Modartt user forum - Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (PianoPadawan) — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 10:15:54 +0000

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Looks like it's normal for the USB recording function so have decided not to send it in for repair

Thanks again.

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (skip) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 04:50:21 +0000

You're welcome.
Re the clipping - yes - easy to reduce the volume, and I was playing very aggressively too.

Perhaps try a different app, and/or upload the file so that others can inspect it. Also do a factory reset.

Greg

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (Platypus) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 04:24:02 +0000

Thanks for the quick response! The recording clipping doesn't sound encouraging, although that would be curable with the voice volume setting no doubt. However unless PianoPadawan has not noticed their voice volume setting is abnormally low, it suggests their P515 is behaving differently to yours.

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (skip) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 04:11:02 +0000

Oops - sorry - I was using a DAW, and recording over the USB cable. However, I have just repeated the test, using the USB drive - the WAV file actually clips at many places, so it's still working fine for me. (I'm inspecting in Audacity)

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (Platypus) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 03:51:12 +0000

skip wrote:

maybe your recording app is attenuating
Greg

As I read it, PianoPadawan is using the internal performance recorder to record directly to a USB drive, no recording app is involved until the resulting file is pulled into a WAV editor. When you mention getting about -3dB, is that in a file recorded this way?

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (skip) — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 14:09:31 +0000

I have a P-515, and I'm easily able to get above -18dB. Check your Voice Edit > Volume setting. If that's at 100 (it can go up to 127, though), maybe your recording app is attenuating the (digital) signal on the way in?
EDIT: When I bash hard, I get to about -3dB, with the Voice volume set to 100.

Greg

Re: Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (Platypus) — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 08:17:41 +0000

It sounds to me like it is working correctly. With any luck someone else with a P515 will be able to check whether their unit has the same characteristic.

A digital recorder has to be able to accept the maximum input it can receive from a source without exceeding the 0dB clipping level, which results in severe distortion. Two immediately apparent factors that contribute to the maximum level that could occur in this unit are the polyphony and external input.

The P515 has ample polyphony to allow every note on the keyboard to sound simultaneously, so even though this may not be feasible, to prevent distortion in a recording where large numbers of keys play at fortissimo, the level of a moderately played chord will be proportionately low.

In addition, the second factor is that recordings can include input mixed in from external sources (AUX, Bluetooth etc), so this input added to the performer's playing must also be able to be recorded without hitting the 0dB clipping level. If there was insufficient headroom remaining in reserve when recording the P515's own output, people would be complaining that the recordings were distorted when they played along with external music files.

It's my impression also that the performance recording facility is intended to allow you to assess your playing performance, not as a proper alternative to something like a DAW for multi-track recording and editing.

Recording volume issue Yamaha P515

null@example.com (PianoPadawan) — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:22:02 +0000

Dear Forum members,

I hope you can help me with the following.
I recently bought a Yamaha P515 and one of the options I like is to record WAV files to USB. After a test recording I found the volume of the recording to be extremely low. Much lower than what I heard on the Piano. Even when pressing the keys firmly to create the maximum of volume the recording is still soft.
Using a WAV editor I could see the volume never went above -18db with normal play. I can increase the volume using the editor but this degrades the quality.

I contacted Yamaha Support but they said to send it in for repair if I thought there was something wrong with it.

My question is, is this normal for Yamaha WAV recordings? Or is it indeed broken?

Thanks