Nord & QSC K10 : help needed please

[RedLeo]

Hi rb4u1

Thanks for a useful and informative post.

I went for the EV ZXA1 because of the reported better reproduction of acoustic piano sounds, and while I'm very happy with it, its limited volume certainly can be an problem. I have accepted that for louder gigs I have to use a Mackie SRM450 instead. Guess I need to buy a second one...

[rb4u1]

A second amp will only give you about 3 db more if I'm not mistaken and maybe a little headroom. I am kinda curious about the EV subwoofer, I think it's an SB 121 which has a 12 inch speaker and an extra power amp I believe if you need it. For someone with a passive system it might work. One can never have too many amps.

[RedLeo]

A second amp will only give you about 3 db more if I'm not mistaken and maybe a little headroom

You're quite right, of course. As much as anything, I'd like the luxury of monitoring in stereo, and having a wider "sweet spot" to hear myself would also be helpful.

One can never have too many amps.

Ummm...you're not a guitarist by any chance...?

[nordic]

I've purchased recently a couple of Yamaha DXR10 monitors.

I'm a Nord Stage 2 user, country-rock band with 2 guitar players, bassist and drums (I needed the monitors mostly for acoustic pianos).

I've readed this thread before I made my buying decision (really helpful), and I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts about it here. I could not test previously QSC K10 (very hard to find here) nor EV Zxa1 (but I thought this one would be short of volume). Yamaha DXR 10 was a little cheaper option, easier to find, and I have an oficial technical service near (in case it was needed). So that it was.

First, I had to wait a couple of months to get them. I don't know if that means they are selling really well, but I had to wait and I couldn't test them before the purchase.

At rehearsal, the difference they make is really awesome. I had tested Mackies SRM 450 12" (good volume, but IMHO sounded a little bit honky and not natural with acoustic pianos) and DAS DR 108 8" (good sound and weight, but not enough volume). Well, the Yamaha DXR10 makes it at every level: now I have great sounding acoustic pianos (natural and not overhyped at treble), well-fitted bass response for a live band (not muddy, just cutting the mix without fighting with bass player), and I have enough volume to be heard (half the volume at NE2 Master, and half the volume at DXR10's do the work). Plus they are really easy to carry, good stereo image (great improvement here vs. using an amp).

So I'm happy now for the first time with acoustic pianos sounds...
In my opinion, Steinway or Honky Tonk sounds seems to benefit specially.

[Dreamer]

I have also a pair of DXR 10's. They sound great, and I've checked quite a few alternatives (QSC, RCF etc.) with a NS2 and
a Motif in a local music store. DXR's were the best sounding ones.
The cooling fans are a bit loud in silent environments and they won't stop even if system is idle. Only point of critism.
Endless reserves. I drive them just 1/4 of max with the band (Rock/Blues).

Sometimes I think for utmost solo piano sound quality there must be something out there what is even better
But Studio Monitors are no option for the rough life out there ...

BTW .. excellent forum.

[RedLeo]

Sometimes I think for utmost solo piano sound quality there must be something out there what is even better

There is always something better - and even more expensive

There's a very knowledgable chap called Dave Ferris who sometimes posts here, and he has a good deal of experience with high quality amplification. He may have some suggestions for you (or you can look up some of his earlier posts). I hope you have a friendly bank manager...

[keysmcgee]

Of course - there is always something better! The DXR's are (IMHO) the best sounding speaker in that category. I've not heard the 10's, but i've listened to the 12's quite a bit. The FIR based processing enhances the fidelity quite a bit. But, piano suffers in any speaker that uses a small format compression driver. The DXR10/12/15 use a 1.4" (diameter) compression driver diaphragm. Keyboards, and piano in particular, can be extremely dynamic. Small compression drivers don't hold up well to these dynamics and suffer from IM type artifacts at higher levels. We've all heard it before - our speakers sound nice in the listening room, but fall apart at stage volume. The step up from a DXR-class product is a big one, to a pro PA or stage monitor type product with a 3" diaphragm. If you ever get to try a speaker in this category, you will notice the difference immediately. The sound character is far less variable with level. Everything has its limits, of course, but there is a reason that the pro-class products use beefier drivers. QSC, RCF, etc (mentioned above) have product in this class, its just not the product that you will typically find through online retailers.

[rb4u1]

Is there anything portable or powered that would be a sep up up from the DXR series ?

[wurliboy]

Sorry to be so late to this thread. I boug a Q10 awhile ago and immediately noticed very similar annoying buzzing noises from the tweeter, especially on Rhodes sounds. I spoke directly to customer service at QSC who recommended that I get the tweeter and entire amp module swapped out. It was warranty service- the amp was brand new. The problem persisted after the repair, so I returned it to the store. The overall sound quality was great, but I couldn't abide the buzzing or the lack of quality control.

I've been using an FBT Evomaxx2a and loving it. It's small, light and loud- perfect for almost any gig and a great stage monitor for big rooms. It's only real limitations are that it has only preset eq settings and one input (mic or line). But for the size and weight it was the best I could get at the time. I'd love to try the new yamahas, but for now the FBT is rocking me.

It's 21lbs and 400+200 watts rms with a 10" and a tweeter. The case is molded plastic and is pretty small for a 10.

I also own an older pair of FBT Maxx 4as with powered 12s. I like them too- great little PA. Haven't tried them with the nord stage, but I use them for synth bass or organ gigs when I'm playing bass. (One will suffice for most gigs.). Good speakers- built in Italy.

I play a NS2 76.

[cphollis]

FWIW -- I have a pair of K8s and K12s, plus a Bose L1 Model II and a bunch of other keyboard amps.

I experienced the "buzzing" on both K8s and K12s, but I root-caused it to other items vibrating vs. the speaker units. I ended up putting the units on a foam bed, and hitting those low notes to see what happened. They were completely innocent. My take is that in the "bass boost" mode they put out a metric boatload of low frequency energy, and end up transferring it all to the mounting poles, tooth fillings or anything else close by.

Everyone's got their favorites -- I swear by K8s for most modest-sized gigs -- one for stage amplification, and maybe one for my personal monitor if things get noisy. If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll spread them so everyone can hear the stereo effects -- Leslie swirl, baby! Small, very portable, two inputs in the back (NP2 and E4D each mono when using a single unit for rehearsals, etc.), plenty of headroom, good dispersion, etc.

For one gig with a particularly raucous rock band, I brought both the K8s and the K12s -- that's around 4000W onstage power before the PAs -- and I certainly didn't have a problem making myself heard. The lead guitarist would crank, and I'd do the same until he realized it was a losing battle. Bring earplugs if you're trying this at home.

I think the state of keyboard amplification is so much better than just a few years ago. We have lots of decent options these days, rather than trying to play through a guitar amp or one of those Roland units.