Yamaha Clavinova CVP 98

Hi, I had similar. Generally power-up and fine for a little bit then these distortion sounds very randomly and also when striking a key. For me, this is what I did:

  1. Open it up and expose the logic board.
  2. Tap / press down with an INSULATED item on the main chips (sorry, it’s been a while). I used the handle of a screwdriver, but you could use the end of a wooden spoon. See if pressing down semi-gently (no more than as few pounds of force) on an edge or center of a chip helps. In my case it did…
  3. Try to localize where applying the pressure removes the issue and take note.
  4. Unplug the piano, let it sit to self discharge and remove the logic board.
  5. Inspect the area where applied pressure helped (use a GOOD magnifying glass), in my case the chip was not soldered well to the board so there was an intermittent connection. It might not be obvious. With a GOOD, FINE POINT soldering iron, re-touch the suspect lead(s) of the IC to the board / add very little solder if needed as you don’t want to create a short. Clean the area carefully with a lint-free cloth/alcohol (don’t drown it). Let it dry thoroughly and reassemble/test.
  6. Good luck. This worked for me, hopefully for you too!!!

Hey thank you for the response. I included a link to my post because it has a video of the sound. anyway…. https://forums.syntaur.com/t/any-help-appreciated-yamaha-clavinova-cvp-98-sustain-pedal-noise/9245

I opened up the DM board, inspected it for obvious signs of oxidization or cracked solders, and I did what you suggested with no change. Perhaps it could be failing caps? they dont seem swollen but since grand piano is the most complicated voice maybe theyre not able to handle the high amplitude

I just listened to your video and it sounds like your issue is different. Mine was definitely in the DSP (tons of funky digital artifacts). Yours sounds like it might be in the amplifier with some intermittent distortion/feedback issues. Pardon if you already mentioned, does this happen at any volume (very low volume too)?

correct, it happens at all volumes but not at low velocities, and it also happens with headphones so it cant be a speaker issue. It also happens in demo mode if its playing grand piano and uses sustain