Hello,
I am searching for an amplifier to use at live performances. I use the LP primarily for bass/Taurus sounds but often use the high range lead sounds. I really dislike coming through house PA systems and want a transportable amp that has enough power to fill a medium-sized venue.
Genz Benz? Mark bass? Roland?
Anyone have any recommendations or suggestions?
Thanks!
You are on the right path with bass amps, they are always best for synths. Keyboard amps are essentially the same thing, but usually less low end. I personally use a Glockenklang Bass Art and Tedd cab, and love them. Super clean, lots of headroom.
It really depends on how much you want to spend. There are many amazing DI’s out there that would sound amazing with a power amp and bass speaker.
Hey Benjammin, welcome to the forum 
Why don’t you like the PA? Is it only a matter of sound character or more a question of how the sound is spread in the room?
I’m asking because in the first case, I had great results using some analogue amp/cab simulation deviced. This is a quite lighter alternative to Unfiltered’s advice, though it does not give the same feeling -the wood vibrating just next to your feet
In case you’re interested, I’ve obtained cool guitar-esque sounds with a Tech21 Tri-AC. I’ve used it for years now, with guitars, basses, and synths. You can use it just like an amp and it’s got three memory slots and as many footswitches. Oh, and the main reason I bought it for: i can be bypassed.
However the one I’m in love with right now is the Tech21 VTBass: only one setting but more wood-ness, more vintage potential. The cab simulation can be bypassed on the v2, allowing to use it with one of the cabs Unfiltered suggested: flexible.
For an example of how the Little Phatty can sound through combos (Peavey amps on stage according to Wikipedia, but I’m not sure what can be heared on the album), check out Dean Fertita’s sound in The Dead Weather’s Sea of Cowards album…
If you just need the keyb amp, Roland KC series is great.
Usually, they have embedded 3-5 channel mixer with at least one dynamic microphone input.
You may choose one from a range of KC’s http://www.rolandus.com/products/category/464
I use KC-150 (old version) at rehearsal room, it’s just great, I also tried KC-350 in one club — it’s bigger and has more bass than 150.
I also use KC-150 (old one) sometimes as a personal monitor on stage, but usually, my main keyboard sound goes through PA and dedicated monitor line on stage.
Also, I sometimes use guitar amp for clavinet and organ sounds from my Nord Stage 2, but generally, just PA, 'cause it’s much flexible.
Hey Tagirov.
Don’t you like the guitar amp sound for B3 and clav’s enough for using such an amp all the time? I tend to use my NE3’s EP sounds with the enbedded amp sim always on…
I love amps for clavs and organs, but it’s a bit complicated thing with all these connections and cables, etc.
And not every club in my home city has two guitar amps.
Thanks
Guitar amps can be cool for leads, but most will not reproduce bass frequencies cleanly. Which can be cool for effect, but using an amp for effect, while popular among guitar players, is just not conducive to synths, because say in a live setting, if you are switching from a patch that sounded great with the amp, to another that might not, it will be much harder to turn down the amp and make the gain up to get the same levels. For synths I have found that all tone should be obtained before a clean amp. There are just too many great preamps, DI’s, and pedals that will do the same thing overdriving a guitar amp will do.
Keyboard amps are okay, but they usually are just low quality or mid quality bass amps. The roland keyboard amps are nice and clean, but the speakers are lacking is depth and detail.
Absolutely. I used to use a J-Station (not for synth but keyboards in general). It sounded ok but cruelly lacked a bypass. Then I got the Tech21 TriAC: 3 channels only but bypassable. That was much more handy: EPs could then be processed throug the amp sim while acoustic pianos kept on sounding natural, everything eventually going to the PA.
Don’t underestimate the bypass.
On a sidenote, the J-Station eq gave me that blurry impression to be inefficient, or bad set in terms of frequency. The TriAC’s is way much better to my ears, much more musical.