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Anyone used or using the Roland KC880 stereo Keyboard amplifier??
I'm Looking to add a dedicated Keyboard Amp to my rig,the Roland KC880 seems to fit my needs,but there are no shops local to me that I can go to to be able to demo one in person let alone stock them too,the build quality and looks are great,but its the actual sound quality i want to hear before I pull the plug on one.
I currently use an all in one PA solution for live work but the KC880 removes a lot of the hassle being a dedicated solo unit,with the KC i can plug all the stuff into it directly and no need to run cables to speakers or mounting them on stands
There is very little available media which runs through the KC880 model and certainly none which focus on the pros/Cons of this particular Amp
Anyone care to shed any insight/Thought on this particular model Good or bad,interested in others opinions
Last edited by AdamStage2 on 13 Nov 2014, 21:12, edited 2 times in total.
I think the reason you haven't seen much about it -- even though it's been out for a while -- is that it has a reputation that isn't that great with most gigging musicians.
One debate is keyboard amps vs. self-powered PA units. There are fans of both, but -- generally speaking -- the recent trend has been with the latter.
Another factor is weight. This beast is close to 100 pounds! That would be a deal-killer for most people, unless you like Olympic weightlifting. Finally, there are a lot of people who have had poor experiences running acoustic piano sounds through the other KC models. If you want a broader perspective, head over to the Keyboard Corner forum -- plenty of opinions there.
I know you're looking for simplicity, but most of us have resigned to carrying around a low-end mixer for our boards. Maybe it sounds nice to have this built into the amp, but don't go there, you won't be happy!
One exception -- there's a new self-contained stereo amp in the US called the SpaceStation v3 (from Center Point Stereo). I've got one, and it's the first keyboard amp I haven't loathed -- great for B3 w/leslie, or any stereo sound.
cphollis wrote:
Another factor is weight. This beast is close to 100 pounds! That would be a deal-killer for most people, unless you like Olympic weightlifting. Finally, there are a lot of people who have had poor experiences running acoustic piano sounds through the other KC models. If you want a broader perspective, head over to the Keyboard Corner forum -- plenty of opinions there.
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Thanks for the subjective view,this is the main issue I have with this Amp,I'm not too bothered about the weight,its more a desire to reduce setup times and bringing less hardware to the gig so as much as this probably weighs a little more than my current PA,it will remove other bits and pieces that i currently need to bring,but I don't want to sacrifice this over sound quality which is why I so need to demo one in person.
I have heard from other people about Roland amps that they don't do the sound justice,but I suppose what sounds good to one person may not suit another,There are no dealers within a sensible driving distance that i could go to demo these particular amps,many of them simply don't stock them at all, I think the only option is to purchase one that comes with a 30 day money back option incase it doesn't tick all the boxes.
Last edited by AdamStage2 on 14 Nov 2014, 07:59, edited 1 time in total.
The biggest problem with floor speakers is that the audience will not hear the treble. Those high frequencies are lost when something comes between the sound source and the ear. That's why the sound guys always put the treble speakers up high above the heads of the audience, so that everyone can see them.
With that in mind, a keyboard amp might be ok as a monitor or in a rehearsal room, but not as main sound on stage.
If you want something portable, easy to set up and with great sound, you should take a look at those Bose sticks (L1 compact), since they also solve that treble problem. But I guess you still would need two of them to get stereo.
Actually, there are a lot of good choices with self-powered PAs on poles and a small mixer -- something to fit almost every price range, they sound great, they are relatively simple to set up, flexible placement, easy to carry, etc. etc. If I were you, I'd give those a thorough look before moving ahead on a dedicated keyboard amp.
I have a small fleet of different QSC K series that I use, usually in pairs. Also popular: EV ZLX12P and similar, Yamaha DXR series and several others. For the same money as you're considering, you'll end up with far better sound. If I want small and simple stereo, I'm starting to use the aforementioned SpaceStation v3.
BTW, a pair of Bose L1 Model II with bass modules would set you back over $5K here in the US. That's serious money, and there are some wonderful alternatives in that price range.
