ourworshipsound.com/?p=1526 Learn how gain staging is key to eliminating extra noise and distortion from your keyboard. Click the link for more tips on the blog.
Peter, thank you for speaking about such an important topic and covering it on your blog as well. Audio engineering is complex but I feel more confident now.
Great tips and good advice. Realize some faders only decrease volumes, even though there may be a "O" on the scale, as they are just passive and don't amplify the signal. This is especially true for mixers, as the fader is typically the last item in the chain and only pulls the volume "down". However the idea of gain staging is right on. Wish you put out more vids for worship. They're all great. Be blessed.
Thanks, very useful post! I am home user and I connected my Yamaha to an amplifier, straight mode with large speakers. What about subwoofers directly connected to the piano? A well known provider even bundles them with their offerings. I contacted Yamaha about it and they literally that they never heard about it without a mixer and in fact they only recommended monitor speakers. Could you clarify the issue? I also noticed that internal speakers since optimized for embedded pianos. When I use a virtual one without amp they just sound terrible.
The idea is that if you're using more than one source for keyboard sound (e.g. a keyboard and software synths), you want to mix everything down to one stereo output before you send it to the system. A sound tech won't necessarily know which keyboard sounds are coming from which source, so it's best to just have one keyboard send to adjust. Also, it saves channels on the main board. You can two versions of this setup in this video: th-cam.com/video/UB9Uqp9jcOs/w-d-xo.html Thanks!
Great! I mostly figured that out but you helped very much. My keyboard sounds like it has speaker ring. The higher the note, the more electronic it sounds. It sounds amazing with headphones and it was amazing in the store. I’ve tried different speakers. It’s the keyboard outputs. Help!
I'm not an audio pro, but I've learned that one can boost your signal with separate amps before the signal goes to an amp or a PA. Tube amps sound especially good to me. ART makes a really good, inexpensive tube amp. I hope this is helpful. :)
Thanks a lot Peter, did you connect your mixer directly to your laptop or computer? or did you still have another audio interface into it? thanks again.
I was wondering why my musical speakers were having those hissing sounds, so I'm glad your solution helped 2:00 Do you have any tips/tricks on getting keyboard sounds/rhythms out of those big-performance speakers, but not out of they keyboard itself?
@@OurWorshipSound Yes, bypassing the keyboard's speakers. Bc my goal is to make only the loud speakers receive all sounds from the keyboard & therefore, not only I can control the master volume from the keyboard, but also controlling the sounds & rhythms separately with the loud speaker.
Good video!! I have so much problem amplifying my Roland RD2000 piano patches, just don’t deliver the high quality sound properly and I use a 1000 watts Electro Voice amp
Sometimes, as in Yamaha MODX, piano patches are just thin and.. Lame. Before trying to do gainstaging, try to max out velocity for that patch, and when having enough mids and lows, then do your gainstaging.
Hi. Subscribing from Philippines. I would like to ask if which is better connection to my keyboard to my amp - left and right cable or phone/stereo cable?? Thank so much
Who understands digital pianos? We bought Kawai e Piano. Everything is fine with the sound, only the keys are too weak and after taking the keys they continue to tremble up and down. It can be fixed? thanks for the answ
if I use a mixer, will this increase the volume coming out of my powered speakers? at the moment, i have the powered speakers connected directly through from the keyboard. and i must say, the volume is not all that loud. granted, they are only 5" speakers, but i was expecting something a little louder. any suggestions? thanks!
It's tough to say, but when you play through headphones you hear the stereo sound, which is much nicer. What you hear from the amp is a mono sound source. One thing that might help - is there a way to plug both the L and R channels from your keyboard into the amp?
Hello Peter, do you think I can plug the balanced line out from my digital piano into the mono line in on the same Behringer mixer that you have? Thank you in advance!
how much volume adjustments are involved after this? Or should it be only adjusting your personal monitoring during a service? (i.e. amplifier) Sometimes I'm not sure if the keyboard is too loud coming out of the house. I know its not my problem but still
If you're talking about primarily one sound, like a grand piano setting, you should be able to get it set and let your sound tech make mix adjustments. If you're using multiple sounds, you're responsible for maintaining the consistent volume from one sound to the next. I don't adjust my piano level, but I definitely adjust synth pads and such within songs and from one song to the next.
The reason to use a mixer (before your sound goes to the main system mixer) is to combine more than one sound source, like keyboard + computer/interface or multiple keyboards. Either way, the mixer just combines the sounds, doesn't otherwise change the sound.
Hi! I was wondering I got a powered mixer still learning how make my keyboard sound perfect through the mixer “Yamaha emx5” What do you use to protect powered mixers from power surges?
Enjoy watching your videos & Thankyou so much! I’m new to all this trying to learn. I’m thinking about getting Furman power conditioner. I read comments though you shouldn’t use powered conditioners for powered mixers or amps that I messes with the quality of sound. I emailed Yamaha and the just said any surge protector would be Okay which I don’t have total confidence in that advice lol.
@@TabathaClick The more expensive ones are called "Power conditioners," which filter out interference in the AC, which could create audible noise. Surge protectors are enough to protect your gear from spikes.
So I am running into a problem that I couldnt fix with the video you posted here. I recently bought the Noire Piano VST from Native Instruments and it sounds amazing. However when recording and even when playing live with the audio coming through my headphones connected to my laptop the volume is incredibly low. This is especially frustrating seeing as I like to record video's for my channel. On my channel you can find example of the volumes I am talking about if you want to get an idea of what it sounds like. Turning up the volume within the DAW doesnt work that well, as soon as I do that the audio peaks and it sounds horrible. If I export the WAV file and increase the volume in a seperate software its louder but not loud enough. What could this be? I really want to fix this because payed €150 for the VST and would like to use it at a good volume. I am using my Yamaha P45 keyboard connected to my laptop using a printer cable, on my laptop I run FL Studio with the Noire VST. I hope someone could help me, thanks in advance!
Hi Stefan, there is likely a volume setting within ght Noire plugin that you could check. Aside from that, I recommend you check with Native Instruments. Hope that helps!
I've a weird issue with my keyboard. It's SP 100 McGrey, and when I play a big chord like Clair De Lune or something, it makes a deafening sub-noise, with the actual sound of the keys quieted down because of it. Edit: I am not sure what 'mixer' is and I don't think I have it.
ClearlyAnArtistAnimations So I seemed to fix it somehow, heres what happened I was using a mono 1/4th phone plug for the headphones so it gave me one sided output, when I changed it to a stereo 1/4th phone plug, boom both problems were resolved.
Gain and volume are totally different things.... Gain is the voltage of the pre-amp and volume is the db level. I have yet to play a keyboard that has proper gain staging and EQ on any sound.
Hello! Thank you for great video! I have a question. I have Yamaha Reface Cp. I would like to connect this instrument to my mixer to 2 stereo inputs. Do I need to buy a pair of TS cables (to go from Yamaha to mixer) or pair of TRS cables to get a nice, solid, stereo sound? Thanks in advance!
two cables of either variety should do it for you. Make sure you're plugging into a stereo mixer channel or two mono channels panned left and right :-)
This isn’t quite what I was looking for. I’ve bought a very cheap stage piano to use while I’m away from home this year. It’s gears4music’s SDP2. It’s not very good and doesn’t sound very nice. I’m currently looking for a way to make it sound better. I assume it will sound a bit better when I am able to use my BOSE headphones with the piano. Though I wonder, is there a way to connect it to my laptop and play nicer sounds through that? I know that you can use stuff like FL studios (I had a friend that did that) but I cannot afford something like that.
Static that sounds like a hiss will be minimized with good gain staging - as in this video. If it's a hum or a buzz, that will usually be fixed by plugging your keyboard into a DI box, then into an amp or sound system.
I have this problem, I want to know what is happening my synthesizer Korg sounds great, it gives a full rich sound when I use the headphone to listen to is. However if I try to record it through my steinburg ur22mkii usb audio device 24bit 192k using the back outputs left and right it doesn't sound full anymore. lot of quality is gone. is it because of the steinburg ur22mkii usb audio device, could it be the impedance maybe
Do you mean... - your keyboard has speakers, and - you want to replace the speakers with better ones (probably not) or - you want the sound to go out into an amp or the sound system (you probably can, yes)
Depends on the venue and audience size. More than a couple dozen people or so, and you probably need a sound system. That should include a way to hear yourself well, so if the sound system doesn't include a monitor for you (either a speaker or earphone / in-ear setup), use an amp in addition to the speaker system. A regular DI box allows you to send your keyboard signal to both an amp and the main mixer simultaneously.
Just bought a keyboard for my 6 year old son on offerup. I made the mistake of not testing it before buying. We finally got home plugged it in, turned it one, hit a note and then the speakers were crackly
@@SeanMcMouser Oh bummer. The only thing I am aware of that might help is that sometimes the volume slider gets a little dirty. Moving it back and forth several times can help eliminate some crackling. Good luck.
Peter, thank you for speaking about such an important topic and covering it on your blog as well. Audio engineering is complex but I feel more confident now.
This is a concept that so many people don't think about! It also applies to guitar/bass and vocals too. Good job Peter!
Very very good ! An important topic you hardlopen find on the internet ! Thnx 🙏
Really insightful....thanks you sir
Great tips keep it up, thanks
This is so useful ....thank you
Great tips and good advice. Realize some faders only decrease volumes, even though there may be a "O" on the scale, as they are just passive and don't amplify the signal. This is especially true for mixers, as the fader is typically the last item in the chain and only pulls the volume "down". However the idea of gain staging is right on.
Wish you put out more vids for worship. They're all great. Be blessed.
Cool - didn't know that. Thanks!
Thanks, very useful post! I am home user and I connected my Yamaha to an amplifier, straight mode with large speakers. What about subwoofers directly connected to the piano? A well known provider even bundles them with their offerings. I contacted Yamaha about it and they literally that they never heard about it without a mixer and in fact they only recommended monitor speakers. Could you clarify the issue? I also noticed that internal speakers since optimized for embedded pianos. When I use a virtual one without amp they just sound terrible.
Hey man...i wonder, wouldn't be better to use the 2 first mono channels, (since they're free) and hard panning L-R..???
Great explanations thanks.
Can you do a video on why or when it is necessary to use a mixer when playing vsts, and how you set it up?
The idea is that if you're using more than one source for keyboard sound (e.g. a keyboard and software synths), you want to mix everything down to one stereo output before you send it to the system. A sound tech won't necessarily know which keyboard sounds are coming from which source, so it's best to just have one keyboard send to adjust. Also, it saves channels on the main board. You can two versions of this setup in this video: th-cam.com/video/UB9Uqp9jcOs/w-d-xo.html Thanks!
Good Advice 👍🤗🎹
Great! I mostly figured that out but you helped very much. My keyboard sounds like it has speaker ring. The higher the note, the more electronic it sounds. It sounds amazing with headphones and it was amazing in the store. I’ve tried different speakers. It’s the keyboard outputs. Help!
I'm not an audio pro, but I've learned that one can boost your signal with separate amps before the signal goes to an amp or a PA. Tube amps sound especially good to me. ART makes a really good, inexpensive tube amp. I hope this is helpful. :)
Probably the speakers are bad quality or they have EQ and doesn't have a good setting?
very helpful, thank you for posting
no problem, thanks Robert!
I am using a Focusrite 2i2 as my audio interface and a Beringer Xynex 502. On my Focusrite what volume should I set the knob at. 80% ?
help me a lot tank's for sharing
Thanks!
Thanks a lot Peter, did you connect your mixer directly to your laptop or computer? or did you still have another audio interface into it? thanks again.
Leobert Jarina yes
@@nilen yes doesn't answer the question
I was wondering why my musical speakers were having those hissing sounds, so I'm glad your solution helped 2:00
Do you have any tips/tricks on getting keyboard sounds/rhythms out of those big-performance speakers, but not out of they keyboard itself?
Do you mean bypassing a keyboard's speakers? I wouldn't know about that. Let me know if I'm misunderstanding your question.
@@OurWorshipSound Yes, bypassing the keyboard's speakers. Bc my goal is to make only the loud speakers receive all sounds from the keyboard & therefore, not only I can control the master volume from the keyboard, but also controlling the sounds & rhythms separately with the loud speaker.
@@SultanTheDon Not sure - check your keyboard's user manual to see if there is a setting within the keyboard to bypass the onboard speakers
@@SultanTheDon put a plug in the headphone jack it tricks the keyboard
Good video!! I have so much problem amplifying my Roland RD2000 piano patches, just don’t deliver the high quality sound properly and I use a 1000 watts Electro Voice amp
Sometimes, as in Yamaha MODX, piano patches are just thin and.. Lame.
Before trying to do gainstaging, try to max out velocity for that patch, and when having enough mids and lows, then do your gainstaging.
@@tomislavrac717 *Dudeeeeee. Same shit happens with my MODX7. This is exactly why I clicked on this video.*
Can you tell me what DI Box you used to get better quality sound with your amp?
Hi. Subscribing from Philippines. I would like to ask if which is better connection to my keyboard to my amp - left and right cable or phone/stereo cable?? Thank so much
Useful stuff - cheers!
Glad it was helpful!
Who understands digital pianos? We bought Kawai e Piano. Everything is fine with the sound, only the keys are too weak and after taking the keys they continue to tremble up and down. It can be fixed? thanks for the answ
which speaker did you use
thanks, very helpful.
You're welcome!
if I use a mixer, will this increase the volume coming out of my powered speakers? at the moment, i have the powered speakers connected directly through from the keyboard. and i must say, the volume is not all that loud. granted, they are only 5" speakers, but i was expecting something a little louder. any suggestions? thanks!
I would say probably yes.
hi I have moxf8 and peyvey kb4 amp, just want to ask how can I get the same sound like when Im wearing my headset when playing.
It's tough to say, but when you play through headphones you hear the stereo sound, which is much nicer. What you hear from the amp is a mono sound source. One thing that might help - is there a way to plug both the L and R channels from your keyboard into the amp?
I have a technics KN6000 with three keys playing too loud...how do I fix this..
Hello Peter, do you think I can plug the balanced line out from my digital piano into the mono line in on the same Behringer mixer that you have? Thank you in advance!
how much volume adjustments are involved after this? Or should it be only adjusting your personal monitoring during a service? (i.e. amplifier) Sometimes I'm not sure if the keyboard is too loud coming out of the house. I know its not my problem but still
If you're talking about primarily one sound, like a grand piano setting, you should be able to get it set and let your sound tech make mix adjustments. If you're using multiple sounds, you're responsible for maintaining the consistent volume from one sound to the next. I don't adjust my piano level, but I definitely adjust synth pads and such within songs and from one song to the next.
I see what you mean... I'm just talking about the main volume of the board.
So after sound check, adjusting how hard you play should be enough?
I always try to convey to our sound techs that music is always changing, and the mix settings should change with it!
I dont want reverb why cant i turn it back
Hi... Is the sound coming from your mini mixer the same as that of the headphone out of the keyboard?
The reason to use a mixer (before your sound goes to the main system mixer) is to combine more than one sound source, like keyboard + computer/interface or multiple keyboards. Either way, the mixer just combines the sounds, doesn't otherwise change the sound.
Hi! I was wondering I got a powered mixer still learning how make my keyboard sound perfect through the mixer “Yamaha emx5” What do you use to protect powered mixers from power surges?
For expensive gear that is rackmounted or doesn't move around, the Furman protectors are good. For less expensive, I use Belkin surge protectors.
Enjoy watching your videos & Thankyou so much! I’m new to all this trying to learn. I’m thinking about getting Furman power conditioner. I read comments though you shouldn’t use powered conditioners for powered mixers or amps that I messes with the quality of sound. I emailed Yamaha and the just said any surge protector would be Okay which I don’t have total confidence in that advice lol.
@@TabathaClick The more expensive ones are called "Power conditioners," which filter out interference in the AC, which could create audible noise. Surge protectors are enough to protect your gear from spikes.
So I am running into a problem that I couldnt fix with the video you posted here.
I recently bought the Noire Piano VST from Native Instruments and it sounds amazing. However when recording and even when playing live with the audio coming through my headphones connected to my laptop the volume is incredibly low. This is especially frustrating seeing as I like to record video's for my channel. On my channel you can find example of the volumes I am talking about if you want to get an idea of what it sounds like.
Turning up the volume within the DAW doesnt work that well, as soon as I do that the audio peaks and it sounds horrible. If I export the WAV file and increase the volume in a seperate software its louder but not loud enough.
What could this be? I really want to fix this because payed €150 for the VST and would like to use it at a good volume.
I am using my Yamaha P45 keyboard connected to my laptop using a printer cable, on my laptop I run FL Studio with the Noire VST.
I hope someone could help me, thanks in advance!
Hi Stefan, there is likely a volume setting within ght Noire plugin that you could check. Aside from that, I recommend you check with Native Instruments. Hope that helps!
did you ever find a fix, would love it if you could help me out
I've a weird issue with my keyboard. It's SP 100 McGrey, and when I play a big chord like Clair De Lune or something, it makes a deafening sub-noise, with the actual sound of the keys quieted down because of it. Edit: I am not sure what 'mixer' is and I don't think I have it.
ClearlyAnArtistAnimations Same, were you able to fix it as of now?
@@reelyreddit Nope. Not at all. I think there should be more attention on this.
ClearlyAnArtistAnimations yes, it seems like a simple problem it sucks that we can't find an easy fix for it.
ClearlyAnArtistAnimations So I seemed to fix it somehow, heres what happened I was using a mono 1/4th phone plug for the headphones so it gave me one sided output, when I changed it to a stereo 1/4th phone plug, boom both problems were resolved.
ClearlyAnArtistAnimations Im practicing canon in D but a more hard ver, and now no sound is being distorted.
Gain and volume are totally different things.... Gain is the voltage of the pre-amp and volume is the db level. I have yet to play a keyboard that has proper gain staging and EQ on any sound.
Hello! Thank you for great video! I have a question. I have Yamaha Reface Cp. I would like to connect this instrument to my mixer to 2 stereo inputs. Do I need to buy a pair of TS cables (to go from Yamaha to mixer) or pair of TRS cables to get a nice, solid, stereo sound? Thanks in advance!
two cables of either variety should do it for you. Make sure you're plugging into a stereo mixer channel or two mono channels panned left and right :-)
This isn’t quite what I was looking for. I’ve bought a very cheap stage piano to use while I’m away from home this year. It’s gears4music’s SDP2. It’s not very good and doesn’t sound very nice. I’m currently looking for a way to make it sound better. I assume it will sound a bit better when I am able to use my BOSE headphones with the piano. Though I wonder, is there a way to connect it to my laptop and play nicer sounds through that? I know that you can use stuff like FL studios (I had a friend that did that) but I cannot afford something like that.
I'm looking kinda the same thing. But I haven't found someone who can actually change internal keyboard sound... :(
Pirate FL Studio and it's free ^^
No, not Bose headphones with the piano.
Very helpful tips thanks 🙏
thanks Kevin!
would a good amplifier create a pro sound out of a beginner's keyboard?
it would not
Hi can someone tell me how to stop a static noise when plugged in my keyboard
Static that sounds like a hiss will be minimized with good gain staging - as in this video. If it's a hum or a buzz, that will usually be fixed by plugging your keyboard into a DI box, then into an amp or sound system.
Check your cables as well, and connectors...
Fix your mixer
Does the 80% apply to most keyboard master volume?
is this applicable for arranger keyboards as well??
should be, yes :-)
I have this problem, I want to know what is happening
my synthesizer Korg sounds great, it gives a full rich sound when I use the headphone to listen to is.
However if I try to record it through my steinburg ur22mkii usb audio device 24bit 192k using the back outputs left and right it doesn't sound full anymore. lot of quality is gone.
is it because of the steinburg ur22mkii usb audio device, could it be the impedance maybe
Are you recording in stereo or mono? Mono will cause the sound to be much less rich.
@@OurWorshipSound no I am recording stereo, but the quality coming from the headphone of the keyboard is much higher, like I said full and richer
Can I change the speaker's of the keyboard from original to better one.
Do you mean...
- your keyboard has speakers, and
- you want to replace the speakers with better ones (probably not) or
- you want the sound to go out into an amp or the sound system (you probably can, yes)
Do you think amps or PA system is better?
Depends on the venue and audience size. More than a couple dozen people or so, and you probably need a sound system. That should include a way to hear yourself well, so if the sound system doesn't include a monitor for you (either a speaker or earphone / in-ear setup), use an amp in addition to the speaker system. A regular DI box allows you to send your keyboard signal to both an amp and the main mixer simultaneously.
Which casio piano is bettet
Px-770 or cdp235R
Please sir answer I beg
I have not played them
Gain staging more than one keyboard with a mixer is really a frustrating exercise.
It can take some trial and error, yes :-)
What about the clicking sound from the speakers how do I fix that?
sounds like CPU? Clicking?
Just bought a keyboard for my 6 year old son on offerup. I made the mistake of not testing it before buying. We finally got home plugged it in, turned it one, hit a note and then the speakers were crackly
Is there anything I can do to fix the crackling sound. Its a Yamaha dgx 205
@@SeanMcMouser Oh bummer. The only thing I am aware of that might help is that sometimes the volume slider gets a little dirty. Moving it back and forth several times can help eliminate some crackling. Good luck.
What happen the light is on but no sound
How can you get the sound back I have Alexis 61 I don’t understand it it played for four month for class gmtc now no sound
My piano sounds get like coruppeted sounds😢
My keyboard sound goes away the instant I release my finger
Sustain pedal on?
Turn off your keyboard first. When you turn it back on, make sure you're not stepping on the sustain pedal. That's the common problem.
That sound in the beginning is very annoying for your hearing.
Its just a black screen
Jesus loves your
He died to save you
TL;DR anyone?