FA-08 in Marching Band Setup

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printman2000
Posts: 3
Joined: 15:43, 28 September 2017

FA-08 in Marching Band Setup

Post by printman2000 »

I help a high school marching band. They use a sound system to mic a few instruments as well as amplify a FA-08. I am really unfamiliar with this piano and had a couple of questions I hope someone can help me with.

We currently use the left output to run to our mixer and the right output to run to a powered monitor so the player can hear. Is it correct that these two outputs volume are controlled by the volume knob? Is there a way to disable that?

We have some special sound effects that have been added to pad buttons. My biggest problem is getting loud enough sound while not raising the piano volume level. I know we can increase the volume of these sound effects, but one of them cannot go any louder without distorting. I can raise the volume on the mixer but then the piano is too loud.

I was thinking about if it was possible to send all piano sounds to the left out put and all the sound effects to the right output. Then run them to two separate channels on the mixer. Is this possible?

Thank you!
Maarkr
Posts: 38
Joined: 02:49, 8 May 2011
Location: Maine

Re: FA-08 in Marching Band Setup

Post by Maarkr »

It is possible to set one instrument panned full left and another instrument panned full right... just select them both in the studio set.

If the pad is not loud enough, turn down the piano and the overall volume up... you may then boost it in the mixer.

The output may be slightly different between L and R channels. If you run a splitter from the L/Mono output, send those to your mixer and monitor, which can be controlled independently. I run a splitter from the L/Mono output, one going to a mono monitor and the other L+R going to a mixer for the band output.
printman2000
Posts: 3
Joined: 15:43, 28 September 2017

Re: FA-08 in Marching Band Setup

Post by printman2000 »

Thanks for the reply. I do not have a lot of hands on experience with this instrument. Are you saying the volume of whatever is being played with the keys can be turned down by means other than the volume knob?

If so, can you lead me in the right direction to do that? And do all instruments played by the keys have to be turned down one by one?
stevel
Posts: 520
Joined: 07:08, 17 May 2015

Re: FA-08 in Marching Band Setup

Post by stevel »

printman2000 wrote:
We currently use the left output to run to our mixer and the right output to run to a powered monitor so the player can hear. Is it correct that these two outputs volume are controlled by the volume knob? Is there a way to disable that?
Yes, they are both controlled by the volume knob. And no there's not really any practical way to "disable it" (but there are workarounds.

One work around is to use the SUB OUT instead. What you do is set up two identical Piano patches in Parts 1 and 2 and turn them both on (KBD switch). Assign Part 1 to L/R out as normal, then Part 2 to the Sub Out - the Sub Output's level is controlled internally, NOT by the volume knob. So this will give the player the ability to adjust their volume to hear it increase or decrease in their monitor speaker but give the exact same level to the mixer.

But...
We have some special sound effects that have been added to pad buttons. My biggest problem is getting loud enough sound while not raising the piano volume level. I know we can increase the volume of these sound effects, but one of them cannot go any louder without distorting. I can raise the volume on the mixer but then the piano is too loud.
You simply turn down the volume level on the Piano Part (or parts if you use the method above) and turn up the whole instrument with the volume knob.

However, sine the Pads can only be assigned to one part at a time, you can't do the Sub Out thing here -

So:
I was thinking about if it was possible to send all piano sounds to the left out put and all the sound effects to the right output. Then run them to two separate channels on the mixer. Is this possible?
Yes you could.

You can assign the piano left and the sound effects right and send the L and R outputs to 2 channels on the mixer for independent control.

However, that won't help the person with the monitor unless they get a feed from the MIXER instead of directly from the FA's outputs.

So realistically, here's what needs to happen:

1. Get the samples as loud as possible without distorting, all balanced with each other.
2. Create a piano patch that is balanced in volume with the samples.
3. The output from the FA should be sent to the mixer via Direct Box if it's a long cable run. You *should* send the monitor signal from the mixer back to the monitor speaker, but if this is a really long cable run it could be better to use the "thru" on the Direct Box to feed the monitor speaker.
4. DO NOT TOUCH THE VOLUME KNOB ON THE FA ONCE THE LEVELS HAVE BEEN SET.

Sorry, don't do it. Because if you do, it sends more signal to the mixer too. Instead, you either ask the person at the mixer to turn up the monitor, or since it's a powered monitor the player can turn the volume up on it.

Otherwise, anything the player does to increase output from the FA will also mean the audience hears it louder as well.

The only way to "bypass" the volume control from the FA is to send it out the Sub Out but that means anything sent that way can't be turned up for monitoring purposes by the player at the FA anyway. Likewise, running some sounds left and some sounds right doesn't fix anything - the mixer can be used to balance the sounds sure, but if the player moves the volume knob on the FA, BOTH sets of sounds are going to get louder or quieter together. All you're doing there is using the mixer to balance them rather than taking the time to balance them in the FA to begin with. And if you're going to use the mixer in that way, there's no reason not to run your monitor feeds from it!

So you're kind of doing it backwards if you're using the mixer to balance, and the FA to control monitor volume - should be the exact opposite: Balance the sounds in the FA (and you can still send them out different outs so there's additional control at the mixer just in case) and let the mixer provide the monitor signal and volume for it (aside from any adjustments made at the speaker itself).

HTH,
Steve
printman2000
Posts: 3
Joined: 15:43, 28 September 2017

Re: FA-08 in Marching Band Setup

Post by printman2000 »

Okay, I think my plan will be to simply balance the sound levels on the keyboard. Now that I know I can adjust the piano level. I looked at it briefly this morning and saw where I can do that. So next week I hope to be able to really set the levels once we can get back outdoors for rehearsal (been raining all week).

Thank you!
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