Sooner or later all keyboard players will get rid of their existing keyboard amps and just used the following:

Recording: Dedicated Near Field Monitors (or Stereo Headphones)

Practicing ,Gigging In or Out: Modernized PA/Monitors (true stereo) Speakers that allows the user to dial in the amount of power, equalization and have a few placements options for different stage locations.

The keyboard amp was a mistake from the beginning and never should have been accepted as a solution for a stereo instrument.

Anybody want to buy my old Fender keyboard amp?

Jazz,

SO TRUE!

cmayhle - 14 October 2014 09:18 AM

Well, “brutal” is perhaps not the best word I could have used.  The contrast I was attempting to draw is that a reference monitor by design is not intended to help you produce a “good” sound, rather to very accurately reproduce what it is being fed.

I realize this is a subtle distinction.

What I infer when someone is looking for a “good” amp/speaker (again, in a non-recording application) is that they desire the most pleasing live sound they can project in the space.  A quality set of stereo PA boxes (such as DXR10’s and certainly others) fits this task better than a pair of reference monitors, again stressing that this is only my opinion, coming from my own experience.

Point taken. The studio monitors are typically designed to be set up as nearfields, intentionally minimizing the sound of the room itself, whereas it is often more subjectively pleasing to have a sound that makes use of the reflections and natural ambience of the room (unless you’re in a particularly bad sounding room, I guess).

I’ve never had the opportunity to actually compare the ZXa1 to, for example, the Yamaha HS8. I just kind of assumed that, in a solo home environment, something like the HS8 would be better… but I could be wrong. If anyone here has made that comparison (perhaps DXR8/10 to HS8?), I’d be curious to hear people’s impressions.

videoman123 - 27 September 2014 08:31 AM

Hi everyone.  I just bought a Motif XF6 a few months ago and a Roland KC350 Keyboard Amplifier.  The sound seems clear when using a pair of Sennheiser headphones, but I haven’t been happy when using the amp.  Piano patches sound muffled and even brighter voices (like Galaxy DX) don’t sound clean.

Videoman123, your story is identical to mine.  I am new to the forum and recently purchased a Motif FX8 which wants to be heard.  I am currently using Sennheiser headphones as a stop gap measure.  I used a Roland KC amp with the old rig and was never happy with the muddy sound. 

I have been auditioning speakers at the local Guitar Center, but everything being recommended that sounds good is way too large for my new apartment - the neighbors may not appreciate my playing.  I need something smaller than 26x19 inch powered speakers which the sales reps are recommending.  Finding good clean sound with adequate bass in a small package is a challenge.

Alvin7 - 15 October 2014 02:24 PM

[...]I have been auditioning speakers at the local Guitar Center, but everything being recommended that sounds good is way too large for my new apartment - the neighbors may not appreciate my playing.  I need something smaller than 26x19 inch powered speakers which the sales reps are recommending.  Finding good clean sound with adequate bass in a small package is a challenge.

Welcome to the forum.

Sticking to headphones would be one way to keep your neighbors happy - but that’s obviously not going to satisfy you.  :-)

It would seem that a pair of active (powered) nearfield studio monitor speakers would probably suit your requirements. How loud you turn them up will determine whether there’s peace between you and the neighbors. Unless you’re positioned properly when listening to nearfield speakers, they probably won’t sound “good”. If Guitar Center doesn’t have some nearfields, set up correctly, then I’d suggest you audition speakers elsewhere.

If you have unrealistic expectations of bass output (and I’m not saying that you do), then you’re going to have difficulty finding speakers you like and that otherwise “fit”. Low frequencies also don’t tend to respect walls, so the neighbor situation could also be an issue if there’s substantial bass output.

Coincidentally, there is also a similar thread on this topic now at

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2633680

5pinDIN - 15 October 2014 03:37 PM

Welcome to the forum . . .

It would seem that a pair of active (powered) nearfield studio monitor speakers would probably suit your requirements. How loud you turn them up will determine whether there’s peace between you and the neighbors. Unless you’re positioned properly when listening to nearfield speakers, they probably won’t sound “good”. If Guitar Center doesn’t have some nearfields, set up correctly, then I’d suggest you audition speakers elsewhere . . .

Thanks for the greeting.  I took your advice and purchased a pair of the Yamaha HS8 studio monitors.  It was the best compromise of size and sound clarity for my small corner of the apartment music studio.  I immediately discovered that placement of the monitors is critical for achieving realistic sound reproduction.  These babies tend to exaggerate the low end if placed near a wall or on the floor.  If playing hip hop, just put the speakers on the floor - they will sound like a subwoofer.

I immediately discovered that placement of the monitors is critical for achieving realistic sound reproduction. These babies tend to exaggerate the low end if placed near a wall or on the floor.

I can also recommend the Yamaha HS8 near field monitors. For best performance these babies - as you call them - have a switch called “Room Control” on the back of each unit which you can use to adjust the bass frequency response below 500Hz, by setting it down to -2dB or -4dB. This is very useful whenever too many reflexions might by caused by placing the speakers close to walls, like you described. If your monitor speakers are not placed directly on speaker stands, I’d also recommend to use special pads for acoustic decoupling.

A pair of QSC K12s is the answer.

Pjblues - 20 October 2014 09:50 PM

A pair of QSC K12s is the answer.

Even if you want to go with PA speakers rather than monitor speakers, the EV ZXa1 sound better (more natural, esp, for piano) than the QSC K (I haven’t heard the 12, but supposedly, all the K’s sound pretty much the same apart from max volume and bass response). The EV is cheaper, too. The QSC will play louder, but how loud do you have to be at home?

B.Minor - 20 October 2014 12:58 PM

I can also recommend the Yamaha HS8 near field monitors. For best performance these babies - as you call them - have a switch called “Room Control” on the back of each unit which you can use to adjust the bass frequency response below 500Hz, by setting it down to -2dB or -4dB. This is very useful whenever too many reflexions might by caused by placing the speakers close to walls, like you described. If your monitor speakers are not placed directly on speaker stands, I’d also recommend to use special pads for acoustic decoupling.

It was my good fortune to find a set of MoPads when the Yamaha HS8 monitors were purchased.  Yes, the pads prevent the vibrations from being transferred and echoed through the surface supporting the monitors. 

Getting the monitors positioned and adjusted for some what accurate sound reproduction took far longer then I anticipated.  My goal was to adjust the quality of the monitor’s audio output to match my headphones.  It is not a perfect match, but good enough for this phase of putting together a mini-studio in tight quarters with bad acoustics.  I do not know enough about acoustics to take it any further.