Got my D300s, got a quick question.

kami · Jul 10, 2010

So far everything about this camera is fantastic! Anyway, I play the piano, so I hooked up my Yamaha CP-300 keyboard to the mic in of the D300s and even at the lowest gain the sound was so distorted. I tried this on my Korg Trinity as well with the same results.

Is there a way around this? I'm thinking the input of the D300s might need a pre-amp to lower the gain signal? Kind of like what guitar players need before they hook up to the mixer.

Any help appreciated. Thanks!

subscuck · Jul 10, 2010

Actually, guitar players use a pre amp to boost their signal to line level when running direct to a mixer (unless they have active pick ups, then they can run direct). Your keyboards are already at line level, so you would need to attenuate (bring down) the signal. I'm not really sure how you could easily accomplish this this for what you're looking to do. Musical gear generally amplifies, not attenuates.

KmH · Jul 10, 2010

You could also have an impedence mismatch?

daaaa · Jul 10, 2010

kami said:
even at the lowest gain the sound was so staticky!

Do you mean sound is distorted? Volume level too much?

kami · Jul 10, 2010

daaaa said:
kami said:

even at the lowest gain the sound was so staticky!

Click to expand...

Do you mean sound is distorted? Volume level too much?

Yes, it's distorted. Guitars players need pre amps (like a guitar amplifier) to balance out their signals or else they'll shatter speakers. Keyboards are already balanced out so basically they'll plug right into you mixer without any problem.

I'm thinking the D300s mic input is built exclusively for microphones. I know microphones can't really pick up signals great unless they're powered or unless you supply the power from the mixer. So maybe they programmed the mic input with a high signal pick up just for mics? Bummer.

kami · Jul 10, 2010

subscuck said:
Actually, guitar players use a pre amp to boost their signal to line level when running direct to a mixer (unless they have active pick ups, then they can run direct). Your keyboards are already at line level, so you would need to attenuate (bring down) the signal. I'm not really sure how you could easily accomplish this this for what you're looking to do. Musical gear generally amplifies, not attenuates.

No, you can't run guitars direct to a mixer without exploding your speakers. You need the guitar amp to balance out the signal before running them thru a mixer. Keyboards no problem running direct.

I just want to record a video of me playing the keyboards with a nice, clean and crisp sounding music without the background noise and what not.

subscuck · Jul 11, 2010

kami said:
No, you can't run guitars direct to a mixer without exploding your speakers. You need the guitar amp to balance out the signal before running them thru a mixer. Keyboards no problem running direct.

I'm sorry, but you are absolutely wrong. And I apologize to everyone for going off topic, but being a guitar player for over 30 years, and having been in more working bands then I care to count, and having played hundreds of paying gigs, and having owned, used and understood thousands of $ of sound reinforcement equipment over the years, and having an electronics background, I'm not going to be told I'm wrong, when in fact, I'm quite right.

You can plug a guitar directly into a mixing board. I've done it. Many times. I've never "shattered" or "exploded" a speaker. Most electric guitars manufactured and played have high impedance pickups. Mixers have low impedance input. This mismatch in impedance causes the signal from the guitar to be "loaded down", ie., it kills the voltage of the incoming signal. The output (sound level) coming out of the speakers will be very low, making it incredibly difficult to blow your speakers. There will also be a huge loss in dynamics and your guitar will sound very thin and tinny. A pre amp matches the impedance, thus effectively boosting your signal.

Guitars and basses with active pickups (battery powered) are low impedance devices, as is the line out on an electronic keyboard. This is why they can be plugged directly into a mixer. There is no impedance mismatch and the signal suffers no "loading down" and provides a nice hot, useable signal to your power amp. You would be far more likely to blow your speakers this way, but that's why you have a mixer to regulate the voltage level. A pre amp isn't required in this situation, but if you want precise tonal control of your sound, you'll use one.

As far as "balancing" the signal, I can only assume you're confused about what a balanced input on a mixer is. It has nothing to do with signal strength. A high impedance device using a high impedance cable, will pick up noise on its way to the destination source (mixer). The longer the cable, the more noise it will pick up. Not a desireable thing on stage or in the studio. A balanced input (bal) almost completely eliminates this problem, therefore very long cable runs can be used with virtually no noise being picked up along the way. It neither increases nor decreases signal strength, it simply eliminates hum.

This is what you can do; from your posts, I'm thinking you have access to a mixer. If so, plug your keyboard into the channel of your choice. Have the monitor out level for that channel all the way down. Run a cable from the monitor out of that channel into your camera. Adjust the monitor out level until your recorded signal sounds good and isn't clipping the amp in the camera. Cameras and cam corders, etc., record at a fixed level. Running your keyboard directly into the cam is providing a signal that's way too hot for the preset record level of the camera. You need to kick it down.