Are PA speakers enjoyable at home?

[Morrissey]

PA combinations were better for instrumentation like bass, keys, drums, vocals, etc.

This thread is all about looking for the right thing to play my keyboard through.

 

I'm leaning towards buying a pair of PA speakers first, because it seems like they will at the very least be a great option to gig with. Especially if/when I add some synths to the mix which might not be a great fit for a guitar amp or the SSV3. And if I hate the PA speakers for practicing in my office, I can always buy a second amp for the office sometime in the future.

 

 

You will definitely want a full range speaker (PA speaker, Spacestation, etc.) for the synths. I encourage you to keep researching how well your Vintage Vibe will sound through PA speakers. What do the Vintage Vibe folks recommend for amplification (that is more affordable than their console)? My frame of reference is Rhodes/Wurlitzer electric piano. I would be bummed to play either of those through a PA speaker instead of a guitar amp.

[MrVegas]

I was just looking at that $5000 console they sell and man did it seem like it might be the $h*t. Has anybody on here actually ever heard one of those? My guess is that it is nirvana for playing at home and becoming enveloped in sound.

 

The vintage vibe website is kind of strange. It isn't clear as to how one would order one of those. I assume you could plug a regular stage piano or similar keyboard into it (non-vintage vibe) and it would sound amazing.

[Doerfler]

The vintage vibe website is kind of strange. It isn't clear as to how one would order one of those.

 

Call them, give them a deposit over the phone, wait a few months for it to get built, they will call you when it's ready, pay if full and they will ship it to you.

 

I assume you could plug a regular stage piano or similar keyboard into it (non-vintage vibe) and it would sound amazing.

 

This is correct

[adamcz]

What do the Vintage Vibe folks recommend for amplification (that is more affordable than their console)? My frame of reference is Rhodes/Wurlitzer electric piano. I would be bummed to play either of those through a PA speaker instead of a guitar amp.

I emailed them to ask for recommendations a few weeks ago but didn"t get a reply. I wondered if they didn"t want to recommend a competitor in a category they make & sell themselves.

 

I"d like to gig with the Vibe plus a synth or two, but using multiple amplifiers sounds logistically difficult - that"s a lot of stuff to haul!

[dsteinschneider]

I bought some JBL Eon 610's hoping I would like them for dual use - monitors for the keyboard and "amp" when playing in small venues/jam sessions. They sounded just ok when placed just behind the keyboard and (this might be particular to the 610's) they had an annoying white noise when not playing. Still I didn't hate them for this purpose but a friend gave me a pair of AudioEngine 5+ which I much prefer. The 610's have a surprisingly good sound, more low end than I anticipated, for playing live. When using the 610 for practicing keyboard I prefer to use just one positioned about 6 ft away from the keyboard.

[HSS]

I haver a couple of cheap Behringer B208d's in my combination home office / studio. The room is only12 x 12 ft so the B208d's work fine. Any more power / spl would be overkill for my purposes.

[AnotherScott]

I'm leaning towards buying a pair of PA speakers first, because it seems like they will at the very least be a great option to gig with. Especially if/when I add some synths to the mix which might not be a great fit for a guitar amp or the SSV3.

Not at all dissuading you from PA speakers, but synth sounds can sound great on the SSv3, if they are stereo, or at least have stereo effects on them.

 

I haver a couple of cheap Behringer B208d's in my combination home office / studio. The room is only12 x 12 ft so the B208d's work fine. Any more power / spl would be overkill for my purposes.

B208Ds are nice, reliable, punchy compact speakers for a small space or for on-stage monitoring. Not the most neutral, but I don't find that very noticeable except for acoustic piano. Not good for deep bass, though. Up from there, the EV ZXa1 has a more neutral sound (far more pleasant for piano), has lots more bass (despite both having 8" woofers). and can be used for actual from-the-stage sound for the audeince if need be (where the B208D would wimp out). QSC K8.2 is even better sounding for piano or when pushed, but it pushes the budget higher again. For any powered PA speaker, if you start using them for more than in-home solo use, you'll also want a mixer.

[jeffincltnc]

I'm getting a pair of Alto TS308s as a lightweight/smaller alternative to my QSCK10s, and likely a set of KRK Rokit 8 G4s as my home practice monitors.

[adamcz]

I got the call on Friday that my Vintage Vibe is about ready to ship, so it quickly became decision time and.... basically every amplifier is sold out. I ended up ordering a JC-40 this morning mostly because I was able to find one in stock. I'll still plan to get PA speakers eventually - maybe I'll wait to see if there are deals around the holidays.

 

VV told me they're working on their own amp that will eventually be available. If/when that happens I'll probably sell the JC-40 and get theirs.

[o0Ampy0o]

You are correct about the modulation labeled tremelo, it is left to right panning...

 

Does this mean this is true of the Vintage Vibe specifically or true of Tremolo in keyboards in general or something else? Is not Tremolo volume modulation?

[RABid]

Love my EV ZLX series speakers. I have both 12" and 15". You can definitely hear a difference. The 15"s have a smoother, lower bottom that feels really nice, like playing a big old acoustic piano with that special low end. But, that may not be what you want for a band setting. The 12's have an earlier roll off that your bass player will appreciate. The ZLX series is also nice on the budget. I use the EV's for keys, guitar and bass through a Helix, V-Drums, and various drum machines and beat boxes. It beats buying an amp for each situation and I prefer the sound over my Spacestation 2.

[Morrissey]

I got the call on Friday that my Vintage Vibe is about ready to ship, so it quickly became decision time and.... basically every amplifier is sold out. I ended up ordering a JC-40 this morning

 

Congratulations on the incoming VV!

 

And thanks for the update on the amp purchase. Hope it works well for you. Perhaps you'll enjoy this 2020 thread of folks reminiscing how awesome their Rhodes sounded with the big brother JC-120: https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3032241/re-anyone-ever-use-roland-jc-amps-with-keys

[adamcz]

I might actually return the JC40. It has a surprising amount of hiss with the volume turned all the way down. Seems like it"d be annoying to try and record.

[adamcz]

Yeah I'm returning the JC40. I ordered a Key Largo and the QSC K8.2s. I'm a little nervous that I'm going to end up getting all the accessories but not the actual speakers because Guitar Center said both that they have the speakers in stock, but also need extra time before shipping. Nobody else seems to have them. Fingers crossed.

 

I probably could have worked around the JC40's hiss with EQ in the mix but I worried it would drive me nuts.

[RABid]

My Space Station sits quietly in the corner while my EV's get all the use. Was going to suggest you bump up to 12's but you can always add a sub. The nice thing is you can grab a single cabinet and a single keyboard and go, not worrying about a mixer. I never enjoyed the sound of my Space Station. Reminds me of those older Bose speaker systems that bounce the sound off of the walls to fill the room. Effective, but not clean. It alters the sound and throws part of the spectrum out of phase. Anyway, the EV ZLX line is a great budget choice. The QSC .2's are a great mid range option. I have a pair of the QSC 3 way speakers and they really give a nice, full sound, but my 12" ZLX gets the most use because they are lite and easy to move around.