How are you amplifying your keys?

[Shaggy]

Keyboard amp, powered speaker, straight into the PA, or just headphones? What are you running after the board, and are you happy with how it sounds?

 

[hubalken]

For my Yamaha digital Piano, I'm using a Vox AC10 10 Watt amplifier. For my smaller 61 note Yamaha keyboard, I use a Blackstar Beam Mini 24 Watt mini amplifier and a Danelectro Honeytone for those times when I practice very late at night so as not to disturb others. I'm extremely happy with all three amps and their tonal performance.

 

[Shaggy]

For my Yamaha digital Piano, I'm using a Vox AC10 10 Watt amplifier. For my smaller 61 note Yamaha keyboard, I use a Blackstar Beam Mini 24 Watt mini amplifier and a Danelectro Honeytone for those times when I practice very late at night so as not to disturb others. I'm extremely happy with all three amps and their tonal performance.

Are they always hooked up or are you switching them out each time?

 

[Biggles]

Mine goes through a Mixer then into a Matched Pair of Yamaha HS5 studio monitors (70W).

Mostly I practice with a pair of Sennheiser headphones plugged into the Mixer.

Mixer is so I can plug in my Guitar.

For practicing and small venues those members with keyboards that have inbuilt amp and speakers will not need additional amplification,

 

[SpiritualMadMan]

Keyboard/Music Stack at home. Depends what I doing and how obvious I dare to be. Personally, I do not like playing or practicing with headphones, I like to hear what's going on around me. Of course that might change if for some strange reason I want to play while the house is asleep. Probably, not a good time for Iron Man or Smoke on The Water at 80+db

 

[andyonthepiano]

The output from my keyboards, bass and a laptop loaded with Moises, Transcribe and Ableton amongst other s/w goes into a small mixer and then I listen 99.9% of the time via Beyerdynamic headphones.

If I want to play out loud then one output of the mixer goes to a stereo hifi amp and speakers sat above the keyboard.

If I want to play really, really loud I have a choice of 50w or 200w bass amps and a 4x8 cab or a 160 watt 2X12 vintage valve (tube) guitar amp all within arms reach. However living where I do in the lush Irish countryside, doing so would probably wake the cows in the field next door so I tend to refrain.

 

[hubalken]

Are they always hooked up or are you switching them out each time?

I switch from the Blackstar to the Honeytone at night because it is a smaller, less powerful amp. During the day, I use the Blackstar.

 

[Bonaventure]

I play in a five piece function band. For my Roland Fantom 08 I have a Roland KC 300 behind me which I link up to headphone socket! I also go through the PA from LR outputs. Volume through Pa is fairly low, louder vol through KC amp! Fairly basic setup but seems to work well. I adjust volume on kb depending on patch, song etc. Anyone do something similar?

 

[4music]

Similar to Biggles, in my studio I run my two arranger keyboards (Yamaha Tyros & Medelli AKX10) through a mixer (Behringer) together with my guitars (Gibson/Fender/Takamine) into two matched amps (Jansen 30w stereo chorus). It all links into an Acer Nitro gaming computer running protools 10.
When I want to monitor output sound quality in real world playback methods such as mobile phone etc I listen/mix on the computer speakers.

 

[Lacko]

For my Yamaha PSR SX720 I use Adam Audio D3V mounted directly on K&M Omega stand via universal holders. When playing, they are about 60 - 70 cm from my ears - ideal position.
Lacko

 

[msd61]

I do solo gigs. I have an RD 2000 into a Yamaha MG10XU mixer. Then into an LD Systems Maui 28 G2 column speaker. I sing also and this works very well for me. Good sound and very durable and reliable.

 

[ckeran]

I also have an RD2000 and for band practice and gigs, I simply XLR from Left main out to the band's mixer, and then receive full band mix into my in-ear monitors. At home, I use same XLR into a mixer and output to my pair of EV ZLX 12 G2's.

 

[Rayblewit]

A potentiometer volume knob.

 

[ghostler]

I have a Behringer K1800FX Ultratone 180 Watt keyboard amp with a 4 channel mixer built in for mikes and other instruments. I bought it in 2008 for $280 US. With a 12 inch woofer It is loud enough to provide room filling volume for a small club or restaurant. It still works fine. Probably the closest today would be the Roland KC-80.

About 10 years ago I bought a Gemini AS15TOGO portable 15 inch powered speaker with internal battery, can be used in situations without power. I have used it with a netbook with mp3 backing tracks for sax busking. A battery powered keyboard can be plugged into it. It is now on its 3rd sealed 12V lead acid battery.

 

[Mocks Fate]

Keyboard/Music Stack at home. Depends what I doing and how obvious I dare to be. Personally, I do not like playing or practicing with headphones, I like to hear what's going on around me. Of course that might change if for some strange reason I want to play while the house is asleep. Probably, not a good time for Iron Man or Smoke on The Water at 80+db

If you are playing Iron Man or Smoke on the Water at 80+db you are doing it right! Sleep is overrated. Rock on.

 

[anotherscott]

For gigs, I usually use a Bose LI Pro 8. It sounds great, isn't too heavy, sets up fast, and has a very wide dispersion, so you can cover the audience width with a single speaker.

 

[hubalken]

For my gigs, I'll be receiving a Vox AC10 Mini amp which will be arriving this Friday. It weighs just under 4 lbs and will be easily transportable. My wife has one for her Traveller acoustic guitar and it sounds wonderful!! Along with my Yamaha portable keyboard, I will consider this to be my ultimate grab and go setup and just in time for the holidays too!! Out of all the amps I've had over the years, Vox amps have the warmest, richest tone to my ears. This amp has excellent sound dispersion and will easily cover a pretty good sized area with its volume and speaker size.

 

[WFRandy]

I am relearning after many years not playing, but I have my Korg Krome Ex keyboard into a small Mackie Mix5 mixer, which mixes, computer audio (computer is also connected to the keyboard via midi), keyboard, and metronome. So I can practice after everyone is in bed, I have my Sennheiser headphones hooked up to the mixer. The mixer is also hooked up to the home theater amp, if I want to play out loud. If I really wanted to crank it up I have a full PA system that I use for mostly medium sized nightclub venues.

 

[ramoore44]

I user a Traynor Keymaster Stereo K4 amp when playing live (the output goes to the FOH mixer). Though the K4 has been replaced by another model by Traynor, I still use it. It packs a punch.

 

[Tigs]

Keyboard amp, powered speaker, straight into the PA, or just headphones? What are you running after the board, and are you happy with how it sounds?

I run a Behringer K3000 amp for my keyboards. Also send the stereo outputs to our board for PA sound. The amp can be used without the PA as its pretty loud. When I purchased it I was playing with 2 guitar players in the band, so needed something beefy.