Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

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mistral_73
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Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

Post by mistral_73 »

Hello every one

All or almost all has been said about Nord keyboards amplificaction here, thanks to cphollis and others (a big thank you to them):
accessories-and-amplification-f8/nord-a ... 16772.html
BUT this is mainly related to a stage context, the quest of a good sound at HIGH level.
After concerts, my nord goes back to a corner in the living room which I share with family.
I practice with a good headphones, which is perfect for me, but my neighbourhood is fed up to listen mechanical noises!
I'd like to play in an amplified context, but don't want to bring my stage amp (RCF) in the living room:
Oversized, too big, too high, woman acceptance factor at its lowest level (no offense here ;) ), etc...
My question is :
Do you have any idea of discrete, small and efficient way to amplify keyboards in a (small) living-room context?
I tend to look at small 2.1 solution (2 satellites + 1 sub) but may be mistaken. I noticed Nord monitors, but they do not match the "discrete" parameter.
Any idea how to amplify the best way my Nord at LOW volume, without making my living-room looking like a studio?

Thank you very much!

Regards,
mistral_73
anotherscott
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Re: Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

Post by anotherscott »

The smallest speakers I"ve heard good things about would be the iLoud Micro Monitors, which come in black or white, and measure 180mm/7.09" x 135mm/5.31" x 90mm/3.54". At quiet levels, they're pretty flat down to about 55 Hz... but the bass rolls off as you increase the volume, so then you might think about that sub. Pick a stereo-input sub that has a line level stereo output that will filter the low end out of the mains.
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Rusty Mike
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Re: Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

Post by Rusty Mike »

I recently purchased a pair of Presonus Eris E5 monitors to work on mixes with my DAW. I'm very impressed with the quality of the sound when playing my Nord piano samples through them.

I did some comparison shopping before the purchase, and the iLoud micro monitors were on the list. Specs are very similar to the iLoud micros, and they come in around $50 US less for the pair. They have a 5" woofer compared to 3" on the micros, and a bit more power (but similar SPL output). Certainly worth a look.

I also bought a pair of studio monitor stands for them, along with small foam isolation pads.
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mistral_73
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wweiss
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Re: Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

Post by wweiss »

My choice would be FBT J5A

5 inch woofer,120 watts RMS, 117dB Peak, 7.5 Lbs, 9 inches tall! Your wife will love it.

This thing looks like a toy but it isn't. It's a professional speaker made in Italy. Common use is in museums.
Now the bad news - $399 for one speaker, XLR only, no pole mount. But perfect size to sit on a shelf.
Powerful enough to be used as a keyboard monitor with your live rig. I bought mine because I was looking for the smallest powered speaker to throw in a backpack to play at the park. Loud enough to play outside!
Last edited by wweiss on 27 Sep 2020, 19:33, edited 2 times in total.
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harmonizer
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Re: Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

Post by harmonizer »

mistral_73 wrote:.......I practice with a good headphones, which is perfect for me, but my neighbourhood is fed up to listen mechanical noises!
I'd like to play in an amplified context .....
Are you saying that you have neighbors who object to the mechanical noises made from pressing the keys, even when you listen on headphones?
If so, that problem cannot be fixed by getting a new amplifier.
mistral_73
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Re: Nord Amplification in (small) living rooms

Post by mistral_73 »

harmonizer wrote: Are you saying that you have neighbors who object to the mechanical noises made from pressing the keys, even when you listen on headphones?
If so, that problem cannot be fixed by getting a new amplifier.
Not at all. Sorry, I was lost in translation. I wanted to say that my family finally prefers hearing the piano when I practice instead of mechanical noises.

To the others:
Thank you for your suggestions. I really didn't know that such small monitors exist!
IK iloud micro monitour seems promising and matching my needs, but I'll also check the other stuff.
wweiss wrote:5 inch woofer,120 watts RMS, 117dB Peak, 7.5 Lbs, 9 inches tall! Your wife will love it.
What?? How do you know my wife?
;)

Regards
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