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Keyboard Amps for M50
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:10 am
by dharkon8
Hi there,
I'm looking for some advice in relation to good keyboard amps for the M50.
I want something that is accurately going to produce the sounds that I hear in the headphones - for live use. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:42 am
by mocando
There are plenty of keyboard amps from several manufacturers, but for sound quality and accuracy, nothing beats a good PA system.
I'm using a 16 channel Warferdale console driving a couple of M-Audio BX8a studio monitors. If you are going to use it for just the keyboard, then a much simpler console will suffice.
The monitors are powered, so the console is much less expensive being a passive console.
You can begin with just a keyboard amp, but in the long run you'll find out yourself looking for something better and more powerful.
Good luck in your search
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 10:45 pm
by candlewick
I'm using the 15" version found at the link below. This speaker is doing double duty for my keys as well as electronic drums at church. You could expand down the road to 2 of them to get stereo. For larger venues I use a small PA for a bigger sound.
http://www.sweetwater.com/c134--Peavey- ... A_Speakers
Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:23 am
by dharkon8
Many thanks for the replies, i appreciate the input.
Keyboard amps
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:41 pm
by nico88
All my life I have struggled to find a truly great keyboard amp - indeed amplifying keyboards in general has been a nightmare. Using a small PA system was always my best bet, but even then you still need some serious headroom to avoid distortion when blasting out loud bass lines or high pitched solos.
However - I now have a Roland KC880 - AND IT IS AWESOME - costs the best part of £1000 but wow, it is worth it. Handles everything and is seriously loud....I use it as my on-stage monitor system but it simply takes apart a live drummer, bass rigs, guitar combos - everything!! My band mates are forever asking me to turn it down..!!!
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:11 pm
by darkenedsoul
I used to use the Roland KC550 180W amp and it was pretty loud and was decent sounding compared to the Beringher (which was lower in price by a bit).
Was $595 (still is apparently).
Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:31 am
by 67gtx
Got two KC-500 for $350 and added another tweeter to each one and looking for JBL D130-F's to replace the cheap Roland speakers.
Re: Keyboard amps
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:32 am
by hiteshs1
nico88 wrote:All my life I have struggled to find a truly great keyboard amp - indeed amplifying keyboards in general has been a nightmare. Using a small PA system was always my best bet, but even then you still need some serious headroom to avoid distortion when blasting out loud bass lines or high pitched solos.
However - I now have a Roland KC880 - AND IT IS AWESOME - costs the best part of £1000 but wow, it is worth it. Handles everything and is seriously loud....I use it as my on-stage monitor system but it simply takes apart a live drummer, bass rigs, guitar combos - everything!! My band mates are forever asking me to turn it down..!!!
Try M-50 on Behringer Ultratone K-Series Keyboard Amp. (Min. 90 Watts-K900FX). It sounds awsome. It beats Roland KC series Amp. & you also save on capital investment.
Hitesh.
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 2:24 pm
by glynbob
I second the Behringer K900fx! Great amp for the price, just played a gig with it and M50 sounded awesome through it
Re: Keyboard amps
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 8:52 pm
by kikedeolivos
hiteshs1 wrote:nico88 wrote:... It beats Roland KC series Amp...
Hitesh.
Could you care to explain?
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 2:14 pm
by AJP
Currently playing my Motif XS7 and M50 through a Traynor K4 and I love it. Was a Roland KC user for a long time, and maybe it's just my ears, but they just sounded to midrange-y to my ears no matter what I did.
IMO, the K4 sounds great. Has a tilt-back cab for monitoring. Really nice frequency spread from one box. Plenty powerful for a band setting. Tube! Will even do solo gigs (in reasonably-sized venues) very well.
Keyboard amp
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 8:27 pm
by taxbuster1040
I notice that some of you recommend a Keyboard amp, that has 2 speakers, and some of you recommend an amp with just one speaker..... Do you think a good quality 1 speaker amp sounds better than a cheaper 2 speaker amp setup? I am thinking of getting an amp, and my gut feeling is that 2 speakers would sound better... but i'd like your opinions on this....
Re: Keyboard amp
Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 2:46 am
by AJP
taxbuster1040 wrote:I notice that some of you recommend a Keyboard amp, that has 2 speakers, and some of you recommend an amp with just one speaker..... Do you think a good quality 1 speaker amp sounds better than a cheaper 2 speaker amp setup? I am thinking of getting an amp, and my gut feeling is that 2 speakers would sound better... but i'd like your opinions on this....
I don't think the number of speaker cones is a deciding factor in and of itself. Although I'm struggling to think of a true single-speaker keyboard amp (all I know of have at least a woofer and a tweeter). The K4 has a total of 5 cones. This surely contributes to its sound, but so do its amp, EQ, tube, etc. And many woofer/tweeter enclosures sound as good if not better, e.g. the JBL EONs. Hope this helps!
1 speaker vs 2
Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 4:35 am
by taxbuster1040
I guess what i am trying to say is that a one piece unit might not have as much directional stereo vs the all in one speaker unit with 2 to 5 speakers built in. Wouldnt the 2 piece set up to your left and right give better directional stereo sound?
Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 1:35 pm
by brandon
ive got a peavey kb5 and the thing is awesome! its not true stereo as it does not pan as a 2 speaker pa would but the sound is great. definitely recommend it
