From jake92028@yahoo.com Thu Nov 24 19:35:58 2005
Subject:Re: "Beefing up" a clonewheel...

From how you've described your keyboards' set up and amplification in
a previous post with detailed mixing volumes and adjustments on each
piece, I think this is your problem area. If you run a VK-8M in mono
(stereo is really its best sound) through a strong medium size amp -
there's no reason to ever set it less than volume full on - it should
really sound great with super tone quality, and volume adjusted at
the amp or mixer. IMO, it's something you're doing in the mix or
setting of VK-8M parameters. And I think you would do better using a
mixer to adjust volumes, rather than your keyboards' volume controls.
It's kind of standard operating procedure, as far as I know, to
always turn keyboard volumes full on for the best sound output, with
volume matching levels adjusted at mixers, amps, cabinets - then with
the keyboard(s) overall expression or volume pedal(s).

What you hear recorded direct out of the board is most likely not
what the actual sound is live, as "line-in" recordings are
notoriously inaccurate. It seems you might have your priorities
mixed. You have different instruments set at various levels at their
controls, with the primary goal trying to get each one perfectly
balanced to the others - rather than first getting each instrument to
sound its best alone? The EQ parameters both on the VK-8M front
controls and in Edit mode are enough to compensate for anything you
feel is lacking. A CX3 wouldn't sound any better, just have more
presets. Maybe you are over-evaluating what you hear onstage, which
is different from what the audience hears, and probably a lot
different from your recordings. Your amps need to be where you hear
them at their best. If too loud, then you want some kind of monitor
to hear the same as the amp sounds at a lower level.

I don't know what kind of music you're playing, but different/better
suited amps to your keys might be a solution, or even repositioning
them for a different sound. And record live using microphones to get
the real audio picture. But the VK-8M is a top-rated clone with
onboard rotary simulation which should sound "as good" as the
other "bests," so go deeper into the manual and edit modes. Also none
of the onboard rotaries are going to sound their best in mono.. run a
line out to the PA if possible?

Walter j