DI box and hi-z input

A passive DI takes a line level signal and makes it a mic level signal. It relies on the mic preamp to get the gain.

A hi-z input is designed for an instrument level signal
Didn't I say this right off the bat?!?

A passive DI is a step down transformer with some jacks attached. The voltage going in is stepped down by something like 20db just by going through it, and before you engage any pad switches.

The "Instrument" input on most interfaces assumes the signal will be a little weak, and usually has about 9-10db gain over the line input (or the mic pre at unity). The hot humbuckers in my guitars cause those to clip.

What I do for recording guitar is just run through a buffered pedal and plug right into the line input. In fact, in my live rig I go TRS>XLR right into the mic in.

You don't need any of that for a keyboard, though. Plug into the line input. Add gain in the box if necessary.
 
Well, I think the Keyboard thing goes back to Farfisa and and those other luggable contraptions;

"One frequent point of confusion with the Compact is the 1/4" jack near the power switch (on the left side of the keyboard). This is a headphone jack, but not for any pair of headphones you're likely to have laying around - it's meant to drive a very high-impedance style of headphone, about 2,000-4,000 ohms impedance. I think you can actually plug it into an amp and get a usable signal, though. The normal signal output is (in typical Farfisa fashion) via a hardwired cable with a 1/4" plug that comes out underneath"
 
Well, I think the Keyboard thing goes back to Farfisa and and those other luggable contraptions;

"One frequent point of confusion with the Compact is the 1/4" jack near the power switch (on the left side of the keyboard). This is a headphone jack, but not for any pair of headphones you're likely to have laying around - it's meant to drive a very high-impedance style of headphone, about 2,000-4,000 ohms impedance. I think you can actually plug it into an amp and get a usable signal, though. The normal signal output is (in typical Farfisa fashion) via a hardwired cable with a 1/4" plug that comes out underneath"

What does the goofball output configuration on an organ that hasn't been made in 47 years have to do with this conversation?
 
As far as I remember, that's where the justification for a keyboard input came from. Has nothing to do with the standardization that had fully arrived by '80s. I was just drums and guitar in '65, but our little town was selling them around '67. As far as I know, there is no "keyboard" out on a Jupiter 8(not the Russian camera lens) or DX7
 
Of course both the DX7 and the Jupiter 8 have line outputs as well as headphone outs.
 
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Jupiter 9 is a camera lens. I don't have a Roland Jupiter 8, but there was one setup in our house all the time(not that he would leave it sitting there). I do have both lenses though - 8 & 9.

All I'm saying is there were keyboards that had funny outputs, but not so much for a very long time, now.
 
The whole rigmarole and SNAFU comes about because there is NO, not even an informal measure of an "instrument" output. As mentioned, a decent bucker will clip many an AI "guitar" input (and "we" fell slightly foul of this and "actives" some 10 years ago) and I would guess guitar pups cover a range of around 20dB?

"Line" output on the other hand is pretty well defined as +4dBu or -10dBV. Headroom is in the lap of your personal deities but we should expect 15dB over median level?

Microphone level is not, as far as I am aware, cast in stone but we most of us know that a 57 chucks out about 2mV for decent yodeller and a capacitor 10 to 20dB more.

I think we all have enough information now to get things to work?

Dave.
 
I was in a panic when I bought a 2-track that had XLR on it. I was assured I didn't need some box, but thats what I was thinking. hahah I just bought some rca plug adapters. What they didn't tell me was that it was old AES XLR and I had to rewire the adapter pins. Not as traumatic as I secretly wished
 
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