Connecting Roland RD-100 to Focusrite Scarlett 2i4

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M1n3rrva
Posts: 1
Joined: 03:58, 15 December 2017

Connecting Roland RD-100 to Focusrite Scarlett 2i4

Post by M1n3rrva »

Hello, everyone! I registered for the forums for the sole purpose of asking this question, so any assistance would be thoroughly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I have been faced with insurmountable confusion regarding what cable set to purchase in order to connect it to my interface. To preface this, I am aiming to record the sound of my keyboard as opposed to MIDI. The RD-100 has an unbalanced connection with R and L(Mono) outputs. I actually contacted Roland's customer support, and they responded, "we would normally recommend connecting output cables to both the right and left main outputs (TS), which will then connect to 2 inputs of your mixer or interface. You should make sure then that the inputs on your mixer / interface are panned hard left and hard right to get the best sound from the piano." However, I am uncertain as to whether they mean a set of dual TS cables (the connections would be mono with an RCA connection to the interface) such as the RCC-5-2R28, or two separate sets of a mono 1/4" with an RCA connector, but it appears that Roland does not make a single cable, so if this scenario requires the latter option, your recommended brands would be appreciated. Since my digital piano is an older model, it is difficult for me to seek guidance for my recording aspirations. Again, thank you for your time.
SeanMichaels
Posts: 2
Joined: 18:01, 12 February 2019

Re: Connecting Roland RD-100 to Focusrite Scarlett 2i4

Post by SeanMichaels »

Hi!

This is a simple fix. Hopefully you aren't still looking for a solution to this anymore!

To connect your Roland RD-100 to your audio interface, there's a couple of options.

1) Using two instrument cables, connect directly to the Scarlett's two front-facing inputs. These are hi-z inputs designed specifically for instrument cables and will convert the unbalanced signal to balanced.

2) Using a stereo DI box, connect two instrument cables to the DI and then two XLR cables to the Scarlett. This is the option I would choose, as I've found some audio interfaces, hi-z inputs to be less than superb.

Hopefully this helps!
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