keyboard amps & bass amps

K

Kasey

New member
are they the same thing? can they be used interchangeably? I'm sure each is a little more specifically designed for its own instrument, but i've seen several amps that are titled keyboard/bass amps, which gives me the impression that really there is no difference. I guess they both have a speaker, or several, and a horn, or several.

I'm asking because my band is going to start doing shows (we've always just been a recording project), and we're going to have me and a girl both with guitars and doing vocals, and then a guy on a synth and a keyboard. The show we're planning for right now is a basement show, and we're renting a PA system from a local music shop. The system doesnt come with a subwoofer though, and we'd really like some bass in there. So, i decided that i should run all vocals and guitars through the PA speakers, and put both the synth and the keyboard into its own bass/keyoard amp, and that will fill up that lack of bass.

My question is, can i use a bass amp? i think it'd be cheaper but i dont know. I guess it needs to have two inputs too, one for the keyboard and one for the synth. Sound quality really isnt super important, as long as theres bass there. the synth and keyboard are never of main focus in any of our songs.
 
I'm confused.

Is someone going to be playing bass?

If so - a keyboard amp of decent wattage will work as a bass amp.

I used to use a Peavey KB100 keyboard amp as a bass amp many times.
 
In general, bass amps work pretty well as keyboard amps and vice versa. However, some bass amps are distinctly voiced for bass, and work less well than others. However, if you have a relatively clean and neutral sounding bass amp it'll usually work quite well. Keyboard amps are almost always voiced on the clean and neutral side and, therefore, will almost always work in a pinch for a bass amp. (Some better than others, of course, and it depends on the sound you're looking for.)

The Peavey KB series that has already been mentioned is a very good example of a dual purpose amp. In fact, the KB300 (designed for keyboards) is one of the best sounding combo amps for bass that you are likely to find in that price range.
 
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clarification

It occurs to me that when I said "Some bass amps are distinctly voiced for bass," this might have been confusing. After all, ALL bass amps are "distinctly voiced for bass," of course.

What I meant is that bass amps are much more likely (than keyboard amps) to be voiced with a distinctive "sound" which sets them apart from other, competing amps. And, usually, this means that there is something funky going on in the midrange. Examples are the Trace Elliot rigs with their famous "notched mid" sound and Ampegs, which tend to boost the mids. These bass amps are not as likely to sound good on keys as bass amps that have a more neutral "boutique" sort of sound. This is also less likely to be a problem with non-natural sounds, than with more natural keyboard sounds. A fat synth-brass patch, for example, probably won't sound too bad on any bass amp. But, if you're playing a grand piano patch, then it might seem weird with the volume suddenly drops or increases in a certain frequency range.

Sorry for any confusion that might have been caused by my poorly written reply. :o
 
mandocaster said:
I'm confused.

Is someone going to be playing bass?
Click to expand...

no, just keyboard and synth... and im hoping a bass amp will work for the two, because it'll be cheaper and easier to find.
 
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