Would a keyboard amp or better speakers solve my issue?

[cassdad]

Well, I’m sure someone will correct me if incorrect, but I think your “volume vs trim” issue stems from a lack of understanding about how an amp works.  My understanding is that, basically, an amp always amplifies at full volume.  Volume is controlled basically by the amount / level of input into the amp / pre-amp.  Thus, call it “trim” or “volume”, ultimately all one is doing is throttling the amount of input to the amp.  My simplistic understanding FWIW.

[Reezekeys]

 

44 minutes ago, SonicKeysII said:

When I did not flip the mic switch on, I had to turn the volume up full throttle and that was not sufficient.

 

Yes, your keyboard didn't have a hot enough output to drive the Alto to it's full output. I know, captain obvious here!

 

44 minutes ago, SonicKeysII said:

In addition, I have learned never to turn up an amp past 2 o'clock ever.

 

That's a pretty arbitrary way to look at it - considering amp designs differ. I'm thinking it depends a lot on the initial levels, and where in the audio chain the level controls are. I would look at it like this - the last level control should see as hot a signal as possible (or at least a reasonably hot signal, allowing for peaks) without overloading, and that applies for each preceding spot in the audio chain where level can be adjusted. (I'm talking about amplifying keyboards here - you see guitar amps with both master volume and channel volume controls, designed to let you adjust gain staging to introduce distortion!)

 

44 minutes ago, SonicKeysII said:

When I tried playing around with the mic switch, the sound was not clean.

 

In what way? Analog noise as in hiss, or was your keyboard sound distorted? With the switch on mic, both the signal and noise from your keyboard are amplified. If a keyboard has noisy electronics, you're gonna hear that noise whether or not you use the switch on the speaker or a mixer. It's also possible that when the Alto adds gain it's amplifying the noise of its own analog electronics.

 

If the sound was distorted then you were overloading the input stage of the speaker, so needed to back off on the keyboard's volume. It stands to reason that a circuit designed to amplify a microphone-level input is going to be seeing a higher level from a -10 keyboard, so care has to be taken by balancing the level controls of both the keyboard and speaker. (BTW, having to do that for the first time at a gig with little time to spare is asking a lot. I would not want to be in that situation!). You're right that lowering the keyboard's volume may send less level to FOH, however going though a DI box before the speaker would probably work fine - any decent FOH mixer can deal with low levels sent over a balanced line, which the DI box will do. That would also let FOH adjust volume for the house without affecting your stage sound.

 

44 minutes ago, SonicKeysII said:

The soundman, who is a friend, offered me a simple solution and I took it with little time to spare.  He was busy trying to get everyone set up and working properly. 

 

IMO you did exactly the right thing going with the soundman's suggestion. I wouldn't throw in the towel with the 408 yet though - find some time to experiment with the levels and you may find the sweet spot that works for loud and clear sound. Good luck!

[SonicKeysII]

Thanks.  i spoke to a friend who builds custom powered cabinets.  He says "gain is gain" and use the mic switch option and turn down the sound on the synth. (This is where I eat my own words).   I am hopeful that i can work with the Alto after playing around.  On that note, I was hoping to buy a pair.  A lot of people on this site like the 308s and that is what got me interested in the first place.  Thanks again for the education.  I appreciate it.  

[Reezekeys]

6 hours ago, cassdad said:

Well, I’m sure someone will correct me if incorrect, but I think your “volume vs trim” issue stems from a lack of understanding about how an amp works.

 

It probably stems from me incorrectly calling the knob on the speaker a "trim" control. I gave it that name based on the function I thought was most needed here - matching the signal level at the input to use the amp's full output range. In reality it's also a simple volume control, and I'm betting the owner's manual calls it that, not "trim."

[Reezekeys]

1 hour ago, SonicKeysII said:

I am hopeful that i can work with the Alto after playing around.  On that note, I was hoping to buy a pair.

 

I very much recommend stereo but there are the naysayers here. If anything, having two speakers reduces the workload each has to do to get the same volume as one. But the best reason is a simple one - sound quality. Most keyboards produce stereo output, not just from effects like reverb but in the samples themselves. Stereo samples tend to sound boxy when summed to mono - artifacts caused by phase cancellation. I play a lot of acoustic & EP samples on my gigs so I need to hear the spaciousness of well-recorded stereo piano samples. Having my two speakers on either side of me does this nicely. It's a big difference, imo. There is the argument that "the audience won't hear it like that" - sure, but YOU do! Let the house be mono, if they don't have a stereo PA or the FOH mixer doesn't have the channel count to do it.

 

1 hour ago, SonicKeysII said:

A lot of people on this site like the 308s and that is what got me interested in the first place.

 

The 308s are the budget guys - I like mine a lot but one has to be realistic about what they can and can't do - especially considering they're only $139 USD each here. They have no DSP, no mic/line switch, no combo inputs (and only one), and the amp is rated at 350 watts, not 2000. Just an XLR input & thru jack, and a level (trim? 🙂 ) knob. IMO they won't cut a really loud gig - a rock or blues band with horns, a loud drummer or guitarist, etc. When I play locally, it's mostly quieter gigs these days so these speakers are perfect - but I'm not getting rid of my QSCs!