Topic by Xain

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  • Xain
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Topic: Korg SP-300 "dampened" sound

Hello everyone,

I had a proper newbie question (although I'm not a newbie on this forum).

While my setup for PTQ in the UK is a VPC-1 with a pair of active KRK-6 to do the dirty job pretty well (although of course one can always tell that it's a speaker - point source, directional - and not a piano soundboard playing), when I am back at my mum's in Sicily I playPTQ through an old SP-300 that I use both a midi controller and as my audio output (through my Mac's soundboard, although I am seriously considering buying an entry-level DAC like the Behringer UCA202).

Now, when I play with my KRK monitors, the sound is clean and very sharp, even too crisp sometimes, but still very pleasant. When I use the SP-300, the sound is dampened, muddy, and distinctively weak in the mid-range.  While this sound can even be pleasant on some pieces (mainly when the bass, mid and treble register don't mix up together too much, ex arpeggios with low or no sustain), it becomes quite awful whenever the sound starts to be more "populated"

At first I thought it could be an issue of the room it's placed in (a really small veranda, closed on the three sides, so with high resonance), or even a speaker weakness or malfunction. But when I use Korg's stock samples (and, honestly, once you've tried PTQ it's a painful chore to do that, as Korg is nice but still no Nord), all other things equal, the sound is pretty crisp and quite clean (although of course nowhere near the KRK quality).

What is the best way to fix that in your honest opinion?
I tried some equaliser preset, and the best seems to be the "sit in the middle" one... but I am worried that that would change also my perception of the dynamics, and as I'm only learning how to play I want to avoid that, afraid I'd pick up bad habits.

I also tried to modify the velocity curve, but of course that doesn't solve the problem, it only changes it slightly (the mid-range is not weak and dampened anymore, but the sound gets even muddier).

Any idea, suggestion or reassurance?

A.

Reply by dklein

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Re: Korg SP-300 "dampened" sound

Add small inexpensive satellite speakers, pointed more forward, to add some clarity to the treble? It worked for me, potted down quite low compared to the mains.

- David

Reply by Donn

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Re: Korg SP-300 "dampened" sound

If I understand correctly you are using the Korg SP-300's internal speakers and that you have realistic expectations on their audio limitations given the dynamic range you are asking it to reproduce. 

If you just use headphones out of the laptop is that audio quality OK?  You can also check the audio from the Korg's headphone output.  When running external audio (from the Mac) into the SP-300 this signal does need to be line-level impedance.  The Korg should also be set to "local-off" so it is only sending midi output and not confusing things by mixing in its internal sounds with the PTQ audio.  In some ways your description sounds almost like stereo speakers that are out-of-phase but I would imagine that would be difficult to do with the SP-300?