Have Carvin DCM1000 Amp, What Speakers?

Hey guys. I have a Carvin DCM1000 power amp and would like to get some recommendations of what the best monitor speakers would work to set up a stereo keyboard rig. I also have a Mackie 1202. But I need something that I can fit in the car and are light enough to carry around. My main requirement is to get the best acoustic piano sample sound live plus organs, Rhodes, Strings, etc.

Some of the better keyboard amps weigh 50-75 lbs and not stereo.

I have all these catalogs and there are so many choices, I am honestly overwhelmed. I know JBL's are great but very expensive. How about 2 monitors in the $500-600 range?

Any ideas> Thanks for your advice

katt

Are you looking for PA type speakers or monitors? How about the Carvin LSx1502s for PA speakers? I have an older version of those (not made any more) and a DCM1000 power amp that I use with my mixer. It is total overkill but also can shake the windows if I want. Add a small mixer like the C844 and you get a nice little PA that is pretty versatile. If I were to get a mixer now I would probably save my pennies for something like a Mackie Onyx (or really go all out and get a Toft if I had the bucks), but the Carvin C844 performs well and has a nice feature set for the price.

Hi Gribs. I have 2 Carvin 833 PA Cabs rated 300w and they sound pretty lousy, at least for keys. They sound hollow and very weak on the lows no matter how well the EQ is tweaked. Acoustic piano comes through as dead as I ever heard. Now I know Carvin makes some good stuff and these speakers have been discontinued. They are too big to get in the car as well. I will try and sell then via craigslist. They would be fine for vocals, I never even took then outside for any gigs. They are basically virgin, unused.

Now I am hearing that Beringer powered monitors might be the way to go. I'm still open to suggestions. But my main priority is getting a great live sound for acoustic piano samples. That's the real test.

I have heard pro and con on the JBL EON series, there is no 12", just the 10" and 15".

We will see what others will recommend, katt

The Behringer powered speakers leave a lot to be desired and keys will only make their deficiencies stand out. Best bang for the buck on passive speakers is the Yamaha Club series. I'd go with the painted versions over the rat fur but they cost a little more. If you aren't planning on adding a sub I'd go with the 15's as they handle the lows a bit better. Also get them in the monitor boxes so that you can use them either on sticks or as monitors. Versatility is our friend LOL In this price range I strongly reccomend a halfway decent EQ.

You will not get the best sound with the lightest weight. You need to choose whether sound quality or portability is more important to you. That doesn't mean that the best sounding speakers are the heaviest, but there is a strong correlation between speaker size/number, amp power, and weight. Once you decide which factor is more important, then you can optimize your choice for that factor. You will still have to compromise between weight and performance, but you'll know which you can give up to get more of the other.

Piano patches are actually one of the more demanding of a sound system to get good results, particularly if you want strong performance for bass. The low notes of a grand piano need a good subwoofer, since C1 is about 35Hz. A0 through C2 need at 15" or 18" driver with good power behind them. But since these low notes carry very well and aren't directional, you can usually get away with a mono sub paired with two pole mount speakers to get a good compromise.

An example of a good value in this configuration would be a pair of Tapco Thump 15A with a single 18S subwoofer. Depending on the sub, you may be able to go with two 12" cabs on top. The Thump 15A and 18S have a good balance between power, weight, and price.

Powered speakers are the best way to go these days, even if you have an old amp sitting around, because you'll get much better performance out of the box. Powered PA speakers are bi-amped with active crossovers, matched amp to drivers, EQ/DSP with built-in limiters. There's also a lot of good powered PA speakers from many different manufacturers, so the prices are very competitive. Behringer, Peavey, Tapco, Mackie, Samson, QSC, and JBL all have good products in this category. The order I listed them is my ranking from lowest to highest performance & price.

Your budget is going to keep you in the budget/entry level. I would keep an eye on craigslist and search Ebay locally for something used.

Lightweight+great sound+loud= $$$$$$$

What about going with a pair of studio monitors and maybe a subwoofer too? I just picked up a pair of Mackie MK5's and they sound amazing - with plenty of juice too - they have about 100W of real power each. Add in the Rockit studio subwoofer and you have a really good sounding set-up including all power for under $700. I think there is enough power to handle a live band situation. I may look into going this route rather than always dragging my big heavy KC-500 all the time. The key would be building some good stands to position them right. I think if they sit just outside of the top board pointed right at you, that should work - especially if you stick with the smaller 5" models. I know this is studio gear, but I think it could serve dual purpose and is much less to haul around than 2 stage wedges.

Studio monitors are usually a very poor choice for live sound because the cabs are low efficiency, therefore 100W produces a much lower SPL out of them than the same power into PA cabs. Studio monitors are optimized for flat near-field response, which is why they can get away with tiny little 6-10 inch woofers that will get completely lost in a venue of any size larger than 400 sq ft., much less competing with drumkits, bass and guitar amps. Studio monitors also aren't designed with any physical protection. People can't resist punching in the cones of exposed drivers. I'll bet they wouldn't last a week.