Chomp Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Hi, I'm a bass player, but my band keyboard player (keyboardist) has been having some doubt, but that lil' bastard is too stubborn to admit it, so I am posting here in hope any of you guys will take pity on me and help me So... We've been plugging our keyboard in an old guitar amp, and it has been very satisfying... but till now we've been using it in mono... is it possible to the keyboard in stereo in a guitar amp? to do so, what should we do? use two cables, and plug the two cables coming out from the keyboard into the amp's two input jacks? is that it? Also, would it be possible to use it in stereo by sending each side's signal to a different amp? or would that generate impedance issues? Thnks all you guys in advance! =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Originally posted by Chomp: Send each side's signal to a different amp.That's the only way for true stereo. Otherwise, you're summing Left and Right by plugging both into one amp. Tom "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rinker Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Originally posted by Chomp: Hi, I'm a bass player, We won't hold that against you So... We've been plugging our keyboard in an old guitar amp, and it has been very satisfying... but till now we've been using it in mono... is it possible to the keyboard in stereo in a guitar amp? to do so, what should we do? use two cables, and plug the two cables coming out from the keyboard into the amp's two input jacks? is that it? Also, would it be possible to use it in stereo by sending each side's signal to a different amp? or would that generate impedance issues? Thnks all you guys in advance! =D You can certainly try feeding both sides into separate channels on the amp, but they will be summed together, not stereo. This still may improve the sound, although it may also cause some cancellations - one channel cancelling the sound of the other. You can't hurt anything by doing this, but you may or may not get decent results. Plugging each side into a different amp will give you true stereo. Won't cause any impedance problems. You will get best results if the amps are the same, but again, try it and see if the effect is what you want. Some here actually prefer mono, depending on the particular keyboard, amp, and style. You can't hurt anything trying, so see what you like best. Hope this helps. - Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmymio Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Originally posted by Bob Rinker: You can certainly try feeding both sides into separate channels on the amp, but they will be summed together, not stereo. This still may improve the sound.....[/QB]How so? JP 1935 Mason & Hamlin Model A Korg Kronos 2 73 Nord Electro 6D 61 Yam S90ES Rhodes Stage 73 (1972) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prague Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Isn't stereo supposed to have, like, two speaker boxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Aiken Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Originally posted by jimmymio: Originally posted by Bob Rinker: You can certainly try feeding both sides into separate channels on the amp, but they will be summed together, not stereo. This still may improve the sound.....How so? JP [/QB]All summing is not equal. Some keyboards sum their outputs to mono via one jack very poorly and sound better if both outputs are used and summed together in a mixer or amp. Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chomp Posted April 27, 2006 Author Share Posted April 27, 2006 Thnks for the help guys =) Yea, now thinking again bout it my question sounds kinda stupid... Course we'd need two boxes... but, I'm glad I asked... better asking something simple than not knowing something simple Thnks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soundquest Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 My advice is not to use a guitar amplifier in the first place. Guitar amps have a specific limited frequency range and will compromise any keyboard signal. If it already sounds good via the guitar amp, it will be better in a keyboard amp. This, for me, would be priority before worrying about stereo. We have time, but none to waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKeys Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I agree with Soundquest. Instead of looking for another guitar amp pick up a used keyboard amp. Something along the lines of Rolands KC300 or KC500. These you can run a line from the KC's to the guitar amp and get stereo. That makes for a cheap transition. Did I know there were limited funds here? We are a bunch of musicians. Duu Jimmy Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho NEW BAND CHECK THEM OUT www.steveowensandsummertime.com www.jimmyweaver.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Nightime Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 Originally posted by BluesKeys: I agree with Soundquest. Instead of looking for another guitar amp pick up a used keyboard amp. Something along the lines of Rolands KC300 or KC500. These you can run a line from the KC's to the guitar amp and get stereo. That makes for a cheap transition. Not to mention that a guitar amp is designed to distort easily. That's something you want to avoid with a keyboard. Hearing a distorted piano sound is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me, one of the world's most irritation sounds. I haven't heard the Rolands that Jim recommended, but the old Peavey KB300 does a decent job, and you might be able to find a used one on the cheap. DON'T get the Peavey KB100. Seriously underpowered. "In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome. So God helped him and created woman. Now everybody's got the blues." Willie Dixon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I agree with all the above, especially about using a keyboard amp, but with exceptions (that they all know but just didn't mention). Whether a keyboard amp will sound better depends on the patches you're using and what sound you want. If he's only using the rhodes and organ patches, chances are it'll sound better in the guitar amp, with a little juicy distortion (especially, IMHO, if it's a tube amp). Sometimes clav and certain analog synth sounds are livelier with guitar amp distortion. But those are usually the exceptions rather than the rule. The keyboard was most likely intended to be used with a flat (non-colored, non-distorting) amp/speaker setup, and will sound best that way. This is especially true for digital pianos. But I still remember ... I had a Juno 60 synth (an old digitally controlled analog synth) and had a hammond-like preset I'd carefully tweaked to sound pretty good (if you're not used to the real thing, anyway). I always played it though a full PA. Then I replaced that synth and sold it to a friend, who plugged it into his MusicMan guitar amp. The first time I tried it, using that hammond sound, I couldn't stop playing it. The distortion the guitar amp added a flavor that the synth sound was missing and it really cooked. So, I agree in general with the other guys, but note that it REALLY depends. Try different things and see how it works out. BTW, stereo makes any keyboard sound way better, IMHO. I have a small PA I use, and Jim (BluesKeys) has a pair of those keyboard amps. Either way, sounds way better than mono. The audience probably doesn't notice, but the player and the rest of the band will. I play for fun, so I want it to sound good to ME. Also, with stereo, you can hear the sound better and so can play a bit quieter. (Not that I do ... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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