Yamaha P-105 with No Sound

A customer recently brought in their Yamaha P-105, complaining of no sound. Occasionally, it would emit a scratchy noise, but even that was inconsistent. After opening it up, I found the culprit: the amplifier chip on the DM board had burned out. The amplifier chip is a small surface-mount device (SMD) mounted directly on the … Read more

Nalbantov Floppy Disk Drive Upgrades: Life After Floppy Disks

I recommend customers with worn-out floppy disk drives upgrade them to “Floppy Disk Emulators.” There are a couple of these on the market. However, the easiest to install and use is the Nalbantov USB Floppy Disk Emulator. I install these regularly in Yamaha Disklaviers, but they can also be installed in keyboards. If you order … Read more

Troubleshooting Your Digital Piano or Keyboard

As a piano technician with a subspecialty in keyboards, as well as digital and hybrid pianos, I’ve compiled this guide to address common issues. Drawing from my experience with brands like Yamaha, Roland, and Casio, I’ve put together a list of the most common problems I encounter! One or more keys play at full volume … Read more

Casio PX-5S No Media Error

A customer recently came to me with a Casio PX-5S that displayed “Error: No Media” after booting, and which wouldn’t produce any sound. The Problem The customer had already researched the issue themselves, and they had determined they needed a firmware update. He’s not alone, and Casio helpfully provides the following message to those with … Read more