A Quality Keyboard Amplifier

[The Piano Man]

Does such a thing exist? It’s all subjective, of course, but I would love QSC or RCF to make a keyboard combo. Basically, take the K10 or K12.2 or whatever but repurpose it in keyboard amp format with a built in mixer accessible on the front panel (ie three or four channels with eq etc in easy reach of a keyboard player’s hands)

 

Yes, I can hook up a mixer. Yes, stereo is better. However, sometimes, I find myself using a Roland KC or Peavey KB because of convenience. I just wish they had more competition. 
 

Side note: I’m UK based which means I cannot easily source Traynor, Barbetta or Spacestation. 
 

I think a QSC KB1, Yamaha DXR-KB (or whatever) could be a decent seller.  Your thoughts? 

[Docbop]

If there was a market for them companies would make them, but people tend to got with powered speakers and a small mixer if necessary.    Even powered mixers for PA are getting harder to find people want to take the component approach and pick the parts they want.     I went that that route as a Jazz guitarist in the end of my playing days.   I had a nice Acoustic Image head and then three different speaker cabinets I chose from for the size of the gig.   Buying components really gives you a lot of flexibility. 

 

Alway go like back in my early days and keyboard players usually used a bass amp or a Fender Twin Reverb if you don't mind lugging a 65 lbs amp around. 

[bjosko]

Motion Sound are still in UK ( have no personal Experience with the brand)

 

https://www.motionsound.co.uk/

 

[CEB]

Keyboard amps are cool. There should be a market for them due to a convenience….  But then again I have never owned one. Only used them as backline.  

[zxcvbnm098]

1 hour ago, bjosko said:

Motion Sound are still in UK ( have no personal Experience with the brand)

 

https://www.motionsound.co.uk/

 

Big fan of the MS line. I have the KP-610, which checks the boxes for me. You didn't mention your usage needs, i.e. with a band or duo or solo? I use with a fairly loud rock band with 2 guitars, and I can more than keep up with my 610.  

[Justin Havu]

I've always used powered PA speakers.  Every keyboard amp I've ever played through, I hated.

[Stokely]

I prefer powered speakers.  Mine can double as a monitor wedge for gigs where I feel comfy with keys in the monitor mix.  And of course with two you could use them as PA speakers!

Most of my gigs are stereo in-ears these days so I had to give some thought to how much I wanted to spend on a powered speaker.

I'd say 80% I feel compelled/able to use IEMs.  I won't willingly subject myself to an acoustic drum set on a small stage.  Hearing is a thing.
Almost all of the other 20% I put keys into the monitor mix, with only the occasional use as an "amp".

I don't use EQ on my mixer or adjust anything on it during shows.  Any of that would be done from the keyboard(s) though I can't remember the last time I EQ'ed anything other than a low cut on our main mixer (also applied to guitars and vocals).  The engineer can do what they like out front, I can't hear properly from on stage to mess with it anyway.

[Delaware Dave]

motion sound is pretty non-responsive and i would be hesitant to purchase anything from them.  monitors are preferable to me however i like the built-in mixer of keyboard amps.  my old kb300 had 3 inputs, all channels had individual 3 band EQ's and each one had assignable reverb amounts.  cons were it sounded like @ss and was 81 pounds.  if they could make a monitor with the keyboard mixer of my old kb300 built in then you'd have a true winner for keyboardists since having to use a mixer is just another thing to carry, setup/breakdown and potentially not work. But, until that happens, I would still go monitor over a k/b amp.

[AnotherScott]

The Bose L1 Pro8 kind of splits the difference... it's a PA, but makes for a decent (mono) keyboard amp as well, with its built in 3-channel mixer, each channel having EQ and reverb. (And pretty light, too.)

[JoJoB3]

2 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

motion sound is pretty non-responsive and i would be hesitant to purchase anything from them.  monitors are preferable to me however i like the built in mixer of keyboards.  my old kb300 had 3 inputs, all channels had individual 3 band EQ's and each one had assignable reverb amounts.  cons were it sounded like @ss and was 81 pounds.  if they could make a monitor with the keyboard mixer of my old kb300 built in then you'd have a true winner for keyboardists since having to use a mixer is just another thing to carry, setup/breakdown and potentially not work. But, until that happens, I would still go monitor over a k/b amp.

Can corroborate the KB300 81lbs although I swear it must be 181.  It does sound like azz with some keys but mono bass makers and organ clones can sound great through em for some reason. Tames the screeches with old peavey mids!

I still think right now the best bang 4 the buck in keyboard amp format is the Behringer KXD15 at $400. 4 stereo Inputs, direct output (1/4in and xlr), 15in woof,  passable/meh fx if you want, built pretty damn well.
It's 600 peak though but loud enough for most. Pretty swiss army knifey, all-in-one and done. Connect 2 of them for true stereo. That or a mixer with powered speakers (12in min, 15in woof better) and added setup.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KXD15--behringer-ultratone-kxd15-600w-15-inch-keyboard-amp

[bill bosco]

6 hours ago, The Piano Man said:

Does such a thing exist? It’s all subjective, of course, but I would love QSC or RCF to make a keyboard combo. Basically, take the K10 or K12.2 or whatever but repurpose it in keyboard amp format with a built in mixer accessible on the front panel (ie three or four channels with eq etc in easy reach of a keyboard player’s hands)

 

Yes, I can hook up a mixer. Yes, stereo is better. However, sometimes, I find myself using a Roland KC or Peavey KB because of convenience. I just wish they had more competition. 
 

Side note: I’m UK based which means I cannot easily source Traynor, Barbetta or Spacestation. 
 

I think a QSC KB1, Yamaha DXR-KB (or whatever) could be a decent seller.  Your thoughts? 

i guess Motion Sound is also hard to come by in the UK ? , their current generation stereo amps are great . i think they are better , tone wise , for keyboard 

than any powered PA amps i've tried , unless you can go real high end , like an RCF . on the plus side , they're stereo with two seperate channels .

[Reezekeys]

There's the Yamaha Stagepasses. This one ticks more of your boxes than anything I've seen mentioned here yet:

 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Stagepas200--yamaha-stagepas-200-portable-pa-system-with-bluetooth

 

Probably not enough juice for a full-tilt rock gig or a loud horn band. They have more powerful systems (400BT and 600BT) but those seem to be stereo only, i.e. you can't buy a one-speaker version - and the mixers are geared for neophytes, with "one-knob" EQ and a reverb that has only an on-off switch!

[tonybanksfan]

6 hours ago, The Piano Man said:

Side note: I’m UK based which means I cannot easily source Traynor, Barbetta or Spacestation

Incase you might be interested, I have a Spacestation listed for sale here in the garage/classifieds on page 4, it is in like new condition and less than 50 hours total time on it.

[cphollis]

If there was a market for good keyboard amps, there would be more good keyboard amps.

 

Between PA speakers, IEMs, headphones, etc. -- way too many good alternatives.

[RABid]

I've owned a bunch of keyboard amps over the years and still have a Spacestation. None of them sound as good as my powered EV cabinets. Plus they are light, convenient, and can be used for other things. The question is, how big of a speaker to get. People say 10" 2 way is best for stage, but I love the bottom coming from a 12" cabinet. But, 10" is easier to carry around. Most any mixer will work, but most of the time I just plug a keyboard straight into the cabinet.

[Ivan May]

I would select a Marshall amp for some keyboard amps. Jon Lord used a Marshall amplifier for his overdriven Hammond B3 organ and RMI electric piano on many of the peak Deep Purple albums. 

[16251]

I don't hide the fact that I use Gallien Krueger MK/MP keyboard amps. I don't sync them but use two for stereo. I had them back when they were new, sold them and replaced them. I dig 12" speakers for keys. I tried 8" and 10" but never as much. I'm also not rich or paying on credit. It's not in my DNA to spend crazy amounts of money for gear. I'm kind of glad I played synths when they were relatively cheap.  IMHO, the GK's sound good enough for live music. Lastly, they are tiny, especially for 12" cabs.

[cassdad]

3 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

motion sound is pretty non-responsive and i would be hesitant to purchase anything from them.  monitors are preferable to me however i like the built-in mixer of keyboard amps.  my old kb300 had 3 inputs, all channels had individual 3 band EQ's and each one had assignable reverb amounts.  cons were it sounded like @ss and was 81 pounds.  if they could make a monitor with the keyboard mixer of my old kb300 built in then you'd have a true winner for keyboardists since having to use a mixer is just another thing to carry, setup/breakdown and potentially not work. But, until that happens, I would still go monitor over a k/b amp.

I have to strongly disagree.  Before and after my purchase, I found them very responsive, and this was recently.  I also am in the Motion Sound camp.  IMO, my new KP-612SX is hands-down the best amplification I’ve ever had for digital piano.  Simply clean and powerful, excellent, balanced tone.  Built-in mixer, and one combo unit pushing out excellent stereo (with the amount of stereo spread being adjustable).  For me, it’s the keyboard amp I always dreamed of.  And when I couple it with it’s extension speaker, the SL-512, you can seriously drown out the guitarist (if you want to)!

[KuruPrionz]

2 hours ago, Ivan May said:

I would select a Marshall amp for some keyboard amps. Jon Lord used a Marshall amplifier for his overdriven Hammond B3 organ and RMI electric piano on many of the peak Deep Purple albums. 

He had a wall of Marshalls when I saw Deep Purple live as well. Great show!

[TomKittel]

FWIW I just velcro a small Mackie 402 mixer on one of my powered RCF speakers. That makes a perfect keyboard amp. Alternatively I still use my good old Roland KC350 sometimes which always proves to be a versatile keyboard monitor in bigger PA settings. That’s not the best sounding amp on it’s own but it’s more than good enough as a monitor in a band setting. 

 

Recently I got a Numa XPiano which features an included four channels mixer. This might simplify things in future. 

 

[Markay]

Powered speakers put a chainsaw through the keyboard amp.

 

I choose EV's, others like QSC's, Yamaha or RCF. Whatever your wallet can cope with.

[eric]

Great thread! I am 99% IEMs since 2011, so I don't really use keyboard amps nowadays, except for the very occasional sub gig where IEMs aren't well-supported. I have used MANY different keyboard amps since I first started playing live band music in the early '80s. My history...

• Peavey KB300 was my work horse for nearly a decade or more, starting in 1985 when I got one along with my Roland JX-8P. As others have mentioned, that thing was HEAVY, though it could definitely crank and keep up with loud guitars and drums. I thrashed mine all over the place and it served me well.
• Multiple Motion Sound units. KBR-M, which was the combo of rotary and fixed speaker in the same cabinet, with the ability to lean back like a monitor. Really liked this for a few years! I also used a pair of KT-80s and was pretty happy with these. I have the KP-500 in my music room used for monitoring keys alongside a Leslie for my Hammond. I still have the KT-80s (need to sell those at some point). I was always happy with Motion Sound and remember meeting the guys at NAMM many years ago. I have photos somewhere. I lost track of how things are going there, as I seem to recall the business may have been sold along the way?
• The last few years before going IEM, I was using a pair of QSC powered speakers. I had a K10 and a K8, both of which were great! My soundman also had some extra K12s that I would use from time to time.
• I had a few other random things like a Roland Cube 40 and Cube 60 that were acquired along with other gear purchases...those were actually way better than the more recent crop of Roland keyboard amps.

My recommendation would be looking at Motion Sound and also whatever pair of powered speakers are useful to you, whether QSC, JBL, or others. Good luck!

[Noah DC]

12 hours ago, cassdad said:

I have to strongly disagree.  Before and after my purchase, I found them very responsive, and this was recently.  I also am in the Motion Sound camp.  IMO, my new KP-612SX is hands-down the best amplification I’ve ever had for digital piano.  Simply clean and powerful, excellent, balanced tone.  Built-in mixer, and one combo unit pushing out excellent stereo (with the amount of stereo spread being adjustable).  For me, it’s the keyboard amp I always dreamed of.  And when I couple it with it’s extension speaker, the SL-512, you can seriously drown out the guitarist (if you want to)!

Completely agree.

[zxcvbnm098]

Motion Sound is a small company, but the newer models are really quite good and well thought out. They have been responsive when I had a question. 

 

 

I too like PPA speakers, and have QSC's, but for my use case I like the ease of a one box solution that is stereo-ish. And I think the MS handles piano quite well - maybe not quite up to the level of an RCF or other high end PPA, but certainly well better

than any of the legacy "keyboard amps" that many of us have used over the years. Check out Al Quinn's Youtube video where he A/B's a MS with PPA. MS has really raised the bar with these new models. 

 

In the end it really comes down to what your tolerance for the schlep is? With two keyboards at rock shows with fast setup, PPA's and a mixer and stands doesn't make sense for me. The MS has stereo XLR outs, so very easy to put on a chair and have the sound guy plug me in and go. These keyboard amps from MS are NOT much of a compromise, if at all. 

[Adan]

I recently played a gig with a band I'd never played with before. Room capacity 125-150, and the crowd ended up being over 100. Showed up having no idea how amplification would work. "can I plug into the PA?" "Nope, it's only for vocals." Ok, so I look for a place to put my Motion Sound 408S.  I balance it on a tiny ledge, the only space available as we are crammed into a corner. And because I have to wait for everyone else to set up first, I end up having only 5 minutes for my own setup. No problem, beautiful sound all night at only half volume, leslie effect sound glorious swirling into the room.

 

Classic case of where a keyboard amp is the best tool. 

 

But more commonly, the Motion Sound only serves as my mixer/monitor and stage sound, running stereo line outs to FOH.

[kpl1228]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:56 AM, The Piano Man said:

Does such a thing exist? It’s all subjective, of course, but I would love QSC or RCF to make a keyboard combo. Basically, take the K10 or K12.2 or whatever

That QSC K12.2 is perfect for any keyboardist. I know what you mean about convenience but the QSC and a small portable mixer would sound better than any combo amp. It would be two additional cords (mixer out and mixer power) plus the small mixer (like a Radial Key Largo)....hardly an inconvenience for the improved sound.

I doubt any combo amp will sound better than that powerful full range cabinet and quality small mixer.

 

[Reezekeys]

15 minutes ago, Adan said:

And because I have to wait for everyone else to set up first, I end up having only 5 minutes for my own setup.

 

First come, first serve I say. Let the others find room for themselves! (I know, you were a sub, I get it!)

 

I've had to deal with some very tight spaces with my two speakers, I just put them closer together and try to angle them outwards a little more. Not great, but it's those times I remind myself... "[x] hours and it's history!" I get how using one amp can help in this situation.

[Reezekeys]

8 minutes ago, kpl1228 said:

but the QSC and a small portable mixer would sound better than any combo amp.

 

I know this comes up here a lot, but I'll still say it - if you only have one keyboard to amplify, and it has efx & eq built-in, save the hassle and connect directly to the speaker. Actually the QSC can take two inputs (even three if you have to, my K8s have an RCA jack that's paralleled with input #2 - no separate volume level control though). And with the gain switch set to "mic" you can drive it (or any other PPA with a similar switch or trim control) to full output with the quietest of -10db keyboard outputs.

[kpl1228]

2 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

 

I know this comes up here a lot, but I'll still say it - if you only have one keyboard to amplify, and it has efx & eq built-in, save the hassle and connect directly to the speaker. Actually the QSC can take two inputs (even three is if you really have to

True! Forgot about that terrific feature of those QSC's.

[The Piano Man]

Just now, The Piano Man said:

Disclaimer: I am not a pro paintshopper. 😂

 

Also, I’d want eq on each channel, but you get the idea!