Anyone ever used a keyboard amp as their FRFR option?

I tried a Roland keyboard amp some years ago and didn't care for the sound. However, amps are all different, so if you can, give it a try. You might be surprised.

Quote from malcomowenflood

Hey everyone! My bands headed to Europe next month on tour (check out the dates if you're over there and come on out! http://www.bandofrascalsmusic.com) and the backline company we are working with doesn't have a decent FRFR monitor for me to use - but they do have a one of these keyboard amps: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K…-keypro-kp-200s

Anyone tried this? Would it suffice?


Thanks everyone!

I just bought a Yamaha DXR10 because it's such a well regarded option here. When you think about it, it's actually less of a guitar FRFR cab than it is a PA speaker / wedge monitor with a good frequency response.

Perhaps another option that would be more accessible to backline companies would be to pick a power amp that's fairly common out there and pair it with an equally common small PA speaker or wedge monitor that has a nice, flat response.

I don't know how much time you have to make a decision, but you could take your Kemper to a music store and poke around a bit in the PA section to see if you can find a combination of power amp / speaker that would be common in Europe and sounds good to your ears.

I think it's basically a stereo hi-fi monitor with gain and EQ. If you run stereo it should be fun.

Keep the gains low and the master around 7 and the EQ flat to start with, it should work.

That ex-pander on it sounds like it might be cool too.

Good Luck on the Tour.

Quote from malcomowenflood

Hey everyone! My bands headed to Europe next month on tour (check out the dates if you're over there and come on out! http://www.bandofrascalsmusic.com) and the backline company we are working with doesn't have a decent FRFR monitor for me to use - but they do have a one of these keyboard amps: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K…-keypro-kp-200s

Anyone tried this? Would it suffice?


Thanks everyone!

Maybe ask L&M or Tom Lee if there's something similar you can rent and try it out?

Quote from dmatthews

Maybe ask L&M or Tom Lee if there's something similar you can rent and try it out?

Definitely a good idea, preferably something with the same speakers.

I recently sold my Gibson Lab Series L5 I bought back in 81. Because it was a solid state amp, it was often used by keyboard players back then.

When my life transitioned to spending more time alone in a home studio, I did a lot of patching back and forth between my Fenders, Marshalls, Voxes, etc. and the various speaker cabinets. Even though I didn't have any desire for the solid state sound, I wanted to keep the L5 in the lineup just to have another variation on speakers. However, the speakers on those things are dark, and not in a subtle way. Okay if that's what you want, but in no way, shape or form comparable to all the other amps / cabs. It stayed in the storage room, unused.

So, even if the amplification, EQ, etc. is to your taste, the speakers can make a huge difference one way or another (obvious, I suppose). No way to tell just by looking at it on paper.

I use a Roland KC-350 and love it. Tried several FRFR PA speakers but found the Roland amp gave me more of a natural guitar cab sound, not to mention the look.