rdownton Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I've tried to search on these topics and haven't really found what I'm looking for. I've read much debate but don't really have a sense of what's common. I recently traded my RD 700 in on a PC1SE. In the manual they strongly recommend for best results that you should use a balanced cable. Is a balanced cable the usual norm? I also initially had set the output to mono and only used one cable. I was so disappointed with with the sound I almost returned the board. I ended up trying a second cable and changed the output setting to stereo and the difference in tone was unbelievable. I'm using a Yorkville 200KB amp that I also run my acoustic guitar through. This caught be off guard because I always used a mono cable with the RD. Does everyone always go stereo out? I'm originally a guitar player who's only been getting more active with keyboards for the last few years. Mono unbalanced cables are the norm for me. Any comments would be appreciated Keys: Kurzweil PC3 & PC1se, Nord Electro 2, Roland HP603 Guitars: Strat Plus, Les Paul Std, Martin DC-16RGTE Amps: Mackie SRM450, Fender Cyber Twin & Studio 85, Traynor Block 12, Boss GT-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raddtunes Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Is that Yorkville amp a guitar amp? If yes, then you've almost certainly found your sound problem. Many on this forum can explain the technical differences between a guitar/keyboard amps and speakers. I'm also just not sure about the absolute necessity of using balanced cables in this situation. Actually - I am sure - it's probably not at all necessary. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Balanced cables can help lower the noise floor. Of course, the output device and the input of your amp must have balanced jacks. More noise usually becomes apparent with longer cables or if you have some RFI interference nearby. Lamp dimmers and old flourescent lights can contribute to noise in high gain circuitry. So, it's best to use balanced cables when you can. If you can't, the world won't come to an end. Stereo vs. mono? My Kurzweil PC2X sounds better in stereo to my ears; particularly the triple-strike stereo piano programs. Kurzweil thoughtfully included a mono piano program. Other programs that aren't stereo don't seem to be quite as ugly if they're played in mono. And if you're playing a concert where your signal is going out to the PA, chances are good your left and right channels will be summed anyway. For me, the best results I've found are when I use balanced cables from my PC2X to my Mackie 1402 mixer, then to an outboard EQ and beefy power amp to full-range speakers. An acoustic guitar just doesn't have the same sonic demands as a digital keyboard. For the best sound, consider auditioning other keyboard amps or mixer/amp/speaker combinations. Tom "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdownton Posted March 31, 2007 Author Share Posted March 31, 2007 The Yorkville is a keyboard amp. I prefer to run my acoustic guitar through this amp because it's much cleaner than my guitar amp. I should also clarify that after trying the mono hook up I added a second cable to have 2 inputs into the amp. That made a big difference in the sound. Keys: Kurzweil PC3 & PC1se, Nord Electro 2, Roland HP603 Guitars: Strat Plus, Les Paul Std, Martin DC-16RGTE Amps: Mackie SRM450, Fender Cyber Twin & Studio 85, Traynor Block 12, Boss GT-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 The Yorkville is a keyboard amp. I prefer to run my acoustic guitar through this amp because it's much cleaner than my guitar amp. I should also clarify that after trying the mono hook up I added a second cable to have 2 inputs into the amp. That made a big difference in the sound. Oooops. My bad. The 200KB also has balanced inputs. Although it's not a stereo amp, lots of people like the Yorkville equipment. I've not heard one, but I see no reason why it wouldn't sound fine. Good luck and welcome to the forum. Tom "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I always use balanced cables on my Kurzweil pc2 and pc1x. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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