Acus One-5 Wood Amp for keyboard?

[Dextroze]

Hello,

 

I'm a french jazz pianist, and i'm starting to get gigs with keyboards... The fact is that I'm not very happy with my Yamaha DXR10, especially for the piano sounds... It sounds like a box

 

A friend told me that this Acus One-5 Wood was very good.

 

Do you know it ? Or maybe you have good ideas ?

I need something that can me moved easily since I will do this in Paris without a car

 

Thanks a lot guys and girls !!

[TommyRude]

 

I can't attest to it's quality and/or how well it handles keyboard sound reinforcement, but it looks cool!

 

[Dextroze]

Ahahaha

[Reezekeys]

It does look nice and it's light! I checked it out online a little. It's marketed as an "acoustic guitar amp." It's rated at 50 watts (bi-amped: 40 + 10). From specs alone I would not consider this a good amp for a keyboard then again I don't know how loud you need to be at your gigs. Do you do gigs with drums where things can get loud? I don't think this amp would do very well in that situation.

 

I know I'm gonna be starting some s^&t here but my opinion is that the "boxy" sound you hear is from hearing your piano collapsed to mono, coming out of a single speaker. (You write "my Yamaha DXR10" which suggests singular, not plural). The Yamaha has 700 watts of power. Whether that's peak or not, I'm betting it has a lot more headroom than the Acus. If you play with a lot of dynamics that's a real benefit.

 

So, I would go with two small powered speakers, placed in back of you on either side. That's what I do (so it has to be the right way, ha ha!). Seriously, I do a lot of jazz gigs and really enjoy the piano sound being "around" me - no boxyness! Then again, I have a car! There are a few lighter active speakers than the DXR10, with good power, and I'm sure everybody on this forum will recommend the ones that they use personally. Good luck.

[Al Coda]

Ahahaha

 

When you´re sonically not satisfied w/ a Yammi DXR10 (for your RD-800), don´t think about ANY amp w/ 5" woofer for electronic keyboards.

This amp is for acoustic guitar´s pickups.

I guess, already the input impedance is wrong for a DP offering line level outputs, balanced or unbalanced.

 

I know, very portable gear is tempting when living in a metropole, but you can´t change the physics.

 

For minimum transport problems and best sound quality, go w/ good in-ear monitoring for yourself and leave the amplification for the public to the house PA.

 

A.C.

 

[Jamie Finstad]

This looks very familiar to this - Godin Acoustic Guitar Amp which is an acoustic guitar amp. I have the smaller 75w version. It sounds great for acoustic guitar - I can't image it being any good for acoustic piano sounds.

 

Jamie

 

[Doerfler]

The fact is that I'm not very happy with my Yamaha DXR10, especially for the piano sounds...

 

Yamaha DXR 10 is a very nice speaker. What is the source of your piano sound?

[Reezekeys]

Yamaha DXR 10 is a very nice speaker. What is the source of your piano sound?

I wondered that myself... then I saw his sig... :-)

 

[edit ... which led me to his youtube. NICE!!]

[Dave Ferris]

Hi Dexter, I recall your posts from some time ago. Most importantly, your video sure sounds good ! Piano + bass & drums all sound great recorded and really excellent playing by everyone. You're extremely clean, inventive and fluid with your two hand linear/pattern playing. You should really be proud of that video.

 

A speaker for electronic keyboard - when you're at the level you're at , nothing will really make you happy but a real piano.

 

But I certainly feel and share your pain on the boxy sound. Even though it wasn't for me, you could try the Space Station amp (if it's available over in France) and see if it's satisfactory. That would be my primary recommendation considering you mentioned "no car".

 

The other option would be try to get a small pair of 8" full range powered speakers and run stereo , even though it's more of a major hassle. That will help things along. A good option could be the EV-ZXA1s. They're not real expensive, they're lightweight and you can run direct into them , like I'm assuming you do with your Yamaha.

 

There's no mono amp, no matter how clean the tone , that will give you satisfaction for your Roland keyboard if you're purpose is to best emulate an acoustic piano- especially in a more detailed and critical acoustic jazz setting. Perhaps a pair of those amps you posted might work going stereo. Although I'd wonder about how full bodied a sound you'd get for the RD800 with even a pair of those amps with a 5" woofer though.

 

Or you could go to a more high definition / high fidelity powered speaker then the Yamaha like the RCF TT08A. They are pricey though. You would also need a pre-amp source with that , so another piece to hook up and cart around. Not really practical on mass transit.

 

Good luck, no easy solution. With each passing year, my hate grows for messing with electronic keyboards.

[J. Dan]

A little OT, but this comes up enough that a while ago I came up with a "money no object" design to fit most of the needs of the discerning piano guys in here. Of course, without actually building and testing a prototype, there's no way to know if it would actually sound as good as I looks on paper. And at about $4000 in parts for a complete system (not counting any design time, labor, or profit), the risk of doing a prototype isn't worth the cost for me.

 

But let me go ahead and share my fantasy....... It would be sort of a sub/satellite arrangement where the satellites latch to the sub to carry a single module in transport. Amp/mixer built into the sub, 2 speakon cables (4-pole each) go to the pair of satellites. Satellites could be used as wedge, mounted on mic stands, or potentially rigged to the sides of a keyboard stand. Satellites utilize a large ribbon tweeter loaded in a waveguide and dual 6.5" mid bass in a D'Apolito arrangement (driver spacing and crossover frequency selected for even off-axis response across a wide range). Sub module is dual 12" with 6 mono channel mixer (3 stereo, or any combination.....I.e 2 stereo keyboards, mono vocal, mono monitor mix). Each channel has transformer isolated DI out as well as the mix (mono or stereo). Stereo RCA also included for practice. System response 42Hz-40kHz, though I'd probably just go ahead and filter anything above 18kHz. 5 individual amp sections - 1 sub, 2 mid bass, 2 ribbons. Active crossover and DSP for dynamic EQ, time alignment, and limiting. About 129dB Max SPL (both channels driven) mostly full range though might have to attenuate a bit below 55Hz or so depending on how much low end distortion is acceptable. Haven't added up the weight since some information needed is unavailable, the ribbons are kind of heavy, but neo magnets on the rest and class D amps keep the rest of the weight down. Don't know if I have the ability to do any kind of plastic molded enclosures. Carbon fiber would be awesome, but add even more cost. So the idea would be that the bass module either goes behind you or under your keys, and the satellites go either to the sides, or up on stands or mounted to your keyboard stand at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Almost $1000 of that whole cost is the ribbons. But they handle 140 watts and have a 102dB SPL 1w/1m in their waveguide.

[Dextroze]

It does look nice and it's light! I checked it out online a little. It's marketed as an "acoustic guitar amp." It's rated at 50 watts (bi-amped: 40 + 10). From specs alone I would not consider this a good amp for a keyboard then again I don't know how loud you need to be at your gigs. Do you do gigs with drums where things can get loud? I don't think this amp would do very well in that situation.

 

I know I'm gonna be starting some s^&t here but my opinion is that the "boxy" sound you hear is from hearing your piano collapsed to mono, coming out of a single speaker. (You write "my Yamaha DXR10" which suggests singular, not plural). The Yamaha has 700 watts of power. Whether that's peak or not, I'm betting it has a lot more headroom than the Acus. If you play with a lot of dynamics that's a real benefit.

 

So, I would go with two small powered speakers, placed in back of you on either side. That's what I do (so it has to be the right way, ha ha!). Seriously, I do a lot of jazz gigs and really enjoy the piano sound being "around" me - no boxyness! Then again, I have a car! There are a few lighter active speakers than the DXR10, with good power, and I'm sure everybody on this forum will recommend the ones that they use personally. Good luck.

 

Very nice answer thank you sir !!

Wich amps do you use ?

 

Thank you

[Dextroze]

Ahahaha

 

When you´re sonically not satisfied w/ a Yammi DXR10 (for your RD-800), don´t think about ANY amp w/ 5" woofer for electronic keyboards.

This amp is for acoustic guitar´s pickups.

I guess, already the input impedance is wrong for a DP offering line level outputs, balanced or unbalanced.

 

I know, very portable gear is tempting when living in a metropole, but you can´t change the physics.

 

For minimum transport problems and best sound quality, go w/ good in-ear monitoring for yourself and leave the amplification for the public to the house PA.

 

A.C.

 

Thanks, what kind of good in-ear monitoring should I take ? And two I guess ?

[Dextroze]

Hi Dexter, I recall your posts from some time ago. Most importantly, your video sure sounds good ! Piano + bass & drums all sound great recorded and really excellent playing by everyone. You're extremely clean, inventive and fluid with your two hand linear/pattern playing. You should really be proud of that video.

 

A speaker for electronic keyboard - when you're at the level you're at , nothing will really make you happy but a real piano.

 

But I certainly feel and share your pain on the boxy sound. Even though it wasn't for me, you could try the Space Station amp (if it's available over in France) and see if it's satisfactory. That would be my primary recommendation considering you mentioned "no car".

 

The other option would be try to get a small pair of 8" full range powered speakers and run stereo , even though it's more of a major hassle. That will help things along. A good option could be the EV-ZXA1s. They're not real expensive, they're lightweight and you can run direct into them , like I'm assuming you do with your Yamaha.

 

There's no mono amp, no matter how clean the tone , that will give you satisfaction for your Roland keyboard if you're purpose is to best emulate an acoustic piano- especially in a more detailed and critical acoustic jazz setting. Perhaps a pair of those amps you posted might work going stereo. Although I'd wonder about how full bodied a sound you'd get for the RD800 with even a pair of those amps with a 5" woofer though.

 

Or you could go to a more high definition / high fidelity powered speaker then the Yamaha like the RCF TT08A. They are pricey though. You would also need a pre-amp source with that , so another piece to hook up and cart around. Not really practical on mass transit.

 

Good luck, no easy solution. With each passing year, my hate grows for messing with electronic keyboards.

 

Wow thanks for the compliment Dave... Coming from you I'm very happy

 

Thank you for these advices I'm going to check all this !

[Dextroze]

A little OT, but this comes up enough that a while ago I came up with a "money no object" design to fit most of the needs of the discerning piano guys in here. Of course, without actually building and testing a prototype, there's no way to know if it would actually sound as good as I looks on paper. And at about $4000 in parts for a complete system (not counting any design time, labor, or profit), the risk of doing a prototype isn't worth the cost for me.

 

But let me go ahead and share my fantasy....... It would be sort of a sub/satellite arrangement where the satellites latch to the sub to carry a single module in transport. Amp/mixer built into the sub, 2 speakon cables (4-pole each) go to the pair of satellites. Satellites could be used as wedge, mounted on mic stands, or potentially rigged to the sides of a keyboard stand. Satellites utilize a large ribbon tweeter loaded in a waveguide and dual 6.5" mid bass in a D'Apolito arrangement (driver spacing and crossover frequency selected for even off-axis response across a wide range). Sub module is dual 12" with 6 mono channel mixer (3 stereo, or any combination.....I.e 2 stereo keyboards, mono vocal, mono monitor mix). Each channel has transformer isolated DI out as well as the mix (mono or stereo). Stereo RCA also included for practice. System response 42Hz-40kHz, though I'd probably just go ahead and filter anything above 18kHz. 5 individual amp sections - 1 sub, 2 mid bass, 2 ribbons. Active crossover and DSP for dynamic EQ, time alignment, and limiting. About 129dB Max SPL (both channels driven) mostly full range though might have to attenuate a bit below 55Hz or so depending on how much low end distortion is acceptable. Haven't added up the weight since some information needed is unavailable, the ribbons are kind of heavy, but neo magnets on the rest and class D amps keep the rest of the weight down. Don't know if I have the ability to do any kind of plastic molded enclosures. Carbon fiber would be awesome, but add even more cost. So the idea would be that the bass module either goes behind you or under your keys, and the satellites go either to the sides, or up on stands or mounted to your keyboard stand at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Almost $1000 of that whole cost is the ribbons. But they handle 140 watts and have a 102dB SPL 1w/1m in their waveguide.

 

Ahaha thank you

I think this is impossible for me to achieve something like that, I even have trouble understanding what you're talking about (maybe also because my english is not perfect).

Anyway thanks for the advice, I will try to understand it better.

[rockinroller]

I have the DXR12 for keyboard performing and it represents the best live output of sound I've ever had (and I've tried a LOT). I think your issue with the "sounds like a box" characteristic isn't so much the Yamaha but rather the fact that you probably need a mixer between your keyboard and the speaker, to allow more control over the EQ'ing of your tones. I have a 4 EQ small mixer (Samson) that allows me to effectively shape the tone coming from my keyboards before it hits the speaker for output. The DXRs don't have a lot of shaping other than contour and general settings, in and of themselves. A mixer between the keyboard and the speaker would eliminate your colorless output.

[Reezekeys]

Or you could go to a more high definition / high fidelity powered speaker then the Yamaha like the RCF TT08A. They are pricey though. You would also need a pre-amp source with that , so another piece to hook up and cart around.

I saw an RCF web page that listed the TT08As as discontinued but I see them on sale at Thomann for 1350 ($1485 today). Get 'em while you can, I guess.

 

They appear to have a few new speakers. ART 708-A. looks like $1200 here in the USA. And a cheaper line - the "D line", with a 10" (675, $743 today) and two 12" boxes. All these newer speakers are composite cabinets. I'm guessing they want to compete with EV/JBL/QSC/etc.

 

Are you saying you need a preamp for tone-shaping? Or do the TT08s not have enough gain to get good volume with a direct connection to a typical keyboard's output?

 

[Reezekeys]

I think your issue with the "sounds like a box" characteristic isn't so much the Yamaha but rather the fact that you probably need a mixer between your keyboard and the speaker, to allow more control over the EQ'ing of your tones.

The RD800 has built-in 5-band EQ. It's not the eq that makes it sound boxy - IMO of course.

[Reezekeys]

It does look nice and it's light! I checked it out online a little. It's marketed as an "acoustic guitar amp." It's rated at 50 watts (bi-amped: 40 + 10). From specs alone I would not consider this a good amp for a keyboard then again I don't know how loud you need to be at your gigs. Do you do gigs with drums where things can get loud? I don't think this amp would do very well in that situation.

 

I know I'm gonna be starting some s^&t here but my opinion is that the "boxy" sound you hear is from hearing your piano collapsed to mono, coming out of a single speaker. (You write "my Yamaha DXR10" which suggests singular, not plural). The Yamaha has 700 watts of power. Whether that's peak or not, I'm betting it has a lot more headroom than the Acus. If you play with a lot of dynamics that's a real benefit.

 

So, I would go with two small powered speakers, placed in back of you on either side. That's what I do (so it has to be the right way, ha ha!). Seriously, I do a lot of jazz gigs and really enjoy the piano sound being "around" me - no boxyness! Then again, I have a car! There are a few lighter active speakers than the DXR10, with good power, and I'm sure everybody on this forum will recommend the ones that they use personally. Good luck.

 

Very nice answer thank you sir !!

Wich amps do you use ?

 

Thank you

Dexter, I use QSC K8 speakers. I bought them around seven years ago, they were the first (well, the first *I* knew) active speakers with DSP. I love mine but there are other options today - cheaper and lighter. I would second Dave Ferris's recommendations for the EV speakers - they are very light (<9kg) and have good power. My K8s are a little more than 12 kg. But... with no car - how the hell do you get around with your RD800?!

[Dextroze]

It does look nice and it's light! I checked it out online a little. It's marketed as an "acoustic guitar amp." It's rated at 50 watts (bi-amped: 40 + 10). From specs alone I would not consider this a good amp for a keyboard then again I don't know how loud you need to be at your gigs. Do you do gigs with drums where things can get loud? I don't think this amp would do very well in that situation.

 

I know I'm gonna be starting some s^&t here but my opinion is that the "boxy" sound you hear is from hearing your piano collapsed to mono, coming out of a single speaker. (You write "my Yamaha DXR10" which suggests singular, not plural). The Yamaha has 700 watts of power. Whether that's peak or not, I'm betting it has a lot more headroom than the Acus. If you play with a lot of dynamics that's a real benefit.

 

So, I would go with two small powered speakers, placed in back of you on either side. That's what I do (so it has to be the right way, ha ha!). Seriously, I do a lot of jazz gigs and really enjoy the piano sound being "around" me - no boxyness! Then again, I have a car! There are a few lighter active speakers than the DXR10, with good power, and I'm sure everybody on this forum will recommend the ones that they use personally. Good luck.

 

Very nice answer thank you sir !!

Wich amps do you use ?

 

Thank you

Dexter, I use QSC K8 speakers. I bought them around seven years ago, they were the first (well, the first *I* knew) active speakers with DSP. I love mine but there are other options today - cheaper and lighter. I would second Dave Ferris's recommendations for the EV speakers - they are very light (<9kg) and have good power. My K8s are a little more than 12 kg. But... with no car - how the hell do you get around with your RD800?!

Indeed teh RD-800 has a buit-in EQ, and even with some shaping I think I don't get to the good sound I'm looking for.

Concerning the weight of the RD-800... I'm very sad but I might sell it, to get something like the Privia 5X-s or a SL88 Studio... I don't know yet, something with a great touch and a light weight

[Dave Ferris]

Or you could go to a more high definition / high fidelity powered speaker then the Yamaha like the RCF TT08A. They are pricey though. You would also need a pre-amp source with that , so another piece to hook up and cart around.

I saw an RCF web page that listed the TT08As as discontinued but I see them on sale at Thomann for 1350 ($1485 today). Get 'em while you can, I guess.

 

They appear to have a few new speakers. ART 708-A. looks like $1200 here in the USA. And a cheaper line - the "D line", with a 10" (675, $743 today) and two 12" boxes. All these newer speakers are composite cabinets. I'm guessing they want to compete with EV/JBL/QSC/etc.

 

Are you saying you need a preamp for tone-shaping? Or do the TT08s not have enough gain to get good volume with a direct connection to a typical keyboard's output?

 

Rob, as far as I can tell the RCF TT08As are still in production;

http://www.rcf.it/products/touring-and-theatre/tt08-a

 

My original TT22As were discontinued but they did come out with a version 2.

 

Yes RCF has more plastic speaker boxes in their line then anyone in the industry. I've heard the older ART 700 & 300 series . They sounded very good for vocal but not piano.

 

Regarding the pre-amp -- yes, I was never able to get enough gain going direct to the TT08As with any of my keyboards - 2 Nord Pianos and CP4/CP5.

 

Also even using my entry level A&H Zed 10 FX, that gave the 08As better tone as well.

 

Dexter, assuming you're using mass transit - I think the Casio + Space Station amp would be the best route with regard to portability and getting a stereo sound.

 

You could consider the Nord Electro HP but it's only 73 keys - which I would have a hard time playing on. And if you don't play organ like me, you are paying a premium price for the organ features of the Electro.

 

Also Yamaha just released an inexpensive 30 lb. 88 key board that sounds pretty good. I don't know how it plays though.

[Dextroze]

Or you could go to a more high definition / high fidelity powered speaker then the Yamaha like the RCF TT08A. They are pricey though. You would also need a pre-amp source with that , so another piece to hook up and cart around.

I saw an RCF web page that listed the TT08As as discontinued but I see them on sale at Thomann for 1350 ($1485 today). Get 'em while you can, I guess.

 

They appear to have a few new speakers. ART 708-A. looks like $1200 here in the USA. And a cheaper line - the "D line", with a 10" (675, $743 today) and two 12" boxes. All these newer speakers are composite cabinets. I'm guessing they want to compete with EV/JBL/QSC/etc.

 

Are you saying you need a preamp for tone-shaping? Or do the TT08s not have enough gain to get good volume with a direct connection to a typical keyboard's output?

 

Rob, as far as I can tell the RCF TT08As are still in production;

http://www.rcf.it/products/touring-and-theatre/tt08-a

 

My original TT22As were discontinued but they did come out with a version 2.

 

Yes RCF has more plastic speaker boxes in their line then anyone in the industry. I've heard the older ART 700 & 300 series . They sounded very good for vocal but not piano.

 

Regarding the pre-amp -- yes, I was never able to get enough gain going direct to the TT08As with any of my keyboards - 2 Nord Pianos and CP4/CP5.

 

Also even using my entry level A&H Zed 10 FX, that gave the 08As better tone as well.

 

Dexter, assuming you're using mass transit - I think the Casio + Space Station amp would be the best route with regard to portability and getting a stereo sound.

 

You could consider the Nord Electro HP but it's only 73 keys - which I would have a hard time playing on. And if you don't play organ like me, you are paying a premium price for the organ features of the Electro.

 

Also Yamaha just released an inexpensive 30 lb. 88 key board that sounds pretty good. I don't know how it plays though.

 

Humm... This seems to be a nice idea indeed )))

Thanks !!!!

[RandyFF]

@ Dave,

I know you auditioned the Space Station, but that was only for a short while IIRC. The SS is not a very hi-fidelity speaker, its only real positive is its stereo-in-one-box capability. I'm convinced if you spent more time with it again you'd take back your current recommendation, as picky as you are with your amplification. Two of the ZXA-1s weigh less than 1 SS! If he's doing city transportation, having two smaller boxes would allow for more flexibility in carrying configurations.

 

@OP,

As for mono compatibility, some boards apparently do a better job than others. In finding a lighter weight board you should also make sure whatever board you buy sounds good in mono. While mono is never as satisfying as stereo, it's perfectly acceptable if the board and amplification are good.

 

If you have access to EV speakers in France, check out the ZXA-1. Universal praise for this 9 kg box for pianos, the most difficult sound to reproduce well. With a good mono compatible keyboard you could, for some gigs, bring only 1 of these, 2 when the transportation is more doable. In the states they only go for $500 each, a relative bargain for piano capable speakers.

 

One way to approach this would be to get the ZXA-1s first, then bring them along when you're testing out keyboards, so that you know for certain the board sounds good in mono.

 

@J.Dan,

Damn, those speakers sound like a wish list that many of us would have formulated: 1 trip carry in, perfectly placed stereo sound and a sub! Ooooeee!

 

A few questions for you:

1. I know you said it wasn't possible to determine the weight exactly, but I'd be curious about your guesstimates with a wood and with a composite construction. Low weight of course would make your design the holy grail of speakers. Or if that's not possible, then maybe a suitcase design with wheels and a pull out handle on the sub?

2. How much less would this speaker cost if they weren't ribbons? And how much smaller/lighter would it be with 5" mids? If the system you described was the top of the line, a model without the ribbons, 5" mids and 8" sub would be the younger brother!

 

You've designed the ideal keyboard rig, it really needs to be implemented! Perhaps give the design specs to a speaker company and let them run with it? Perhaps do a poll here and ask how many people would buy a system like this at the $3k and the $4k price points (the full deal and the younger brother), and then present this to various companies to show there's a demand for such a product.

 

I'd also be curious to know what a lesser spec'd system would look like cost wise. A lot of the beauty of your design is being able to put low footprint speakers on stands in perfect positioning. For example, some of the personal vocal monitors have 6.5" speakers that mount to a speaker stand, and coupled with a sub could achieve some of the results as your higher fidelity system. The trouble with high spec systems is that everything is taken as close to perfections as possible, which of course is super pricey, when maybe only half of the components need to be taken that far to achieve 80-90% of the results. But I suppose its hard to draw that line with speakers, when it seems as much art as science.

 

 

[Dave Ferris]

I thought I'd remembered reading a nice comment on the Yamaha MX88 from Tim Wat. So I went to the recent thread and found his post.

 

I just played an MX 88BK at Guitar Center Emeryville this morning, for about 30 minutes or so.

 

I'm very impressed, and if I was in the market for this form factor I'd pick one up in a heartbeat.

 

Hefting it off the stand - it's perceptually very light for its size. It plays very nicely. The MX sounds really acquit themselves well, and plenty of variations on the major themes (pianos, EPs, etc).

 

minor niggle is there is apparently still the CP4-esque sustain pedal implementation - if you plug in the wrong "normally closed / open" kinda pedal, you can't switch polarity recognition, and rebooting doesn't fit it. Sigh.

 

That aside, the action feels substantial but I can still play fast, the bread and butter sounds are totally gig-worthy (of course, organ purists may be drawn to another all-rounder like an Electro), and the overall package hefts lighter than it appears. Not much not to like. But I don't need another 88 key weighted board in the arsenal, so not for me. But for many, this should be worthy of a demo before making any purchase decision.

 

 

Personally I'm more partial to the Yamaha pianos and action then the Casio but it's highly subjective.

[TommyRude]

 

Dave.. I did some searching on prior threads and couldn't find anything from YOU regarding live gig situations and the use of in-ears v. speakers (TT08As or any other speakers). Plenty of discussion by others!

 

It appears you exclusively use speakers. If that's accurate, why is that, why haven't you made the switch to IAMs?

 

 

[Dextroze]

To sum up, the main reason why the sound is a bit crappy might be that I need 2 speakers to have a stereo sound (in the better case scenario).

I'm mostly playing on VST instruments nowadays (Keyscape for piano and rhodes for example).

 

It seems that indeed the solution of Randelph might be the better concerning the speakers : two ZXA-1s ... Maybe starting with one (that I could pair with my DXR10 before selling it ? Or it's not possible...It's a heavy one tho...).

The SpaceStation was a good idea too but maybe a bit too heavy.

I also heard of QSC that seems quite good, just a little bit too heavy maybe (https://www.thomann.de/gb/qsc_k_8.2.htm)

 

Concerning the keyboard, as I want the lighter possible (but with good keybed and good midi fonctionality), do you think the casio privia PX-5s is good in that regard ? It is I think the lightest 88 keys with weighted keys. And cheap/good sounds etc. (I'm just afraid that a new one is released in two months...!!)

Do you know about the SL88 STUDIO (StudioLogic) ? Maybe the MX88 but I don't like the little screen

 

So sad to return my RD-800 but he is too heavy I can't bring it to my gigs...

[miden]

.......[edit ... which led me to his youtube. NICE!!]

 

agree!

[RandyFF]

There's a whole very recent thread on PX-5s pros and cons (the good, bad and ugly). For some people it was just what they needed, some liked the action and sounds, some didn't.

 

Another board to consider with the same action would be the Casio PX-560. It has their new touchscreen and brings a whole new level of user friendliness and functions. Like the PX-5s, its a lot of board for the money.

 

Yes, many of us are waiting for the PX-6s!

[Dave Ferris]

@ Dave,

I know you auditioned the Space Station, but that was only for a short while IIRC. The SS is not a very hi-fidelity speaker, its only real positive is its stereo-in-one-box capability. I'm convinced if you spent more time with it again you'd take back your current recommendation, as picky as you are with your amplification. Two of the ZXA-1s weigh less than 1 SS! If he's doing city transportation, having two smaller boxes would allow for more flexibility in carrying configurations.

 

Randelph- the only reasons I recommended the SS amp initially were:

#1- the weight is now 33 lbs., (down from 40 or 41 ...whatever it was ) on the newest generation.

#2 - if it were me and I was hoping on and off a bus, train or in & out of a cab - I wouldn't want to worry about having another box to contend with.

 

I had the amp for a month and know all about it's lack of detail , clarity and overall Low-Fi sound for piano ( although I felt the Italian Grand on the Nord sounded very good through it ...much better then my CP4). From a sonic standpoint, I would choose the EVs in a heartbeat over it for my CP4.

 

If Dexter wants to deal with 2 speakers in his schlep, yes by all means the ZXA1s are my first recommendations.

 

That's also a good point you had in the fact the EVs are so light, you could easily carry one into a music store and audition whichever lightweight board you were considering in mono.

 

And you know me...I can't help when mentioning mono to give yet another plug for the CP4's mono CFX sample. I used it again this afternoon over at CBS Studios on a gig in a fairly large room and it sounded great through the rented PA they had. It's never let me down yet.

 

The CP4 is a 38 lb. keyboard + case of course. But the extra 10-14 lbs. and keyboard feel are worth it to me.

 

Just get the K&M 18880 stand and you'll get back a few pounds in overall schlepping weight.

[Dextroze]

Thanks for the advices.

I think I'll get the EV ZXA1 (2 of them), look at this pic I took on this forum, it can be easily put into a baggage and then on a rollercarter with the PX-5s (or other one) on my back, or on the rollercarter too !

 

http://hpics.li/3f05e7d

 

 

I just think I can't sell my RD-800 to get the CP4 because they are close to be the same product, it's still heavy (even if it's almost 5kg less for the CP4).

Does some of you have tried the SL88 Studio ?

 

[Al Quinn]

Dexter, I just checked out your video. Wow, great playing!

 

I have a pair of TT08As. They reproduce digital acoustic piano beautifully. A few years ago I had a pair of K8s which sounded very good at low and moderate volumes. I prefer the TT08As over the K8s because, to my ears, the TT08As have a clearer, warmer, less electronic sound, and still sound great if I push them on a rock or blues gig. I don't have experience with the ZXA1s, so I can't comment on how they compare. I also have an SS V3 which is great for it's omni present effect but (IMO) doesn't have the necessary fidelity for digital acoustic piano in a acoustic jazz type setting. Lately I've been using an SS and TT08A together to get the omni present effect and high fidelity. Unfortunately, this seems like too much to move without a car.

 

Although I always prefer stereo I've been in situations where I was required by the soundman to connect my CP4 in mono and it sounded surprisingly good. This makes me wonder if you might be happy with a single high-fidelity, lightweight power speaker (i.e., like the TT08A) with a lightweight digital piano that excels in mono. The Casio PX5S is lightweight and seems to have many fans on this forum. I haven't played one so I can't weigh in on this except to say that I haven't heard an online demo where the sound appealed to me.