Keyboard Amps (sorry guys)

Lectric_Lab

Lectric_Lab

New member
This subject has probably been covered over and over? I'm in the market for a keyboard amp, and not knowing anything about the multi-plug amplifiers offered would like to get opinions and suggestions. Seems they are all heavy in weight...my main choice right now is the Hartke200, I found a Carvin 3 channel acoustic amp, guess it could also be used and it weighs in under 40 lbs...help me guys! I'm gonna buy one soon, PA and monitor just aint cutting it. Thanks
 
I've been using a Peavey KB100 for a couple years now - got it off of eBay for a great price. Mine in particular is old (1987ish), but it's in great condition and takes any abuse you throw at it. I know people knock Peavey from time to time, but most of their stuff just won't die (which is a good thing IMO).

Mine gets plenty loud - more than I'd need I think even for larger venues.

Good luck!
 
remember we go lower than a bass and higher than a cymbal... so tyhe best thing to do is think small PA... i use a dbx tube pre driving dbx compressor and crossover to crown power with small jbl (mx410) for highs and ev 15L for bottoms...
 
I've posted this before but I have had bad luck with keyboard amps. I tried the Roland 550 and it sounded muddy to me. I used a Fender Bassman 200 and a Fender Twin Reverb (left and rights out) and the sound was better but not great. Now I have a Samson db500a 500 watt Bi-Amped Active LoudSpeaker.
It has a 15" low frequency driver with a high frequency horn. The sound is fantastic. The only problem I have is the weight of the thing. It's 61 lbs and to get the right sound I had to mount it on one of those heavy duty tripod poles. I need to find a case with wheels for that thing.
I brought my keyboard down to the local GC and tried all of the amps and this Samson sounded the best.
 
i've tried some of the powered speakers as well and they were pretty cool actually... but a keyboard just wont drive the input right so you'll need a DI at the very least...
 
dementedchord said:
remember we go lower than a bass and higher than a cymbal... so tyhe best thing to do is think small PA... i use a dbx tube pre driving dbx compressor and crossover to crown power with small jbl (mx410) for highs and ev 15L for bottoms...
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A decent keyboard amp will provide for the highs and lows we need. Hence, my use of the Peavey. It's not a glorious, hi-fi experience blasting at me on my right side, but it sounds good enough, get's loud enough, and isn't too much of a pain to lug around. :) The bass in the Peavey is pretty kickin' coming out of the 15 in. "woofer". Sounds good enough to help inspire my performances...
 
This is a Badass Amp, Ive had mine for 8 years and is still going strong ^-^

http://cgi.ebay.com/fender-KXR-200--Guitar-Bass-Keyboard--$-channels_W0QQitemZ200152845741QQcmdZViewItem

You don't have to worry about those damn guitar players drowning you out either...haha, they'll be asking you to turn it down...oh the irony :)
 
Okay, Im a guitarist, not keys, but I had a Crate KX80 for several years. Bought it, used, to be a acoustic guitar amp, and it worked well. Over the years, it saw duty as an electric guitar amp (with multi-effects in front of it), mini-PA(3 input channels meant we needed no mixer), stage monitor and (who'd thunk it?) KEYBOARD amp. ONly duty it fell down on was electric guitar amp- sounded okay, just didn't have that "tone" guitarist love so much. All the others, wonderful. Only real issue I had with it is it had no powered speaker output, so you could not connect other speakers to it. I called Crate, and they said they would have nothing to do with me wiring a speaker-out on it- wouldn't tell me the first thing about how I should proceed, even. That rather pissed me off, but at least the amp was a goodie...
 
thanks guys, I appreciate the comments...steveieb, don't feel bad I am a guitarist too, play keys on stage also. Over on another thread the Roaland KC350 gets the raves. I use Peavey, have used it since 1970, no shame here. I presently own a Delta Blues 30wt w/15" speaker for guitar (45 lbs), sounds great...tried the keys through it, not exactly the sound I want, tried a/b splitter etc...so on with a keyboard amp. The main problem I am finding with most amps, is the weight, not unusual for them to be 60-80 lbs. I have 2 Peavey SP3's, Crown 375 watt stereo amp, and SCraft mixer ( a small PA), this set up rocks...again the weight. It was alot easier just being a guitar player, but I love the keyboards. I guess a 100 wt amp at 45 lbs (my limit) is going to be very hard to find. The only amp I found is a Carvin (never owned one) and its an acoustical guitar amp, w/3 inputs 100 wts, and 40 lbs, some say it works good for keys...take a look here.http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=AG100D&CID=GA any comments?
 
Depending upon how many players you have in your band and how loud they are, I am not sure a 100w amp is going to cut it. I know it did not in my band.
 
I used to use a Roland KC300 and this little amp rocked! Had it for 8 years and did around 2400 gigs with it! It never let me down once and I loved the sound!
 
Tried a series of low cost approaches, including the aforementioned Peavey KB100.

Finally got serious and got a mini PA system - Yorkville NX55Ps with a Little Mackie 1202 mixer. Huge, huge difference is full fidelity. I put the highs of my Organ ROMpler through a Motion Sound rotating speak.
 
sajs...I'll let you know in a few days because I just ordered the KC550 Roland. I dont play keybass, the band is a typical dance band, 70's rock, southern rock, country and blues. I'm hoping this amp will serve its 180 watt purpose and let me hear myself on stage. The amp does get good reviews by its owners. Its a little more weight than I wanted, but keyborad amps tend to weigh more....and I got in a new band last weekend, same music genre. I'll be using the Roland KC550 with an Ensoniq ZR76 and a Hammond K1 digi organ. Wish me luck, hope it sounds good. Thanks for all the replies and help guys!
 
Your in NW Florida and I am in SE Florida (west palm).
I can tell you this, the 550 is very powerful and all of the inputs are great.
Good luck, let us know how it sounds.
 
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