I play pianissimo, the keyboard is virtually silent. If the Kurzweil was a 10 (of 10) in terms of keyboard noise, the Kawai is a 1 or 2. And it feels and sounds so good.

Best of all, I've also gotten my first acoustic, a Perzina 129, which is on the way. After playing the same Kurzweil for 15 years, I'll now have two NEW pianos within a month!!

Ellington,

Congratulations! May your MP5 and Perzina fill your life with music.

A consensus could be that something perhaps decays and wears out over time. I would have remembered my Studio 900 being loud when I got it. It was almost as if I noticed it more the last year and it seemed sudden.

What occurred to me was that while my P95 cost only $484 after taxes, my Fatar was $730, my piano modules were $400,$400 and $700 and that the monitors (which of course are constantly priced) were $1050.

I added up all of the money spent between 1995-2002 on things, and todays pricing seems more reasonable for the buck.

Usually what decays (or flattens, rather) is the felt lining the bottom of the action where the weights rest. Is the thump generally louder on the key press, or on the release, when the hammers return 'home'? I have found that on Kurzweil's, the thump is louder on the rebound than the initial key strike.

Older Kurzweil actions were also plagued with hammers that broke out of their plastic cradles and began rattling around in the inner workings of the action. This will also cause some considerable noise, but more likely, you would be complaining about the drastic change in key feel first.

In general, Kurzweil's (FATAR) actions are considered one of the noisier actions, even when new. At least this is true up to the K2600. The PC3 series has a totally new action, so I can't comment on how it stacks up.

Yes, it was louder on the return.