lidlamazon Posted March 4, 2001 Share Posted March 4, 2001 I just got a used keyboard off a friend. Now I need an amp to hear it without headphones! What should I look for? What's the difference between a preamp and an amp? I want to stay on the small side if I can -- obviously not ready for the big leagues yet, but I do want something I can possibly gig with if that situation comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman_nsyahoo.com Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 First off let me assume you are a complete beginner....... ok, now an amp can mean to different things. First it could mean a "head" (the normal term) which is just the amplifier and the volume, eq, etc controls..... NO SPEAKERS!!! you have to hook a head up to some speakers (or cabinets, another name for just the speakers) to hear the sound. Second an "amp" could mean a "combo" which is the amp and a speaker or two (or 7 like the new Roland!) in one package.... this is probably the way you want to go. A pre-amp is normally for microphones and is not really something you need. A couple keyboard specific amps (combos) are the Roland KC series and the Motion Sound products, also Crate makes a small amp called the KX-15... most guitar amps should do fine too......... a lot of people use powered PA loud-speakers, although these can get a tad pricey. The Mackie SRM-450 is probably what most "Pro" level keyboardists use..... from the people I've talked to at least.... of course these go for $750+ a piece. For more keyboard amps go here http://zzounds.com/love.music?p=c.K,AMP&z=1001081612844 Did any of this help?? ------------------ John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lidlamazon Posted March 5, 2001 Author Share Posted March 5, 2001 oh lord go slower. i know nothing about sound. i thought an amplifier and a speaker were the same. so from your post i gather that the amp is not built into or part of the keyboard? just making sure i understand even though i'm probably just repeating what you said. it's just that that's what you have to do the first time you run across an entirely new concept, so bear with me. i don't really understand what an electronic keyboard is, to tell the truth. i've played acoustic piano all my life and i'm just now realizing they are entirely different things with only the black/white key layout in common -- so my keyboard "skills" are not translatable as I thought and i might as well be completely musically illiterate. so okay i feel fairly sure i have that part right now. next question then: why do you need 7 speakers in one? talk about another new concept. but nevermind, i guess sound coming from 7 sources is richer than from just one. again, just repeating to make sure i understand. in passing and off-topic (now i know that too! heh thanks) why does a microphone need a pre-amp? so the next question is going to obviously be: what's a powered PA loudspeaker? well, since i don't know anything i am going to go with your recommendations. a new question though: don't most clubs and rehearsal studios have combos (slick, huh, used it in a sentence http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif -- i think?) i could plug into? my thought is i could buy the cheapest combo i could put my hands on just for my own use (till i'm richer) and use the facility's equipment when i play with others. i live in a big city and don't anticipate doing much rehearsing with a band in an empty space all our own and i'm imagining this would be the only situation where i might not be able to find a combo to plug into that wouldn't be better than anything i could afford. or am i wrong and is it worth putting the money into the very best equipment i can afford even though it wouldn't be much? thanks so much for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lidlamazon Posted March 5, 2001 Author Share Posted March 5, 2001 oops i knew i should have checked that link out before i finished my reply, but i thought one thing at a time. but the amplifiers at love sound...those are combos or just amps? they call them amps and since you mentioned the difference i am wondering if they are using the term loosely as i did or if i get one of those, do i need a cabinet (speaker) as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good morning Posted March 6, 2001 Share Posted March 6, 2001 "Amp" is used generically. Amps in most parlance will have the pre-amp, amplifier, speakers, tweeters, woofers, etc. all together. (So too, will guitar combo amps, but that's another subject. Same idea, though.) The simplest kind of amp would have just one speaker to cover all range sounds. This doesn't always work so well, so often you'll find at least a tweeter (a separate small speaker) as part of the amp to handle the higher frequencies. Sometimes also you'll find woofers to handle the lower frequencies (bass). All these "speakers" will be hidden behind the grill of the "amp." Most any music store will have keyboard amps. Roland is a popular brand, and their amp comes in three sizes. Another alternative is a PA system, which has separate speaker cabinets wired to a powerered mixer. Amps -- guitar, keys, bass, whatever -- are designed to complement the sound of the particular instrument. Keyboard amps have to handle a very broad range of sounds and frequencies. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good morning Posted March 6, 2001 Share Posted March 6, 2001 To read about keyboard amps, go to rolandus.com to see Roland's. Check out the brochures on the KC-100, KC-300, and KC-500 series. The pre-amp, amp, etc. will all be inside each of these things. The other feature you'll read about is EQ -- that's just a way to boost/cut your treble, mid-range, and bass (like on a typical home stereo). Two-way EQ doesn't have mid-range. For stereo, you'd want to have two of these amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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