Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Stage Pianos
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Hello,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, so please guide if I need to post this somewhere else.

I got myself a Roland RD-2000 and a Roland KC-550 a few weeks ago, and I've been in love with the system, and the V-Piano sounds. However, the sounds are a bit boxy as they are. Not having any EQ experience, I've been playing with the frequencies and gains in the EQ area (Low, Mid1, Mid2, Mid3, and High) as well as the Piano Designer menu. I have managed to get the sound brighter, but I'm sure it can be done much much better to make it sound as amazing as acoustic grand pianos. I have got certain ranges to sound really good (e.g. Low), but as soon as I change the other ranges, the sound gets messed. I have found some general recommendations on digital piano EQ settings for certain frequencies, but it's hard to apply the to RD-2000. It has been frustrating, so any help in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Thank you!
thepianoplayer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10:55, 20 April 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by thepianoplayer »

You have certainly purchased a great keyboard, but unfortunately you have not given it the chance to really show what it can do by buying a KC550. I'm not saying they're bad amps (I used to own a KC350), but you could do so much better. I always found the amp produced too much low frequency content for my liking.

I have now shelved the KC and have bought a pair of QSC K10''s used in conjunction with a Mackie mixer. The difference created by having a proper stereo split and using full range cabinets compared to just a single point combo is huge.

As you already have the Roland amp you might struggle to get the balanced sound across the piano patches that you're seeking.
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Thank you! I was suspecting that the amp has something to do with this.

Do you think the KC-600 will be any better? (As part of the deal I managed to get, I'll be swapping my KC-550 with a KC-600 in late January. But I can also return it and get the QSC K10.)
thepianoplayer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10:55, 20 April 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by thepianoplayer »

The KC600 is still a single point combo and in my honest opinion, won't get you any significant improvement at all. As I said, the best solution is to obtain a pair of powered speakers such as the QSC''s (but don't have to be the same as) and then you'll feel the effect of the spatial separation that will bring out the best qualities of the RD2000.

In essence, you'd be using your keyboard through a local P.A. which means you can then use them placed either on the floor or alternatively, you can put them up on stands and really hear what the machine can do!
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

I see, thanks a lot!

I have a related question which I was hoping you can help with as well. I'm also looking into buying an in-ear monitor headphone (with detachable cables and volume control). Any good ones you would recommend? (I thought to give KZ ZS6 a shot, but despite its quad drivers and all the positive reviews, it turned out to have a very bad sound.)

Thank you!
thepianoplayer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10:55, 20 April 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by thepianoplayer »

Personally, I prefer (and use) Shure in-ear monitors (SE425). Of course, as a keyboard player you can’t go leaping all over the stage so there really is no need for a wireless in-ears system.

I use mine with a Behringer PowerPlay P1 stereo headphone amplifier (which I attach to the top of a mic stand for easy access when I’m playing). It does the job just fine and it won’t break the bank. The SE425’s on the other hand aren’t cheap, but they’re very good and give a very good frequency range.

There are loads of choices with this sort of equipment, and as always there is no right or wrong, you just have to balance your performance requirement with the size of your budget.

Good luck with your quest!
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Just got one QSC K10.2, and wow!!! What a difference!!! The KC-550 sound is indeed muffled compared to the K10.2. Even without any EQ, I now get a sharp and crisp sound out of the RD-2000.

I just wish that all the knobs and controls were on top of the speaker like the KC-550. It would have been way easier to use. But other than that, amazing! I'll be returning the KC-550 soon. I'll get a second K10.2 sometime in near future.

And one last question. Which mixer would you reccommend with around 8 channels and good EQ controls for each channel individually?

Thanks a lot!
thepianoplayer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10:55, 20 April 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by thepianoplayer »

Glad you've been able to appreciate the difference of using the QSC equipment - it's really great gear.

I use a Mackie 1202VLZ4 mixer. This gives you 4 mono mic channels and 4 stereo channels with 2 aux outputs. It's a very sturdy piece of kit and will be as reliable as the sunrise.

You get a 3 band EQ on all channels and the unit also provides a tape input (if you have use for this).

Hope you enjoy playing the RD2000 (especially when you get the other cabinet).
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Thanks a lot for all the help!

I found out today that apparently I had been connecting the RD-2000 to the KC-550 incorrectly. I had the Left (mono) Unbalanced Out from RD-2000 hooked to the Left (mono) of channel 2 of KC-550. But I had also connected the Right Unbalanced Out of RD-2000 to the Right of channel 2, and I realized that that was causing the muffling effect. I figured that I should either not connect the Right Out of RD-2000 (since I had one KC-550 anyways) or connect the Right Out to the Left of channel 3 on KC-550. Connecting the Right Out of RD-2000 to the Right of channel 3 on KC-550 also had some but not as high of a muffling effect. Once I corrected this, the sound on KC-550 became much better and satisfactory. I wonder if there is anything else I was missing or doing wrong? :)

Now I wanna make sure I'm connecting the QSC K10.2 correctly. I noticed that on the QSC K10.2, there is no mention of "mono" on either A or B inputs. Currently I have the Left out of RD-2000 connected to A input of QSC K10.2 with a 1/4" connector. Is that the right way? Do I need to connect the Right Out of RD-2000 to the B input as well? And are there any settings or other tricks I need to follow on either instrument?

Thanks very much again!!
thepianoplayer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10:55, 20 April 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by thepianoplayer »

It's always best to use the balanced (XLR) connectors from the RD2000. The QSC's will accept these and makes the ideal setup. As the KC550 has only jacks, you will need to use the RD2000 unbalanced outputs to connect to the left channels of CH2 and CH3 on the KC550. This will work of course, but any patches that have been setup for a true stereo output from the keyboard will not be reproduced to their optimum. You'll only experience this if you have a speaker on either side of your keyboard.
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Thanks a lot for the XLR tip! I got one today and tested both amps. I connected the left XLR Balanced Out of RD-2000 to the channel 1 Balanced input on KC-550, and wow, there was a world of difference from even the best unbalanced configuration I used before. There was a significant improvement on the QSC K10.2 as well. In this configuration now, the QSC is a bit boomy on the lower end of the keyboard, while the KC-550 is bright throughout. Now I'm debating which amp to keep and duplicate :)

This discussion was very informative, and I learned a lot, so thanks much again!

A sort of unrelated question: considering how the QSCs can be placed on the floor in different angles and orientations, would the KC-550 (or KC-600) be damaged (internally) in any way if I were to put it on the floor, front side up or partially angled?
thepianoplayer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10:55, 20 April 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by thepianoplayer »

If you’re using the QSC cab with a mixer, then you can use it’s EQ to balance out the sonic nuances - as you would do with any audio system.

I’m not sure if you’re joking with the last question as most good gear is designed to take a considerable amount of punishment before it says ‘enough is enough’. Putting a KC550 at an angle (of say 30 deg) and maintaining it there without it falling over will require a very sturdy amp stand as the unit is very heavy - I remember carrying my KC350 around and ended up using a small trolley to save my arm and back!

Another (and slightly quirky) solution is to get a custom arrangement built whereby the KC550 amp is held in a tubular steel frame (with wheels attached) that supports and angles the unit properly, but also ensures that it doesn’t topple over! This allows the unit to be kept low to the floor, as most commercial amp stands are designed to deliberately raise the amp well above floor level. The QSC design on the other hand has been very cleverly thought out to allow you to either floor or pole mount them and that was a big factor for me before I purchased mine.

As you’ve now played around quite a bit with your gear, it seems that you’ve reached the point of big decisions. Whatever you choose, I hope you have a lot a enjoyment with the end result.
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Thanks a lot for all the help! I'll be doing a lot of testing on both amps while I'm still in my return window. I also ordered parts to build a custom stand for the KC amp so I can easily test it in different angles. If I come up with other questions, I'll post :)
SledDriver
Posts: 76
Joined: 02:56, 8 October 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by SledDriver »

Must say, I'm playing the RD-2000 through an Adam P11+Sub8 system with Sonarworks monitor calibration, and have never felt the need to EQ the V-Pianos, and I'm fussy. :-)
rnk.khch
Posts: 18
Joined: 04:22, 22 December 2017

Re: Best EQ and Piano Designer settings for V-Piano sounds

Post by rnk.khch »

Yeah, after I connected my amps with balanced cables, I've not done any EQs at all either.

New Question: Is there any way to reduce or eliminate the background noise of the amps? I suppose it is called "hiss". It starts as soon as the amps are turned on, even if the keyboard is off. My QSC K10.2 has more of it compared to my Roland KC-550. Will a power conditioner help? Currently I use a surge protector.

Thanks!
Post Reply