Speaker/Amp Confusion, looking for help!

[procky1845]

Hi,

I'm looking to shortly purchase a Nord Stage 2 to replace my Yamaha P155. The P155 has built in speakers and I'm now trying to work out exactly what I will need in terms of speakers/amps to play the Nord through. I have absolutely no idea where to start with speakers etc.

I intend to only use the keyboard for home use. To make matters more complicated I only have limited space in my living room. The P155 only just fits in as it is so I won't have room for speaker stands and my wife will likely castrate me if I try and mount speakers to the wall. This really only leaves me the option of speakers placed on the floor probably tilted upwards towards me.

Can anyone suggest what speakers I should be using, and also if this is going to sound OK? Ive read all the related threads in this forum but a lot of the advice about what speakers to use seems conflicting. I'd be looking to spend up to around £500 max.

Thanks for your help.

[Gustavo]

If space is a big issue you should consider getting some top of the line Professional headphones. As a recommendation avoid the Beats headphones, I've tried them and they are extremely expensive for the quality. Still almost anything in the $100-$300 USD range is good, so I'd recommend you to focus on the comfort rather than which is better.

Also, keep in mind most threads about which speakers to use are for using on gigs and rehearsals. If you are going to leave them static, I'd rather get a Studio Monitor instead of a PA or a Keyboard Amp. Studio Monitors have more quality at similar prices but are more delicate and should not be moved frequently.

But if you are only going to get a Nord Stage 2 for home use (not studio use) I think you could get something cheaper. Specially considering that you must spend up to 500 quid more for the sound system. I'd recommend you to check out the Korg Krome and the Yamaha MOX series. You could even wait for the Casio Privia PX-5S to be released. Those options are cheaper and would allow you to get a better Sound System.

I say that because even if you have the best keyboard of them all, with a crappy sound system it will sound bad. So if there is a budget I'd rather get a great sound system and a low-end professional keyboard (like the ones mentioned) and that could sound much better than a top of the line keyboard (like the NS2) with a low-end sound system.

Saludos,
Gustavo

[procky1845]

Hi, thanks for your advice.

I would be looking to use speakers rather than headphones though because I do play for friends/family at times. In terms of studio monitors, would something such as a pair of HS50M or HS80M's be suitable for this purpose. Particularly with the aim of them being situated on the floor angled upwards?

Thanks again.

[Gustavo]

Unfortunately, studio monitors are not made to be put on the floor so they cannot be angled. I would recommend you to get something like this: http://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_bs500_set.htm

by the way, are you aware that you'd have to get a keyboard stand? That is also a fundamental thing to consider. Because if you get an X-Stand you couldn't put anything under it. The other types of stands are more expensive: http://www.thomann.de/gb/keyboard_stands_keys.html


Another option is to get no keyboard stand and instead put the keyboard on a desk: http://www.thomann.de/gb/studio_furniture.html


Saludos,
Gustavo

[juhana]

Procky, have you got a reasonable living room stereo around? I've got Stage 2 in more or less in same type of use as you would, although I don't play that often for others. So I tend to use mostly headphones, but when I do want to play aloud, I just plug it into the stereo - works rather well. If I played more often for others, I would first invest into a small mixer with EQ to be able to tweak the sound a bit more, plus the additional benefit of being able to play to background tracks from e.g. computer. (With headphones you can use just the monitor in of Stage 2, but because it is not routed to line outs, it doesn't work when playing amplified.)

[procky1845]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for getting back to me.

Gustavo - I had already taken a look at the stands you pointed out, the problem is because of the size of the base of the stand I wouldn't be able to fit a pair of these next to the keyboard. I do have an X stand but I would probably be able to squeeze the speakers next to the stand because of the overlap of the keyboard.

Juhana - Yes I do have a living room stereo, although is so old its rarely used. I'm not a massive fan of the sound that comes out of it when I play CD's through it so I'm a bit skeptical whether the Nord would sound ok through it.

Do either of you know if you can get keyboard stand's that allow the monitor speakers to be attached to it? This may be an option if I could find one small enough.

[procky1845]

Also, just as a side thought would the monitors be able to stand on the end of the Stage 2? I'm not sure how much room there is at either end?

[perfectsam]

No, both the HS50M and HS80M are too big to fit properly on the left/right end of the Stage 2.

I know you're not looking for headphones, but just a thing to consider: In my experience, the Stage 2 sounds better through a pair of 100$ headphones than a pair of 300$ monitors. So I'd still consider buying heaadphones for when you're playing for yourself.

[Gustavo]

You could try to get some consumer audio like this Bose Companion 20 Multimedia Speaker Set (don't worry its actually only 2 speakers). This is probably the ultimate solution to get speakers that fit on top of the NS2 88.

I gave my grandfather those for his birthday and they sound excellent. And they do fit the NS2 sides nicely, but only on the 88 version. Since it uses those headphone-like mini jacks, you'd have to get this converter tip and then just a stereo cable like this (probably included in the Bose) and directly connect the headphone out of the NS2 to the Bose.

The bright side about the Bose is that you can also plug in your other things into it effortlessly to listen to CDs or an MP3 player.

Saludos,
Gustavo

[Michael Wright]

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