Advice needed urgently

[keys.keys]

Hi, I am new hear and don't know whether you can help me. I amplaying keys and need to amplify it. Friends ask me to assist them in a band I never played on stage and therefore was never bothered with amplifiers and or PA systems. How can I go about, I play with yamaha and I am in the process of buying Yamaha motif XS8 and that's my dilemma. I am contemplating buying a good budget pa sund like Behringer B215. Will it compliment my sound? Oh I am currently playing Yamaha DGX505 at home only.

 

[PianoMan]

Well I would suggest testing out sound systems before buying them. Also with Behringer a friend of mine who has an amp says that they screw up on occasion, i.e. unreliable. If you're willing to spend 3200 on a keyboard, it might be worthwhile to invest in a better brand. Ultimately going to music stores and trying some out would be ideal.

 

[RotorOnTop]

A great keyboard is only as good as its amplification...even a Yamaha Motif XS will sound poorly through a low budget amplifier. You are buying a top of the line keyboard, get a top of the line amplifier!

 

[GigMan]

A great keyboard is only as good as its amplification...even a Yamaha Motif XS will sound poorly through a low budget amplifier. You are buying a top of the line keyboard, get a top of the line amplifier!

This is true - I think "Behringer" stands for "Bottom of the Barrel" in German...

They take other manufacturers' product designs and copy them & sell the resulting knockoff for much less money. Though some have bought & used Behringer products (they make everything - amps, PA, mics., recording equipment...) w/satisfaction, many have found that they're unreliable crap that will eventually fail sooner if not later.

If the band you're playing in can put you (your keys) thru the PA you're much better off - then you can either monitor yourself on stage w/a PA monitor or get your own keyboard amp - the Roland KC150 is a good unit to try: http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ROL-KC150-LIST

...or move up to it's bigger brothers the KC350 or KC550 for more power (but more money, of course) -

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ROL-KC350-LIST
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ROL-KC550-LIST

I bought a pair of JBL EON15 G2's about 7 yrs. ago -
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-JBL-EON15G2-PAK-LIST

...which I used as PA mains and sometimes would use one as a stage monitor when someone else brought the PA.

Two years ago I moved to the Motion Sound KP200S - http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-MOI-KP200S-LIST - which is a pricey but really sweet-sound amp, though a little bit underpowered. If you're playing in a loud rock band I'd go for a JBL EON15 G2 as your stage monitor. I still have the EONs for the occasional gigs where I have to supply PA.