My church has a motif xs8; just got it out the shop for a problem of static coming from the monitors when the mono keyboard cable is plugged into the mono port on the keyboard. It seems to be everytime the the keyboard is being played with the mono keyboard cable plugged into the mono port on the keyboard I get static coming out of the monitors while I am playing live.  Supposedly the shop tech repaired and checked all the inputs and connections, so with this being documented on the reciept I felt the keyboard shouldn’t give any more problems. Well, today it did kind of the same thing only that before it got bad I changed the keyboard cable to the right port on the keyboard instead of the Left mono port.

This is quite frustrating, I am not sure if it is the keyboard ( hopefully not cause it took forever just the the keyboard sent off then worked on ), if it is our mixer/system which is mono, if there are too many items plugged into the mixer ( I think it is a 8 channel, where every channel is being used), or if it the volume is too high with the mixer combined with the keyboard (mixer is at 2 or 3 o’clock with the keyboard volume being at almost level 8 or 9, vocal mikes at about 2 or 3 o’clock also).

I am not sure what to do or what could be the problem, some help would be greatly appreciated.

The term “static” isn’t very descriptive - while many people use it to refer to a type of noise, others use it to describe distortion. Some more information might help us help you.

Once the “static” is heard, does it stop if you stop playing the XS8?

Is the problem heard with all Voices/Performances, or just some?

Is the problem reduced or eliminated if the MASTER VOLUME slider setting is reduced?

If you disconnect all cables from the XS8 except for the power cord, and plug headphones into the PHONES jack, is the problem heard when listening that way?

Do you have a set of headphones?

Plugging a cable into just the right output is wrong (on every level) do not do that. If you are running your XS in mono you should only use the L/MONO output.

Why you did not start your troubleshooting with the cable, the mixer or even your mixer settings ... almost any thing else first, is hopefully the lesson you learn here. Did you try plugging the Motif XS into any other sound system before you shipped it away? (If not, that was another mistake...)

We would need more information about your mixer to tell you how to tell if you are simply overloading the input. The fact that you do not know, says to me (an old school recording engineer) that most likely your issue was never the keyboard. But in simple gain staging of your signal into the channel. It is not easy to get good sound with just luck.

Static noise is a very if-y description...) in that it is difficult to judge without hearing the noise… is the noise constant? does it come and go? is it related to signal - does it only occur when you play? Does it occur even when you play softly?

To me static is always there - a radio that is not exactly tuned to the station, that is “static” - always there, constant, and annoying. A crackle is something else (more intermittent)

Did you know that some XS sounds have “noise” built-in it as an effect? It is very important - what VOICE makes the noise? Is it all of them?

I’d hate to think you spent all that time (and undoubtedly some money) getting your unit “fixed” when perhaps the problem was somewhere else all along.

If you would like us to help you diagnose the issue, here is what we need you to do:

1) Check you Motif XS with headphones - do you hear the ‘static’. Tell us on what Voice you hear it.
2) Find out what Mixer and what channel of the mixer you are plugged into (in fact, as much info on that mixer as is possible) what type of input jack, what the channel is labeled, if any adapters are used, etc…
3) What type of mono cable are you using - can you describe it in detail? Is it a regular straight guitar cable? Does it have any adapters?

Let us know.

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your responses, I will use this advice and get back with you shortly with the results and more information if need more assistance.

Hello,

I guess shoould have gave more of an history to the problem. When the problem first occured it would happen sparatically some days, no problem some days then continuously or constant some days. I came to this resolution the problem was with the keyboard when I would tap the instrument cable while in the L/Mono port and I would receive static.

Today I tried some of the recommendations and got the equipment used information. When I unplugged all cables except the power cable from the cable and plugged in my headphones into the keyboard;the keyboard sounded fine.The equipment that I am using with XS8 is as follows:

-Mixer: Peavy XRD 680; 8 Channels; XS8 is in 8th channel
-DI Box:Creative Acoustics SL1 Passive Direct Box
-Cables: Instrument Cable- Amphenol “Pro Co Music Mover”; XLR Microphone cable “Creative Acoustics""VTG Audio Low Noise Balanceed Microphone Cable

I usually use Performance Mode, the only time I use Voice Mode is usually for organ voice “All Bars”.

Usually layers in Performance Mode:

Layer 1: Vintage Case, Monaural Grand MW, Lush, Warm Background Pad
Layer 2: Early 70’s, Monaural Grand MW, Full Chamber , Background

Sometimes I turn the EQ Low up to +42 or +26.

As of tonight I adjusted the mixer EQ’s to 5 (Low, Mid, High)

Again thank you for all your assistance.

“I came to this resolution the problem was with the keyboard when I would tap the instrument cable while in the L/Mono port and I would receive static.”

Please assure us that you have definitively ruled out a bad instrument cable(s) from the L(MONO) output port to your input device, as I cannot find in your posts that you have done that. Tapping a cable and hearing ‘static’ does not give us a lot of confidence in the cable.

Agreed.

And +42(?) are you sure, what value goes to +42?

keysig - 16 May 2012 11:51 PM

[...] I came to this resolution the problem was with the keyboard when I would tap the instrument cable while in the L/Mono port and I would receive static. [...]

If you move the cable to the Right output jack and tap/wiggle it, do you get the “static”?