Nord User Forum

Hi,
I am in a band covering rock songs from 70's to 2010's. I am playing with a Stage 2 EX 88 and am using a Marshall MB4210 2 x 10" bass amp for amplification. I am looking to buy a proper keyboard amp and need input/suggestions on top keyboard amps in the £300-£600 range.

Thanks very much for your help

Joe

http://jakthelad.com/

A sort of general consensus around here is to look at the QSC K10 or something similar. I own a pair of JBL's equivalent, the PRX710, and I can't recommend them enough. Both are powered PA speakers with lots of power, and if you set them on the floor, they will hold down bass to the point of overpowering a bass player. My guess is that 1 of these speakers is in your price range, so I would look at getting 1 and save for a second. Or conversely, see if there's any better deals for getting 2, and save for a pair of them.

I have been looking at a Leslie 2215 or Roland KC-550 but will definitely look into getting a powered speaker instead as others also suggested powered speaker as supposed to an Amp.
Thanks for your suggestion

Powered speakers are currently the rage for keyboards but one caveat - if you haven't used them before be prepared to be disappointed with their volume. I don't care if they say "1000 watts" or whatever - they will NOT be anywhere near as loud as a Roland keyboard amp, or any other amp ike the venerable Peavey KB300, a Fender Twin, or the Marshall bass rig you are using now. They seem like such a good idea and they are so much lighter - well, weight speaks volumes, pardon the pun.

So unless you are also going into the main board as part of the PA, be prepare to be drowned out - except if you are a jazz combo and your drummer is playing with brushes and your guitarists never heard of OD pedals. They also sound really bad when turned way up. They are great for your home studio and entertaining your family in your house. - indeed they are perfect for the solo player.

I'm not saying you shouldn't check them out, but get to a music store where you can run a comparison with the Roland at stage volumes, so you won't be unpleasantly surprised at your next practice when you trundle out your new Electrovoice speaker, and then wonder why no-one can hear you once the guitar amp gets cranking.

Also, as I'm sure many Nord users already know, our line out signals are incredibly low and need boosting. If you don't have an amp to do that, you'll need either your own mixer to DB boost or again depend on the house board...and who really likes to do that, especially when the "sound guys" take over. I use a Yamaha MG10 for that, right on my rack - it has saved me from many a guitar-centric sound guy.

emartin149 wrote:Powered speakers are currently the rage for keyboards but one caveat - if you haven't used them before be prepared to be disappointed with their volume. I don't care if they say "1000 watts" or whatever - they will NOT be anywhere near as loud as a Roland keyboard amp, or any other amp ike the venerable Peavey KB300, a Fender Twin, or the Marshall bass rig you are using now. They seem like such a good idea and they are so much lighter - well, weight speaks volumes, pardon the pun.

Your comment on perceived loudness levels is a bit out of touch. A keyboard amp is meant and designed for near field (short throw) listening. So yes, if you're playing only on stages with FOH speakers, then get a KC550 and be prepared to eq the crap out of it, because it's the muddiest combo ever built. PA speakers are long throw designs, so while your apparent stage volume may sound less, the speakers will project outward and you can be heard by the audience.

As for the overall volume of the two, I own a KC500, KC150, and a pair of the JBLPRX710's as I mentioned before. I can hear myself better on stage with the JBL's due to the wider HF dispersion, and when you tell the speaker to boost the gain to +4dBu, I have the speakers volume on 3 with the keyboard volume at 12, and it hurts. I've used these PA speakers from everything from solo gigs, to funk bands, to full jazz orchestras where I can still cut over a lead trumpet player popping off double c's. As for the KC150, it works for a small coffeeshop gig, but it'll distort before it reaches levels that are needed to play with funk bands, and the KC500 is way to muddy for piano patches for me to find it usable.

Just my 2 cents for amplifiers. The reason Roland hasn't updated the KC line is that they are a budget solution for a budget musician. You just dropped mad bread on your axe, don't amplify it with a speaker worth 1/10th the price of the keyboard, because you'll get 1/10th the sound quality.

The Roland line is not the best, to be sure. But you are using a pair of powered speakers and presumably two speaker poles to cut over that lead trumpet, who is using nothing but air. You're basically running your own PA, and transporting it, breaking it down, etc. It's a lot of gear just to keep up with the rest of the crew.

The poster plays in a typical-size 1970s rock band, not a full jazz combo. He likely practices with this group in a small space - probably someone's basement or garage. A double-speaker PA system just for his keyboards will do the job of course, but it's hardly convenient.

Stick with the Marshall, maybe throw a 12-15" cab underneath it for the bigger shows. If there's a line out to the house PA you're all set.

emartin149 wrote:The Roland line is not the best, to be sure. But you are using a pair of powered speakers and presumably two speaker poles to cut over that lead trumpet, who is using nothing but air. You're basically running your own PA, and transporting it, breaking it down, etc. It's a lot of gear just to keep up with the rest of the crew.

Also, the poster plays in a typical-size 1970s rock band, not a full jazz combo. He also likely practices with this group in a small space - probably someone's basement or garage. A double-speaker PA system just for his keyboards will do the job of course, but it's hardly convenient.

Stick with the Marshall, maybe throw a 12-15" cab underneath it for the bigger shows. If there's a line out to the house PA you're all set.

Nah, no speaker poles, and most of the time just 1 speaker, 1 cable run to the speaker, and 1 AC line for the amp. It's exactly the same as having an 'amplifier' because it is one.

You seem to be forgetting that powered pa speakers now have 2-3 inupts, are fully self contained. I don't understand how 2 self contained pa speakers are less convenient from getting a keyboard amp and throwing another speaker under it. It's the exact same thing here with the option of running stereo. My JBL's weigh the same as my weak KC150 in at 36lbs. I would highly advise against a marshall for keyboards though. You want a speaker that will reproduce the sound that is being sent to it, I can promise that as soon as you want to use a piano patch, it will become awful. I would however use a bass amplifier before I used another Roland KC series amp though.

joejoubert wrote:I have been looking at a Leslie 2215 or Roland KC-550 but will definitely look into getting a powered speaker instead as others also suggested powered speaker as supposed to an Amp.
Thanks for your suggestion

In short joejoubert, go to a shop, take your rig, and try out everything. What works for one may not work for another, but don't be afraid to try some weird combos. If you are never going to use acoustic piano sounds, look at a guitar amp. Need to play synth bass lines from time to time? See what PA speakers do when you put them on the floor. Need 4 stereo pairs of inputs? Look at getting an inexpensive mixer to run to a bass amp. Just because it's a keyboard, doesn't mean it needs to be ran through a keyboard amp. My guitar player buddy loves the clean guitar sound out of my KC150 keyboard amp, and I also played my old electro, my nord C2, and my stage through a Markbass amp and cab, that had bass for days, which was great when walking organ or Moog bass lines.

Just be sure to report back on what you liked best!

>You seem to be forgetting that powered pa speakers now have 2-3 inupts, are fully self contained.<

I'm not, and I use one, but principally as a monitor. We have our own PA which is where the Nord goes.

Indeed, try everything out...but the powered speakers will never kick out the volume like an amp will. Be like The Doors and use a Fender Twin

Hi Guys
Im thinking of trying a Roland kc 880 combo as i run my nords in stereo im using 2 jbl g2 s at the minute i like the sound and they have plenty of power but its a pain having to carry then around and set up as im getting on in years you hear good and bad reports i just wondered if any of you who might have tried or already own one and maybe throw some light on it
thanks in advance