Codewalker Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Matching keyboard volumes in a live setting has proven to be a challenge for me. Some keyboard patches sound much louder than others. I run all my boards through a submixer and send one feed to the board. Without having to go through every patch I use on all my keyboards, is there a way to regulate the volume so they all match, no matter which board or patch is selected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Go through every patch manually. Having been in MIDI since 1990, there is no better way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Go through every patch manually. Having been in MIDI since 1990, there is no better way. +1 No way to avoid the dirty work. Start with your softest patch and then adjust the others accordingly. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Go through every patch manually. Having been in MIDI since 1990, there is no better way. +1 No way to avoid the dirty work. Start with your softest patch and then adjust the others accordingly. +1 - this is the first step. After you think everything is tweaked just right, talk to the sound man before the gig and tell him what you're trying to do. Give him a set list and ask him if he'll jot down any notes as to anything that seems out of place. He'll appreciate it and you'll get good feedback. After followup tweaks, try to get a board mix to see if you sound the way you think you do in the mix. It's a long process, but it has to be done. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelp Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I find I can work much of it out during rehearsals. Print a set list and bring a pencil. As you adjust volume from song to song make notes on how much up or down you went. Might take a couple of practices and iterations to get it to settle down. Even then I find myself making slight tweaks on a patch or two based on the gigging environment. Roland Fantom 06; Yamaha P-125; QSC K10; Cubase 13 Pro; Windows 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurMan Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I find I can work much of it out during rehearsals. The problem with that is one of reference. You're introducing an amplification system into the mix. You need to balance using a standard reference, such as an RMS Vu meter. Rehearsals are good for spotting the mistakes ... Casio PX-5S, Korg Kronos 61, Omnisphere 2, Ableton Live, LaunchKey 25, 2M cables Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xKnuckles Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I use this app which does a good job. There is also a free version available if you want to try it..... RTA Audio by AiNeuron s.r.o. https://appsto.re/gb/onwtF.i "Turn your fingers into a dust rag and keep them keys clean!" Bluzeyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Also, the balance of the other instruments on stage is a changing variable. So while you should be able to start in te ballpark, I like to still have a volume pedal on each keyboard to tweak in the moment without costing me a hand. (Though even that has its limits, as it doesn't as easily address the problem if you only want to adjust one of two sounds in a split...) Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveQB Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 I am at this stage at the moment with a new project. All the sounds have been created, splits made and parts learnt (just about). Will now spend the next few months at practice and gigs tweaking the levels. Its a pain but when its done it makes for very satisfying gigs Nord Stage 2EX | Nord Wave | Mainstage 3 K&M Spider Pro | JH Audio JH5 IEMs | Behringer XR18 | Radial Keylargo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel71 Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 +1 for rehearsal and listening to all the band. The same piano patch in a song could be louder and the next song using the same patch could be softer... Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 The same piano patch in a song could be louder and the next song using the same patch could be softer... +1 If you are someone who plays 2-3 sounds night, this does not apply. If you do straight covers of highly produced songs, it does. This is how I've done it, since the 1990s ... 1) Begin with the patches. Each song is a separate performance/mix. Use the synths and sound sources (not mixers) to control relative volumes. 2) Test the mix at home with the original CD/MP3 you are covering. When rehearsing with the band, record your rehearsals. (Nothing fancy, a phone will do.) 3) When you get back to your home rig, play against the rehearsal recordings, and adjust levels again. Repeat 2 and 3 4) Now at the gigs you are primarily working with the sound person for the master volume of the entire keys rig, which is just one item. Some sounds stick out, and others get washed out, so everything gets better with testing. One of my joys is when I see the drummer beginning to "expect" my dynamics and playing into them. As others have mentioned, it's an iterative process but very satisfying. Just make sure you are playing with a group of folks who are not addicted to fader creep. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 One of my favorite MIDI controllers is Soft Pedal. Few boards implement it, but I love the way that it is implemented in my Kurzweil 1000 series romplers. One problem with MIDI Volume is when you send a volume change while notes are hanging, those notes have an abrupt change in volume. Soft Pedal only affects the NEXT MIDI note messages, not the previous ones - no abrupt change to hanging notes. My romplers are set to a 6dB change with Soft Pedal, and this is continuously variable with MIDI Soft Pedal values between 0 and 127. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theGman Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 I'm surprised there isn't a box which could do this for you on the fly, combined with a "volume tuner" which you could use beforehand, if you wanted to individually set your patch volumes then. Sorta like a digital tuner for volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Go through your patches as suggested already. I've also used a volume pedal for back up. The level that sounds right in the quiet acoustic isolation of your practise space may not always be right for the live setting you find yourself working in. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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