Desktop monitors

[Laura]

Happy new year everyone!

This year I am moving to a smaller room in my house. I don't have room on the floor for my Peavy K2 amp, so I am looking to get some kind of desktop monitor that I can play my keyboards thru, and also listen to my mp3s and recordings in Cubase etc.

My friend says I should get a "reference monitor', but I think those are pretty expensive and are meant for high end studios.

Another point is that people tell me instead of taking an amp to a live jam, some keys players bring "PA speakers" or "monitors". I would love to dispense with the amp for smaller jams because my back is bad.

So, what I am looking for is some kind of a 'box' that is maybe 12" square in size, from which I can play music from the computer and also use as keyboard amplification. It doesn't need to be 200 watts to practice in a bedroom.

And of course something less than $150 would be great, maybe that's asking too much...

 

[Mourndark]

Hi Laura,

Reference monitors are very different to "live" monitors. Reference monitors are designed to sit on a desk and will not be anywhere near loud enough to use live.

Live monitors are much larger, about the same size as amps. PA speakers are larger and more powerful again, and you'll need a and mixer to use them - not good for your back! You'll only want that sort of setup if you use lots of keyboards at once (more than 3, say), you want to hear yourself in stereo or you just want more power.

What I do is have a large amp for playing live, and then have a set of mid-range computer speakers (1 sub and 2 speakers) and a small stereo mixer so I can listen to my computer, keys and whatever through them at the same time.

+

You won't find something that is suitable for small practice and for live work, sadly...

 

[Laura]

monitors

Thanks!

My setup is like this...I have a Yamaha keyboard, a Alesis Micron and I just got an Electribe. I would like to jam with the electribe and one of the other keyboards. That means I'd need 2 line level inputs.

I already have some good computer speakers (Logitech X-230). The only connection they have is a small (1/8?) male connector which can connect to my Lexicon Lambda recording interface or an extension cable with a female end.

I wonder if this would be sufficient if I used some kind of mixing board that has 2 inputs (for the 2 keyboards). The Lexicon recording interface does have 2 line level inputs, I wonder if it can be used as a mixing board as well as a recording interface.

If this setup doesn't work I guess I'll have to haul my amp up to my upstairs room and back down when I go out to jams.

If only they would invent SMALL amps...or a cure for back problems! Gosh, life was easy when I just had an acoustic guitar...