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?

I have found a difference between top of the line and mid line instruments of the same make..soundwise and quality wise..

My example ..Roland E80 verses the Roland E60...sound samples are larger and more detailed..also the output converters are better on high end models..

Sound systems ...make a world of difference..a great keyboard will sound like junk on a cheap sound system of poor design...and a cheap keyboard can sound great on a top notch sound system..

I'm glad I use a top keyboard and a great sound system.

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

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).

A few years ago I used them with an Edirol mixer with room control...and there is nothing else I want to use in their place..

I have done high volume outdoor shore gigs...using house Mackies and the band's Yorkville system...and my pair of Cubes...So lound that the Mackies and Yorkville sound systems cut out and were unstable...guess what system kept the party gone?

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..

What goes thru that PA is what matters most.

For me it is a huge deal to have a good sound system.I would rather have mediocre keyboard and great sound system than have a great keyboard and mediocre sound system..

Agreed! Garbage in, garbage out. An accurate sound system is a two-edged sword. The more accurate the sound reproduction, the more you'd better be on top of your game.

chas

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

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

I’m finding that my two Yamaha arrangers sound better through powered studio monitors, rather than powered PA speakers. However, they are more awkward to carry around, since most monitors don’t have handles and most don’t have covers over the speaker fronts. But to my hearing, bi-amped monitor speakers have a clarity that PA speakers can’t match.