Nord User Forum

[oldguard]

Hi Everyone,
Just wondering what folks have found running through electros through PAs (mixer - two main speakers, plus wedges, etc). I find the sound I'm getting from a PA is not that great, and is definitely not showing off the sound quality that my Nord has (at least compared to when I use my studio headphones). I am currently running both L and R outputs to a single mixer channel strip with a L and R 1/4 input (allowing me to play stereo). Should I be running through a DI box first? Should I run each output to its own channel strip? Looking for advice to improve Nord sound through a band PA.

[cgrafx]

get a better PA

I know that doesn't sound like much help, but if your Nord doesn't sound good through the PA system, its not the Nords fault.

An no, your PA isn't going to sound like head phones. But a decent quality PA system should still sound pretty good.

There are a ton of postings about speakers for your Nord. Search for QSC K-Series or QSC 8.2 and you'll find lots of info, both on the QSC stuff and alternatives.

[PScooter63]

I agree with cgrafx.
As an aside, my gigging group (eight-piece acoustic ballroom dance/pop) pulled the trigger on a couple of Bose L1 Compacts plus a Mackie mixer a few months back, and cphollis’s assessment of the Bose was 100% on point. They sound fantastic in a medium sized room (150-200 people), so long as you don’t try to push metal volume levels. They were a huge step up in sound quality from the Yamaha “crate” mixer and 12” wooden Yamaha speakers, run in mono.

[Proche3]

Qsc, ev, Yamaha, Yorkville and surely bose will be

[fieldflower]

Using a L/R channel strip should be fine, and a DI won't make magical things happen.

As a first step I'd tweak on the existing gear to see if You can get it better.
Often a PA doesn't deliver a straight frequency response - there can be huge gaps/peaks in certain frequencies.
Often we're just used to crap frequency response (and even consider it "our band sound". )
That there is a problem is more prominent in certain instruments, and since piano is such a full sound it requires a kinda good setup to really "sound piano", or You'll notice that something is lacking.

If You play a record first through earphones and then out through the PA - I'm guessing it sounds bad in a similar way to what You're missing from Your Nord sound..?
Start tweaking EQ's, listen what happens if You turn off wedges, etc. Find the bad stuff and try to limit it.
You can also tweak the Nord EQ, but then You'd have to keep track of that tweaking in every program, and turn it off when playing at home. Not ideal, but if You have to...

And then You can buy yourself out of the problem by getting new gear.
But that also requires some good listening so You get something that is significantly better, which requires knowing the full potential of Your current gear.
Or cash out more serious dough for a high quality system that doesn't even require pre-listen, but not everyone has that kind of funding...

[oldguard]

Thank you everyone so far for the comments. Just to clarify the gear (to ensure quality may be an issue), I run through a soundcraft 12 channel mixer out to two yorkville PS12P speakers (+/- wedges at venues).
And that's a 'no', in terms of DIing or going through separate channel strips as a'game changing' option? I just wondered about balancing issues in the lines or other things above my knowledge haha.

[harmonizer]

You wrote "the sound I'm getting from a PA is not that great".
Does your comment apply only to acoustic piano sounds, or does it also apply to Organ and EP sounds as well?
If so, which acoustic piano sound are you using on your Electro 6?

[oldguard]

The organs sound good. Synth is fairly clear as well. Its all of my piano sounds (grand, and grand derivatives), and the e piano patches as well.

I really need to figure out how to clean up the piano patches.

[cgrafx]

The speakers you have are decent and should actually sound pretty good.

There is a bass boost on the speaker that should be engaged unless your system is using a Sub Woofer.

What Soundcraft mixer are you using and is there processing (EQ, etc) between the mixer and the speakers?

[srburholt]

Hi,

A lot of PAs (the cheaper ones) are quite harsh, and can make instruments or vocals sound awful.
For comparison, try to find someone with a better PA (QSC powered monitors are the best I've heard).

Another improvement is to use a high-quality DI box, such as a Radial - https://www.radialeng.com/product/prod2
(this reduces noise from using long jack leads).

Also be careful about EQ-ing too much! Boosting high-frequencies on a piano sound can make it quite harsh.

Good luck!

Steve Burholt
https://www.steveburholtmusic.co.uk/