Hey all, new to this forum and keyboards in general. I'm thinking of purchasing a Yamaha DGX 660 and had a couple questions. Read a lot of reviews and in some they referenced the 6 watt amplifiers and onboard speakers don't produce a lot of volume. I'm not interested in blasting out sound, but wondered about playing with other instruments that use amplification. Can I use an external amplifier with this keyboard? Should I plan on having to use external amplification if playing with others?It looks like I would need to use the headphone jack to out put to an amplifier or PA system. Am I on target here?
DGX 660 amplification
- Thread starter KBf4mE
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Yes, that's correct-- you can use the headphones jack to output a TRS stereo signal to an external speaker.
Yes you can. For at home playing, the built-in is pretty loud - the downside is that this must be the heaviest DGX ever. For amplification, you need either two amps or a quasi-stereo keyboard amp. You can buy a stereo to dual mono 1/4" jack patch cable. It is better if the amp has a line input or line level selector switch. Also, the DGX has a parameter in the function list to configure for line output instead of headphones. I normally use two Yamaha MS-150 amps which are general purpose sound system amps (150W / 118 dB) that work pretty well: at least as well as my Peavey keyboard amp which is supposedly purpose built. External amplification adds a little more bottom to the sound; the MS150 also has high and low equalization controls so you can twiddle the frequency response (I find the Yamaha output is slightly shrill). I rarely crank master volume above 7 and at 10 the speakers get a little muzzy in the mid range but the bottom is solid; the Peavy amp is louder but a little disappointing in fidelity. A classic problem that you can get with an all-in-one amp is that a keyboard can pump out solid / sustained bass notes which can cause an amp with cheap controls and hardware to break up - sound-wise or even literally.
You didn't say how loud is loud enough. In my youth I used two projection horn cabinets with dual 600 Wpmp / 125 dB amps with a Yamaha combo organ with bass pedals but I've lost my love of ringing in my years.
Even though Yamaha has ventured into stereo voices and done quite a lot with piano voice ambiance, they haven't done so much with organ voices so you might want to also outboard a Leslie simulator or be stuck with perhaps two organ voices that vaguely approximate; I always found an actual Leslie cabinet heavy, quirky and never loud enough.
You didn't say how loud is loud enough. In my youth I used two projection horn cabinets with dual 600 Wpmp / 125 dB amps with a Yamaha combo organ with bass pedals but I've lost my love of ringing in my years.
Even though Yamaha has ventured into stereo voices and done quite a lot with piano voice ambiance, they haven't done so much with organ voices so you might want to also outboard a Leslie simulator or be stuck with perhaps two organ voices that vaguely approximate; I always found an actual Leslie cabinet heavy, quirky and never loud enough.
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Yes. I use an HYWATT (Purchased new 1965) and a 2x15 Bin, straight 1/4" mono' lead. A man in the next village said my DGX 660 has a better bass sound than my Roland. 
Keep rockin'
Keep rockin'
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He heard your DGX's bass sound all the way in the next village? Shades of ELP!
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And he's deaf.. Keep rockin' Gus.
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I own a DGX660 and reckon you'll find the built in speakers more than adequate. Believe me, they are excellent, and extremely loud, so my advice would be don't spend any money on further amplification until you've actually played one. I think you'll be more than happy.
It's an awesome instrument.
It's an awesome instrument.