Suggested AMps

[FZiegler]

In relation to the Stagepas 400i, my pair of QSC K8.2 is a totally different world: beautiful sounding instead of amplified electricity. In my eyes, it's more than one step down. You might find the QSC CP8 in-between - do a search on the forum for "CP8".

[kozmo]

Thanks for responding. Can I plug it directly into the 2 qsc amps or do I need to run through a mixer?

Rufus‘ answer is good, but nevertheless can you also plug your nord directly in the two qsc amps - left out to one and right out to the other.

Cheers

Does stereo make that big a difference....?

[taxman]

Harmonizer was the first to give you that hint to a stereo solution. Afroskully followed stating he was happy with a pair of QSC K8.2. Rusty Mike as well. Still in 2017, andymay followed telling even his Stagepas couple was better than many other mono solutions. Followed by a high recommendation from cphollis for a pair of K8.2s. Another flavour was proposed by Seaglass: center point stereo amps (which translates to Aspen Pittman Spacestation - but cphollis doesn't find them as convincing as his first recommendation, and he has tested both - and anotherscott says the same).

After asking again a few days ago, Tasten-Bert's answer to your question was: real stereo matters. Rufus8102 followed with his recommendation of a pair of ...(nothing new). I followed with the same setup. Stringtapper is one of a few who sometimes use a Roland KC-880 (which is a real keyboard monitor and rather mono), if not a pair of QSCs. And Kaffimusic judges mono to be sometimes enough.

So you shouldn't be surprised that - even if there are different opinions on the forum - quite a number of people consider stereo to be important (just search "stereo" on the forum to see more). Not necessarily for the audience, as I would say, but for me and the band. Not only because of synth stereo effects, but also for a lively piano sound. It's not necessary, but yes: I consider it a really big difference.

[WannitBBBad]

Thanks for responding. Can I plug it directly into the 2 qsc amps or do I need to run through a mixer?

Rufus‘ answer is good, but nevertheless can you also plug your nord directly in the two qsc amps - left out to one and right out to the other.

Cheers

Does stereo make that big a difference....?

Big difference - not only with the pianos but all stereo sounds and effects like the Leslie simulation. I use two QSC K10s for my Nord Stage 3 and guitar setup. I run a stereo mix to the PA as well. Good luck.

[anotherscott]

It's a matter of priorities. While stereo is definitely better all else being equal, I'd rather play through a single good speaker than a pair of crappy speakers!

The least expensive speakers I've found that work well for piano sounds are the EV ZXa1. The QSC K8.2 is better, but the EV is still very good, and noticeably lighter and cheaper, if either weight or budget is an issue. And the EVs were still a lot better than the StagePas I tried (I don't remember the model).

[Jon Lukas]

I own the K10.2s. They are incredibly great for piano, and more power than you need in small situations. QSC has now added the CP series, which is a lower cost version. I bought the CP8's and they are great. So far I've only used them at home for rehearsal and monitoring during live video shoots, so I'm not sure how large of a room they would be useful in. But they sound great, and unlike the K10.2s, they have no fans so they are quieter at low volumes.

The fans in the K10.2 are not that loud normally, but one of mine was much louder than the other, and made an annoying sound. On QSC's advice, I sent it in for service (at my shipping expense). When they received it they said it was 'within spec' but they replaced the fan anyway. The replacement was better, but still not as quiet as my other speaker. Needless to say, I'm very happy to not be dealing with fans on the CP8s. But in a live performance at any kind of volume above "fairly quiet," the fans would not be an issue.

[Rusty Mike]

I do use the K8.2's in stereo when the situation warrants. Most of the time, however, I go out with a single K8.2, and it's got the volume and the quality to cut it.

Even though it's a single speaker, I still use both audio inputs, running cables from the 1 & 2 outputs (on the Stage) or L & R outputs (on the Electro) direct into the A & B inputs on the QSC. My opinion is that it makes a fuller sound, and I've never experienced a phasing issue. It's a simple and effective setup.

All that said, the stereo setup is a beautiful sound through the QSC's!

The CP series speakers seem to be updated versions of the original K speakers, which are no slouches in their own right (I owned a pair of K8's in the past, and still have a single K10). For a few less bucks than the K.2's, you cannot go wrong. I would very much pick the 8's over the 12's. If they behave like the K's, the 8's will have a tighter bass and wider dispersion. Plus, they lighter to carry and lighter on the wallet.

[cphollis]

Do I prefer stereo, all other things being equal? Yes.
Do I need to be able to present a reasonable mono signal to FOH when asked to? Yes.

For personal stage use, I'll either use (a) a CPS V3, (b) a pair of QSC K8.2 or similar, or (c) a single mono monitor if needed. So the ability to go back and forth -- depending on the situation -- can be useful.

[ztusek]

I've been hearing a lot that I want to Nord Piano samples to sound ok on any AP, It should be stereo, so 2 speakers, what do you think? I will play solo piano or with singer in a church or a small venue, like restaurants, I just want clear piano sounds on my Nord 5 that sound like piano, not like crap on Roland KC-400... I don't want to carry 2 speakers around...