Casio Privia 160 vs Casio CDP350: are they even for me anyway?

[happyrat1]

Here's a view of my living room rig.

You may want to get the second tier if you ever want to add a laptop or a module or another synth to the rig. Cheaper to buy as a unit than add on the second tier later.

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

And don't worry too much about terminology. Synths, Workstations, Performance Boards, Pianos, they all have a lot of overlap and manufacturers take a lot of liberties when it comes to pigeonholing categories.

The important thing is how does it play, how does it sound and how does it feel.

Everything else is just marketing crapola.

Gary

 

[Biggles]

To help give you a little clarity here is general advice that I often post.

Digital Piano.
At its most basic level LH plays the Bass lines and chords, RH plays the melody.
Independent LH & RH playing actions will need to be developed.
A Digital Piano is just that 88 weighted keys with a variety of Piano sounds to call upon to be used, other sounds can also be incorporated within the unit.

Keyboard.
Two basic types, Workstation and Arranger.

Both start with 61 keys and as the models increase in complexity and cost 76 key and 88 keys versions become available as budget increases.

Each type of unit has hundreds if not thousands if instrument sounds that can be used as an example there can easily be over thirty different types of Piano sounds available to be selected.

Workstation.
Highly customisable, often with inbuilt recording, looping, and the ability to set sequence patterns of sounds that can be called upon at the touch of a button.

Usually over one thousand instrument sounds available to be used.

Orchestral sounds can be built up by layering one instrument on top of another to produce a Combination that can be saved into a User area and assigned to a Favourite button.

Watch a Band and the person on keys will probably be playing a Workstation, if they have more than one unit then a digital Piano is likely to be there unless your name is Rick Wakeman then the number of keyboards he uses is often in excess of ten.

Arranger.
A keyboard that typically incorporates onboard amplification and speakers for a fully self contained unit.

Instrument sounds or voices are categorised into families with typically thirty specific instrument sounds available.

These keyboards include Auto Accompanying of styles that are or can be triggered by the left hand.

The keyboard is electronically split (adjustable and can be switched off) so the Accompanying sounds are played with the LH and RH plays, melody lines, arpeggiated chords, improvisation, melody accompanying lines, syncopations etc.

A beginner to keyboards will probably start off learning on a low value Yamaha or Casio unit and then progress to more complex keyboard.

Synthesiser.
Is an electronic sound generator, it can be a keyboard or non keyboard model.

With all the above keyboard types, there is a considerable degrees of overlap and incorporation of functions within each category.

The choice of which type will be best for you is dependent upon what you want to play, the style and long term plans.

If you have doubts or just want to dip ones toes in then an Arranger will probably be the best unit to go for. With the auto accompaniment feature it will enable you to produce music relatively quickly.

Technicals
Polophony, this is the number of different instrument sounds that a keyboard can play at the same time.

Styles, there are hundreds of presets arrangements including in an Arranger keyboard, each Style will have a specific number of musical instrument sounds included and when the Style is initiated it will provide sounds and rhythm related to a music genre like dance, r n b, waltz, rock, ballad etc

Songs, some keyboards have a specific style, rhythm and instrument sounds that are intended to produce a sound similar to a popular song such as Ed Sheeran’s Thinking out loud, John Lennon’s Imagine, Elvis Presley The Wonder of You, Glenn Miller Moonlight Serenade etc songs that span many decades of music to cater for all ages.
Sustain pedal, a foot operated on/off switch that if it is pressed and held as a key or keys are pressed the note(s) continue to sound until the pedal is released.

Recording
Most keyboards have the ability to record your performance, the degree of flexibility and editing capabilities does vary substantially. That said a substantial number can be connected to a PC/MAC where audio recording software can record your performance but taking recording to another level is software known as a DAW where you can create a multi layered track, each with full individual recording and editing capabilities, many good DAWs are freeware.

Virtual Instruments

A MIDI keyboard controller, DAW software and a whole series of software instrument sounds can give a very capable Recording Studio in its own right. This setup can also provide a very economical entry into keyboard playing for the computer literate.

General advice
Keyboard manufacturers have online manuals available to download for current and older keyboards therefore it can be useful to read said manual to help gain an understanding of a specific keyboards features.

Keyboard manufacturers also have Video Tutorials online which can give a good grounding on the features and on using a specific keyboard.

Online reviews vary from excellent to dire so do take them with a pinch of salt, if any start with, wassup, then move on to another video.

Be flexible in your choices as what you think will be the best keyboard for you does not necessarily relate that it is the one for you.

Do not get hung up on a particular manufacturers products.

Yamaha produce some excellent keyboards but they produce very cheap ones to get learners locked into the brand, but their tutorials and customer support are almost non existent. Their higher end learner keyboards and their top of the range Arranger are the standards others have to match or better.

Within a specific price band the capabilities of different manufacturers products are very similar.

Keyboards to consider

Beginner/improver keyboard
Yamaha PSR E series
Roland Gokeys/Gopiano
Korg EK 50 entertainer
Casio CTK series

Arranger
Korg PA700/1000
Roland EA7
Korg PA4X
Yamaha Genos
Yamaha PSR SX/S700 series or 900 series
Casio CT X series

Workstation/Synth
Korg Kross 2
Roland Juno DS61

Workstation
Roland FA 067/8
Korg Kronos
Korg Krome
Yamaha MODX

Digital Piano
Nord Stage
Yamaha P series
Roland RD
Casio CDP series

MIDI controller keyboards
Novation Launchkey
Arturia Keylab Mk2 & Essential version
Native Instrument S series

 

[Aaron Houts]

I bought the XLSL and it's a pretty snug fit. It includes a couple of foam spacers that provide extra protection at the ends. I can't say it's a dealbreaker but I'd really miss the shoulder strap if mine didn't have one.

Gary

Thank you!
Is it "good" snug or should I check out the 88 Key with the 18" width to give it more room?
Or is that the whole point?
Do I want the Slim size because it's made with a narrower width like 15" to accommodate keyboards like the Juno with it's 14" width?

Here's a view of my living room rig.

View attachment 1614View attachment 1615


You may want to get the second tier if you ever want to add a laptop or a module or another synth to the rig. Cheaper to buy as a unit than add on the second tier later.

Gary

That is just killer, man!
I love it!
I've been scoping out a spot in the house to set up camp. I'm thinking the bass half stack on the left with an a/b switch to my bass and the left side of the keyboard and a Roland 200 on the right running the right side of the 'board.

I did also check out videos for the Roland FA-08 and the Kurzweil SP-6. I still like the layout of the Juno best. I'm just countin' the days 'til Saturday...

 

[anotherscott]

Okay, back to this and another question about terminology:
the Casio Privia 160
CDP-350
Casio PX360
Casio PX560 and
Kurzweil SP6
would all be considered digital pianos.
The
Korg Kross 2
Roland Juno
Yamaha MX
would all be called "synthesizers?"
Do I have that right?
The Numa 2 is a digital piano, but the 2X is a synthesizer?

Although I defined board categories in post #6, as I said there and happyrat said again here, boards don't always fall into neat categories, and what matters is whether it does what you need, not what category it best falls into. That said...

PX-160, CDP-350 and PX360 are digital pianos.

PX560 and SP6 are more than digital pianos. Unlike the boards above (or most others sold as digital pianos), the sounds can be very substantially edited, you can create/store your own custom sounds, which would traditionally be considered more of a synthesizer feature (though the Kurzweil requires that you do most editing from the computer editor rather than directly on the board itself). These boards also have modulation wheels, which are not so common on digital pianos. The SP6 (which Kurzweil calls a Stage Piano) is farther from the traditional digital pianos both because of other things it has and also other things it does NOT have. It does not have built-in speakers nor the kind of auto-accompaniment feature many digital pianos have. It does have the ability to do 4-way splits, lots of simultaneous effects, ability to function as a 4-zone MIDI controller, a large sample set (2 GB of sample data), a virtual analog synth engine (using simulated oscillators instead of samples), a clonewheel organ engine. It also has some other nice features that you may also find in some but definitely not all digital pianos, i.e. the ability to function as a 16 voice multi-timbral sound module, jacks for an expression pedal and multiple foot switches, and 5-pin DIN MIDI jacks for more connectivity options (in addition to USB). So if you must categorize it, I guess I'd put it more in the synthesizer than digital piano category, but Kurzweil's "stage piano" nomenclature works too.

Kross 2 would typically be called a workstation because it has a multitrack editable sequencer. Yamaha MX is similar to SP6 in that it is a very capable board, but on-board editing is very limited, you have to use a computer editor for most editing. Call them synthesizers or stage pianos... whatever they are, they are what they are. Juno DS lets you edit sounds right from the board... but considering the small screen, I'd still rather use the computer editor for anything beyond minor tweaks.

Numa Compact 2X does add a handful of editable synthesizer functions to the Numa Compact 2 (as well as more organ and MIDI functionality), it's a judgement call as to what you want to call it. I guess it's either a super-capable digital piano or a very limited synthesizer. ;-) The main thing on your list that it cannot do is send bass out one output and your other sounds out the other. It's also more limited compared to most of the boards we're talking about (except the basic Casio digital pianos) in supporting a maximum of only two sounds at a time playable from the keyboard (you can't do one of the tricks we were talking about earlier of placing three sounds across different regions of the keyboard simultaneously).

 

[Aaron Houts]

Yes!
I guess I didn't mean terms, you both did define them. I was just seeing if I could correctly place the keyboards in their categories.

I just watched the PX560 video and I definitely noticed the things you mention with it and the SP-6. I was not expecting either of them to have the features they do. They are both really amazing.

Seeing the different variations between brands and models is helping me. I'm getting a clearer picture of what I'm looking at.

Oh-another question:
How would I be able to tell whether these units have cut offs or not?
What do I look for in videos or user manuals to know that a keyboard has the feature of the Juno?

 

[happyrat1]

Resonance and cutoff are both nice features to have and the Juno DS makes it easy with two default knobs on bootup.

Also the snug fit of the XLSL case is like it's custom made for the board. This is a good thing because with the protruding joystick you don't want the board sliding around inside the case.

Gary

 

[anotherscott]

How would I be able to tell whether these units have cut offs or not?
What do I look for in videos or user manuals to know that a keyboard has the feature of the Juno?

There's no easy way, because there's no universal name for the feature of not having sounds cut off when you change. There are also differences in implementations even among boards that have the feature... like can a difference in effects between the sounds you're switching from and to cause a momentary glitch and possible change in the character of the held sound, even though the sound doesn't drop out? Can you sustain a sound through more than one transition? Does it work among all sounds, or are there exceptions? Does it work in some operational modes but not others? e.g. does it work both when switching among single sounds and also when switching among split/layered combinations of sounds? On some boards it works in both cases, while on some boards it works when changing from one sound combination to another but not when changing sounds WITHIN a combination (Nord), and other boards are the exact opposite (Yamaha MX, Roland FA). So it's not even a simple yes or no about having the feature or not, there are permutations.

Roland usually calls the feature Patch Remain. Though the Juno DS can do it, and it's not mentioned or called anything in the manual. Korg calls the feature SST for Smooth Sound Transition on the boards that have it. Yamaha calls it SSS for Seamless Sound Switching on some of the boards that have it (the implementation on the MX has no name). Nord calls it seamless transitions. Kurzweil and Casio don't have names for it, it's just long been the way Kurzweils and Casios have worked. Though on all of these boards, you will need to learn and be cognizant of what works and what does not. Sometimes there are certain sounds you can't seamlessly switch between (for example, Kurzweil special cases their KB3 organ sounds, Casio PX560 special cases their hexlayer sounds), and/or you have to manage your effects to minimize audible glitches, etc. But one way or another, you should be able to do what you want on any of the boards I"ve suggested for this purpose. (p.s. since you mentioned it again recently, the Numa Compact 2X is not good for this.,, the plain 2 is actually a bit better, though still pretty limited in this respect.)

 

[happyrat1]

Thanks Scott. I thought he was referring to Filter Resonance and Cutoff since those are also implemented on the Juno DS.

Senior moment Dur

Gary

 

[Biggles]

Oh-another question:
How would I be able to tell whether these units have cut offs or not?
What do I look for in videos or user manuals to know that a keyboard has the feature of the Juno?

You will probably not see or hear it in any review video, most reviewers do not seem a all interested enough to comment on if it happens or not. It is the quality of the instrument sounds, the keybed feel, the ease of performing specific functions that rightly take preference. In fact I do not remember ever seeing and hearing cut off in any review video.

On Saturday when you test the Keyboards starting with the Kross2 you may wish to:-

1 With a Program selected play a chord with either hand and whilst holding the keys down change to another Program via the selection dial.

2 Repeat but whilst holding the keys down press the Combi button.

3 Repeat with a Combi selected and with the keys held down select another Combi.

4 Repeat with a Combi selected and again with the keys held down press the Program button.

5 Now place a Combi in a Favourites location and a Program in the adjacent location.

6 Try permutations of switching from one to another and back plus any other permutations you can think of.

Repeat 1 to 6 with each keyboard you test and with each change note the difference in the sound you hear and if there are also any pops or crackles the instant the change is made.

Then try playing a Bass line with the keyboard split and change to another instrument in the right of the split whilst maintaining the same Bass voice in the left. Note any cut off or pop or crackle.

Now try it again but time the change so that you are at the start of another Bass sequence and see or rather listen what happens.

Take you time in testing each keyboard eg I played a Kross 2 back to back with a Juno about four or five times before I chose the Kross and only because of its far small size and much less weight, sound on sound there was not a lot between them.

It depends upon what you want by way of right hand instrument voices taking the lead and if your prime choice is acoustic piano then Yamaha will come to the fore as much as it pains me to say so they do have great piano sounds.

So keep options open and please do not rush into buying.

There are other options we can suggest if your tests do not go quite as you hope.

 

[Aaron Houts]

Resonance and cutoff are both nice features to have and the Juno DS makes it easy with two default knobs on bootup.

Also the snug fit of the XLSL case is like it's custom made for the board. This is a good thing because with the protruding joystick you don't want the board sliding around inside the case.

Gary

Well that's a relief to know!
Thank you again. It's nice to not have to worry about which case or size now.

There's no easy way, because there's no universal name for the feature of not having sounds cut off when you change. There are also differences in implementations even among boards that have the feature... like can a difference in effects between the sounds you're switching from and to cause a momentary glitch and possible change in the character of the held sound, even though the sound doesn't drop out? Can you sustain a sound through more than one transition? Does it work among all sounds, or are there exceptions? Does it work in some operational modes but not others? e.g. does it work both when switching among single sounds and also when switching among split/layered combinations of sounds? On some boards it works in both cases, while on some boards it works when changing from one sound combination to another but not when changing sounds WITHIN a combination (Nord), and other boards are the exact opposite (Yamaha MX, Roland FA). So it's not even a simple yes or no about having the feature or not, there are permutations.

Roland usually calls the feature Patch Remain. Though the Juno DS can do it, and it's not mentioned or called anything in the manual. Korg calls the feature SST for Smooth Sound Transition on the boards that have it. Yamaha calls it SSS for Seamless Sound Switching on some of the boards that have it (the implementation on the MX has no name). Nord calls it seamless transitions. Kurzweil and Casio don't have names for it, it's just long been the way Kurzweils and Casios have worked. Though on all of these boards, you will need to learn and be cognizant of what works and what does not. Sometimes there are certain sounds you can't seamlessly switch between (for example, Kurzweil special cases their KB3 organ sounds, Casio PX560 special cases their hexlayer sounds), and/or you have to manage your effects to minimize audible glitches, etc. But one way or another, you should be able to do what you want on any of the boards I"ve suggested for this purpose. (p.s. since you mentioned it again recently, the Numa Compact 2X is not good for this.,, the plain 2 is actually a bit better, though still pretty limited in this respect.)

Thank you as always, anotherscott.
That makes perfect sense as always and I understand what you mean about it's not "yes" or "no."
Good thought on the Numa. I just wanted to check to see if I understood what kind of keyboard it is. It's no longer in the running for me.
The Casio Privia PX560 to my surprise, IS in the running. You were right again!

Oh-another question:
How would I be able to tell whether these units have cut offs or not?
What do I look for in videos or user manuals to know that a keyboard has the feature of the Juno?

You will probably not see or hear it in any review video, most reviewers do not seem a all interested enough to comment on if it happens or not. It is the quality of the instrument sounds, the keybed feel, the ease of performing specific functions that rightly take preference. In fact I do not remember ever seeing and hearing cut off in any review video.

On Saturday when you test the Keyboards starting with the Kross2 you may wish to:-

1 With a Program selected play a chord with either hand and whilst holding the keys down change to another Program via the selection dial.

2 Repeat but whilst holding the keys down press the Combi button.

3 Repeat with a Combi selected and with the keys held down select another Combi.

4 Repeat with a Combi selected and again with the keys held down press the Program button.

5 Now place a Combi in a Favourites location and a Program in the adjacent location.

6 Try permutations of switching from one to another and back plus any other permutations you can think of.

Repeat 1 to 6 with each keyboard you test and with each change note the difference in the sound you hear and if there are also any pops or crackles the instant the change is made.

Then try playing a Bass line with the keyboard split and change to another instrument in the right of the split whilst maintaining the same Bass voice in the left. Note any cut off or pop or crackle.

Now try it again but time the change so that you are at the start of another Bass sequence and see or rather listen what happens.

Take you time in testing each keyboard eg I played a Kross 2 back to back with a Juno about four or five times before I chose the Kross and only because of its far small size and much less weight, sound on sound there was not a lot between them.

It depends upon what you want by way of right hand instrument voices taking the lead and if your prime choice is acoustic piano then Yamaha will come to the fore as much as it pains me to say so they do have great piano sounds.

So keep options open and please do not rush into buying.

There are other options we can suggest if your tests do not go quite as you hope.

Thanks, Biggles!
I actually took screen shots of your instructions so I can access them directly from my phone in case I can't connect to the internet in the stores.

 

[Aaron Houts]

So the laaaaaaaatest development is the amp situation...

I understand amps a little better, but I figured I'd update you in case my ridiculous story is entertaining anyone.

My wife and I have been looking around the house to find out where we can set up the keyboard.

It became immediately apparent to me that I needed to overhaul my amp situation. I have a full stack rig with two 115 cabs and a head that'll push 370 watts. I also have a 30 watt 10" combo and a little Roland Micro Bass Cube for times when there's no electricity.

I'm keeping the Roland, but getting rid of everything else.

I want two amps that can work for both bass and keys. I want them both to be light, compact and wedge shaped so I can set them up like monitors around the keyboard.

My plan is to get a 15" combo bass amp to use for my Precision bass and keyboard bass.
I had been looking at this Hartke Kickback. Its 250 watts through 115. I haven't needed anything bigger than that in any situation I've been in. I think the Hartke will have a cleaner sound to make it better for the keyboard bass, but it's a bass amp so it should enhance the "bass" sound of the keyboard bass.
Here's that one:

Kickback KB15 | Hartke

The Kickback KB15 features a 500-watt, high-efficiency Class D amplifier and a 15-inch Hydrive Series speaker with a neodymium magnet. Hartke Hydrive's unique hybrid cone speaker is constructed with an outer paper cone that produces deep and warm low frequencies, and an inner aluminum cone that...

www.samsontech.com

I reconsidered the Roland 200 because it doesn't really have a substantial tiltback and I don't want to get a tiltback stand. Since it's for the right hand side of the board mainly, I thought something clean would work so I found a powered PA monitor. It's an Electrovoice (I just love EV) ZLX-12P. 100 watts into a 12 and a 1.5" high frequency driver. I could also use it as a small portable amp for my bass if I don't have room for the 15.
Here's a link to that one:

ZLX-12P - 12" powered loudspeaker by Electro-voice

The compact, lightweight ZLX-12P was designed to give you power and performance beyond the scope of other small-format loudspeakers, making it a standout choice for smaller-venue sound reinforcement or stage-monitoring. Pound for pound, no other similarly sized composite box comes close.

www.electrovoice.com

I'm planning to take my amps with me on Saturday and trade them in toward the bass amp and an a/b selector switch. If I can get a good deal, I may try for the PA monitor.

 

[CowboyNQ]

I thought something clean would work so I found a powered PA monitor. It's an Electrovoice (I just love EV) ZLX-12P.

Just bought myself one of these for my own monitoring. Very pleased with it.

 

[happyrat1]

What I'd recommend is keeping the monster amps for gigging and picking up a pair of full range monitors and a subwoofer for home use.

Reality check indicates you don't really need more than 20 watts per channel to blow the windows out of the average living room.

I use these in my studio:

Amazon.com: M-Audio BX5 Carbon Black | 5" Single Speaker Studio Monitor with Magnetic Shielding (70-watt Class A/B Power): Musical Instruments

Buy M-Audio BX5 Carbon Black | 5" Single Speaker Studio Monitor with Magnetic Shielding (70-watt Class A/B Power): Studio Monitors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Monoprice 60-Watt Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch With Auto-On Function, For Studio And Home Theater: Home Audio & Theater

Buy Monoprice 60-Watt Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch With Auto-On Function, For Studio And Home Theater: Subwoofers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

And a set of these in my living room:

Robot Check

If you want to keep this cheap I'd suggest the following for the home setup.

Amazon.com: PreSonus 2 X Eris E5 Two-Way Active 5.25" Studio Monitor, 102dB Max SPL, Each: Musical Instruments

Buy PreSonus 2 X Eris E5 Two-Way Active 5.25" Studio Monitor, 102dB Max SPL, Each: Studio Monitors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

and the monoprice sub I linked above.

Gary

 

[Aaron Houts]

Just bought myself one of these for my own monitoring. Very pleased with it.

Oh awesome!
They seem to get good reviews.
Since it's powered, you can plug the instrument cable right into the speaker like any regular instrument como amp, right?

What I'd recommend is keeping the monster amps for gigging and picking up a pair of full range monitors and a subwoofer for home use.

Reality check indicates you don't really need more than 20 watts per channel to blow the windows out of the average living room.

I use these in my studio:

Amazon.com: M-Audio BX5 Carbon Black | 5" Single Speaker Studio Monitor with Magnetic Shielding (70-watt Class A/B Power): Musical Instruments

Buy M-Audio BX5 Carbon Black | 5" Single Speaker Studio Monitor with Magnetic Shielding (70-watt Class A/B Power): Studio Monitors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Monoprice 60-Watt Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch With Auto-On Function, For Studio And Home Theater: Home Audio & Theater

Buy Monoprice 60-Watt Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch With Auto-On Function, For Studio And Home Theater: Subwoofers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

And a set of these in my living room:

Robot Check

If you want to keep this cheap I'd suggest the following for the home setup.

Amazon.com: PreSonus 2 X Eris E5 Two-Way Active 5.25" Studio Monitor, 102dB Max SPL, Each: Musical Instruments

Buy PreSonus 2 X Eris E5 Two-Way Active 5.25" Studio Monitor, 102dB Max SPL, Each: Studio Monitors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

and the monoprice sub I linked above.

Gary

Thanks, Gary!
Space is part of the thing though. Getting rid of the monster amps is as important as getting the new amps. Boiling the whole kit down to two amps that both can work for both bass and keys is the goal. Then being able to break them down, set them up etc..

I've never encountered a situation where I needed anything more than 115 on bass so I'm okay losing the stack. 250 watts through 115 should handle any gigs or practices but still not take up too much room in the house or be too hard to move.

 

[happyrat1]

I just ordered myself a pair of the Eris E5's for the living room. I found a decent price on sale and the ratings of these speakers are terrific.

I'll keep the Mackies around as spares if I ever need them again.

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

Since it's powered, you can plug the instrument cable right into the speaker like any regular instrument como amp, right?

Absolutely.

 

[Aaron Houts]

I just ordered myself a pair of the Eris E5's for the living room. I found a decent price on sale and the ratings of these speakers are terrific.

I'll keep the Mackies around as spares if I ever need them again.

Gary

I'll bet they'll sound killer!

 

[Aaron Houts]

Absolutely.

There's no advantage to have an actual "keyboard amp" over using a PA speaker, is there?
Bass and Keys are usually run direct through the PA anyway, right?

 

[CowboyNQ]

There's no advantage to have an actual "keyboard amp" over using a PA speaker, is there?
Bass and Keys are usually run direct through the PA anyway, right?

IMO "Keyboard amps" in general are inferior to powered PA monitors, which do a better job of capturing the exceptionally wide range of sounds and frequencies your keyboard will produce. I've never used keyboard amps except for when they've been forced upon me as part of a backline setup - when I was younger and poorer I used to use bass combo amps as keyboard amps. They don't do a bad job.

Every band chooses different methods of sound reinforcement, but generally speaking, yes you are correct. I always run keys via DI through to the PA for FOH sound and use a personal monitor so I can hear myself. I recently retired my JBL EON after years of faithful service (it still works) hence the reason for the purchase of the EV I mentioned above.

Most bands I've played in run the bass out of the amp head via a DI into the PA - with the bass cab acting as an on-stage monitor. Occasionally the bass cab has been mic'd to FOH and even more occasionally the bassist has simply played through his amp not the PA.