#432966 - 10/08/03 11:24 PM
Roger, Please Help
|
Saint Johnny B
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 4836
|
Offline
|
|
Roger, in the past you said that the little Rane MS1b pre-amp was a good buy. I checked the specs and it does not seem to handle line-level output such as that from a keyboard rig.
Actually the target application is for a stereo keyboard rig. The guy wants it for both live and recording purposes.
It seems he would like something similar to a channel strip and he wondered if this signal path was possible from a single or dual channel unit:
source ---> EQ ---> opto comp ---> EQ --->Make Up Gain--->Brickwall Limiter-----> out to digital recording rig or to his stage amplifier.
Does this make sense? If yes, can you suggest some box or boxes that will do the trick?
Perhaps, Rane (or someone else) could make such a unit if they do not make one already. I'd imagine that keyboard players would snap these up.
Thanks.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#432967 - 10/14/03 09:37 AM
Re: Roger, Please Help
|
Roger Nichols
Platinum Member
Registered: 12/13/99
Posts: 1249
Loc: Miami, Florida
|
|
Offline
|
|
You can't go from a keyboard to a mic pre. You have to first use a direct box to match levels and impedance.
Even though keyboards say they are line level, they do not interface well directly to pro gear.
I ALWAYS use a direct box (or 2 if stereo) and then into a mic pre.
The best direct boxes I have ever used are BSS or Brooke Siren. (Avalon for bass guitar works well also).
My suggestion is not to do all of that compression and limiting while recording. Record it first, and then compress it as much as you need later. With the raw signal still untouched you can always go back later and change it if you want.
Roger
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#432968 - 10/14/03 10:56 AM
Re: Roger, Please Help
|
Bill@Welcome Home Studios
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 08/23/03
Posts: 7343
|
|
Offline
|
|
As Roger says, the Broke Siren Systems has been the best of the standard direct boxes for a while now, though the Radial are gaining in popularity. The Countryman direct box was the top choice for about 20 years, and still collects probably 80% of it's original cost on the used market today. You can find them daily on ebay, but expect to pay more than $100 each. If you do not have access to phantom power, make sure that your chouce does not require it, or that there is an alternate power source for the box.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#432969 - 10/14/03 07:26 PM
Re: Roger, Please Help
|
Uh Clem
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 03/13/00
Posts: 3442
Loc: Atlanta, GA USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Don't use DI Boxes designed for guitar on keyboards - Countryman is a good example - you will lose much of the rich low-end from synths. That may not matter depending on what you are doing with it, in fact for typical music, you may end up high passing the keys anyway, but I didn't care for BSS either not on huge synth sounds.
My best results have been from a Boss DI-1 Active (may not even be made anymore) and the Radial JDI (passive - my staple for keys). I'm sure a pair of Avalon U5s would sound wonderful as well.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#432970 - 10/16/03 04:17 AM
Re: Roger, Please Help
|
Saint Johnny B
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 4836
|
|
Offline
|
|
Thanks you guys. I already knew you would have to change the impediance re: line to mic levels thru something like a DI box if I was going to plug him into a mic channel. Thanks for the insights on the DI's.
This guy is a real pounder on the keys, he breaks the keys when he plays, I'm not kidding, we have spare key replacements for him, so we thought something like the mild compression that you can get with an opto comp might work. We wanted the brick-wall limiter to keep the digital board from overloading. Did I say this guy was a pounder? He does play soft as well as excessively loud, so we'd like to get the signal within acceptable bounds without losing any of the richness.
What's amazing to me is that no one seems to have a special channel strip or box designed just for keyboard players.
Any further help or suggestions would be appreciated.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#432971 - 10/21/03 09:51 PM
Re: Roger, Please Help
|
Saint Johnny B
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 4836
|
|
Offline
|
|
I'm still looking for a solution to the keyboard player's problem. Can anyone help.? Thanks.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
