sharpnine Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Hey everyone, I recently purchased a second-hand Yamaha CP4 Stage. It's in excellent condition and appears to hardly have been played. However, I'm noticing static in the headphones when I raise the volume and mid-range EQ. It's especially prevalent when I play a large chord. I'm experiencing this with two different sets of headphones. I don't have an amp, so can't verify that this is happening with an amp. Is this normal? Bear in mind, I'm an audio noob. I'm hoping that this thing just puts out too much power for consumer headphones. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coker Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Is it static (always there) or is it more like distortion? Some of the pianos sound like they are distorting if you play them too loud, especially in the octave or two above middle C. I think this is trying to emulate what happens with a real acoustic piano. Quote CA93, MODX8, YC88, K8.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpnine Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 It's not static because it's not always there. I guess it might be more accurately described as distortion. The greater the EQ values, and the more simultaneous notes I play, the greater the distortion. I've tried this with a pair of Bose IE2 and Grado SR-80 headphones, both plugged in using a 1/4" adapter. Do I just need a better set of headphones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coker Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Those seem like pretty good headphones to me. Are you having to turn the volume knob way up to hear the piano at a comfortable level? I wonder if there is something set in the programs that is affecting the output level? You might want to try a factory reset if you havent set up any programs yet. Quote CA93, MODX8, YC88, K8.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpnine Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Thanks, Coker. I did just try a factory reset. Didn't seem to make a difference. I'd say I can get the volume to a comfortable level, but just barely. Beyond that, the I hear the distortion right when I hit a chord at ff. The distortion disappears once the piano sound starts fading. I figured I'd be able to get more volume if I wanted it. Since you have a CP4, are you able to reproduce this? Can you put your piano sound at max volume through headphones without getting distortion? Or did I purchase a subtly damaged board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Number Four Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I think I have the exact same problem. See my description here: https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/cp4-distortion-on-piano-sounds-with-volume-turned-up I never took it into the shop, and never figured out if it's the same for everyone. I basically never turn the global volume past 5, and I always use a mixer even when using headphones, so it hasn't been much of a problem But I'm still very curious to know if it's common, and if there's a fix for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coker Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I dont have the same problem. I use several different sets of headphones and sometimes have volume at 7 or so due to the lower sensitivity of some of the headphones. I can induce distortion by hitting the keys at fff, but everything below that is clean. I think I would try the line outs to see if its something inherent in the sound source or if its the headphone output driver. Quote CA93, MODX8, YC88, K8.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpnine Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Thanks for the replies, Dave and Coker. Dave, I actually saw your post while Googling around. I was really curious to know what you ended up doing, so I'm glad you're on this forum! I did call a repair shop and discussed it over the phone. The guy thought he could probably fix it, so I may go that route. Is there any particular type of mixer I should use? (Sorry, I'm new to sound tech). Coker, I tried the line out and had the exact same issue. Can any other CP4 owners chime in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Number Four Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Interesting. I only get the distortion when playing loudly -- typically big chords. I don't think I could make it happen with single-note stuff. So I'm not sure that Coker isn't seeing the same thing. Might be different playing styles. And to reiterate, if I put the cp4 volume at 50%, and turn up the mixer, then those big fff chords are completely clean, up to and past a comfortable listening volume. Sharpnine, probably any mixer should work. I have a Mackie 402-VLZ3 and a Mackie ProFX8v2, and both take care of it. But it seems like a shame that you should need an extra piece of gear just to be able to listen to headphones at good volumes without distortion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt W Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Not only you having this experience, check: https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/cp4-distortion-on-piano-sounds-with-volume-turned-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpnine Posted June 25, 2019 Author Share Posted June 25, 2019 Quick update: I ordered a Mackie 402VLZ4 mixer, and, as Dave suggested, that's pretty much solved the problem. Thanks, Dave! It's not ideal, I suppose, but I'm no longer dealing with distortion. Still curious if this is a feature or bug in my CP4, and whether anyone else here has this issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergio Motroni Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 On 6/21/2019 at 10:32 PM, sharpnine said: Hey everyone, I recently purchased a second-hand Yamaha CP4 Stage. It's in excellent condition and appears to hardly have been played. However, I'm noticing static in the headphones when I raise the volume and mid-range EQ. It's especially prevalent when I play a large chord. I'm experiencing this with two different sets of headphones. I don't have an amp, so can't verify that this is happening with an amp. Is this normal? Bear in mind, I'm an audio noob. I'm hoping that this thing just puts out too much power for consumer headphones. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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