Running a casio sk1 through guitar pedals - how to boost the signal?

[william lawes]

What is the best way to amplify the signal of a casio sk1 (or any small keyboard) going into guitar pedals? Im assuming a mixer?
Thanks

[incubus]

I'm not sure. Yeah, a mixer would clearly do it, guitar pedals are tricky.

First, "level" and "gain" can simply add more distortion than "level gain" (if you get me)

A mixer would be more absolute in signal strength. Though to say for your needs.

[justin3am]

You may not need to boost the level of the signal. Depends on the input circuity of the pedal but the output impedance of the SK1 is very low, so you could get away with connecting the SK1 directly to the pedal in most cases.
A mixer can be useful for amplifying signals and also for routing via sends. However, some pedals have a lower input impedance, so they don't like buffered outputs. I remember having trouble using a Big Muff Pi with the send outputs from my mixer but if I put a different pedal in front of it, it worked okay.

[william lawes]

Thanks those are great answers. I guess I'm asking because I tried connecting the sk1 and other vintage keys to my crybaby wah wah pedal, and it didn't work, as I expected. I don't have a mixer on hand, so I may pick one up. I see a BEHRINGER XENYX 1202FX for 100CDN, I see I am going to either need quite a bunch of pedals - wah wah, tube, detune cloner/chorus, two flangers, phaser, tremelo, and so on - with all probably on one or two keyboards. I'm using cubase to mix, and adding a lot of effects like the above. Trying to think how this would work in performance. Perhaps getting a mac notebook to play pre-recorded material that has all the effects on it, then add live instruments. I'll put up a sample tomorrow and finish my thoughts...

Thanks for those replys!

[BertKoor]

The SK-1 doesn't have an appropriate instrument or line level output. On mine I have tapped off the ultra-low impedance speaker signal directly. Great for recording. I also put it through several effects, don't recall any issues. My cry-baby needs repair after 40 years, can't test it.

I think with some simple electronic additions you can get a proper guitar-compatible (high impedance) signal out of it. Ask in the DIY forum.

If you record it first, the (line-level) output of the recorder is already better suited to go through effects.

But why not use vst effects?

[BertKoor]

I just had an afterthought... It's not the SK1's level that needs to be fixed. Connecting a low-impedance output to high-impedance input is not ideal but should work.

Nope, it's the wahwah. That is designed for the high-impedance guitar world. So it has high-impedance output. Connect that to a low-impedance input and it can't provide the required juice.

Put inbetween a more forgiving device as a buffer, and it's ok.
Not sure a mixer really works. These have line level I/O which is not high.

[justin3am]

I guess I'm asking because I tried connecting the sk1 and other vintage keys to my crybaby wah wah pedal, and it didn't work, as I expected.

Yeah, that sounds like the input is being loaded. You'll probably find that the output of a mixer won't work either. You could mod it as Bertkoor described or you could put something like an MXR Micro Amp in front of the wah.

[lfm]

Personally I think it's about levels only, not impedanses so much as long as out impedanses are low and inputs high or at least like 30-50Kohm or so which line inputs usually are.

But keyboards should be pretty straight forward, unless line output is fixed level and not adjusted by a volume slider/knob.

There are various boxes, like di boxes, but for re-amping taking signal to fit like from an instrument.
http://www.radialeng.com/r2011/reamping-products.php

There's a little tutorial as well.

So outs from a mixer or soundcard levels adjust to fit instrument levels. And then there are -10dB standard levels and +4dB as well, to complicate things a bit further. But all musical soundcards I've had were switchable in this sense, and many mixers preamps are as well. Keyobards usually have a volume knob you can use to adjust decently.

[william lawes]

Thanks for all those suggestions, I wasn't expecting that. I had been thinking of something like the MXR box, or a DI, but I do have a Fireface 400, I hadn't thought of trying that. From a Yamaha PC-100 or SK1 to line on the FF, then to the wah or other pedals. I was going to buy some pedals, so I wanted to see how this might work first.
On the other hand, I was also looking at cubase 9 pro, it would probably be better to run keyboards/vocals/etc through the effects on something like that, which could also play other tracks of material at the same time, and use a control surface with it.

[Jim Y]

You may already have some pedals (Boss etc) that act as buffers when their effect is bypassed (off). Without looking inside, buffered pedals usually have a "soft" momentary bypass switch, often operated under a protective hinged cover, unlike the hard click push-on/push-off switches of true-bypass pedals.

As said, a Crybaby cannot properly drive a line input. Line inputs are as low as 10kohm while guitar amp inputs are as high as 1MegOhm. Use a buffered pedal after the Cry Baby to take care of the issue.

Signal from a guitar is lucky to average as much as 100mV and peak at 1V with good hard strum, there should be no trouble equalling this with, well, practically anything with a jack socket.

[nix808]

would a pre-amp help?