DGX 640

[spiro13]

Hi

Just found the forum and it looks like a good place to solve some problems and communicate with some great people with similar interests. I recently got a DGX 640. The pre-loaded songs sound terrific but when playing, it does not have the same quality sound as on the songs. I contacted Yamaha but they were no help with settings. If anyone has suggestions as to settings such as harmony, reverb etc. to get a better quality sound I would like to hear them.

Thank you,

Tony

 

[happyrat1]

What you are hearing when you play a demo song or a MIDI is the harmonic richness of a fully orchestrated piece with multiple instruments sounding all at once.

Of course when you play a single tone or instrument it's not going to sound as harmonically "full" as the orchestrated piece.

One thing you could try, if the DGX640 supports it, is to layer your sounds, ie, play a piano layered with strings or a choir ahh sound simultaneously.

Other things to do are playing with inline effects like reverb or echo, again, if your unit supports them.

Gary

 

[spiro13]

Gary

Thanks for the reply. There are hundreds of settings for the Main and Dual voices as well as other settings options. I was hoping Yamaha had a guide for the best settings for the different voices. No such luck. It looks like it will be a trial and error method. BTW, a cousin gave me a Beheringer KT-108 Keyboard Amp he no longer uses. Mybe it will improve sound quality a bit.

Tony

 

[Hawkeye96]

Try the five different EQ settings, with and without the Behringer amp.

 

[spiro13]

Hawkeye96

Playing with the EQ helped quite a bit. Perhaps you can answer another question. Should the cord from the phones out on the keyboard to the amp or speaker sytem be a mono or stereo cord.

Thank you,

Tont

 

[Hawkeye96]

Owners manuals only say that you can connect the Phones/Output to . . . stereo systems . . . and other advanced audio equipment. I take this to mean that a stereo cord is the best choice, and that's what I'd use.

 

[happyrat1]

Specifically to connect from a headphone jack you need a stereo to two mono outputs adapter.

If your Behringer amp accepts two lines in then plug a 1/4" mono plug into each channel. Otherwise you'd only plug the left channel in if it only accepts one input.

Basically use one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP153-Cable-Inch-Dual/dp/B000068O3C/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375991205&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=1/4" TRS to 2 1/4" TR mono

and one of these as an adapter if necessary.

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-GPM-103-3-5mm-TRS-Adaptor/dp/B000068O3T/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1375991298&sr=8-8&keywords=3.5 mm stereo to 1/4" TRS

EDIT>> I checked the KT-108. It takes two mono inputs labelled Instr 1 and Instr 2.

Plug each of the mono plugs into those two inputs.

 

[Hawkeye96]

Good point, Happyrat. As a general rule, I'd say the equipment you're connecting to should dictate whether and what kind of splitter to use. Some equipment accepts a stereo 1/4" input plug and obtains stereo signals from the source.

 

[happyrat1]

Generally speaking, the 1/4" mono TS plug is the industry standard for connecting musical instruments to professional mixing and studio gear and amps.

Most professional grade keyboards will have separate 1/4" mono outputs to make this easy.

Both Yamaha and Casio have cheaped out on these outputs on their lower end "prosumer" gear and left people trying to figure out a way to shoehorn a stereo 1/4" TRS headphone connection into a 1/4" TS mono input.

Even though adapters make these connections mechanically compatible, one ugly reality on a lot of equipment is that it is not entirely electrically compatible.

Line levels are generally about 10Kohm impedance and operate between 1 and 100 mv.

Headphones are generally about 75 ohms impedance and operate in the range up to several volts.

The result is a very real danger of overdriving the input and blowing out either/or/both of the inputs if levels are cranked too high.

It also increases the noise factor because you are driving the output at close to its noise threshold.

I imagine that on the DGX640 Yamaha has accommodated this somehow with some sort of impedance compensation circuitry since they specify that audio equipment can be directly connected to the headphone jack.

However do not make this assumption with most of the musical electronic gear out there. Headphone outputs are generally NOT designed to drive line level inputs.

 

[Hawkeye96]

Oh, you're dead right about headphone outlets, Happyrat. I hope you're also right when you say Yamaha has "somehow" accomodated the potential impedance mismatch, but how would we know since Yamaha rarely sticks its head out of its molehill.

I was commenting on inputs and their role in defining terminal plugs on connecting audio cords. Your information very ably filled out the other side of the picture.

 

[spiro13]

With your help I figured out how to increase sound volume and quality. Basically, I used a a Stereo to Dual Mono Adapter from phones out to a borrowed Amp which accepts the connection. On the Keyboard, I changed a internal setting that is for use with external speakers. Sounds decent. The Amp is more than I wanted to spend so I'll be looking for some used gear.

Thanks all for your assistance.

Tony

 

[happyrat1]

Actually if you're looking for decent sound on the cheap, a pair of 2.1 computer speakers will do nicely in a pinch. They have line level inputs already and all you need is a 1/4" TRS stereo to 3.5 mm TRS adapter plug to make them work.

Computer speakers, like a good stereo set or a keyboard amp generally have both the frequency response and the dynamic range to handle a keyboard signal.

Something like these would work very well for you. I use a set of these for one of my desktop computers and they produce a very decent sound.

http://www.amazon.com/Altec-Lansing...6075884&sr=8-6&keywords=2.1+computer+speakers

Gary