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urrrrm. i think i saw a thread like this before?

i've never had to have an amp for keys or synths before. is it like with a guitar amp where way lower watts than a bass amp is super loud? what does one look for in a keys amp? i'm setting up a rig for my singer to use a laptop running Kontakt and Massive.

i do have an Ampeg BA115 combo laying around. would that be enough to keep up with me (some Aggie 12's) and my sorta loud drummer? or is that voiced wrong for synth?

I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS.

thanksies!

Well I know fuck all so I don't know why I'm even posting, but from what I've heard bass amps are awesome for keys/synths.

cooooool. lol, i actually have a SWR 15 combo i'm not using too. maybe set them both up so she can do stereo? or is that silly?

i've been using a pair of 15's that are our vocal pa, but kinda want to get her an amp see if that sounds good. i'll bring the BA115 to practice next time.

Depends what range you play in. Lower frequencies require more wattage to produce a louder sound, so if the synth is on bass duty you'll need something more powerful. Also keep in mind that laptops and modern synthesizers tend to have stereo output, so if preserving the stereo image is important to you, you may want to opt for a stereo amp, or a PA.

Bass amps work fine, but they dull the higher frequencies. You might create a pad/lead that sounds nice through a bass amp, but if you run it direct into the PA at a gig, it could suddenly sound ear-piercing when those dampened frequencies emerge. Synths and laptops also have a hotter signal that keyboard amps are built to handle. If you use a bass amp and it's not loud enough, don't turn it all the way up to 10.

that.... makes a lot of sense. i forgot that most places we'll be running her synths di'd not mic'd. guess i'll stick with the PA setup we're using now, unless there's some reason an amp would be better.

thanks!

if you have an effects loop on the amp try going into the return bypassing the preamp
best bet would prob be power amp and pa speakers

yah. i've got a pair of JBL 15's, a QSC GX3 and a mixer that we use as a modest PA. been running the keys into that. didna know if i was missing something by going amp though.

BriBri from SS/BS mics an amp live with his stuff. but he does run his keys into a pedalboard. murrrrrrrrrrr. i'm so ign'ant. woot!

if yer gunna run an amp, def get a bass amp.;

i've heard meh things about keyboard amps, never tried one myself, but I do love slamming synths into bass amps. sounds so goood

I don't play out or anything, but I use a 140 watt 15" bass combo for my synth. I don't think I've ever had to turn the volume up past 9-10 o'clock. Shit it loud.

Sherm - yah. i've done a lot of re-amping with VST effects back in the day..... recording them run through an amp to get rid of the sterile'ness. but VST's, 'specially the NI stuff (LOVE. THEM.) HAVE gotten way better. the issue with tweaking patches to compliment a bass amp then getting a screwy version if it ends up di'd is a damn good point. and a tad scary.

KayBeeEye - nice! i think i'm going to try it at home just to see later. thanks!

i would think that the patches wouldn't necesarrily sound THAT much different, esp if u tweak the EQ's on the amp to taste, atleast from my experience, but I am not very picky when it comes to stuff like that, so it could be that i just never really noticed.
and ya totes agree about the NI stuff. they did a really nice job w/ the maschine, reaktor synths, etc. i've only messed w/ reaktor/kontakt a little bit but i was pretty surprised at how good it sounds!

yah. the Kontakt sample library sounds GOOD. and i love the interface. besides the Mad Scientist Aesthetic, it's easy to get your head around and they stay pretty consistent product to product with the way they like to do stuff.

behndy wrote:BriBri from SS/BS mics an amp live with his stuff. but he does run his keys into a pedalboard. murrrrrrrrrrr. i'm so ign'ant. woot!

i do run keys through a pedalboard into my new rig, which is an ampeg v2 into a 1x15 cab. sound huge and i'm only turned up 1/4 of the way on the amp volume. as for your rig, it'll probably take some trial and error... i've used "proper" keyboard amps, a fender twin, going direct, etc. and for my purposes this new setup is my favorite. if you want no coloration on your sounds, you'll need something closer to a bass amp or a high wattage keyboard amp (they're usually not super loud in my experience). it also really depends on how loud you all play...

not STOOPID loud. i tried the BA115 vs my PA speakers yesterday. sound really similar, and i'd be giving up the stereo movement on some patches. so i think i'm going to stay with the PA speakers for right now. we already have them setup for vox, so one less thing to worry about is one less thing to worry about.

ist he v2 -> 15 cab what you were using when i saw cha'll in SF? your shits sounded verrrrrrrrry nice there. when FOH wasn't doing that weird bass booming thing. that i.... kinda dug actually.

In the past,I've used bass amps and various Roland Jazz Chorus amps.

The Rolands work very well and a little bit of the vibe warms up just about anything.

Currently using a JC-50 (mono 1x12) as the out for my guitar synth.