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I have been having issues getting that "perfect" recording from my Yamaha P-155.

I am currently using the "AUX" output to a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. The signal is either too low or too high with noise. I have messed around with the gain, the line level vs. instrument level, and the master volume control on the DP. I just can't get something that I am happy with especially when compared to other recordings on the internet.

Now it could very well be my beginner-type playing; after all I am the weakest link in the chain.

If anyone else had a similar experience and was able to find a solution I would be much appreciative if you let me know how you solved the issue. At this point I was thinking of just purchasing the Tascam DR-40 with the line inputs. But heck, everyone else seems to be doing this with a cable and "free" Audacity.

scorpio,

A couple of questions:

Have you been able to make satisfactory recordings using the Scarlett from sources other than the P155?

Do you have a USB/MIDI cable running between DP and PC at the same time you are trying to record analog audio via the Scarlett?

How would you describe the noise you hear on your recordings? More like a hum, or more like a buzz or crackle?

By the way, the LINE setting on the Scarlett is what the manufacturer intends you to use for making recordings from a DP. The INST setting is a so-called Hi-Z (high impedance) setting intended for electric guitars and basses, not for keyboards.

Thanks,

B.

This maybe a forum faux pas, but I am replying to a post from another thread.



The Scarlett is great. It has allowed for me to hook up my Klipsch Promedia speakers to augment the onboard speakers (using the headphone jack without silencing the P-155 speakers); speaker-wise, it has been the best solution for me right now.

The setup was very easy. You have to make sure you get the latest drivers off their website. I have had no issues recording or using the Scarlett with my system (I am still on Windows XP). Actually it has been quite seamless. I am happy I got it. I have not used the output ports on the back.

But I have to say I was hoping that it was going to help me get an optimal recording which I keep searching for. The recordings are not terrible, just not what I expect. I keep hoping there is this magic button I am not pressing.

I do not use Abelton. I played around with it a bit, but it is just not convenient for simple recording. For one, it does not have a MP3 converter; that's just another step (install RazorLAME) that you have to add to the process. Silly me, I thought Audacity might have been my recording issue so I purchased Acoustica Mixcraft 6.0 (it has been called Garageband for Windows). I really like Mixcraft. It is simple with many of the Abelton features. Although I can see how adding tracks and effects could be fun to play with. But that is far down the road for me.

The bottomline here, for me, is that Audacity should be enough! Everyone else uses Audacity.

Possum PX130, if you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

Hey slowtraveler, thanks for the reply.

I do not have a USB/MIDI cable connected.

The recordings just seem muddy to me; not that crisp clear sound.
Again I am a beginner, but here is a recent recording:
https://www.box.com/s/owiv1lqlid7qmny3wddy
Maybe it sounds fine to you; and if that is the case I would appreciate that feedback.

I have gotten a very good, perfect recording from the P155 demo songs. Now isn't that crazy? But I noticed that the demo volume starts at a very high level. Much higher than anything I record/play. For instance I can set the volume control on the P155 to 33% for the demo songs, while having to set the volume to 75% for my recordings, just to hit the same input level in Audacity. Clearly the stronger signal on the demo songs is where I need to get. Hopefully this all makes sense.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am probably chasing my tail and it has a lot to do with these chord based songs.

scorpio, the recording at the link you provided sounds decent to me--a little flat, maybe, but with no objectionable distortion or noise.

Yamaha may juice the level of the P155's demo songs in order to make them sound more impressive, or it may be that you are not yet using the full dynamic range of the instrument.

I believe you are playing at a single, mezzo-forte dynamic level throughout the short piece you played, which may have something to do with how the recording sounds.

But it might also be that you are not yet getting healthy signal levels out of the P155.

Do you happen to have the P155's Touch Sensitivity set to HARD? If so, try MEDIUM or SOFT, adjust the P155's volume control as necessary, and make some new recordings to see if you notice a difference.

Make sure you set the Scarlett's gain controls so that the loudest sounds you play on the P155 don't quite cause the LED rings to flash red.

B.

The Scarlett is great. It has allowed for me to hook up my Klipsch Promedia speakers to augment the onboard speakers (using the headphone jack without silencing the P-155 speakers); speaker-wise, it has been the best solution for me right now.

The setup was very easy. You have to make sure you get the latest drivers off their website. I have had no issues recording or using the Scarlett with my system (I am still on Windows XP). Actually it has been quite seamless. I am happy I got it. I have not used the output ports on the back.

But I have to say I was hoping that it was going to help me get an optimal recording which I keep searching for. The recordings are not terrible, just not what I expect. I keep hoping there is this magic button I am not pressing.

I do not use Abelton. I played around with it a bit, but it is just not convenient for simple recording. For one, it does not have a MP3 converter; that's just another step (install RazorLAME) that you have to add to the process. Silly me, I thought Audacity might have been my recording issue so I purchased Acoustica Mixcraft 6.0 (it has been called Garageband for Windows). I really like Mixcraft. It is simple with many of the Abelton features. Although I can see how adding tracks and effects could be fun to play with. But that is far down the road for me.

The bottomline here, for me, is that Audacity should be enough! Everyone else uses Audacity.

Possum PX130, if you have any specific questions feel free to ask. [/quote

Hello, thanks for your reply- its a great help. I read good things about mixcraft; musicradar rated top items.
Was Abelton lite very limited in the number of tracks?
I envision using my Krome as a DAW so would really only be recording vocals

slowtraveler, Thank you so much for your replies. I really appreciate that you listened to the link. I think you summed up my impression with the word "flat." That's exactly what I hear. So maybe it really is just me at this point. I will keep working on it and keep adjusting levels until I find something that works. Thanks again.


Possum PX130, Abelton Live Lite 8 allows for a maximum of eight tracks. Prior to purchasing the Scarlett I read several great reviews about Abelton Live. I believe it is a very powerful piece of software.

On bundled software alone; I would probably go with the Steinberg as the Cubase AI6 offers 32 audio and 48 midi tracks (plus some VST's)

However- Mixcraft looks to be a great deal. What version do you have? I am going to research mixcraft

I have Mixcraft 6, this one: http://www.amazon.com/Acoustica-MIX...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1363652163&sr=1-1

I really do like it.

I think I solved my recording issue. After much reading, I need to crank the volume on the DP and reduce the gain to near zero. The result is exactly what I was looking for, at least closer. With the higher gain I must have been increasing the noise. Initially I was afraid to crank the DP volume because I thought that would produce a noisy recording. So after a few tests, the resulting mix-down was near that perfect recording. I still need to tweak the levels but I am now in the ballpark. Thanks!

scorpio, it sounds like your reading has pointed you in the right direction. Lowering the output level of P155 was actually _adding_ noise to your recordings because you had to make up the lost gain somewhere downstream, which always has a cost in the form of additional noise.

The general term for this concept in audio engineering is "gain structure," which you can Google if you want to learn more (though it sounds like you're already well on the way).

Once you have a basic familiarity with managing gain structure in an audio signal path, it becomes much easier to preserve the original quality and dynamic range of your sources (in this case, the P155). Glad to hear you're happy with the results.

B.

I crank my DP to the max that I can, and then I use an inline passive resistive volume control to lower the signal such that my sound card doesn't clip. Pretty decent recordings that way.