Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I just ran into some luck and purchased a Fender Rhodes Student Model. Even though it has a really cool built-in amp and speaker, I want to be able to run it through effects and other amps. But the output jack is going to require a re-amp box. This is all new to me, and I'm not even sure I understand this whole impedance issue. So what do you recommend? Is there a good re-amp box that won't break me financially, and what exactly is it doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted October 7, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted October 7, 2012 Moderators Share Posted October 7, 2012 You don't need a reamp box. You need either to plug it into an amp and mic it, or DI it. I'd just get a good DI and plug it into your mic pre. Though they make very high end DIs, and I use a few, you can get by just fine with something like this... http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-WHI-EDB1-LIST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted October 7, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 You don't need a reamp box. You need either to plug it into an amp and mic it, or DI it. I'd just get a good DI and plug it into your mic pre. Though they make very high end DIs, and I use a few, you can get by just fine with something like this... http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-WHI-EDB1-LIST I tried plugging it into my amp, and it was pretty noisy. The previous owner is a sound engineer, and was the one who told me that a re-amp box was what I needed to go into a guitar amp. But if the Whirlwind EDB1 is all I need, that would certainly make me happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 My reamp box of choice is the Radial X-Amp. You can get the ProRMP for less, but I like the added features of the X-Amp, and think it's worth the extra money. As far as "what you need", to be honest, I'm really not sure. I'd need more information about that "output" on that particular Rhodes. It's not like I have a ton of experience with the "Student" Rhodes model. The actual output level and impedance will determine the optimal way(s) of interfacing it with other gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted October 9, 2012 Members Share Posted October 9, 2012 This is purely conjecture, but it looks like the student model Rhodes is unique in that it was not designed to be plugged into a Fender amp, but straight into a mixing console. If that is the case, it is possible that a reamp box is what you need. Does the output you are using say "mixer" like in the photos in the link below? Make sure you're not using the headphone output. It's not a good sign that it was so noisy plugging directly into an amp, though. You can plug a line level source into the front end of a guitar amp and while it is not ideal, excess noise is not usually the problem. http://www.fenderrhodes.com/models/student.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted October 10, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 10, 2012 This is purely conjecture, but it looks like the student model Rhodes is unique in that it was not designed to be plugged into a Fender amp, but straight into a mixing console. If that is the case, it is possible that a reamp box is what you need. Does the output you are using say "mixer" like in the photos in the link below? Make sure you're not using the headphone output. It's not a good sign that it was so noisy plugging directly into an amp, though. You can plug a line level source into the front end of a guitar amp and while it is not ideal, excess noise is not usually the problem.http://www.fenderrhodes.com/models/student.html The noise is not terrible, but just enough to want it remedied. Definitely not using the headphone output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted October 10, 2012 Members Share Posted October 10, 2012 Should I run a balanced cable from the Rhodes to the Keymaster, then a guitar cable from the Keymaster to the amp? That's how I would do it, though we don't know if the output is actually balanced. If you have both balanced and unbalanced cables, try both. The Keymaster accepts either one on the 1/4 input. From what I can see online, the preamp module for the student Rhodes has a standard 1/4 jack that says "Fender Aux Amplifier" and a connector with multiple pins that says "To Console." I can't tell if these are separate outputs, or if they just pass through to the jacks on the back panel. I was wrong about the output that says "Mixer." It actually says "Mike." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted October 10, 2012 Members Share Posted October 10, 2012 One more thing: someone with better schematic reading skills that me could probably tell whether it is a balanced line level output: http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/ch11/fig11-19.jpg The connection to the console actually carries the output, but a bunch of other signals as well. It's a fascinating product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted October 11, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 11, 2012 One more thing: someone with better schematic reading skills that me could probably tell whether it is a balanced line level output: http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/ch11/fig11-19.jpg The connection to the console actually carries the output, but a bunch of other signals as well. It's a fascinating product. Awesome! I didn't catch that one in my searching, so thank you for finding that and sharing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 One more thing: someone with better schematic reading skills that me could probably tell whether it is a balanced line level output: http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/ch11/fig11-19.jpgThe connection to the console actually carries the output, but a bunch of other signals as well. It's a fascinating product. Yeah, from that schematic, it looks like the output to the "instructor's console" is some sort of a four pin connector, with one pin carrying the signal lamp, another the student's mic, a third for the student's (piano) out, and the fourth being a common ground. There's also a separate output jack marked as "aux amplifier" which appears to come right after the 10k volume knob. The outputs are definitely unbalanced in both cases. I'd plug a cable from the aux amp output into the Keymaster, and then from there into your amp. Adjust the volume on the Rhodes to about 3/4 of the way up, then adjust the gain on the Keymaster to get the best S/N and level at the amp. Have you tried using headphones with the Rhodes? I would expect the headphone out to be even noisier than the line out due to the headphone amp circuitry. If you unplug the line out, and you still hear hum in the headphones, or from the onboard speaker (they share an internal amp), it's coming from the Rhodes. If the noise decreases or disappears, then it very well could be the external amp and the grounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted October 12, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2012 Have you tried using headphones with the Rhodes? I would expect the headphone out to be even noisier than the line out due to the headphone amp circuitry. If you unplug the line out, and you still hear hum in the headphones, or from the onboard speaker (they share an internal amp), it's coming from the Rhodes. If the noise decreases or disappears, then it very well could be the external amp and the grounding. I'll try that also. I did try plugging in my headphones... sound only in one ear... and I don't recall much noise. The built-in speaker is nice and quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Unless you built an adapter cable or plug, the headphone out is going to be in only one "side" or earpiece. It's all mono. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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