hi all,I got this problem & is driving me crazy.Some kind soul did offer some help but didn't solve my problem.When I use a headphone which is connected to the mixer(or directly to keyboard),it sounds great,but when listen thru speakers,it sound awful.
here's a list of my gears.
PSR2000 arranger
Roland RD-150 digital piano
Peavey RQ200 stereo mixer
Peavey Impulse 652s speakers
Soundtech PL200 stereo amp
BBE 264 sonic maximizer
I use stereo channels for both kb inputs,also stereo(not bridge-mono) for the amp.how can I get the setup to sound like what i heard thru a headphone?

Headphones GREATLY "color" the sound and usually emphasize the reverb and the bass. If you like the sound ... try adding more of those two elements and see if it comes closer.
Wearing cans is like taking the room OUT of the mix. You loose the true perspective and it CAN spoil you. You rgear shoul be able to give you a pleasing sound, so just fiddle with the balance, effects and EQ till you get the sound you want!


Or, you can prop the two speakers up on stands at shoulder height, and face one speaker at each ear (from 2" out)..... maybe that'll help !

After checking out the power amp, mixer and speakers,I beleive you may be overdriving the speakers. However, the way to determine this would be to listen to the keyboard alone--with no other equipment attached. If it sounds good, then hook up the mixer and listen to the keyboards through the mixer's headphone output. Again, if it still sounds good, then hook up the amplifier and again, listen through the headphone out. Again, if it still sounds good, you're expecting too much from a pair of 6-inch speakers and .75-inch horns. Those tiny speakers cannot provide the rich sounds and wonderful bass that large speakers are capable of providing.

Good Luck,

Gary

Thanks uncle Dave & Gary.the output sounded as good whether from kb or mixer as long as I use a headphone but sounded completely different after the amp and speakers.My room is only 4mX5m so I thought a 100watts per channel amp and a pair of impulse 652s should be more than enough as I never turn the volume up more than half.My speakers are ceiling mounted.I don't have an equalizer.I tried playing with those knobs on the mixer and BBE maximizer but didn't help.(it sounded even worst without BBE)Some people suspected that my configuration might be mono but I am pretty sure it's stereo.What else can I do? Has it got anything to do with my amp?or speakers?or cables?

What EXACTLY do you mean it sounds awful? Distorted, too much bass? Treble? Noise? What does awful mean to you?
Terry

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jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

I said it sounded awful becozz it is so much different compared to listening with headphone.Using headphone sound soooo much better in terms of sound clarity,brightness.Listened thru speaker sounded like its having too much bass,too little treble(i tried adjusting the 2 band EQ knobs on mixer)very dull,as if NO stereo(but my config is stereo).Reverb is ok and no distortion.

Thoughts...


Where are your speakers, exactly?

The nearer a flat surface the greater the bass.

Moving into corners makes this worse.

You say "ceiling mounted" - as in hanging? or embedded? Again, this may cause excessive bass.

Are your walls reflective (e.g. boards) - hang some drapes on them to cut down reflections.

Sounds like your headphones are pretty damn good. I agree with the others that you have to set your system to sound its best through the speakers you are using. Once you do that, the sound through your headpones will be a reflection of that setup. If the headphones still sound better, then I would think your system is smaller than you want.

I know that when I use headphones directly out of a keyboard or a mixer the sound is always superb and a little different than the speaker mix; I imagine you are experiencing much the same effect.

If the speakers are more than a foot or so form your ears, you have to expect a different sound. The soundwaves are traveling through the room and bouncing into everything there - the headphones are a direct link to your ear drum, and therefore - you get a "sterile", unrealistic sound. It's very spoiling to use cans, but it's NOT the real world - so my advise is to move the speakers closer to your ears - put them on good solid studio stands to isolate the vibrations from the floor and tweak the mix till you get the tone you KNOW you want. You should only have to adjust the master EQ one - then everything should be relative.

Remember:
Success is relative....... the more success, the more relatives !

Gotta echo U.D. here.
Headphones are nice, for personal listening, but's that's where it ends. They block out any ambient sound so you're not geting a true picture of your mix. I've got two or three incredible pairs of headphones but they're only used for editting or if I'm in a 'Sit down with a cold beer and please don't bother me for an hour'...kinda mood.
When I started mixing...about 30 something years ago..I made the mistake of depending on headphones, until I was enlightened to the fact that I wasn't getting a true idea of the sound.
..in short siahwayne, you will very seldom be able to replicate in a room, what you hear through headphones. I also agree with Gary that you may be overdriving, that along with not having a beefy bottom end speaker or bin.
Just my thots.... Good Luck