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pjd

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Posts posted by pjd

    FOH channel set-up for keyboard

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    OP here -- Thanks for all of your comments!

     

    My own target for our mix would be to sound like an acoustic group amplified throughout the church hall with enough volume to support congregational singing. (We don't "perform".) The biggest outstanding issue is getting the chorus (8 to 10 voices) out front and over the instruments, especially when the drummer joins us. The choral mics tend to pick up too much bleed from the drums. (We're angling the pastoral staff for a drum cage). Our dynamic range is pretty wide.

     

    Thanks to everyone's advice, I'll get fixed up. I really noticed the gate and sudden swell doing what was supposed to be a quiet, meditative interlude. I'm playing this solo thing with an airy patch and, bam, here come George Clinton and the Muthership! 🙃

     

    It was a bad weekend for sound and my spouse has her own horror story. (85 voice chorus in a new venue and only one tech rehearsal.) You know it's bad when post-concert HER first words were "What did you think of the piano?" It starts with a poorly chosen piano patch on an NS3 and goes down from there... I wasn't playing, but I do know the folks on AP that night, and they couldn't have been happy.

     

    I appreciate the help -- pj

     

    Montage M internals (PSU, fan, CPU)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    4 hours ago, JFP said:

    “why does this keyboard ruin my life because it needs a tiny fan that I never heard until someone told me to listen for it" ; that's simply not what it is like. 

     

    Hi JFP --

     

    When I read your first post, I thought, "This sounds like a customer service/support issue." I hope you've pursued this problem with Yamaha or the dealer which sold you the M7. Given the M7's price, they should make it right.

     

    If Yamaha sees numerous warranty repairs, engineering will be forced to address the issue.

     

    I agree that it shouldn't have come down to you the customer. Honest to goodness, I would force them to repair it to your satisfaction.

     

    All the best -- pj

     

    FOH channel set-up for keyboard

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Thanks for the feedback! (Errr, bad choice of word given the subject. 😀 )  I don't want to be off-base when I plead my case with the A/V crew.

     

    Our church doesn't staff our small A/V booth at every service, so they program in scenes for each group. Kind of set it, forget it, and keep it locked up. Everything was good the last several Sundays until blam -- something changed.

     

    Take care -- pj

     

    P.S. I dialed down all the MODX reverb day 1. SOP when dealing with Yamaha. 😉

     

    FOH channel set-up for keyboard

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Played the usual Sunday service this AM with a mostly acoustic group: acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, drum and me on MODX. The piano is mic'ed and the guitar goes direct. I pretty much go direct, too.

     

    I chip in organ, pads, woodwinds and other "natural" instruments. I hold down some simple bass in addition to the right hand stuff, BTW. I control my volume using an expression pedal and try to match dynamics with the piano. The sound board is locked such that the dude at the mixer can't ride faders and I gotta use my ears and exp pedal.

     

    Well, dang. On virtually every tune today, my sound "surges" in the mix like the signal crossed a threshold and bang, kicked in some kind of automated gain. Sometimes there was enough gain to make woodwinds sound like kazoos. 😬 [Over-driven somewhere.]

     

    The sound guy and I check my channel afterwards, and sure enough, there is a noise gate (threshold, attack, release, etc.) on my channel. The preset name "SPK VOX" makes me think the preset is for voice.

     

    So, what is the appropriate FOH mixer set-up for natural sounding keys? Right now, I want them to give me a "clean" channel with no freaking plug-ins, effects and flat EQ.

     

    Suggestions? Thanks, as they say, in advance -- pj

     

    Montage M internals (PSU, fan, CPU)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    6 hours ago, DmitryKo said:

    It's air movement, nothing else. 

     

    The main board does have a dedicated voltage converter IC for the fan (TI LM73606, ICE02), so I guess Yamaha could implement fan curve settings in a future update.

     

    It's a 50 g part, with a 15 g plastic blade assembly -  that's not going to cause any vibration in a 300 g metal cover attached to a 18 kg chassis, unless the fan is not properly secured, or the DC motor becomes defective. In my experience, even when the bearings wear out, the blades simply stop rotating.

     

    Hi Dmitry --

     

    I had JFP's specific description/issue in mind, not a defect across an entire production run. Of course, it's difficult to analyze things when we can't hear what JFP is hearing.

     

    Perhaps a fix in his specific case is to tighten screws/stand-offs, rubber grommets, who knows. I'm pretty challenged when it comes to mechanical stuff.

     

    His description reminded me of the HP slim desktop right next to me now. I know when the fan kicks in and sounds like air movement  -- usually off or super-quiet. Sometimes, tho', I move the unit slightly out of place and I hear more of a hum/vibration noise. (And move the unit back.)  Just thinking that some M units might have an issue like that. Who knows what happens during shipping! 🙂

     

    My problems this weekend are dealing with sound guys...   -- pj

     

    Montage M internals (PSU, fan, CPU)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    3 hours ago, JFP said:

    I have a new M7 and this machine makes a lot of humming / background noise. Even audible in another room. I suspect it is indeed the fan. 

     

    When I saw this description of the noise, it made me wonder if the sound is air movement or vibration caused by the fan?

     

    The fan is mounted to the metal sheet which covers the digital logic (DM) board. The fan is mounted on four brass stand-offs -- plenty of opportunity for vibration, transference, and noise.

     

    Perhaps Yamaha can find a way to deaden the vibration? I was a little surprised to see how big the fan is relative to the size of the heat sink and the opening in the metal shield for the heat sink. Maybe use a smaller fan?

     

    Dunno if sending an MP3 of the noise to Yamaha would help them assess the situation? Given the Montage M price, they really ought to take a look at this problem -- especially if they need to add a fan to some other product (MODX++++++++).

     

    I'm not too freaked out about the PSU. Yamaha used the same design in Genos. Why lug an industrial grade PSU when this solution is adequate? I've herniated every frikin' thing in my body... 😀

     

    Seriously, Yamaha engineering should look into this -- pj

     

    • Like 1

    Montage M internals (PSU, fan, CPU)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Congratulations, Dmitry!

     

    We owe Dmitry a round of applause and gratitude for providing the first -- and extensive -- information about Montage M internals. He had to take extra steps to find and identify some components (more than I would have been willing to do with a brand new board, that's for sure).

     

    Dmitry was kind enough to give me a preview and his analysis is spot on.

     

    Thanks, again -- pj

     

    Update: I posted my notes at https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-montage-m-internals-first-look/

     

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1

    Arturia Astrolab

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I had a chance to play one today. Wrang it out for an hour at GC Lynnwood, WA.

     

    Not bad. Short story, it's Analog Lab in a box with a decent keybed. I enjoyed playing the EPs especially. As to my own use, I need the Augmented Brass and Augmented Woodwinds which are not part of the current content load.

     

    A lot more comments here: https://sandsoftwaresound.net/arturia-astrolab-yes-i-played-one/

     

    Concerns about price vs. competition have already been discussed and I share the concerns.

     

    Have fun -- pj

     

    P.S. Thanks to the folks at GC. It's a lot more sane to try an instrument on a Wednesday morning with nobody around ...

     

    • Like 3

    Arturia Astrolab

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Hi Maurizio --

     

    Thank you for your detailed comments! They are encouraging enough that I will drag my broken bones to a brick-and-mortar store somewhere to try one.

     

    Astrolab and I aren't 100% ready for each other until Arturia adds the Augmented Woodwinds and Brass. I really need them. The one second voice switch time is concerning -- I hope Arturia finds a way to speed that up.

     

    Thanks, again -- pj

     

    Yamaha Reface CS price drop?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    The Reface DX is on sale, too. $250! The price of a guitar pedal! I couldn't resist and bought one. I'm glad I did. Thanks to Soundmondo, I turned it into a rehearsal tool.

     

    Gotta say, having patch storage is what did it. Not so sure about the CS and no patch storage. The YC model is fine without storage, but, hey, it's drawbars...

     

    The Reface DX and CS share the same internal design using the Yamaha proprietary SSP2 SOC. Yamaha have moved on to the SSP3. Possibly, they have exhausted their inventory of SSP2? Who knows what the kaiju will do? 🙂

     

    All the best -- pj

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-reface-dx-in-the-house/

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/inside-reface-dx-and-cs/

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/reface-yc-dx-teardowns/

     

    • Like 1

    Small footprint, jack-of-all-trades board

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I wouldn't count the Reface DX out. They're on sale for $250 and I bought one -- even though I swore I wouldn't by another mini-keyboard. 🙃

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-reface-dx-in-the-house/

     

    My first impression: It's a real synth and can store patches (32 locations). I need acoustic-type sounds and spent major time sorting through Soundmondo to find patches that aren't DX gag-ish. People over-tagged their contributions and it's nearly impossible to refine search.

     

    Anyway, I did find a decent Rhodes that doesn't have that FM tang and a good Wurli, among others. You can do a lot with the two-stage effects alone without dipping into the FM programming. 

     

    Cheesh, for $250?  -- pj

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/reface-dx-no-static-at-all/

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/more-dx-fm-learning-resources/

     

    • Like 1
    • Love 1

    Lightweight all in one board for fun, jamming, etc

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I had a Casio CT-S1000V and enjoyed playing it. Here are links to a few of my blog posts about it:

     

    http://sandsoftwaresound.net/casio-ct-s1000v-first-impressions/
    http://sandsoftwaresound.net/casio-ct-s1000v-observations/
    http://sandsoftwaresound.net/casio-ct-s1000v-quick-tips/
    http://sandsoftwaresound.net/casio-ct-s1000v-drawbar-organ-tones/
    http://sandsoftwaresound.net/casio-ct-s1000v-about-them-effects/
    http://sandsoftwaresound.net/casio-ct-s1000v-more-tips/

     

    The S500 is essentially the same board, leaving out the voice synthesis stuff.

     

    I sold the CT to my piano-playing partner. His daughter loved it, too, and it seemed like the right thing to do -- give it another home.

     

    I owned and played a PSR-E443 some years ago, and I would rate the CT-S500 above the Yamaha E-series for sounds. The styles not so much. If I need a small battery powered external speaker, I play through a Bose Soundlink Color II.

     

    Hope this helps -- pj

     

    • Like 2

    Yamaha P-225 - Anyone buy/play one yet?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    On 2/8/2024 at 3:47 PM, CHarrell said:

    @pjd wrote up a really good review that my fingers agreed with last year when I tried it myself. The keybed was surprisingly "springy", at my local GC the 125 and 225 were right on top of each other so I got to immediately A/B them and found myself preferring the 125.

     

    Thanks for mentioning that! The link is: https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-225-review-its-not-for-me/

     

    I was searching for a piano to have and play at home (i.e., furniture OK). I eventually bought a Yamaha CSP-170 on close-out and I'm pretty happy with it. It's kinda like a furniture P-515 (NWX) with a better sound system. There are still close-out CSPs around -- Yamaha got caught with extra inventory when the world economy tanked.

     

    All the best -- pj

     

    • Like 1

    Hammond M-Solo

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Just when I thought it was safe, there's the video from Ujiie-san! 🤩 Nice to see he has the same piles of pens and litter in his studio...

     

    I agree, if the street price was lower, they would reel me in.

     

    -- pj

     

    No more Drummers! Time for a reliable one

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Just a thought...

     

    You mentioned that a Yamaha PSR-SX900 arranger is available? My suggestion is to use it as a live drum machine.

     

    One thing folks miss is that you don't have to use every part (track) in a style. Turn off the tracks you don't want. It's super easy to get rhythm only -- press the ACMP button (turning it off) and all that's left is the rhythm. Then press the ABCD buttons to change pattern within the style or to trigger auto-fill. Some of the PSRs support a foot pedal for pattern (ABCD) changes during performance.

     

    I do this when I want to knock off a quick demo and play all of the non-rhythm parts myself.

     

    Since the PSR is around, why not give it a try and save money...

     

    Hope this helps -- pj

     

    • Like 1
    • Cool 1

    Crumar D9X Midi Drawbar Controller kit

    in The Keyboard Corner

    seqtrak

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    6 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

     

    I'd be interested in your thoughts on this compared to Yamaha's QY-70/QY-100.  I've seen some nostalgia expressed for the QYs, but since I never had one myself, I haven't had the chance to experience what was so great about them - besides the QYs having screens.

     

     

    Quote

    t’s £399 in the UK, what would you consider the competition for this?

     

    Your wish is my command: 😃

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-seqtrak-quick-reaction/

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/namm-2024-yamaha-seqtrak-ideastation/

     

    I quickly browsed through the SEQTRAK voice and effects list. If someone owns/plays and programs a Montage or MODX, the voices and effects look very familiar.

     

    No AN-X? Not much new ground broken, here. Kind of blah. The workflow had better be outstanding or sales are going to be slack. My old AN-200 has AN and AWM, for pity's sake and it's how old?

     

    -- pj

     

    • Like 2

    Why do acoustic snares always sound like sh*t on Yamaha arranger keyboards?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    The style developer chooses the drum kit and digital effects to be put on the drums and other instruments. Sometimes the style developer tweaks individual drum sounds like the snare or kick. The Genos (and PSR) ethos is to "sound like the record" out of the box.

     

    The "ActionAnthem" style uses the AnalogT8Kit and the new Ambient drums RockKit. The channels are run through the Uni Comp compressor effect and the Ambi kit probably has some level of ambience dialed in.

     

    The "OrchRockBallad1" style uses the new OrchTimpani voice and the new Ambient drum DirtyKit. The DirtyKit is going through the newly added multi-band compressor effect.

     

    There's lots of sound shaping tools available. I'll grant ya, the Ambi RockKit is largely the old Revo kit with new ambient samples added.

     

    Hope this info helps -- pj

     

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
    • Love 1

    Yamaha P 515/ blowout prices / Yay or Nay?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I meant to reply earlier -- Oh, well. I spent most of the Fall trying different digital pianos and blogged my opinions. I liked the P-515 and its NWX action:

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-515-i-played-one/

     

    I played it several times and liked it every time. When the P-525 came out, I made a comparison:

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-525-digital-piano-announced/

     

    Still haven't found a P-525 to try. Since I was buying for home, I eventually settled on a CSP-170 Smart Piano (NWX). Gonna be delivered today! 🤪

     

    Yamaha is blowing out the CSP-150 and CSP-170, too. My biggest beef with the P-515 is the lack of secondary voices. I have an MOX and Genos -- come on, Yamaha, stop being so stingy! The CSPs have a lot of good secondary voices. The same voices are available in the P-S500 -- about the same size, weight and price as P-515, but has GHS action.

     

    Can't go wrong with any of these instruments -- pj

     

     

     

    • Like 1

    Yamaha to launch new GENOS 2 today

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Hi --

    I've written a mess o' articles about MODX and Genos/PSR rotary sim, etc.

     

    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/modx-drawbar-control-part-1/
    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/modx-drawbar-waveforms-part-2/
    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/modx-drawbar-overdrive-part-3/
    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/modx-overdrive-slight-return-part-4/
    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/modx-rotary-speaker-part-5/
    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-modx-gospel-organ/
    https://sandsoftwaresound.net/critique-genos-drawbar-organ/

     

    I also play Reface YC. I don't believe Yamaha did anything really special with Reface YC. I can recreate Reface YC on MODX; Genos not so much.

     

    It is possible to put overdrive in front of rotary sim on Genos and other mid- to high-end Yamaha arranger keyboards. It takes a little effort to work around the "Organ Flutes" routing and the effect order may not be "correct", i.e., overdrive after rotation.

     

    Like others, I'm tired of Yamaha botching this up. Leaving the VCM rotary sim out of a $5,700 premium keyboard is a SIN and killed the Genos2 value proposition for me.

     

    I'm looking to ditch Reface YC in favor of Hammond M-Solo. At 72, I might die before Yamaha gets this right. Yeah, I'm that PO'ed.

     

    Good on ya 🙃 -- pj

    • Like 2
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