Do you pre your keyboards??

[A1A2]

Do you? I just run mine into the stereo ins on my Mackie board with the +10db switch on. For some patches are ok, for some patches are way too quiet.

Do you pre your keys? If so, what do you pre them with and why?

Thanks

AL

 

[Michael Jones]

I run from the sound module into an ART PRO MPA, then into the AD/DA converters to the PC.

Why?
'Cause I like it like that'.
Seriously though, if I drive the PRO MPA just right, it add just enough distortion to add some authenticity to the canned sounds.

 

[mikeh]

I don't track keys. I use MIDI and bring the keys in at mixdown - so normally I don't use pre's (I run them through a Mackie board).

Sometimes I may run a specific sound thru a pre or thru a POD etc. - for a specific sound or effect - but I keep that to a minimum to avoid re-patching the signal chain.

 

[subtractor]

What kind of mackie board? I have all my synths going into a 1402vlzpro, and some go into the mic pre channels. But the trim is set at line level... How high do they hit on the level meters? As long as you can fill all the green lights, you're good. You may just need a better amp or monitors.

 

[subtractor]

Actually, now that I look at it, I do prefer to have my jv1010 cranked up a little more through the pre's.

 

[Badger]

Usually, just run it straight into my Allen&Heath.

My hammond goes through a Motion Sound R3-147 first, and if I ever get my rhodes working again I iwll probably mic it and run it through a joe meek pre.

 

[crosstudio]

if you are running your keys into a mackie board, then you are running them through a pre.

some mackie mixers only have 8 mic-pre's, but all of the channels have gain.

 

[subtractor]

No they don't. At least not mine... The 1402 only has 6 pre's on it. And those are the only channels with gain/trim on them.

 

[Jack Hammer]

It depends, sometimes I will only put the keys through the Mackie board, however, I often like to put them through a Universal Audio 2-610. The unit has high z inputs on its face and since all my keys are plugged into a patch bay, I can take the ouputs from the keys, run them into the UA and then patch the UA directly into the inputs of a MOTU 2408 mkII bypassing the Mackie except for monitering. The only drawback is that if I want to moniter what is actually coming out of the UA I will hear a bit of latency coming through. That is easily taken care of though by checking the sound that way and then switching to monitoring through the Mackie which will still be getting the live signal from the keys though that is not the signal being recorded.

Okay, so I did not completely answer the question. I forgto the why so here is is. I do it as written above because it sounds better. For instance, when I put the digital piano sounds through the UA, I hear more of the character of the original sampled piano, more of the string sound in the piano if you will. It stops sounding like a tone with piano envelope and starts to sound a bit more like the source for the sound was an actual string. I suppose more of the complexity of the sound tends to come through the better circuitry of the UA pre.

 

[A1A2]

What kind of mackie board? I have all my synths going into a 1402vlzpro, and some go into the mic pre channels. But the trim is set at line level... How high do they hit on the level meters? As long as you can fill all the green lights, you're good. You may just need a better amp or monitors.

I got the same Mackie board as you do. I send keys to the stereo inputs with the +4db switched on.

crosstudio: I am not sure if the +4bd switch is a preamp or not, but they don't have any trim nobs.

Jack Hammer: what's a UA pre exactually?

Right now my piano patches get enough gain from the +4db switch(around 0db to +7) , but patches like rhodes, for example, are low, around -20 to -10db....

Thanks for all inputs

AL

 

[subtractor]

See that little button on the back? The main output level? Is it in or out?

Mine is out, and the buttons on my channels are pushed in, and everything is loud.

 

[A1A2]

Sub:

I got mine set up the exact same way, too. I am not saying "all" of my signals are low, just particular patches on my keyboard, that's why I was wondering if people amplify their keyboards, well, also, I have heard some people doing, so also.
BTW, what do you mean you set your trim at line level as you mentioned earlier?

AL

 

[subtractor]

On the mic channels I have instruments going into, the trim is set at about 10 o clock. But for my 1010 it's set a little louder to almost the 12 oclock position. What synth are we talking about?

 

[A1A2]

roland XP30. Last time I tried running my XP30 into the Mackie Mic pres, I didn't notice much difference compare to just pushing the fader all the way up on the stereo channel. I will give it another try tomorrow and see if I notice something different.

AL

 

[subtractor]

Well, if you turn the trim knobs up, it will definitely be louder.