Amp or monitor.

[rocker61]

hi guys, need sum advice. im playing piano in a rocknroll band and was looking at getting a proper key board amp. i currently use a wharfdale monitor with on board eq, and line into mixer to balance things out. The wharfdale actually sounds pretty good and can be dialled in nicely using the eq.. so is it worth me spending hard earned cash on a keyboard amp.? will it benefit me,? will it still have to go in mixer or stand alone...help...!

[SpaceNorman]

I've owned several "keyboard amps" over the years - stuff by Crate, Roland and Barbetta.   There's not one of 'em that can hold a candle to the Samson SM10 line mixer / Yamaha DSR112 power speaker combination I'm using today.  

There's a guy on another forum with a quote in his sig that pretty much sums it up:   "The only thing I'd run thru a Roland KC amp is a chainsaw". 

A quality powered speaker is the way to go for keyboard stage monitoring these days. 

[mildbill]

 

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rocker61 wrote:

 

...The wharfdale actually sounds pretty good and can be dialled in nicely using the eq...

 

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So - where are you lacking? 

Or put another way, what do you want to do that can't be done with what you're using?

[zzzxtreme]

good question by mildbill

[rocker61]

thanks for replys....mildbill...i was wondering if any benefit in amp. apperently not..! i,ll stick with ehat i got. Thanks

[JeffLearman]

 

Most keyboard combo amps are a step backwards in sound quality from even a half-decent powered PA speaker.

 

Where they shine most is in other convenience features, like the built-in stereo mixer in Roland KC-350 and -550 amps. If you have two, you can plug everything into one and daisy-chain the other with just one cable. But if you don't need that, or if you don't mind using a little mixer, then ... why bother with the KC?

 

Furthermore, some powered PA speakers have some of this functionality (enough for most of us who run stereo), though I don't know of any with quite as much total features.

Probably the best keyboard combo amp is the Traynor K4.  Some folks just plain like the way it sounds, and it has stereo built-in (one woofer but stereo tweeters).  Plus, IIRC, it has a tube amp, which can add some sweetness.  But the majority of players prefer the sound and convenience of a powered PA speaker.

 

Stick with your Wharfdale, if it's loud enough and sounds good to your ears. If not, your best bet is to find a better small powered PA speaker, and not bother with keyboard combo amps.

[zzzxtreme]

bass amp or pa for me. 12"

[mildbill]

Everyone seems to really badmouth the Roland KC's.  I've got a little KC-150 and while I don't play gigs, I like it a lot.

It's versatile, and puts out a fair amount of volume.

The quality of sound is that of an amp, not a PA, or mixing monitor.  It's not flat, but colored sound.

A little off topic, but keyboard amps are useful to some degree.  Best use is for practice.

They won't compare at all to the clean, clear sound of a quality powered PA speaker though.

 

[Etienne Rambert]

I hate the Roland KC amps. They are heavy, ugly and sound awful IMO.

Check out the Roland AC series though. They are made for acoustic guitar.

But I run my synths through an AC60. The sound quality is excellent.

 

The AC series are lightweight, easy on the eyes

and sound great for synths and acoustic guitar.

[Piano Whore]

+1 for Yamaha the DXR12. You can turn them up insanely loud and they don't lose their pristine sound quality. I liked the QSC K10's I used before that, but was never satisfied with the sound of just one for piano ballads etc. even apart from stereo/mono issues. The bigger woofer in the Yamaha makes a difference. Would be curious to A/B it with the DXR10, though.

A big plus (IMO) for the Yamaha DXR's is their scheme for stereo monitering/FOH. You run both left and right inputs from your board into one stereo channel on the DXR (I use a TRS cable from the board's headphone out), link the speakers together with an XLR cable, activate the stereo link feature, and one side of the stereo signal is passed to the other speaker. 

Also, the DXR's have a superior DI (XLR out) than the QSC's with their weaker output. One less thing to hook up. Although a seperate DI box may still be necessary if you need a ground lift, which the DXR doesn't have.