Volume level too low?

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m0rfious
Posts: 6
Joined: 04:47, 11 December 2010

Volume level too low?

Post by m0rfious »

Hi all,

I bought my SH-01 a few months ago and I really love it. There is a quirk with it that annoys me big time though, and that is the volume level.

The volume on the SH-01 seems too low! I can turn the output volume level all the way up, as well as the amp level all the way up on a synth sound and its just too quiet.

Headphones are too quiet and I really have to bump the gain up on my speakers to get a good level out of the synth.

Also, if I connect the keyboard via USB audio/midi and record the audio over USB...the volume is showing up very low as well!! I have to increase +3,+6, even +9 or +12dB to get a good recording level.


Now, here is the weird part....The EXT. IN plug (where you can plug in the 1/8" connector) is WAYYY louder than the synth volume. If I connect an MP3 player (with mp3 player volume at 80%), I need to put the EXT. IN knob down to like 40% so I can hear my synth. And the synths output volume knob would be almost at 100%.

Another weird thing is that when I add a distortion or fuzz effect on any sound the volume increases dramatically.

What is going on here, am I missing a setting in the keyboard????
Someone please help!
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dbijoux
Posts: 1700
Joined: 22:49, 26 April 2009

Re: Volume level too low?

Post by dbijoux »

I'd likely miss something trying to answer without an SH-01, but generally speaking, you'll always want your synth volume @ 100% to exploit it's entire dynamic range.

A question tho, what do you consider good recording levels? If you're working with 24 bit projects -10 - -20db is certainly sufficient and actually recommended. Concerns about recording hot or not are really a thing of the past when there was only 16 bits of range.

Hope that is a little help.
8
Posts: 11
Joined: 18:55, 12 December 2010

Re: Volume level too low?

Post by 8 »

Its likely your envelope levels. I had that happen to me before, just turn the amp knob all the way down then all the way up. Also, check to make sure your attack levels and amp envelope isnt set to a slow creep

You might also have the knob/fader settings to actual which would automagically set the settings for the patch to whatever is actually set on your Gaia.

ANother possibility is the volume control for the d beam and something very close to the dbeams path.

Hope that helps.
m0rfious
Posts: 6
Joined: 04:47, 11 December 2010

Re: Volume level too low?

Post by m0rfious »

Ive tried pretty much all the settings and advanced settings in the manual with no luck.

The only thing I can think of is that I need an amp between the GAIA and the computer...however this isn't possible when using the USB audio in, unless I put alot of gain on the track within my software (I use ableton). This ends up corrupting the sound because I need to put a LOT of gain on it.
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dbijoux
Posts: 1700
Joined: 22:49, 26 April 2009

Re: Volume level too low?

Post by dbijoux »

an amp between the GAIA and the computer?

This seems exceedingly strange, possibly anyone could benefit from a worthy preamp in the chain, but here seems is a misguided consideration.

Could you put together a simple sine wave patch and do a few tests with it? I'm rather curious exactly what levels you are getting when you record.

Are you working with 24bit projects in Ableton? 3, 10, 12db differences still shouldnt be much if any of a concern. Also, if you're recording direct from USB audio, the noise floor is nill to nonexistant, no?

Sorry to ask, but LOT leaves much to the imagination.
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KRE8A
Posts: 777
Joined: 09:16, 1 April 2008
Location: Australia
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Re: Volume level too low?

Post by KRE8A »

m0rfious ` Have you checked the Master Level Setting 0 -127 ?
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