Question

HI all - I've been looking through forum, googling, on the Presonus facebook page trying to find an answer for this, and I can't seem to get a consensus answer, so I want to make sure I do this correctly and not totally screw up my interface.

I have an AudioBox USB 96 that I want to plug digital piano into to record audio, and also to record MIDI. MIDI no issue - there are midi jack input/outputs on back of piano, so simply plug in cables to back of audiobox. It is the audio part I am trying to get an answet to.

I have read and seen from videos that I have searched that I plug cable from stereo output on piano into line in on AudioBox - either from "mono" output on piano or a L and R cable into a single TRS cable into AudioBox. 

HOWEVER.....

The manual with AudioBox clearly states:

Active instruments should be plugged into a D.I. box, which should then be connected to the mic input rather than directly to an instrument input. Plugging a line-level source into the instrument inputs on the front of the AudioBox USB96 not only risks damage to these inputs but can also result in a very loud and often distorted audio signal.

I have read similar questions on forum, and people were told to just plug into the mic/instrument input on Audiobox, no need for a DI box. Is a digital piano not an active instrument with a line level source? So, should I not plug piano into a DI box, and then run cable to AudioBox? Either a 1/2 or XLR?

Thanks in advance for advice.

Answer 1

Hi.  If the output of your digital piano is line level, then get a D/I box.  They're pretty cheap for a passive one - think I paid £30 for a passive stereo d/i box.  You don't mention which piano it is, so I can't look up the specs.  But at a guess, it's a stage one with two 6.3 mm (1/4") outputs?  These tend to be line level.  So, get a d/i.  It isn't money wasted.  Always match your inputs whether they are mic, line or instrument.  Never mix them.  

Answer 2

Thanks aka-busker - I was pretty sure that was what I had to do. I do already have a passive DI box. The piano is a Roland HP900, and I also have a Roland RA-50 arranger. I know the arranger is really not needed for recording purposes, as Studio One and plugins will pretty much do everything the arranger will do; piano was my dad's and he had the arranger with it. Physically, the piano is on the other side of the room from my computer, so it is pretty much being used as a stand alone item, just to play, but I wanted to have the option of recording if I wanted to. SO - I'm not sure if I would run 1/4" cable from the "out of" piano into DI, or from the "out of" arranger into DI - I am guessing piano, because the piano can be used independently of the arranger.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 3

Hi.  I just downloaded the manual to check a few things.  The outputs are shown connecting to a hifi system with the output being listed as Line Level.  Therefore its definitely a D/I that's required for connecting to the USB96.  You could do the arranger connection via the same method, but that's probably best connected via the midi connection to the piano.  As you say, S1 has some powerful midi functionality.  Essentially get the longest connection you can from the piano to the D/I and then run XLR from the d/i to the mic connections on the Audiobox.  Good luck and have fun.