I bought the cheapest PA for a keyboard amp
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Stereo keyboard amps are few and far between so a better alternative is to use a pair of PA loudspeakers. I bought the cheapest PA system available for sale on Thomann, and in this video we'll unbox it and test it with a VISCOUNT LEGEND clonewheel organ and KORG NAUTILUS synth and do a review to see if this kind of system makes a great or dismal amplification system for keyboard players.
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THOMANN THE BOX MONITOR SPEAKER
THOMANN T AMP STEREO STUDIO AMPLIFIER
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Cheap? Check.
Well built? Check.
Sound decent? Check.
Good vibrations under your buttocks while sitting on them? Check.
What more do you want, really!
don't waste your time watching the video, this summary is all you need to know.
@Xeraser I just wrote them about the shipping cost. I asked them if they can reduce it. Maybe not, but worth a try. To ship a $335 system to the USA cost $188...that's totally ridiculous. If they can't get the shipping down, I'll go elsewhere
Hhahaha a vibrating sensation on the read end while playing keyboards... priceless!!!
@Xeraser I ended up buying a Crown 2502. Got it at a great price and it is extremely powerful. 440watts per channel @ 8 ohms. Free shipping and no tax. Sells for $659 at Sweetwater. I got it for $539. Gonna pair it with Electro Voice ZLX 15 pa speakers. It's gonna be loud and sound great. I can get the speakers for about $100 cheaper than Sweetwater and free shipping and no tax.
Nice to here the opinion for the need to have stereo for keys, im a drummer and just start to approach to the keys and was wondering why there are so much mono keyspeakers, i. G. from Behringer... Yeah i own two active monitors from the box, also ordered by thomann, and i m happy with this pair for years, also doing partys.... Greetings from Germany 😉👍the price of the amps at this series is also amazing... Lets start a Band...
Is very insteresting for a guy like me from Brazil, a poor country, to read the comments here where you guys can buy these equipaments and consider it cheap. Here they cost the double because of the taxes and we make 1/3 money of you americans and europeans. In USA you work 1 month at Mc Donalds and can buy 2 Yamaha DGX 660, here you have to work 6 months to buy just 1!
yeah, ain't that the truth, thanks for the reality check...
ah yeah i can relate living in Argentina. Apart from the fact its pretty hard to find music stores who import piano amp combos like the ones in the video, or portable pa systems. Every piece of equipment arrives 1 year later, and become barely affordable 2 years after.
Nice! I’ve been thinking about getting a smaller PA too... for some reason that I can’t remember... That organ is looking fiiiine!
i'm surprised you don't already have one! there's some nice sub and sats in the box range that might work well for you...
@@WoodyPianoShack thanks mate. Now I know who to consult 😅 .
The amp has been sold out at Thomann now for a few weeks and will be out for 9 more weeks. Looks like you got a lot of people onto this great bundle.
Clearly a good solution. T Bone stuff (and Harley Benton) is almost always pretty good quality despite the cheaper prices. And Thomann will always replace dodgy ones no questions asked.
Glad this worked out for you.
you can never go wrong with Thomann :)
enjoy your new PA System Woody 💖
Thanks Woody - another interesting vid.
They are great for the money but there was a noticeable difference when I upgraded to much more expensive JBL speakers. I have used a number of 19 inch rack mounted studio amps and feel they benefit with having a 19 rack graphics equaliser in between the keyboard and the amp. Bauhaus do a great vale unit which definitely gets more out of the system
Something i know long time ago... Practicality. I have 12inch passive JBL and 3 in 1 behringer mixer. Easy to carry, easy to setup, and cheap. The only one who can recognise the difference is it cheap or expansive is me 😀.
Cool! Thanks for sharing. I like 15" woofers for keyboards and for a PA, preferably 18" for PA subwoofers.
My PA stuff came from Craigslist over a period of time.
You need a decent PA for practice and small gigs.
I stopped using keyboard amps a long time ago. I use a powered pa speaker or two. I can walk in out out with my keyboard, stand, stool, speaker, and iPad all in one trip. I got tired of carrying around all all that heavy equipment. Once I find the right stereo setup like this it’s a wrap.
Great info Woody, got me thinking now. Time to call - Thomann..... Yeahhh..... CHEARS WOODY. AWESOME AS ALWAYS.....
I use 2 Roland KB 500 keyboard amps that are stereo linked. The sound is great. I do have a QSC GXD 8 4800 watt power amp that we run the vocals through.
You got yourself a great deal there. The least expensive setup that I can come up with just comes in at over $400.00 US. and it is not the best quality. My smallest PA sound system is about $1000.00 and that is just the speakers, speaker wires, and the amp.
I'm a big fan of PA components as keyboard amps. I use a powered speaker for gigging because it was more cost effective and actually more powerful than amps for the cost. Considerably more compact and lighter as well!
What brand of powered speakers dd you buy?
Your knees will enjoy the sound.... Put them on stands :)
i bought these for the tilt up shape! PA speakers on stands looks a bit goofy in a tiny bedroom!
Great video, I am looking at a pair of these speakers for gig monitors. I am sold. Thankyou ... 🙂
Ask yourself is a Hammond B3 a stereo instrument??? NO it isn't.
The Leslie provides what is called a Doppler effect, the sound something coming to up and leaving with a touch of phasing. Classic example is a train coming toward you then passing you There are a few guitar-type pedals that create the Leslie sound IN MONO that you could plug into a small amp. Also on on a Leslie those spinning horns aren't stereo in fact only one horn puts out sound the other is there as a counter weigh for the spinning horns. So Hammond organ is a mono instrument.
thanks for your comment, you're right of course, but i sadly don't have a real hammond, it's a clonewheel with a leslie emulation that needs to be run in stereo to simulate the spinning horn :D
Most venues with sound man do not run in stereo anyway. They provide monitors so all you need is a small mixer to send the signal of multiple keyboards or modules. If they provide stereo, then you just hook up the extra right channel inputs on your mixer and send them the left right low impedance out of your mixer.
Too massive for me. A Roland mobile Cube will do, both at home and at rehearsals.
I wanted to have a flexible system for my keyboard rig. I have used stand alone keyboard amps like the Peavey KB series but found them very heavy and bulky. I wanted something portable, flexible and solid with good sound quality. I went for a Yamaha EMX512 and a pair of whalfdale Titon 12pasive speakers.
I use the system for monitoring at large gigs, use as a pa for smaller gigs and rehearsals. Plus they sound great at lower volumes for home use. I would highly recommend this set up.
KB 300. Och!! you brought back painful memories. Heavy as hell. Constant repairs for buzzing, black widow 15" not at all as good as people say. Dragged them around for years. Glad I gave them up.
Link to products?
How will the speakers compare with the Headrush FRFR 108?
heckuva review. Nice to see how I can get great sound without breaking the bank and using guitar amps, which is what I'm using now. Thanks Woody, you da man!
thanks, i was enjoying the organ through a pair of guitar amps myself :)
Surprised that it's mono, all sound in the natural environment is mono stereo is man created.
I am using rcf evox jmix 8 as pa for keyboard, good thing about this system is built in digital mixer(if you like to sing) that have integrated guitar processor. But it is 4 time the price...
You’ve just discovered the basic live sound rig that most all of us touring keyboard players use on the road, or at least some form of it. The stereo part is actually the most important part, even over wattage. Leslie parts and chorused Rhodes come alive and fill the stage or room. My current setup is 2 powered Mackie Thump 12’s with the built in EQ and it’s awesome!
I do apprx 200 gigs per year, mostly with a 2 or more speaker PA, but maybe 30% with only a mono speaker. And it used to be that I could not live without stereo. Now I never give consideration to it on live gigs. Generally, I find that difference between the speakers on, stage, isn't large enough to make any real difference to the audience. Far more important to play slick stuff.
Actually I don’t need any new keys monitors, but I would love to know what kind of Roland stand you are using in this video? Is it the KS12?
Your parting comment on facing the wall like a stupid penguin .. that's why they invented the keytar? I don't know, self-contained arranger-pianos? Actually, even a standard full upright doesn't leave you with this fate! At least you get to look at the instrument. Our fathers would have the solution instantly - mount one of the 50 inch teles up there and hook it up to some effects like a 60's acid concert. Carry on Woody!
QSC 12.2 for best sound. Why muddy up your sound with cheap stuff?
Thanks for sharing this. Where abouts in Sweden are you? (I'm an Aussie in Göteborg )
There is a brand that I like called Kustom. Very cheap and very high quality. I own few.
Wtf mono? I thought the whole point of the nerdy "no you cant do that" talk was just bc guitar amps are mono and keyboards arent?
Hello sir which speakers is bests for my korg pa4x
I love high bass outputs
I need powerfull bass outputs speakers for my keyboards
Please sir give me some options
Of speakers
Reply me sir
At 1:37 ...Oootch, do let wife messing around with boxes, right Woody, :))
I use a t-bone wireless system for my Roland accordion. Thomman are good value for money.
Edifier S3000 pro is what I use... great sound good solid bass and get reasonably loud and BT for party use too.
Oops... YorkVILLE not YorkDALE. My bad.
Hi, how it works a year later? :) I am thinking about pair of active ones as monitor speakers on a rehearsal room of new rock band we are tryumf to start.
I have 2 old Lem/Gem 150W each active stage monitors. They lie on the floor pointing at me as in a concert. With my keyboard and a passive little mixer the sound is full and clear. I suggest to set your setup like mine, just try....
Thanks!
If you are going to play organ...a volume pedal is critical.
you absolutely are correct, and I'm ashamed not to be using one here, but was more of a speaker test than a jimmy smith performance :)
Hey Woody, I'm about to upgrade and buy a new digital piano (the Studiologic Numa x piano) and I'm looking for a portable small-medium size stereo option pa speaker to pair it with when I want to play for people around me. I don't want a standard 2 monitors setup, I want one speaker that can do a great job. Any suggestions or recommendations? Thank you!
if at home then a pair of monitors is a great solution, but they are not portable or rugged. i don't have any specific recommendation for you, alto brand is popular and value for money, buy a pair of powered pa speakers that are the right size for your needs.
Y’all just want nothing to focus on but the keyboard.
Excellent idea. I don't recognize any of those connectors/connections at the back ,all the leads coming out of my Hammond XK & Roland RD use guitar lead Jacks stereo left&right. What adapters would I need please?
Also ,please can you tell me could I run both my digital piano & digital organ (as stereo) thru this unit at the same time, or would there be an interface or mixer that might facilitate that?
this amp has stereo inputs on normal jack plugs, perhaps it's the speaker connections that you didn't recognise? anyway, for connecting multiple keyboards, mics, guitars etc just use a small mixer before the amp!
I got two Yorkdale (Traynor) C120P monitors - each has an 80w built-in amp with 3 channel EQ for $100 CDN each. I use these with a Mackie Mix-8 mixer which was around $95 CDN. These sound great with both my turntable and my synths.
i used to have something similar, a pair of laney active monitors, very old school, but very nice, sold them, regrettably.
Ah Thomann, I knew it well. My most missed aspect of Brexit.
They still ship. And 99% the price they give for VAT is correct- but there is always the risk now that the courier may calculate differently. But I hear most of the UK shippings have gone OK.
@@arcanics1971 It's not just that, but the courier will also throw a load of extra chargers on top with seemingly no cap.
Why not use two flat PAs for studio monitors?
Mono keyboard amps = huge facepalm
Where did you get the pa system from so I can use it for djinn?
Thanks Woody, very nice presentation as usual. I do believe you are pretty objective even if sponsored. I do appreciate your channel very much, and I love Sweden too. since I lived there in the eighties...
appreciate the comment! nothing sponsored about this video, to be clear :)
🤣🤣🤣so true the staring at a blank wall...
that's a good point, if I turn my rig around it would take up more space which I don't have; because I have to leave room for the bench to slide back and forth....still may give it a go
@@zoomzoom3950 that's in fact the rub; essentially consumes twice the space - particularly when you're not playing - not sure why that's a mystery for Woody..
However, grand pianos are usually placed in the center of the room and they consume even more space. I think I’m going to drag my keyboard into the middle of our livingroom and watch how the rest of my family reacts. Maybe they will like it!
Well, I'd buy the same if it was available in my area.
Well I don't know if they the brand I like in Sweden
At least it's not a Voice-Band Limited PA system (like those used in some schools for announcements)
Hah. Sounds like my PA/“amp”. It has a pair of 4 inch (10 cm) cones and a tweeter/horn. It works OK for ukulele, but it’s rubbish for anything with any bass in it.
The Thoman custom stuff is generally very good! Never really had a problem with those speakers and other stuff
You need some big pliers to make that rackmount straigth again.
thanks, yes, i will probably dismantle it to put the face plate in a vice. excuse to peek inside :)
Very good; in general, keyboard amps seem to be stuck in the past
With all the options, features and price points, a modern powered PA with sub is the way to go; I use mine with my organs, synths, guitars and bass though I still have a few guitar amps around.
edit: I have a powered stereo PA with a sub, which I use for full band, backing tracks to practice with, and as my home music playback system ; and a mono portable linear array system with 2 subs which I use with my instruments; in general I find I prefer the mono sound with sub for my instruments, and I can run stereo out to FOH if needed.
IME
thomann had a 8" sub and 5" satellite system that was calling me, but this pair or 12s worked out cheaper, and gives you some stereo in the bass, i thought you might need that for the rotary sim, not sure at all though! yes, well put, keyboard amps are in the past, but I don't think anybody buys keyboard amps anyway...
@@WoodyPianoShack very good, there are so many modern options with different configurations and price points, the hardest part is deciding on a system!
Cheers!
edit: I'll add, I bought my linear array system several years ago when I was still playing live gigs, and I wanted something flexible, small, and portable; I wasn't playing loud rock, so I wanted a system that would fill a small room but not over power it. If I wasn't playing live gigs, I'd not have spent that kind of money either.
what do you suggest for digital piano for wide sound and rich experience. I want it for untreated room 12*18 feet
for home use, most people are using a pair of active studio monitors, yamaha, genelec, krk are good brands.
I used to build my own. 100W is way over-kill for a room. 2kW is rock concert stuff.
I agree, but we keyboardists are expected to have boatloads of headroom with any amplifaication, including PAs and individual keyboard rigs.
I often do stroll gigs with a 40w battery powered amp. Both keyboard stand and amp fit on a dolly so I can stroll around.. And those gigs pay the same as dragging my 2k watt PA (without the powered 18" subs) out of my van. My battery powered Yamaha keyboard, that I stroll with, cost less than 300$.
Is this a stereo Pa head or a two channel head that you have the left and right keyboard output running to separate channels creating the left / right stereo split?
stereo out from the keyboard into stereo line ins on the amp, and stereo to the speakers, that was the whole point of this setup
Why Not the activbox?
Less is more. 🎹
I was able to pick up a 250 watt Phonic P A head and 2 E V Force speakers for $300 used. The seller even threw in a AKG mic for "free". I say free cause it quit working within a week. No big deal cause I use and have a few Shure mics. Haven't really tried my keyboards or electric drumset through it yet. My speakers are 15 " and on stands putting them in the air not on the floor.
I've been using a Yamaha EX-5 synth with two Roland KC-500 amps for many years. One amp going to the right channel and the other to the left out of the EX-5s stereo output. It is a lot of weight to lug around but the sound is awesome. I see used Roland KC-500 and 300 amps on Craig's List often so they are worth picking up. These amps can also double as PA speakers and do a great job.
very helpful
A bit late, but I always thought that Roland has a stereo keyboard amp kc 990 I believe. I have the kc500 and they are built like a tank, probably why they come on wheels. But now in 2023 I would go for a very light battery driven keyboard, connected to a powerful portable speaker. There is no technical reason anymore to lug around heavy gear that isolates you in your room, looking at the wall. Both Roland and Yamaha have clone wheels that fit on your lap.
Woody, for the organ, you should just place the speakers behind you, just like a Lesley. Personally, I’d make a cab for the two 12” for under the keyboard just as a stage Rhodes. But a fine video, highlighting the absolute lack of thought keyboard companies put into getting sound out of their products.
hi dara, would you normally put a leslie behind you? But i'm open to all suggestions and willing to experiment! +1 on your other comment.
@@WoodyPianoShack yes mate, stage wise. Georgie Fame setup.
@@DaraM73 ah yeah, you're right.
Some suggestions for a 2 keyboard set up Yamaha mx49 and Roland Vr09, tried many different set ups over the years, Keyboard amps Stereo and or mono, tried mixers as well, but am thinking of Bose L1 compact system??
Oh, I have one of these! Really robust and the sound and loudness is good enough for a small crowd.
really? and you never told me about it? the speaker or the amp? why would you want one speaker, so i guess the amp!
Im impressed with your setup. Are there links to your components? Thanks in advance. 🎹😊
Good choice. I bought a set of Kustom wedges with built in 50 watts for $89 each and have loved them for use with my video projector. They are built of wood and don't have sympathetic vibrations either. But they do have 10 inch woofers instead of 12. But no hassle with the additional wires and amp to hook up. I think they go for 99 now. But I do like the system you chose, just don't like the extra parts needed when the amps not built in. I'm guessing yours is louder. But good choice and they seem to sound good from what I can tell. It's amazing how good some of the "cheap" stuff is now. Modern tech is amazing. I go all the way back to the early 60's when my first band had a 100 watt Bogen amp that had two inputs that your hi-impedence mikes screwed (yes, screwed) into. We had two 12" speakers that we built enclosures for. It worked but only had volume controls for the mikes, no EQ. But it worked and oh did we have fun playing live music together. I've been doing it ever since. Finally formed a band in the 70's that had 8 - 1208's (I think Altec Lansing made them. Huge! and extremely efficient due to their size.) and bi-amped with Macintosh 2100 and 2300 amps. That PA was a monster.
Thanks. I didn't know about this company and their products until seeing this video. Thanks!
Your system would not be suitable to run any more than what you have there. You will burn up your amp. You should keep your amp out in the open. You wanted one that didn’t have the cooling fan so you need to make sure air can pass through the top and bottom of the amp’s chassis. Don’t expect to hear much, if any, of a stereo split. With only approximately 3 ft distance between speakers you won’t hear much separation. Stacked in the corner you won’t get any.
When you are in a band you do not want to have that much bass from any keyboard. The engineer reserves that frequencies for kick and bass.
Yes, we keyboardists know to reserve bass for others, but we want to play in every octave on occasion, including on original work.
Keyboards can play bass too.
@@benjamingaray5660 yes they can, but it is common use for the soundguy to cut keys below 100 Hz to make room in the frequency spectrum for the kick and bass.
@@a.dejager7062 He is the bass in this scenario. What you're saying applies to almost any instrument depending on how they're orchestrated and what instruments accompanies them. You dont always have to make music in a typical band scenario.
I normally do 1 to 3 gigs a day and I don't find much use for stereo on live gigs.
I agree totally with your comment. I used to use various stereo set-ups. A pair of Bose Compacts, Yamaha etc. I now use either a single Bose Compact or a single Bose model 2. Nobody at my regular venues noticed any difference when I went to mono output. Using stereo output is, in my opinion, very much overated. Sound quality is essential but stereo is not.
Can you please recommend me a great portable small-medium size great sounding amp/pa/speaker to use with a digital piano? Under $500
For small crowds. (I'll be using it with a new (Studiologic Numa x piano 73)
@@Elazarko At $500 Id go for the EV. But $500 is like the average price for a decent 12" powered speaker.
I play my v accordion with headphones and it's not the best way to enjoy the sound but my wife disagrees.
They are very similar to the Fenton CSB12 which has a built in amp. Nice video
Hi Woody. I hzve a question in your video with the logitech z623 multi media set up ,what cables did you use from the logitech z623 to the synthesizer. Sorry iam a beginner.
Regards Lee.
oh wow, was a long time ago. you probably need a pair of cables for stereo, 1/4" jack plug on one end and phono connectors on the other, but you'll have to check what type of inputs your logi has!
@Woody Piano Shack Thanks very much for your quick reply I will try your suggestion I think I know what you mean red and white rca into the logitech z623 and 1/4 into the synthesizer. I'll let you know the outcome.
Keep up the Great work you do on TH-cam, it's always interesting. 👌
First ...
My studio monitors are from Studiospares, SN10's (passive) their bigger version of the Yamaha NS10 of course. Had them over 10 years, can go really loud with good bass response driven by a Sony hi fi amp which is almost 30 years old. Whatever gets the job done for every budget.
Mount an aluminum l bracket on to one of the speakers and attach the amp to it with 2 screws. Of course you have to drill and tap the aluminum bracket.
How about a pair of monitor speakers on the cheap?
i wanted something more rugged, that could double as a small PA in the future!
I wouldn't be surprised. As long as you got the right specs on it. You're good.
Roland BA330 does this with one powered speaker
So left to one speaker and right to the other?
well l/r from keys to amp, and l/r from amp to speakers
@@WoodyPianoShack Sorry should have been more clear; are you just sending L to one speaker (from the amp) and just R to the other? Or is it a summed stereo signal going to both? I just bought a Hammond M-Solo (here soon!!!) and was planning on getting a single powered PA speaker as an amp with my band, but have read on some forums that stacking 2 PA speakers (even if they're a bit smaller) would sound better with clonewheels since you get stereo and stacking (which puts a tweeter up high) can even (sort of) "mimic" a leslie?
This had me thinking, what if you set these back to back and set the sound to pan left to right, might sound like a budget Leslie! I’ll try it out later.
give it a shot, i found that a 90 degree angle was best, otherwise you don't really hear the speaker facing away.
@@WoodyPianoShack Tried it out with bottom barrel studio monitors and I’m quite surprised with the result. Flo with speakers in opposite directions sounded better than the emulation in my motif es. I’ve never heard one in person though so I’m just going from recordings which if recorded in mono wouldn’t really capture the difference between the half rotation on the left and the one on the right anyway so the sound gradually panning between towards and away is a decent approximation I assume.
90 degrees still worked but made the effect less noticeable.
Now that I think about it, if I layer that patch and set the lfo on the second patch to half the speed for a second pair of speakers maybe I can get some left to right action.
@@TheGrelots Experiment to taste with amp placement. :)
@@TheGrelots Experiment to taste with amp placement. :)
👍👍👍
Life is compromise; the art is in choosing. Totally support your choice, nowadays more than ever you can absolutely get good performance on a budget. I'm also a passive speaker fan, for the control it grants with different setups and ease of troubleshooting. My amps are Behringer and I frankly never cared about snobs and brand recognition. If you need that kind of validation, you need more confidence. I built all my speakers myself, because I really enjoy tinkering. While they may cost more than a turnkey solution (buying the right individual parts is expensive) working on them was certainly therapeutic and the resulting feeling of accomplishment was absolutely worth it, especially when I get asked what brand they are. My setup is more than capable of hosting outdoor events up to 1000 participants, but I also enjoy playing my Genos on a stereo pair + sub. It's not about volume, I only need a few watts in my home - it's about the quality that you get with a good set of 12" or 15" woofers and nice tweeters.
i used to enjoy building PA and hi-fi speakers back in the 80s! great post, thanks!
Hi Woody! I just purchased Yamaha MG12XU mixer and going to buy Roland KC-600 Keyboard Amp. Can you plz suggest me is KC 600 is good option for live singing and keyboard playing or should I go for PA speakers? Thanks
i've never tried the kc, but most people would recommend a PA for keys & vocals, including me.
@@WoodyPianoShack Thanks for reply! Your suggestion/recommendation words are final to me.
Can't do keyboard without eq
Enjoyed your review Woody! I bought a Space Station 3 stereo speaker from center point stereo! True stereo sound..fills up the room with sound and don,Don, regret it!...Jerry S.
i bet that sounds great, was eyeing one up myself, but they are a bit too expensive in my country.
Thomann are excellent! Fast delivery... I own 2 × t amp E-800. Great performance! You should buy a nice little mixer though! A Behringer Xenyx 802 with effects built in, better control over sound .
yeah, probably will add that when I want to connect my phone at same time for playalngs!
I use a powered Alto TS312. Cost me $299. US. Plenty of volume and good sound. Can go stereo for another $299. Works at home and at gig. Also available as PA if needed.
was looking at that exact same model don, but cheaped out!
I keep looking around for alternatives of how to amp my Keyboards. I have been gigging for years and I have never been happy with single speaker keyboard amps, but I do use one for smaller gigs - because lumping gear around is hard work and I'm getting older.
I use a pair of very heavy old wooden boxed 12" woofer and horn tweeter speakers, and a big old slave head am (200 W RMS per channel) This has never been turned up eyon 6 at any gig I have done (up to 300 people) and I have been audible - but I sometimes sit on a speaker of I have a loud guitarist - so I can hear/feel myself. Oh, and by the way, this equipment is more than 20 years old.
I often look for smaller solutions (I came across your video because I had a big gig at the weekend and once again I am thinking, "there must be a better way?" But no, I keep coming back to good old fhasioned simple gear. I regualrly gig with 2 or 3 keyboards which I put through a mixer: Main outs to my slave amp and speaker, sub mix outs to fron-of-house if required.
Yes, super flexible - proper stereo sound - no danger of being drowned out by an over-enthusiastic guitarist.
... but a lot of heavy stuff to carry around and it takes me the best part of an hour to set up.
I have tried those "tweeter sticks" with sub-woofer at the bottom (very famous brand). Actually they don't sound that great (especially outdoors). They just don't shift enough air. The are hard to set up for a decent clean sound - too many automated sound options for plugging in a mobile phone and compensating for the lack of bit-depth in input signal. To get a flat un-processed sound (suitable for my keyboards to make all the character of the sound) is an effort to get right. And they take a fair bit of setting up too - and they're a bit fragile (made of plastic) - they are not happy being knocked around in the back of a car alongside keyboards in thei cases.
So I am still looking - thanks for your review, it just helps confirm I'll be humping my old heavy gear around for a good few years to come.
good luck with your quest! we are really spoiled for choice, with great value options these days.
Not much cooling air will flow if you have the amp vertically positioned, just saying ; )
right! that occurred to me, but it doesn't even get warm so should be fine...
12:00 That speaker stack is a pretty interesting idea. Like a poor man's Leslie. I wouldn't be surprised if that could make many digital rotary effects come to life in a whole different way. Especially if you can adjust parameters in the effect like mic distance and stereo spread to match such a speaker setup.
Suggestion to enhance sound for your many keyboards - add a good quality preamp with separate bass and treble
controls giving 12db of dialable boost or cut. That will fatten up bass, tweak treble for the room. 12 band equalizers chop up and change the sound too much, old school bass and treble controls are better. And someday, add either a
2500 us dollar leslie 3300, heavy but portable, in black vinyl finish and wheels, or a used Motion Sound Pro 3x mechanical rotor horn (from ebay) for one channel (it only, but effectively, projects mid and high frequencies, not bass.). Also, get some decent recording mics for future instrument mic'ed demos. The sound on this demo is terrible, no bass, no treble definition.
yeah, the sound quality is due to microphones, not the system, no worries there, and, hope one day to get in a real rotary!
Oh no Woody! You are all "BOX'ed" in...hahaha.
Great evaluation Woody. And I agree that the plastic monitors do rumble, buzz, and vibrate more often then those built out of wood. I also punish myself by facing my keyboard up against a concrete wall and tell myself, take that pilgrim...haha. But for my bass and guitar next to me, I play looking outside a large window as this is where my DAW if facing. Go figure...lol! I had no idea you were living in Sweden as your accent is British thinking you were in the UK. Either way, that's awesome. Loving your videos Woody and I am so happy for you that you bought a great semi sound reinforcement set up that is pleasing to your ears. Not sure about your wife's ears I assume though hahaha. There are many speaker and amp combinations for such purposes that are cheap. And I stress cheap as in cheaply built and sounding. I think you aquired yourself a great buy Woody. Congrats on your meticulously thought out purchase. As far as your amp falling and damaged, you can always say it was a drop in price...lol.
thanks for the thoughtful comment, i only wish i'd filmed a comedy segment at the end with me playing guitar facing 1 foot away from a wall. missed a trick there.
Hi Woody. I am new to this game so forgive the naivety of my two questions here. I have watched your video and trust your judgment so I intend to copy your Thomann order to the letter. Firstly could you please list the components you ordered from Thomann? I've watched the video and managed to work out the part numbers for the amp (the t.amp S-75 MK II) and the speakers (the box PA M 12 ECO MKII x2). I noticed that there were also approximately four leads in the outer box. Could you please give out part numbers for these too? My second question is this. Would this set up work to amplify my entry level electronic drum kit for the purposes of jamming in a garage with friends? ie would it be able to handle the range from pedal drum to cymbals? Oh sorry. I've just thought of a third question. Would I need one amp and two speakers for the drums and another set of one amp and two speakers for the keyboards? Thanks.
2x the box PA M 12 ECO MKII
the box PA M 12 ECO MKII, Passiver Monitor, 12" und 3" Hochtöner, 65Hz - 15kHz, 113 dB SPL Max, 8Ohm, 140/560W RMS/PEAK, 90 x 90°, 6,3mm Klinken/Speaker Twist Kombi-Anschluss-Buchsen, 36 mm Hochständer Flanschbuchse, Abmessungen 361 x 365 x 500mm, Gewicht 12,5Kg, passende Schutzhülle (nicht im Lieferumfang enthalten) erhältlich unter Artikelnummer: 243785
Artiklenummer 223283 · Pris per enhet 739,00 SEK 1 478,00 SEK
pro snake TPI-Twin 1.5 1x pro snake TPI-Twin 1.5
pro snake TPI-Twin 1.5, professionelles Instrumenten Zwillingskabel, 2x 6,3 mm Klinke male > 2x 6,3 mm Klinke male, schwarze Klinke Stecker mit vergoldeten Kontakten, Kabeldurchmesser 2x 0,4mm², schwarz, Länge 1,5m, inkl. Klett-Kabelbinder
Artiklenummer 436608 69,00 SEK
pro snake TPI-Twin 3.0 1x pro snake TPI-Twin 3.0
pro snake TPI-Twin 3.0, professionelles Instrumenten Zwillingskabel, 2x 6,3 mm Klinke male > 2x 6,3 mm Klinke male, schwarze Klinke Stecker mit vergoldeten Kontakten, Kabeldurchmesser 2x 0,4mm², schwarz, Länge 3,0m, inkl. Klett-Kabelbinder
Artiklenummer 436609 79,00 SEK
pro snake TPI-Twin 6.0 1x pro snake TPI-Twin 6.0
pro snake TPI-Twin 6.0, professionelles Instrumenten Zwillingskabel, 2x 6,3 mm Klinke male > 2x 6,3 mm Klinke male, schwarze Klinke Stecker mit vergoldeten Kontakten, Kabeldurchmesser 2x 0,4mm², schwarz, Länge 6,0m, inkl. Klett-Kabelbinder
Artiklenummer 436610 88,00 SEK
Fun Generation SPK 5 2x Fun Generation SPK 5
Fun Generation SPK 5, SPK - SPK Lautsprecher Kabel mit Rean (a brand of Neutrik) Steckern, 2x 1,5mm², Klettband Kabelbinder, Länge 5m
Artiklenummer 394101 · Pris per enhet 99,00 SEK 198,00 SEK
the t.amp S-75 MK II 1x the t.amp S-75 MK II
the t.amp S-75 MK II Endstufe, 2x 75 Watt an 4Ohm, 2x 45 Watt an 8 Ohm, Sym. Inputs mit XLR u. Klinke, Brückenbetrieb möglich, Speaker Twist und Klemmanschlüsse für Speaker Out, alle Schutzschaltungen incl. Softstart, Eingangsempfindlichkeit von 0,775Vrms auf 1,4Vrms um- bzw. auf 26dB Gain schaltbar, Dämpfungsfaktor größer 150, ohne Lüfter; 1 HE, 33cm Tiefe, 7,5kg Gewicht
and, would make a fantastic drum amp, imho! and no, use the same amp & speakers for all instruments, but connect a small mixing desk before the power amp, and hook the instruments to the mixer.
I have always had good service from Thomann, not sure how Brexit will change things. I use a pair of Turbosound Milan10 which I bought for £400....460 Euro. They are fantastic, sound great at low level and will also do for a room of 200 people. I totally agree that a sub and two "satellites" are not as good as a good stereo pair. Cheers!
thanks for confirming this, i'd love to compare with 2.1 system some day.
I love the latest posts related to Viscount organ, I bought Solo Legend in the beginning of this year to take seriously playing some blues and rock this year. Now I thinking of the sound system. However, I am considering more a guitar amp, at the moment thinking of Roland JC-22 due to stereo inputs and two independent audio paths, amps and speakers inside, however, I cannot find a single example of this in the whole Internet. But I’ve heard of some nasty results from combining regular mono Marshall amp and B3… wouldn’t be so devoted to the stereo system, some Leslie simulations are exploiting this using stereo, but I also just love the punchy badass character of playing keys though amps. What do you think?
congrats on your solo, i was playing the legend through a pair of guitar amps, not even the same ones, before hooking up the pa. it actually sounded fine, plenty of bass through the 8" and 10" speakers! i was not aware of the stereo, very interesting choice and perfect if you also play guitar, i bet a rhodes patch would sound good through that too. let us know how it works out!
Good video.
The only thing with this setup is you have no pre-amp control, so you can't tweak the EQ settings to give you the best sound for the room.
I have a setup I've been using for the pass 15 year and I went for the most flexible, portable and price friendly.
I am a gigging musician and need a system that will cover all situations from practicing at home to full blown gigs. I went for a Yamaha powered mixer that gives me the power and flexibility for using more than one keyboard and if needed microphones aswell. Speakers a went for a pair of Whalfdale Titan 12 pa speakers. They are compact and lightweight but can handle hight volume if I'm playing in a band with a drummer. Have two speakers means in a live situations I can have a speaker near me and one across the stage for the drummer to hear. Then a line output goes to front of house p.a. I find this system great and it works for me. I play a Roland Fantom and a Korg Karma so it takes all sorts of sounds.
I would be interested if you maybe do a review on the column speakers like the Bose, JBL or the Thomman versions and how they handle a keyboard as most reviews seem to be vocal and acoustic guitar
yeah, with my setup you could compliment with mixer before the amp for more inputs and fx! i'd love to check the speakers you mention, not in my plans, but I do have another interesting purchase which is pa related to share soon.
I have seen good reviews for the Roland Jazz Chorus amp used as a keyboard amp, especially for Fender Rhodes piano. They are stereo amps but I don't know how they would work with piano or organ.
would love to try one, will ask roland next time we chat!