Best lightweight amplifier for ns4

[Sydfromtheshire]

Hi there. I’m new to the forum. I’m about to trade my korg kronos 2 73 key workstation towards buying a Nord stage 4 73 compact (also considering Yamaha yc 73 but think ns4 will win). Main driver is to reduce weight (21kg (45lb for Kronos vs 10kg (22lb for Nord ). I love the kronos but think NS4 will be fun. I’m keen to know about suggested amplification of the Nord and am hoping for some guidance here. I play in a band that cover’s rock/blues/80s stuff in smaller venues up to 200 folks. As well as usual keyboard leads and comping I also cover bass on some numbers (eg Oliver’s Army). Band has myself, drums, bass and lead guitar and we all sing. Currently the amplification I use for the Kronos is a pair of RCF Evox column/array systems (J8 and J8 mix). These are connected into Yamaha mixer and the 4 mikes for singing also goes into this set up. Bass and Lead guitars use their own set up, drums are unmiked. The sound from the rcfs is really good but they are a bit heavy at 27kg (c55lb) each. I’m not sure how the ns4 would sound through these and would love any views on this. Im considering moving towards lighter speakers and was thinking of QSCk 10.2 or Yamaha dxr 10” or RCF Art 910. These all weigh about 15 kg (30lb). I was thinking of buying one of these to start with and to use at rehearsal and keep rcf for gigs or eventually buying a further lighter speaker and using both these rather than the rcf evox’s. Does anyone have a view as to what would of these lighter speakers is best and if they would suit my needs. Key thing for me is to keep weight low as I’ve had recent operation meaning I can no longer risk lifting anything too heavy. Many thanks

[harmonizer]

The Electrovoice zx-a1 (8.6 kg/19 lb) is even lighter than the QSC. I use just one, and use it at the stage monitor so me and my band members can hear my playing. The audience hears my keys playing via the PA and FOH speakers, and I run my Nord boards (in the past an Electro3, and now a Stage3) in mono or single speaker mode, with only one line out to the mixing board and the PA. If you want to use a zx-a1 to create the sound the audience will hear, you might need a pre-amp because the line out level from the Nord is low-ish, and the zx-a1 will want a higher output coming in, in order to reach its full volume potential (this is not issue for me, since I use it only as a stage monitor). I love the very light weight of my zx-a1, and the quality of sound it produces even with that limited weight.

Part of the reason I was attracted to the zx-a1 was because I have had back surgeries in the past for disk issues in my lower back.

[Rusty Mike]

If you're not pushing bass, you can consider the QSC K8.2. They have great range, power and sound quality. Projection range is a tad wider than the 10.2's and they are lighter to carry.

Depending on your music style and typical venue, the Ev Everse 8 might be a contender. They are even lighter at 17lb./7.7kg and a bit less expensive than the QSC's. I bought a pair to replace my K8.2's precisely to shave some weight. They are nearly as loud and handle all the frequencies well. They also have a Bluetooth app to control a bunch of stuff, including a 7 band parametric EQ and saved scenes. I've been very happy with the purchase.

[Sydfromtheshire]

Guys sorry for late response - I am in Ireland on holiday at the moment and internet access in last couple of days has been dodgy. Many thanks for the comments. I’m hoping to try out some speakers when I get back to uk towards end august/early sept. I
Know the shop I go to has qsc k10.2 and 8.2 in stock as well as rcf art 910a and Yamaha dxr 10’s so will test these out. The amp expert in the shop says they are all good but he favours the Yamaha and qsc. I don’t think they have the Ev speaker suggested in the link. I’ll let you know what happens post my visit to the store.

I’m going to trade in my Korg Kronos 2 73 key for the 73 key Nord stage 4 - probably the compact synth key board rather than the alternative 73 piano type key board due to weight difference (their is only a £200 price difference but weight difference of about 14 lb, mind you this is still 10lb lighter than my Kronos). Only thing that worries me is whether I will like this synth type key action as much as the Korg piano keys which are terrific to play ( I am a piano player and piano accordion player - accordions have synth type keys ). So I guess if I hate the action of the compact I might go with the alternative keyboard action. The other key board the shop is suggesting I consider is YAMAHA 73 YC. It’s half the price of the Nord - uk prices are £1800 vs £3750. Have you guys any experience of the Nord 4 vs the Yamaha yc or of the different key board actions?

[StuartR]

I had a Yamaha YC61 and sold it for a Stage 3 and then a Stage 4. The YC has some really nice digital keyboard sounds but lacks the flexibility and ability to sample and load your own sounds. No comparison in my book.