Amplification for keyboards, synths and digital pianos

Comments · 380

• DO

  @dougdixonhull · 6 years ago

  Hi woody. Good video on a subject that seems to be overlooked for some reason. <br>I am a gigging keyboard play and have a home studio and home keyboards so in a good position to comment. For many years I used a Peavey KB100 keyboard combo and still use it in my studio for bass guitar. I thought your comment on using a mono signal was interesting as I have have the complete opposite experience. I always run my synths in mono live as a stereo image would get lost in a public space and trying to get your audience to all sit in the middle of the venu would be unrealistic. I am now using a Yamaha Powered mixer and a set of whafdale 12” speaker for my own personal monitoring and sending a mono signal to front of house. It works a treat. I also think using a guitar amp can be a minefield and cause more problems. Maybe for that dirty Rhodes sound it would be ok but a guitar amp is designed to create the guitar sound and you don’t get the full range with lake of bass and no treble horn a piano sound would sound terrible, I know from experience, trust me. Studio monitors are great for home use. <br>I would like to see more videos of this subject and interviews of keyboard players with what they use.<br>Some good information in this video. Thanks again, Doug from the UK

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• LU

  @Luthiart · 3 years ago

  Good video, Woody. &nbsp;I would just add one tip. &nbsp;I find synths sound better through a solid state bass amp than through a guitar amp. &nbsp;Bass amps can handle lower frequencies better without getting flubby, and they&apos;re more powerful than guitar amps. &nbsp;A tube amp can sound nice, but I think they add too much coloration to the sound. &nbsp;<br><br>Also, a keyboard amp (with a large enough speaker) can be used as a bass amp. &nbsp;I used a Peavey KB100 as a bass practice amp for quite a while, and it sounded great.

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• SA

  @SanjayC · 6 years ago

  Wow! I learned a lot. That was so thorough and you explained everything so well.

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• ST

  @stevelemur6113 · 5 years ago

  Very good introduction to the subject Woody. Before anyone goes out and actually throws their checkbook on the counter, I recommend that you contact your local college or university and through the music department hire a couple of hours of one of the keyboard students time to walk you through the business. Their is no substitute to actually twiddling the knobs and hefting the equipment. A student is usually in a position to tell you what you can get by with and what would be optimum and a lot of what is in between. <br>The choice is not much available these days, but if you are hauling equipment from one venue to another, you want your speakers to be in PLYWOOD cabinets. Sadly almost all the manufacturers have switched over to particle board, which is acoustically better, but a single drop from clumsy fingers will destroy the cabinet. Plywood will bounce where particle board crumbles. Actually glass fiber filled concrete is the best thing acoustically from which to make speaker cabinets because they do not resonate with human hearing range, but they are way too<br> heavy to drag around. I have bought particle board cabinets, torn the drivers (the actual loud speakers themselves - woofers and tweeters) out of the cabinets, and built replacement cabinets out of flooring plywood (1.25 inches thick). One has to maintain the interior volume and port sizes exactly, but you will have drop resistant cabinets which will not lose any sound volume in vibrating the cabinets. If you can tolerate lugging these monsters around, you will never lose a speaker to a four foot drop. If your foot is underneath it when it falls, it will involve several surgeries to rebuild the foot. <br>I used to design loudspeaker systems (both drivers and cabinets) so that is why I am crazy enough to go to all this effort. You normal, sane, people probably will be happy with the equipment right out of the manufacturer&apos;s box. Best of luck.

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• TO

  @tonymason6686 · 6 years ago

  Using a pair of KC-350&apos;s here. &nbsp;Solves the L/R issue nicely! &nbsp;They kick ass.

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• RI

  @Rich-on6fe · 6 years ago

  Those amplifiers with the &apos;chimney&apos; sticking up out the top (JBL?) sound incredible. Once you get over the fact that it looks like there&apos;s a log burner on the stage, the sound is just stunning.

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• JE

  @jennytaylor3324 · 4 years ago

  Woody, just want to say this channel has been a Godsend for a tech novice like me. Just bought my first professional keyboard (Roland D50), largely thanks to your comprehensive review vids. Now I&apos;m looking for an amp, and here you are helping me pick one. A big thank you from Chester, England!

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• KI

  @kilcar · 1 year ago

  excellent. Thank you!

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• FA

  @FatherSonSkating · 8 months ago

  REALLY HELPFUL! Thanks Woody

• LE

  @leopoldleoleo · 5 years ago

  Wow what a comprehensive video! Just what I was looking for as I start to expand my keyboard game

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• IM

  @imaldon1 · 1 year ago (edited)

  I recall nearly 20 years ago when I purchased 2 Barbetta Sona 32 bi amped keyboard amplifiers. They were awesome!!

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• EA

  @eady911 · 5 years ago

  Thank you &nbsp;for your explanation, I learnt a great deal.