DGX-670 to External Speaker Connections

[SterlingCooper]

I have a Yamaha DGX-670 piano, two Yamaha DBR12 powered speakers and a Yamaha MG10XU mixer. There is only one “phones/output” output jack on the piano. There is no setting on the piano to designate the output as “headphone” or “line”.

When I plug headphones into the output jack, the sound quality of the piano and USB audio are excellent. However, when I follow the instructions in the piano manual and connect a 1/4" balanced cable from the piano to one of the speakers, the sound quality of the piano and USB audio are severely diminished. The piano produces a mono sound and parts of the USB audio are silent. The same result occurs when I connect a 1/4" balanced cable from the piano to a “mic/line” input on the mixer, then connect two 1/4” balanced cables from the “stereo out” jacks on the mixer to the speakers.

The only way I’ve been able to achieve good quality sound from the piano to the speakers is to connect a 1/4" to dual RCA cables from the piano to the RCA-pin input on the mixer, then connect two 1/4” balanced cables from the “stereo out” jacks on the mixer to the speakers.

Is the 1/4" to dual RCA cable method the best possible way to achieve the best sound quality from the piano to the speakers or is there a better option? I’ve read that connecting a 1/4” to dual 1/4” cables from the piano to two “mic/line” inputs on the mixer might be another option. Is there a difference between 1/4" to dual RCA cables and 1/4” to dual 1/4” cables?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Biggles]

I would buy a stereo to 2x mono splitter lead as per the image.

The two jacks that look the same are called TS which mean tip & sleeve and these are the pair that will feed left and right stereo into your mixer.

The other jack is a stereo one called TRS, tip, ring sleeve and this has the ground and left and right stereo channels. This plugs into your DGX

Do check in your mixer and monitor speakers what tupe of cables to use between them

 

[delaware dave]

Although Biggles recommendation above will work it won't be any better quality than the 1/4" to two RCA's that you attempted as both the RCA's and the 1/4" TS are of the same non-balanced quality.

When you connected the 1/4" from the headphone out to the mixer you only get one channel of two channel stereo field. The tip is the left channel and the ring is the right channel. You are probably only being transmitted the left side and the right is being ignored, hence the highly diminished tone. Either use Biggles suggestion of a 1/4" TRS to two 1/4" TS male splitter that he showed above or continue using your method of 1/4" TRS to two RCA's. They do make RCA to 1/4" adapters so that you could use the mixer as you originally intended.

 

[Dag Birger the Norwegian]

Although Biggles recommendation above will work it won't be any better quality than the 1/4" to two RCA's that you attempted as both the RCA's and the 1/4" TS are of the same non-balanced quality.

When you connected the 1/4" from the headphone out to the mixer you only get one channel of two channel stereo field. The tip is the left channel and the ring is the right channel. You are probably only being transmitted the left side and the right is being ignored, hence the highly diminished tone. Either use Biggles suggestion of a 1/4" TRS to two 1/4" TS male splitter that he showed above or continue using your method of 1/4" TRS to two RCA's. They do make RCA to 1/4" adapters so that you could use the mixer as you originally intended.

View attachment 2477

Would it be the same if I set the output on the mixer to mono? I ordered a 670 today as a replacement for a Casio keyboard and that sound wonderful through a Yamaha MG10XU mixer.
I'm mainly a guitarist and at home I never go stereo. The room is to small to have any advantages running stereo anyway. But if I would choose to start recording the piano into e.g. Garageband I certainly will prefer stereo.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome

The DGX 670 only has a single 1/4 Headphones/Output jack for a TRS plug.

Hence in my previous post I showed a splitter that is a stereo TRS plug to go into the DGX and two 1/4 inch TS plugs which provide the Stereo Pair to a Mixer or Recording device.

The appropriate TRS > Stereo input cable will be required