Keyboards into 002R: -10 or +4?

[Gothboy]

This may be a bit noobish of me to ask....but should I use -10 or +4 on the line inputs 5 and 6 on the back of my 002R to record external keyboards? They're all going through a mixer with each channel on that at -10.

[albee1952]

So are you leaving the keyboards all plugged into the mixer and actually patching the mixer into the 002? Or are you looking to get rid of the mixer? If you plan on keeping the mixer, I would look at the mixer specs(manufacturer's website?) and see what the outputs are capable of. If they are designed to deliver +4 then the +4 setting would be appropriate. When patching the keyboards into the mixer, I would run the faders up to the -0 mark and adjust the channel gains(input trim) so the meters hit at least -9 to -6 which SHOULD leave several db of headroom in your PT session. If you want to skip the mixer and patch the keyboards directly into the 002 inputs, set the keyboard volume at about 3/4 full and try both switch positions(+4 and -10) to see which puts your recording signal in the ballpark. Its tough to know up front because many different keyboards have different output levels as their design(some even have XLR outputs). You won't blow anything up so feel free to experiment and remember; if you record at 24 bit, you can relax your recording levels so the protools meters don't get near the red(half to 2/3rds is plenty).

[Gothboy]

I'm not looking to get rid of the mixer. The mixer is a Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1602 capable of -10 or +4 output with a gain range of -oo to +15db. Each input on the mixer has a -10/+4 button and I've got -10 selected on all the inputs. Keyboard in question is a NordLead2 with all 4 outs into this mixers first 4 inputs as mono ins at about halfway on the input volumes. Output on the mixer is about halfway with the meters hitting at O.
I'm asking because with this setup the way it is I can only put the Nord Master volume at about 40% and no higher. Now this may be normal for the Nord and I've been getting pretty good results....but I had to re-think this when I noticed that one of the -10/+4 switches on the 002R was set at -10 and the other at +4. I must have mistakenly brushed against it and moved it over so I was getting an off balance signal and couldn't figure out why.

Maybe the Nord is just a blaster by nature?

[albee1952]

"Maybe the Nord is just a blaster by nature?"

Certainly possible. I suggest some reading for you just to expand your general tech knowledge. Google search "gain staging" and see if you can find some general info(its a bit much to try to explain here and I'm not that good a teacher). If you can get your head around it, I think it will give you more confidence in knowing how to approach all this. Knowledge is power....