Is the NORD G2 output level very low?

Chris D. · Joined: May 03, 2006 Posts: 5 Location: US

I'm playing with a very loud group, and I'm running the nord, 1-2 into a stero PA using bose 402's with a 60 W per side stereo rack mount amp. 3-4 are going out to a bass amp.

Not getting enough volume out of the PA, I tried out a more powerful AMP, The volume wasn't significantly greater, even though the amp was 10X the watt rating.

Baffled, we tried different speakers, and while louder, they still weren't any where near what we expected.

I used some factory presets for these tests, so I'm sure the signal coming out of the NORD outputs 1-2 was pretty hot.

Any ideas about what might be happening?

CD

CD

cebec · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:15 am Post subject:

yes, some people have commented on this in the past. make sure the patch level is all the way up, the master level (hardware) knob is all the way up and try the +6 dB boost button the 2-out module. the factory presets aren't always adjusted in this manner

elektro80 · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:25 am Post subject:

No matter what a, 1K watt PA dedicated to the G2 should definitively have some cutting power.
Try a compressor and see what you get. The patches might be too lethargic.

sheridan · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:25 am Post subject:

No, it's not low if all your levels are up. Check the main patch volume (CC #7) - this is often set lowish. If that is full up, look at the meters on the output module - if the levels are low you can click on the Pad button to increase the output by 6 dB. If it is still low, maybe there is an amp or mixer in the patch set low. Finally, you could always add and amp module or two to boost the levels.

If however, your output module meters are showing red but the level still sounds low then you need to raise the gain/trim on the mixer/amp that the G2 is connected to... basically the input gain on my G2 channels on my mixer are set to approximately the same as for my other keyboards/sound modules, so when the output module meters in the G2 are in the red, the mixer meters also show red, ie. full output.

Oooops, I was just beaten to it... ah well, I'll post it anyway.

elektro80 · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:42 am Post subject:

Bose 402?
http://www.emionline.com/products1/bose/402/402install.html

Get a real PA.

ian-s

tombola · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:41 pm Post subject:

I've always found the G2 level irriitatingly low. it's MUCH lower than a Waldorf Pulse, and definitely lower than a DSI Evolver or a PodXT - was going to ask if there's a pot or anything inside which can be tweaked to boost the output stage.
The unbalanced outputs obviously don't help.
I have everything plugged into a patchbay and into the inputs on my soundcard, even with it properly set up for a mix of balanced and unbalanced signals, I find the G2 unusually low, across all patches.

monobass · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject:

mosc · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:32 pm Post subject:

I have found the G2 output levels to be low too, but not so low to be unusable or to require a dedicated preamp.

Kassen · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:30 pm Post subject:

paul e. · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:01 pm Post subject:

is this an impedance thing ?

what are the PA amps inputs ?

what is the OHM rating of the speakers..of the amp...?

watt rating of the speakers?

a 8ohm speaker drawing on a 2ohm amp will not give you full power at all, for example

even a quiet synth will be loud enough in a decently rated PA...for sure

i am guessing you have mismatched impedance

3phase · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 12:48 pm Post subject:

the g2 otputs dont deliver full line level..they are -10 db and therefore need a preamp (mixixing desk channel) to drive a poweramp

elektro80 · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 12:51 pm Post subject:

Uh...

Is it really that simple... our friend has plugged his G2 directly into the power amp line inputs??

Nahh.. he would never do that.. or?
Shocked

Derek Cook · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:30 am Post subject:

FWIW I have a Nord G2 Engine, a Yamaha EX5, Motif ES Rack, FS1R and A4000 all plugged into a Berhinger line mixer, and it's the FS1R that I have to boost above the others.

Apart from the FS1R, the mixer gains for all the other units are identical.

So I find the Nord G2 engine output comprable to the the other units, and sometimes. This is after tweaking the patch gains in the Nord box as already discussed above, and occasionally for some patches I need to set the +6dB pads.

But once that is done the Nord can certainly be heard, and all I use is a little old H&H amplifier driving a Scott speaker cab. That combination is more than powerful enough for the small pub and hotel type venues that I've played.

varice · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:37 pm Post subject:

Many of the G2 factory presets are not patched to take full advantage of the available headroom.

The G2 outputs can deliver a signal of almost 8 volts peak to peak before clipping! Is this below average for most synths?

Axiom · Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:42 am Post subject:

A "quick and dirty" solution is to add more 2Out and link them together. This will boost your audio output.

Check the example file.

Luca

BoostExample.pch2

Description:

Raise G2 volume using more 2Out linked together.

Download (listen)

Filename:

BoostExample.pch2

Filesize:

1.04 KB

Downloaded:

1222 Time(s)

nuts · Joined: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 16 Location: FR

Do you solve your problem ChrisD ?

I had the same trouble with the nord rack 3 mixed between old analog gear et other digital synth & sampler. The preamps on the mixing desk where always set close to the max but for some soundscapes or sounds made with filters resonance it was still way to low.

I sold it now (not for this reason) and i was thinking of a g2 engine + bitstream 3x but i don't really want to have the same level problem. Confused

In comparison the microwave XTr sounds really louder.

Derek Cook · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:04 am Post subject:

capfindus · Joined: Sep 04, 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Italy

Well, my G2X has the lowest output off all my keyboards...

nuts · Joined: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 16 Location: FR

Thanks for your answers, the biggest problems for me is to have an acceptable recording level to avoid noise or "afterprocess" but i imagine there is lot of ways to increase volume via patching in the G2.

I tried on the software demo to chain 2 output modules and it works well but don't know what it really do on the G2 , does it distort the sound ?

seraph · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject:

X-Electric · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject:

In Poland they were called "Kapitan Igloo"...

Fozzie · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 11:15 pm Post subject:

nuts · Joined: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 16 Location: FR

ok thanks, i will listen to that in 3 days the G2 engine is ordered. Razz

Stanley Pain · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:44 am Post subject:

am i the only person to find the G2 output more than adequate? i know that i patch loud, for the sake of it (a terrible habit i'm slowly breaking), but even on the factory presets i find that i have to turn the main volume down a touch.

it's going into my PC via a Terratec EWS 88 MT, and i record into sx3.