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#393446 - 09/19/14 01:41 PM
So, how big a deal is your sound system?
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Senior Member
Registered: 04/16/14
Posts: 1950
Loc: Missouri
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Years ago, late 60's, a friend bought a Gibson Les Paul 1959 STD. guitar. Paid close to $2,500 for that guitar...unheard of price at the time..at least for me. A few years later, he sold that guitar to a collector who paid $6,500 for it. In the past few years, that same guitar sold at auction for close to six figures...according to my friend. Thing is, what made that Les Paul sound good had something to do with how it's built. But, on stage, what made that Les Paul sound good(IMHO)had to do much more so with the way my friend wired his Marshall amps/speakers to get the sound out that the Les Paul could produce. With keyboards there can be a huge price difference...but is there always a big sound difference for the more expensive keyboards..especially with PA systems involved? Perhaps keyboards, like my friends 1959 Les Paul, sound better more based on the PA system used than the keyboard itself? One other thing: I'm primarily an acoustic guitar player. I hear huge differences in sound with my acoustic guitars..and I can(I think)reproduce those different sounds of my guitars using the same mike...provided the mike is good. The better the guitar, the better the sound. But I'm beginning to think that keyboards, like my friends Les Paul, are more dependent on PA/Sound reproduction than the keyboard itself to give the best sound. That said, I play our Tyros 4 in public, more so than our S950, due to keyboard controls and options the T4 provides over the S950. Thoughts?
_________________________
It’s all about the learning
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#393456 - 09/19/14 03:04 PM
Re: So, how big a deal is your sound system?
[Re: guitpic1]
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Senior Member
Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
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I use a pair of Yamaha MS-60S...60 watts, powered and using the then new AST speaker design. AST stands for Active Servo Technology and uses a special 2-way speaker design and ported/vented cabinet for very decent bass response even at low levels.
They aren't enormously loud as they are designed as monitor speakers, rather than a small PA, but they do produce a full range and are loud enough for most monitoring situations and were absolutely perfect for my restaurant work.
They are also relatively lightweight (at 25lbs each), extremely reliable, and, at 25 years old, they still work as new, and have never given me any problems. My previous arrangers, and now my Tyros4 sound awesome through them and I have them on tilted monitor stands on either side of the keyboard and slanted up to face me.
When new, they were over $800 each, as they were Yamaha's top-line stage monitors at the time, but they were worth every penny.
I've gone through several arrangers, but because of the MS-60S's excellent quality, I've only needed the one sound system all these years.
If I was to go back to gigging again, likely as one half of a duo with a guitarist/vocalist, I'd invest in a pair of Bose L1's (not the Compacts) as they would likely be a one-time-buy as were the Yamaha MS-60S's.
A performer's PA system is every bit as important as their choice in keyboards.
Ian
_________________________
Yamaha Tyros4, Yamaha MS-60S Powered Monitors(2), Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TQ-5, Yamaha PSR-S775.
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#393462 - 09/19/14 06:46 PM
Re: So, how big a deal is your sound system?
[Re: Fran Carango]
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Senior Member
Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
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Ian, my story is similar...I use the same Roland Cubes for 29 years...and to me..they are still the best (retailed for $800 each in 1985). They don't fail..I have a "new" pair waiting in storage to be used I won't sell my original pair (memories)..and they are like family Maybe someday I will use four units...but so far a pair are more than enough.. Yes sound systems make a difference.. I've used those amps, Fran...they are pretty awesome. They almost sound like tube (or valve, if you are in UK) amps, they have so much warmth, yet they still have lots of clarity as well. Speaking of tube amps, I have a buddy who plays a Roland E-70 (that's an oldie!) through TWO Fender Twin Reverb amps...stereo. He had the Twin Reverbs modified to work better with a full range sounding keyboard by having some kind of crossover installed and added two tweeters in each Twin. They are between the main speakers which are also different from stock...they are full-range Celestion 12". The Twin Reverbs aren't ear bleedingly loud (but very adequate), but like your Cubes, they have oodles of warmth and character, yet the tweeters allow lots of detail. They do, however, weigh a lot...a big lot! A buddy of his uses a single Twin Reverb modified in the same way for use with his acoustic guitar. We should realize from the outset, that we are actually playing the speaker as it is the last link in the chain. I've used two Cubes back in the day when I did clinics for Roland and the sound was indeed very impressive, but...FOUR CUBES?!?!? That would clearly be overkill...but WHAT OVERKILL!!!! Have you ever actually used all four? Ian
_________________________
Yamaha Tyros4, Yamaha MS-60S Powered Monitors(2), Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TQ-5, Yamaha PSR-S775.
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#393463 - 09/19/14 07:18 PM
Re: So, how big a deal is your sound system?
[Re: guitpic1]
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Senior Member
Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15560
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
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Having owned more than a dozen different sound systems during my performing career, I can honestly say they all sounded good when I bought them. I, personally, consider the sound system the soul of the overall setup, while the arranger keyboard and mic is the heart of the system. Everything has to be balanced, matched, and tuned to perfection long before the entire package goes on the road. Not only does it have to have the power to handle larger audiences, it also requires the clarity and brilliance that is so necessary for the overall system to sound professional. When Fran stated that a mixer would be a good idea, I completely agree with him. Especially when there is more than one vocalist involved. Additionally, the quality of the mic(s) is of paramount importance. I'm always amazed at the number of performers that spend thousands on amps, but continue to use an old, beat up SM58 for their vocals. The depth and quality of that mic was great 30 years ago, but today, it's not even in the running when compared to the Sennheiser E-855, or the new Samson Q8. Both provide outstanding clarity and depth to anyone's vocals and I would highly recommend them to anyone who relies heavily on the vocal performances. One more thought, don't forget that every venue has it's own ambiance, thus requiring varying EQ settings on both the keyboard and mixer. And, these settings can change as the crowd noise increases and more people gather in the room, absorbing some of the sound from your PA system. I no longer perform for audiences larger than 125 people, which means I no longer have to lug a heavy sound system around with me. But I have found there is a significant difference in overall sound when playing in the same room with a large, or small audience. Lots to think about, and I hope the above posts will provide you with some assistance on improving your overall sound. Good Luck, Gary
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!
K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)
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