I need a "reasonable" keyboard amp. Help needed

[Mel Salvatore]

Hi guys, I'm a humble newbie here looking for some help with buying a modest but decent keyboard amp.  I will keep it simple with what I believe I need.  I’m an “older” guy who recently picked up a small gig with an assisted living company that has several locations that don’t have a house piano or if so, it’s static in the opposite location for the functions I’m asked to do.  It’s a very simple gig, 3-5 days a week in a rotation at their different facilities.  I will be solo on piano, no singing, in these specific function rooms that have 10' high tiled ceilings and carpeted floors. I think the acoustics should be fine in that respect.   It would be about 50 people max at one time but mostly less as people will be in and out, sitting, standing, eating, drinking, etc. The rooms are approximately 12'x26' (I counted ceiling tiles).  So not too big. But just big enough that I don’t think my small on-board speakers will be able to fill it.  That’s why I am here on the forum looking for thoughts.  

 

The keyboard I am using is a Roland RD88 which is a fantastic sounding super portable piano that does it all.  I absolutely love it in every way.  I'm sure many here are familiar with it whether you like it or not.  Although the speakers a small, they sound unexpectedly and astonishingly good at a small gift & coffee shop that I occasionally play at.  However, I think I will need a little more power for this new gig. I do not want to spend a lot of money but don’t want to buy garbage just to get by. Also, I might use an amp for other potential venues or entertainment. It would be nice to have one regardless.    I am looking around the $400-700 range and preferably no more weight as my keyboard at approx 30lbs.  Could go a little higher in price if absolutely recommended. Unfortunately, it is not easy to demo any of these amps anywhere.  So, I am looking at amps on Sweetwater and Amazon for reviews that might fit my needs.  I am now turning towards a few of these piano and keyboard forums that might have better insight than reviews. Reviews can be all over the place with such love or hate no matter what the brand is. Somewhat helpful at best.   I am not that brand loyal, but I sort of know the better product brands.  I know there are some great offerings out there that are up-to-date and quite solid yet not too heavy. With some recent research, these are the contenders below that hit my requirements.  I do understand that I might have to elevate these amps on a stand or small table.

 

These are the ones on my radar in no order or preference:

   -Roland KC-80:  $489  27lbs

   -Roland KC-220:  $489  16lbs

   -Peavey KB 1:  $199   18 lbs

   -Peavey KB 2:  $349  30lbs

   -Bose S1 Pro:  $499   16lbs   (Pro Plus: $699 not sure extras make any big difference for me)

   -JBL EON One  $649  17lbs

I am wide open to learning about any I missed......

 

I tried to be as thorough as possible with what I think I need.  Of course, I would greatly appreciate it if anyone has a few thoughts or can educate me on what amp would be fitting for my situation.  

 

Thanks again, Mel

[D. Gauss]

$250 bucks. even less when on sale.  20 pounds.  buy two for stereo immersion.  

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TS408--alto-ts408-2000-watt-8-inch-powered-speaker

 

 

[drawback]

Yeah, 4000 watts ought to do it. 😉

 

I've never been a Roland amp guy, but last summer I was looking for exactly what you're looking for, and in the end, bought the Roland KC-220. Of the amps on your list, it's the only one that's stereo, and that's a big deal. It also has plenty of range for piano; Roland doesn't publish its frequency range specs, but there's nice tight bottom end, crisp highs and enough volume for a smaller room like you're talking about. And your RD speakers will supplement.

 

Welcome aboard, Mel 👏

[Mel Salvatore]

Thanks, D. Gauss,  I did see the Altos at my local GC but I thought those were more for PA or DJ'ing.  Might be too much for my needs but love the price.  I will have to go back and maybe demo one there.  They seem to have plenty

 

Thanks, Drawback,  I do like the idea of stereo.  But in my new gig environment, it might not matter.  Regardless, it seems it will fill the room.  Plus as I mentioned I would like an amp for other potential purposes.  Might be the right choice.  Again, thanks because I can't demo this anywhere so your feedback is very helpful.  

[drawback]

Just to clarify – stereo is more about getting the full, balanced sound out of your stereo presets. Playing stereo patches collapsed through a mono amp can sound boxy. If you have a good mono piano on the RD, then great – your choice broadens to a mono amp or one powered PA speaker.

 

Another amp that’s got some positive attention is the VOX VX50 KB. 

[Reezekeys]

Mel, the lower-priced Altos - the TX series - will work just fine for you. I have two TX308s, they are $139 each, small, and weigh only twelve pounds. I've done gigs with loud drummers using them. Tomorrow I'm playing a gig with a 10-piece "little big band" and I know these Altos will cut it. I wouldn't use them on a wedding or corporate party gig with a really loud band playing rock & dance music - but for the venues you're talking about these little Altos will work great, trust me.

 

Do yourself a favor and get two for stereo. Set them up in back of you on either side, making sure they're not at ear level, or pointed at your ears in "monitor" orientation (on the floor tilted upwards). Have them either below or above your head. Your piano will sound a million times better in stereo - that's how the samples were recorded.

 

The only downside to these Altos (if you want to call it that) is that they only have an XLR input jack and a volume control - no EQ, DSP, display, bluetooth, etc. You can get cables on Amazon that will directly connect the outputs of your RD88 to the speakers - you won't need a mixer unless you want to add a microphone for announcements or singing. Good luck!

[Reezekeys]

1 hour ago, Mel Salvatore said:

I did see the Altos at my local GC but I thought those were more for PA or DJ'ing.

 

PPAs (powered PA speakers) are what a healthy percentage of keyboard players use for amplification these days. Most have the capability to handle signals from  PA boards, keyboards, microphones, mp3 players, etc. I've been using PPAs in my keyboard setup for a quarter century (boy did I just feel old typing those words!).

 

1 hour ago, Mel Salvatore said:

I do like the idea of stereo.  But in my new gig environment, it might not matter.  Regardless, it seems it will fill the room.

 

It will probably never matter to the audience - and it's true that one speaker will probably fill the room. That's not the point. As Rod said, playing stereo samples in mono will sound boxy. If you've ever heard your RD88 through headphones you are listening in stereo and it won't be the same plugged into a single speaker – but again, it's your call and if you're happy with the sound then case closed.

[El Lobo]

powered speaker. I use a JBL Eon One Compact.

[stoken6]

Alto TX308 would be my pick for this requirement. There might not be easy load-in to some of the rooms where you'll be playing, so weight matters. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Ibarch]

For small rooms a Vox VX50 would do.  If you were thinking of a stereo setup,  two of these would be ideal.  They have the huge advantage of weighing a mere 9 lbs, so you could have a full stereo rig for under 20 lbs.  They are rated at 50 Watt RMS so not the most powerful but if you are not competing with a drum kit and bass amp I think they would be absolutely fine.  They have 3 input channels to so you can plug a mic in too. 

[brenner13]

I’ve been using QSC K12(first gen) on top of a JBL PRX15 for well over a decade. These are both too heavy and probably way more power than OP is looking for, but I’ve never needed to use this rig much past half volume. The QSC by itself is a little shrieky, and the JBL by itself is a little boomy; stacked together they have a very nice overall tone, and as loud as I’d ever need.

 

For smaller venues and rehearsals, I’ve been looking for something smaller and lighter…was going to buy an Alto TS408, but at the time all they had in stock were the TX series that only has an XLR input. Unfortunately I was in a pinch and on a budget so went with an Acoustic A40…huge mistake. While a pretty decent amp with tons of I/O and even onboard effects, it’s really designed for acoustic guitar and voice and does not handle keys all that well. Far too easy to overwhelm that little 8” speaker, especially on the low end.

 

Had I to do it again, I would have gone to a different store that had the Alto TS408 in stock. I’ve not found a designated keyboard amp that is light and compact enough that sounds good enough and loud enough for those smaller venues. I much prefer small powered PA speakers. Alto is a great bang for the buck.

 

Edit: I’ll have to give that little stereo Roland KC220 a listen, though. I tried the tiny Vox in the store…organs, electric pianos, synths sound decent; horns strings and especially acoustic piano were missing the high end crispness for me. Did not care for the Vox. Running two of them in stereo I hear is better, but still lacking in the highs.

[jejefunkyman]

I have a pair of VX50KB which I'm using mostly for rehearsals but which I've also been using for a gig in quite a large stage in a 6 pieces band with drums, bass, trumpet, and vocals, in a stereo setup.

 

I'm quite happy with their power and also with their sound. I absolutely feel no lack in highs, even for AP. Plus they include a 3 band EQ which can help tame the highs if needed.

 

So I highly recommend them, plus they are so light and cool looking.

[stillearning]

Another vote for the Alto TX series. I went with two TX-310s for stereo. The 10’s have a little more bottom end than the 8’s, but either would work. Good bang for the buck. They’re small, lightweight, inexpensive, and have built in grab handles. I’m pushing 70, and easily carry both at once. As others said above, stereo samples sound better in stereo. 

[jejefunkyman]

I've also recently acquired a pair of Alto TX310 for my band's rehearsal room, used as main speakers and I agree they sound pretty good.

 

I think they would also do very fine as stereo keyboard monitors.

 

The only issue I have with it is that there is no dust cover available for it. Has anybody found an alternative solution to protect it from dust and also when carrying them to a gig?

[Adan]

I think the KC220 would work very well for the rooms you describe, with 50 or fewer people.  It's pole-mountable, which you will probably want to do.  

 

I generally think keyboard amps are for stage monitoring, powered PAs for projecting to an audience, but you can think of the KC220 as a mini-PA.  Not a very good one, but I think it's more than up to the task you describe while minimizing your shlep.

[AnotherScott]

1 hour ago, brenner13 said:

I’ll have to give that little stereo Roland KC220 a listen, though. I tried the tiny Vox in the store…organs, electric pianos, synths sound decent; horns strings and especially acoustic piano were missing the high end crispness for me. Did not care for the Vox. Running two of them in stereo I hear is better, but still lacking in the highs.

I thought the Vox sounded better than the KC220, but the Alto TS308 (now replaced by the TS408) sounded better than either. I also like the Alto better than the JBL Eon One Compact mentioned above.

[Lou_NC]

Mel,

If you think stereo imaging might be important to you at some point you might want to consider at least reading up on the Spacestation V.3 by Apen Pittman Designs.  You should be able to find a used one in good shape for around $500.  It's a novel design and often doesn't get the recognition it deserves for being a compact design with room-filling stereo sound. 

 

There's nothing wrong with buying two powered speakers for stereo imaging, which a lot of people seem to do these days, but personally I prefer the Spacestation for my needs. 

 

Good luck,

Lou

[harmonizer]

I own a Roland KC-150, which is now my backup amp. It is very reliable, and probably will survive the apocalypse, but it creates a harsh sound when amplifying acoustic piano sounds, and I believe a lot of the Roland amps have this problem, so I would not recommend any of them if Acoustic Piano sounds matter to you.

 

I use an Electrovoice zx-a1. Some people who are know more than me about keyboard amplification have posted about other options, including the Alto product which is probably quite a bit cheaper than a zx-a1.

 

Just be aware that the wattage ratings for powered speakers use a different way to count wattage that what is used in traditional keyboard amps such as the Roland gear. My old KC-150 is rated at 60 Watts, but its loudness capability is similar to that of my EV zx-a1 (which is a powered speaker and claims a rating of 800 Watts). So I view the wattage ratings of all powered amp speakers as meaningless when compared against other alternatives such as the Roland keyboard amps. I still love my zx-a1, and would never buy another Roland keyboard amp, but I view powered speaker wattage ratings as a lie.

[KuruPrionz]

I found a FenderRumble amp at Goodwill yesterday for $20. It's a bass amp with an 8" speaker, very smooth and clear sounding. 

A pair of them would be great for a small lower volume keyboard rig. They will probably go for a bit more $$ than I paid. 

A pair of small Peavy bass amps would be good too or a mixed set. I think this concept of required identical units to run 2 amps from one source is a bit off base. You can use different units and get a great sound. 

[Mel Salvatore]

Hey guys, I really appreciate all your comments from all over the world! Wow, such a great forum and I am so happy (and grateful) that I signed up.  Hope I can contribute back with something as valuable asap!

I have about 30 days to pull the trigger on something. March 5th is my first day.    Thanks to your help, for starters, I might run out to GC this evening and see if I can grab an Alto TS series and connect any Roland slab there to plug in to hear it.    I’m very curious to try them out now that a few recommend them as they might be best for my situation.  If so, looks like I cant go wrong with a decent pair that fits my price, weight, and sound requirements. Plus, some room to buy proper tripod stands still within my price range. I think that would be a very nice kit altogether thats easy to handle; RD88, two Altos, plus my super easy xxstand and seat. Light weight, easy setup, and good sound.

 I know nothing about Altos of now, but Im 100% willing to check them out.  Hey, if it makes me sound great than I’m onboard!  …As much as I wish I was my hero Chuck Leavell, I’m not quite there yet. Damn it!  That will be my next topic. LOL 
 

 

  

[CEB]

I have done this keyboard stuff for about 5 decades and I have never owned a keyboard amp but I think they looked extremely convenient.  I especially like Traynor keyboard amps.  
 

Powered speakers are fine.  You may or may not need an additional gain stage.  Depends on the speaker specs.  So … you may or may not need a small mixer depending on the powered speaker.   Or you can just get a keyboard amp.  

[HammondDave]

You can’t go wrong with the Altos. I gig with two 2000w TS410 Altos in stereo, and they accurately reproduce Hammond and piano sounds in my 6 piece soul band. Plus at 68 years old I can easily carry one in each hand. 

[obxa]

Another Alt(oid?)  user here.

Normally use IEMs, but needed a powered speaker for rehearsals and low impact gigs.  Got Alto TS408 based on recommendations here. Sounds great, easy to carry and has come in very handy.

 

Planning on getting another.   Because I was in a time crunch got it next day on Amazon, which also has dust covers. But just about every other online place carries it. 

[SMcD]

How do the Altos do in, say, high-volume jam session environments? 

[Doug Robinson]

My gigs are almost certainly higher volume although not usually super loud. Here’s another vote for.Spacestation V.3 by Apen Pittman Designs.  As long as you can put it at least 6 feet away from you. It sounds wonderful and fills the room. Up close it’s OK but I much prefer it further away.
 

I was an early adopter of this when it was new and I’ve used it ever since. A couple of years ago I started thinking that maybe I should go the powered speaker route, simply because the space station is almost 40 pounds. I got two alto 408s and even though they sounded OK, I was very disappointed overall. I couldn’t find the position where they sounded good to me and good out in the audience. I thought I would get more stereo spread but unless people were sitting in the sweet spot it did not seem like stereo at all.

[HammondDave]

We use 408’s for our floor wedges. Pretty hearty and loud speakers. For keys I prefer the 410’s. 

[The Piano Man]

I’ve said this many times before, but I really like the immediacy of controls of a keyboard amp. The mixer is not only built in but in east reach of your hands from a seated position by your keyboard.

 

However, I do agree that powered speakers from QSC, EV etc generally sound much better than amps like the Roland KC range. (I own K10, ZXa1 and KC150)
 

Two powered speakers plus a decent small mixer is a good setup for amplification of acoustic piano sounds. 
 

But I would still pay good money for a keyboard amp in the style of the KC but designed and made by QSC, EV or equivalent. 
 

The Vox amps look handy. Just wish they had an internal power supply.

[Reezekeys]

Mel, keep in mind that with the small Altos I recommended, or any other speaker lacking EQ controls, I've always needed to cut lows and/or low-mids from my acoustic piano patch. Your RD88 has 3-band EQ available on every program, plus a pretty flexible "master" EQ section (yes I downloaded and RTFM - two bands of hi & low shelving and three "mid" parametric bands). So, your keyboard has the tools necessary to do this without a mixer or dedicated EQ pedal. The EQ in your RD88 is likely more flexible than any small mixer's EQ anyway.

 

Regarding using a mixer: if your only need is to amplify your RD88 and nothing else, you absolutely do not need a mixer. Plug directly into the speakers from the keyboard. IMO it's always better to keep things as simple as possible. Less gear to buy, schlep, and cable together.

[bjosko]

I had a look at the Alto TS408 and 410, and it seems like this new model have EQ you can adjust from an app on your phone.

 

That’s a plus compared to the QSC I have, since I have to crawl around on the floor, trying to adjust that some unintelligent controls, and back to my playing position and back again, and ending up with some of the built in presets 🤨

[Chris Link]

Stereo in one box and only 40 lbs. 

 

Motion Sound KP-408SX