![]() What I bring depends on my role: I may be a solo pianist, a pianist in a trio with bass and drums, or in a small ensemble with 4-6 players (trio with a guitar, horns, vocalist, etc). Most of my gigs are in small clubs that don’t have a PA system, so I’ll bring my own system and scale as needed. But the key point is I ALWAYS have two speakers. For this reason, I have a small PA system featuring a set of DXR10 powered speakers, a set of DSR112 powered speakers and an MG06x or MG10xu. Gigs with more musicians may require a mixer and a second set of speakers if I want to run mains and monitors. Some gigs I’ll only need the keyboard, supporting gear (keyboard stand, speaker stands, drum throne for me to sit on, pedals, cables) and speakers. I have different setups for different gigs, but one thing remains the same: I always amplify my keyboards in stereo. The answer is almost always “I have a single keyboard amp”, or “I’m using my buddies guitar amp”. People have asked me this question in different ways, and I always answer with this question: “How are you amplifying your keyboard?”. When the band went on break a member of the audience approached and said this: “Your MOTIF sounds amazing! I have the same instrument and I can’t get the same quality of sound you’re getting. The depth and details get lost along with the stereo image.Ī final anecdote: In the mid 2000s, I played a gig with a MOTIF ES8 connected to a small MG mixer and a pair of MS150 powered speakers. When someone connects a modern instrument using only the “L” output of a stereo pair to a keyboard amplifier sitting on the floor, the audio quality is going to suffer. Over the years I’ve upgraded keyboards and sound systems, but from the late 80s to now I’ve been in stereo. Soon after I purchased a pair of powered speakers and a small stereo mixer. I ended up selling my mono rig and replaced it with a Yamaha PF-80 Electronic Piano and a few other synthesizers, all with stereo outputs. Stereo delivers a realistic sense of depth and space. Over the past 20+ years all Yamaha synthesizers feature a at least one set stereo outputs. This evolution made sense as stereo sampling and stereo effects entered the picture. There were no pan controls to move the signal to the left or right in a stereo field but the improved EQ and speakers sounded better.Īround this time, the first stereo outputs started appearing on professional keyboards. I should mention that my first PA wasn’t stereo. It was quite a heavy rig! Even though all the instruments lacked stereo outputs they sounded much better through the PA system. When I first got this PA my keyboard rig was a Yamaha CP-70 and DX-7 and an electric piano. I could offer microphones to singers and horn players, drop a mic in front of an amplifier or acoustic piano and play background music from a portable audio device during breaks. Immediately the sound was much better, and I had the added flexibility a PA offers. I quickly figured out that I needed something better, so I exchanged this for a small PA system consisting of a powered mixer and two speakers. There was no midrange, lots of bass, blistering high end and no definition. ![]() For one thing it was just a glorified bass amp, with a large woofer and tiny tweeters. Getting a good sound out of this amplifier was impossible. I didn’t know any better: It said “keyboard amplifier” so it must be what I needed. ![]() It made sense to look for a keyboard amplifier, so I ended up buying a giant amplifier presumably designed for keyboards. When I first started gigging, I realized I needed something to amplify my keyboard rig. Stereo amplification delivers the best sound from synthesizers, stage pianos and stage keyboards. We should feel the same way about our keyboard setup. Most people wouldn’t buy a headphone missing one ear cup or a single speaker when purchasing a sound system. This makes sense when buying a set of headphones, a home audio system or setting up a home studio. The only way to experience stereo imaging with two speakers. Stereo monitoring enhances the playing and listening experience. Stereophonic sound is the standard for audio playback and recording. I recommend looking at this article for technical insights into proper gain staging. He covers the fundamentals of sound reinforcement. There are some great insights in is Howard Massey’s Audio 101: Gain Staging article. In this article I’ll revisit a few of these best practices.
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