Signal either too loud or not there

[Hunter944]

Newbie Q here. I'm trying to record from a keyboard, using Reaper (or Cubase, same issue) as a DAW and a Focusrite Saffire interface. I get a signal in Reaper if I use the first two input jacks on the Saffire, but the signal is way too loud. Even if I turn the keyboard's volume knob down to a whisper, the DAW's signal is super loud. This is without any gain or phantom power or pad. If I use TRS instead of XLR into the interface, it's still loud but a bit less. So I tried connecting to inputs 3 and 4, which are "mic/line". There, I got a quieter signal but the DAW couldn't see the signal. The signal did show up on the Saffire Mixcontrol program, but it wasn't being sent to the DAW. Can someone please set me straight? What am I missing?

 

[Seidy]

Even if I turn the keyboard's volume knob down to a whisper, the DAW's signal is super loud. This is without any gain or phantom power or pad. If I use TRS instead of XLR into the interface, it's still loud but a bit less.

Use TRS to TRS cables. Make sure that you have selected Line input type on both channels. Turn down the trim knobs - still too loud?

 

[gecko zzed]

So I tried connecting to inputs 3 and 4, which are "mic/line". There, I got a quieter signal but the DAW couldn't see the signal. The signal did show up on the Saffire Mixcontrol program, but it wasn't being sent to the DAW. Can someone please set me straight? What am I missing?

If you were using Reaper, when you armed the track for recording, did you change the inputs there to record inputs 3 & 4?

 

[Treeline]

Also check your monitor routing and adjustments; are you too hot there? If you are using powered monitors, turn the trim on them to 50 % or less. When I first got my powered monitors, they were so loud I had to turn everything down when monitoring. It took me a few weeks of workarounds before I [DUH] actually turned them down at the speakers!

 

[c7sus]

Set the inputs to LINE rather than INSTRUMENT. The INSTRUMENT setting is looking for a guitar or bass signal, which is much less than a line output from a keyboard. Set the gain trim on the Saffire so it is peaking at about -9 to -12dB in Reaper.

If the signal is still too hot use the pad on the incoming audio signal from the keyboard. If it's still too hot use the trim in Reaper.

Phantom power is for use with condensor mics, so don't use that at all with the keyboard signal.

What Gecko said about using inputs 3&4. Make sure they are selected in Reaper as your input.

Exactly which Saffire are you using? Just the basic one that's like a little tower thing with the inputs on the front? I don't even see a pad on that unit.

Make sure you don't have the soft compressor or eq engaged as this will mess up your incoming signal i.e possibly make it much too high if settings are incorrect.

 

[c7sus]

ROFLMAO at your new sig Tree.