Hey hey. I've got no idea of what would be good amp & speakers for playing synthesiser. I'd be playing more than just piano / organ / string sounds. I'd be playing like really high pitch and also low pitch. Don't have a clue as to where to start looking for info on what amp & speakers to get. I'll be using for parties / bars / clubs.
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Hullo. I think big speakers are a ...
Hullo.
I think big speakers are a good place to start. This is due to Keys sonic range. Maybe a 15" or 12" defiently some 10"s.
Peavey make pretty reliable gear , tailored for Keys, and value for money. Not particulary "wide" in the EQ department but wont break down every 5 minutes. Reccomending a brand is not very kosher online, money ratio for one, it's trial and error in the shops , bugging fellow players , ask stuudio engerneers etc. Ask around, think of who you like and find out how they settled on their equipment.
I would reccomend Bass Amps over Guitar Amps exclusivley too. You need the wattage and range for your arse end, Guitar Amp won't provide this. Theres nothing worse than a Keys man with no or farty bottom... this ties in with big speakers.
Um, I could go on, email me if you think I make any sense.
I just look at your profile, nice one ...
I just look at your profile, nice one about the work experience
Well... where are you planning on ...
Well... where are you planning on playing these keyboards? Obviously, if you're thinking of gigging, you need something a bit larger than if you would be just playing in your bedroom. I'm also curious about why you are just interested in the speakers. Do you have an amp already?
Oh, sorry... you mentioned looking for ...
Oh, sorry... you mentioned looking for an amp as well. :o)
Anyway, there's lots of stuff out there, and the good news is that it's very rare for a keyboard amp (or any sort of music amp) to break down every five minutes. What sort of budget are you looking at? That's a major factor in choosing something.
Amps do break down, and will do so if ...
Amps do break down, and will do so if you don't run 'em proper like.
Anyone asking for help on this site will need maintainence tips. To not include a heads up on this is irrisponsible. "5mins" may be an overstatement but the amount of Bass Amps I have seen being run just plain wrong is staggering... simple knowledge anfd the gear will run a thousand times better. Some of these schmucks don't know active vs passive or there reletavie inputs. It's frightening.
Never underestimate the consequences of having Price as bust in the buying factor.
Yamaha VX55 Guitar Amp which was not cheap (or cool) has never been to the NZ Service/Warranty
in 20 plus years. This indicates that well built with well educated users lead to gear longevity.
Also that an "obligation" of "$gear" is in learning to look after it.
If ever there was at time for Big_Stu it's now.
//Amps do break down, and will do so if ...
//Amps do break down, and will do so if you don't run 'em proper like.
What... including good ones? ;o)
//but the amount of Bass Amps I have seen being run just plain wrong is staggering... simple knowledge and the gear will run a thousand times better. Some of these schmucks don't know active vs passive or there reletavie inputs. It's frightening.
Well... I don't know if anyone is a "shmuck" simply because they are just starting out :o)
When you refer to "being run just plain wrong" are you referring to plugging your active bass into a passive socket or does it go deeper than that? I'm not being facetious, I'm just curious because the most that's ever happened to me onstage was blowing a fuse on a Fender bassman combo. What horror stories have you experienced? :o)
But I'm sure there's lots of 2nd hand keyboard amps out there? Old Roland cubes? Yamahas? They're probably cheaper than buying new and you get more bang for your buck. Keyboard amps are normally solid state so they're not particularly fragile and will last a very long time. See if you can get something with a largeish (12" or 15") speaker and a tweeter. But a bass amp or even a small PA will do in a pinch, Stay away from guitar amps because they are meant to distort past a certain volume and that will screw up your tinkly piano sounds. But if you're going to do a lot of industrial stuff, a guitar amp MIGHT be ok.
And if you're going to be playing with others, you'll need as much amp as you can get (60W minimum, but have a listen to the amp before you buy it. Wattage doesn't always equal loudness).
A lot of sounds that are great at home (your flutsey, ambiensey patches) usually get drowned out by the rest of the band, esp. the drummer, so you may as well have the most powerful amp you can. But Foal is right. Go to gigs, ask guys about their amps (musos usually enjoy discussing gear) go check out stuff in shops, look for keyboard forums online. Don't be afraid to try stuff out or ask questions.
Thanks heaps. You 2 have been a good ...
Thanks heaps. You 2 have been a good help.
I must admit I have -no- clue as to the whole what wattage is good / what i'll need to play gigs scenario is.
I do want to play with a band and eventually want to do bars / clubs / that sorta shit.
Do you think 60 watts is alright for that? Thank you thank you :)
for monitoring 60W will be pushing it ...
for monitoring 60W will be pushing it depending on where you're positioning things (well, I like it really really loud onstage) .. but uh, won't you be playing with in bars with a PA and monitors anyway?
how many synths are you going to play? it might be worth getting a cheap desk and some reasonable active speaker boxes (ie dB Technologies Opera stuff, or whatever their standard range is these days)..
I practice at home with my $60 Teac 3-way "hi-fi" speakers I got from sallies and a Triumph stereo amp I got for free. (which is my main mixing setup too, sigh.)
For what its worth I really like the ...
For what its worth I really like the Roland Jazz Chorus for keyboards and a lot of other stuff. They're a 120W 2X12" transister amp. They don't have a whole lot of character and are pretty accurate and clean, but I think thats why I like them so much. You'll never run out of power and they're built to last, unllike almost everything else that Roland made.
good luck
my se-201s still going strong after 30 ...
my se-201s still going strong after 30 yrs
yeah, did some work last
yeah, did some work last week with the Keys man running a JCH-120H and it was nice.
clean but not brittle, these highs were accurate not forced.
Not exactly Ass Full, but generally thats my job.