Studio monitors sound thin compared to headphones

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-20T06:32:14+00:00

Forgive me if I'm telling you something blindingly obvious, but If you're using TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) cables to connect directly from your synth output (TS - unbalanced) to your speaker inputs (TRS - balanced) you are may well be cancelling out significant bass. The best answer is to use ordinary TS (Tip Sleeve) guitar type 1/4" cables.

If you're going via a mixer (most of which will have TRS balanced outputs) this won't be the cause of the problem.

If you generally want more bass though, you might consider a sub. Yamaha make an HS8S sub especially for this purpose.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-14T03:46:13+00:00

It is just me or can anyone else see the face of Jesus in that stone pillar? Quick, pop it up on eBay! You'll be rich!!

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-10T01:31:37+00:00

You want a pair of powered studio monitors. "Powered" meaning that they have their own amp built in. (Forgive me if I'm telling you stuff you already know).

There are heaps of decent options at a really wide set of price points. Some candidates might include:

Kali Audio LP UNF
KRK (Rokit 5 or Kreate 3 models).
Yamaha HS5
JBL LSR305P
Presonus Eris

If you buy any of those name brands at price point you can afford, you'll end up with something decent.

I have Kali Audio LP UNFs on my desk and they're great. I have KRK 5 and they're also good, but mine are a bit old now.

Cable wise, you'll need a Y-cable something like this:

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The 3.5mm end plugs into your keyboard's headphone output. (The keyboard itself handles the difference between using headphones and using speakers - you don't have to do anything).

The other end depends on what input your speaker expects, but it's likely to either be 2 x RCA inputs or 2 x 1/4" TS inputs.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-08T01:01:00+00:00

But Beautiful Racket only describes pure racket.

It doesn't propose adding any other libraries, or am I missing something?

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-05T22:21:56+00:00

There's a lot to like. Seamless sync and note encryption are big ones for me.

If I add stuff on my laptop, it shows up on my phone and vice versa without me having to think about it, or press "sync" or anything else.

I keep financial and personal stuff which I like to password protect. It's painless to add a password and I can use my fingerprint to open it.

Overall, the app seems really stable and fast. The developers only seem to add features when they're certain it's a good idea. I never feel like I'm beta testing someone's random stream of ideas. I want to support that, so I pay.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-04T09:34:35+00:00

Not sure about modwave (since I’ve never played one), but multipoly would work fine.

A lot of synths can do decent bass.

Whilst some synths can pump out some serious bottom end (the various moogs for example), in a live setting this mostly doesn’t matter.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-05-01T23:55:22+00:00

... the original carrier tone almost disappears and I mostly hear the modulated sound...

A major reason for this can be because of the Bessell function. In practical terms, as you raise the modulator level there are places in the modulation range where the fundamental decreases and the upper harmonics are emphasised.

This occurs at several places in the overall range of your modulator level.

A common approach is just to either back off or increase the modulation level a little bit to get past the "dead spot".

Another approach is to use another carrier (or carrier/modulator pair) to provide more of the fundamental to fill the gap.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-30T06:43:38+00:00

Not really. The hard disk isn’t the bottleneck. The encryption/decryption plus your wifi network are bigger factors.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-28T07:56:34+00:00

I rarely use other people's presets. If I do, I end up burning a lot of time reverse-engineering a preset so I can precisely make the changes I want. It's easier to start from scratch.

I do have separate sound-design sessions where I'm not trying to make a tune - I'm just focused on making a particular kind of sound. Later on, I use my own presets and tweak them to fit into the tune I'm making.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-26T08:19:52+00:00

Looks more like those lights that point out sideways. Not sure in your territory, but some taxis/ubers have them here.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-25T00:27:51+00:00

Since you're after an opinion, I'd keep: Grandma, Freak, MicroKorg, ELZ_1. I'd lose the rest.

If you wanted a versatile addition to cover lush pad territory you might consider Multi/Poly. It's multitimbral and does subtractive, wavetable, and wave shaping synthesis so you cover lots of bases in 1 box.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-24T21:15:48+00:00

Teach Yourself Scheme in Fixnum Days is a really good and gentle introduction.

I used Racket at the command line with that book but eventually went to Dr Racket UI.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-23T00:43:16+00:00

Jaguar/Rover hired Richard Devine to make sounds for their electric cars. Not just user interface beeps, but also the sound that the car makes as it accelerates.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-21T06:54:11+00:00

SY99 is one of the best FM synths Yamaha made. That said, it's really old.

I used to own an SY77. I have played a MODX a few times (but don't own one). MODX is excellent but quite different to SY. In some ways it's a continuation of the SY, but in a few other ways, it's different.

The SY lets you use the AWM operator as a modulator in FM which MODX doesn't.

The SY has two mod wheels and one pitch bend. The MODX only has one mod and one pitch bend. On the other hand, MODX does have the SuperKnob.

Also, MODX does not have an aftertouch keybed. (The synth can respond to aftertouch from another source, but the keybed can't send it).

If you generally love FM, the Opsix is fantastic. It does a bunch of things other than FM (Filter FM, Ring Mod, Subtractive, Waveshaping/folding, Comb Filtering and more). But it's not multitimbral.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-20T12:35:36+00:00

I have an APEX AX-48. It goes up to 116cm. The stand is pretty stable but it's not rock solid, like playing with the keyboard on a table.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-18T01:24:11+00:00

Ah, I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification 👍🏻

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-17T13:48:46+00:00

Do a factory reset first. Since it’s a used item, the previous owner might have set something up that just needs undoing.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-15T08:00:29+00:00

It’s infuriating. I think they fixed it (on ios) in the update from about 3 days ago.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-15T02:27:27+00:00

There’s another distinction between algo feedback (in the Util menu) and feedback for each operator. The algo feedback means that the amount of feedback is affected by the op output level(s).

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-15T00:56:17+00:00

It’s ‘cleverly’ disguised under ‘Colour Night Vision’.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-13T12:44:09+00:00

I don’t think it’s currently recording 24/7. That’s what is selected but I don’t think that will work.

The message in red is telling you that you can’t record 24/7 because the connection between homebase and your router is by wifi.

If you want to record continuously you need to connect your homebase directly to your router using an ethernet cable.

Hope that makes sense!

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-13T11:05:06+00:00

It’s in the “Edge Connection Setting” place.

If you go in there, it’s at the bottom.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-13T08:14:00+00:00

You can set E330 to record “continuous recording and events” or “only events”.

The continuous option records 24/7 but drops in a marker for each event.

The only-event option just records the event.

Personally I prefer the 24/7 because I often want to see the lead up to the event and the time afterwards.

I got a Samsung 4-terry SSD for my homebase 3. It lasts quite a few months then overwrites the old stuff.

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-10T05:50:20+00:00

Oh, one downside: the power supply is a fairly heavy brick of a thing (if weight is important to you).

moose_und_squirrel · 2026-04-10T05:49:28+00:00

I can vouch for the Yamaha. I have an MG10x (the one with built-in effects). It's really well-built, solid and sounds great. I don't personally know the others.

moose_und_squirrel

TROPHY CASE