phatmann Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Based in part on the recommendations in this forum, I bought a Barbetta 31C amp. I practiced with it yesterday, and played two gigs today. All I can say is: wow. This is an incredible amp. It weighs only 35 lbs, is very loud, and has a beautiful, rich range. Every patch comes screaming through with awesome clarity. I cannot believe something this small and light can sound so full. I am in heaven. It is truly unique, as it is neither PA speaker nor guitar-amp-with-tweater. It is a real keyboard amp. This thing lets my piano patches cut through the drums and guitar like a knife through butter. I won't fight to be heard anymore. One thing I had to do that was not obvious: turn all the eQ controls up to 3/4. Then set the master volume to 3/4. This gives the sound the mad punch I was looking for. I was a little concerned that the 2 8" woofers would not provide enough bass. But it has tons of bottom end. I paid $689, which is not cheap, but I feel it is worth every penny. When I can afford it, I may buy a second one, and experience the joy of stereo monitors with tons of headroom to spare. I cannot recommend this amp highly enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billdar Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 What were you using before you bought the Batbetta? Have you compared it side by side with any other amp or PA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatmann Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 I have used a pair of Mackie SRM450 for many years. In my former band, I ran the PA so I just ran the band and the vocals through these speakers. They are very loud and durable, but I wanted to find something was lighter and had a punchier sound. The 12" speaker and treble horn are great for PA work, but not ideal for a keyboard monitor (for me at least). I tried a Motion Sound KP200S, but I found that it was not loud enough and did not have enough clarity for piano patches. The Barbetta, with it's 5" tweeter and 2 8" speakers, can really cut through the mix. I have not tried a side-by-side comparison with another amp; that would be interesting, but I have no doubt that the Barbetta is the amp for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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