If you are not a musician, there is a tendency that you would fail to distinguish between a keyboard amplifier and a guitar or bass amplifier. But if you are a real musician, you will readily recognize that a keyboard amp is different from a guitar or bass amp. Since playing the keyboard poses distinct challenges from playing guitars, keyboards need amplifiers that can address these distinct challenges. First, making the keyboard sound louder when playing it on an open stage is more difficult than making a guitar sound louder. Moreover, there is the usual challenge of how to reproduce the low-frequency sound of the keyboard for high-register notes. There are other slight differences between keyboard amps and guitar or bass amps, and you must understand these differences if you intend to buy a keyboard amp.
As a keyboardist of a band, you get, for sure, that extra kick whenever you perform onstage, especially if the audience gets raucous and undulates to your music. The cacophony of sounds onstage, however, can drown out the sound of your keyboard. And you know what happens next when you don’t hear the sound coming from your keyboard. If you fail to hear your keyboard, you either lose your groove and play slower or faster than your bandmates. Soon after, you will be spoiling the overall sound of your band. Hence, you need to have a dedicated keyboard amplifier to avoid such a situation.
There are myriads of amplifiers in the market today, and choosing the best for your keyboard is a bit confusing for the uninitiated to the process. Moreover, there is the enticing temptation to settle for guitar amps or powered speakers. Yet, amps differ from each other and some amps that are engineered for keyboards. So, to help you zero in on the right keyboard amp, here are your five best keyboard amplifier options in the market today:
Last update on 2020-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1) Behringer Ultratone KT108 15-Watt Keyboard Amplifier
If you are looking for an affordable keyboard amp, you should consider the Behringer Ultratone KT108. This amplifier is a 15-W amp that features two channels. Each channel comes with independent volume control. This amp also features Virtual Tube Circuitry (VTC) that mimics the classic tube rigs. This gives this amp a realistic tube-like sound. Moreover, its three-band EQ allows for easy sound shaping.
The Behringer Ultratone KT108 also features a powerful 20-W Bugera speaker, which is 8 inches wide. This speaker provides this amp with the extra oomph and deep bass, sans any distortion. Plus, it comes with a 1/4″ input so that you can connect your MP3 or CD player to it. It also comes with a headphone output.
The big draw of this amp is its tone. The KT108 delivers a great tone giving your keyboard sound the right amount of grind. You can also use its 3-band EQ for shaping the sound that your keyboard produces. With this amp, you can elevate your performance a notch higher.
This amp is perfect for practicing and live performance at small gigs. It is also very portable. It is affordable as compared to other keyboard amps.
2) Roland KC-400 4 Channel Stereo Mixing Keyboard Amplifier
As the amp that superseded the previous KC-350, the KC-400 has also retained the 4 channels of the previous amp. Yet, it also comes with a higher level of output power from 120W to 150W. As a replacement of the KC-350, the KC-400 is touted as the smallest amp in the series. It also comes with the Stereo Link Feature of Roland. This lets you hook up two amps in a series and assign each amp to a specific side of the stereo.
The KC-400 is versatile and compact. It comes with increased stability with its redesigned power amp and great universal power supply. It also features a customized two-way speaker system that comes with an improved 12-inch woofer along with a horn tweeter.
The KC-400 also comes with an onboard mixer along with four stereo input channels, master EQ that comes with Shape switch, and stereo auxiliary input. Its channel 4 also comes with an Output Select function for monitoring click as well as guide tracks.
This amp also comes with an XLR output, sub output, 1/4-inch line outputs, and headphones output. Moreover, it comes with metal jacks for better durability. You can also daisy chain another KC-400 with its Stereo Link function for greater inputs and realistic stereo sound during your live performance.
3) BEHRINGER Keyboard Amplifier (KXD12)
The BEHRINGER Keyboard Amplifier (KXD12) is a power-packed amp and is touted as an amp for a keyboard with a PA system. It features a bi-amped 600W 4-channel PA system. You can rely on it to deliver dedicated power for your HF and LF drivers.
The KXD12 is viewed as revolutionary in its class and comes with great power and incredible sonic performance. It is also lightweight; hence, very portable. It also comes with dedicated 7-band graphic EQ.
This amp features the well-known 12″ TURBOSOUND speaker along with 1″ driver. It also features a high-quality KLARK TEKNIK FX processor that comes with 100 presets that include chorus, reverb, delay, flanger, pitch shifter, and other multi-effects.
The KXD12 is a 40-pounder amp and is fairly portable. Its wattage may not be that spectacular, but it is a good purchase for you if you are on a budget.
4) Peavey KB 2 40-Watt 1x10 Keyboard Amp
The Peavey KB 2 Keyboard Amp comes with a high-standard design as a 3-channel amp. It can support three instruments simultaneously. Its channels one and two are 1/4″ inputs while the channel three comes with an XLR mic input. Every channel comes with a knob for adjusting the level. Moreover, each comes with a 2-band EQ for easy tuning. With this amp, you will get headphones output, XLR main line out, along with effects loop send and return.
The Peavey KB 2 amp comes with a rating of 45 watts. It also has a 10″ speaker. This amp is also considered to be a medium-sized amp that you can use for live performance. Yet, it is also limited by the type of instrument you are using and the venue size.
So, if your main reason for buying a keyboard amp is to amplify your keyboard sound, then you might get frustrated with the Peavey KB 2. However, it is perfect for home or practice use or for use in a small or medium-sized venue wherein you are going to perform solo.
Peavey, as a company, is a leading manufacturer of musical instruments. It had already earned 180 patents or more and has been distributing to around 130 countries. As a leading manufacturer, its product, like the Peavey KB 2 is sure of high quality.
5) Alto Professional Kick 12 Amplifier
Another good option, if you are looking for a keyboard amp, is the Alto Professional Kick 12 Amplifier. It comes with a 12-inch speaker and is optimized specifically for the keyboard. Yet, you can also use it as a small PA or for electronic percussion.
The Alto Professional Kick 12 Amplifier features a 4-channel mixer that comes with stereo line inputs on every channel. It also features an XLR input on channel one. Its peak power is 400 Watts and 200 Watts continuous. It has a true bi-amped design that offers dedicated power for its low and high drivers.
The good thing about this amp is that it also comes with 256 effects presets along with 16 effects and 16 variations for each effect. It also comes with a built-in folding steel kickstand that provides the perfect monitoring angle for its user.
The Alto is a powerful small amplifier that gives you very raw power. It is specifically designed for the keyboard. Although its dimensions are 19″ by 18,” it only weighs around 39 lbs. Thus, it is quite portable. The use of this amp is perfect for small to medium-sized venues.
Final Verdict:
Last update on 2020-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Other Top-rated keyboard Piano Amps
Things You Know Know
How Was Keyboard Amps Designed?
In designing a keyboard amp, one of the primary considerations is how the amp will fare well in a live performance. Hence, most keyboard amps are ruggedly built, meaning they look tough and sturdy. Another consideration in designing a keyboard amp is the aspect of portability. It should be very portable without sacrificing its power to magnify sound. The best keyboard amps are therefore designed to address all these concerns, and for this reason, you would readily find keyboard amplifier brands that claim that the amps that they manufacture are rock-solid and sturdy. Moreover, they would also claim that their amps are powerful and at the same time, portable.
There is no way to check at the onset whether a particular brand lives up to the primary expectations for a keyboard amp unless you would often use that amp. Hence, one way to verify whether an amp really lives up to the hype is by checking the feedback of those who have already availed of that particular amp brand.
Checking the Speaker Size and Watts
One of your bases in figuring out the power of a keyboard amp is by looking at the watts of an amp. The more watts the amp has, the more powerful it would be in amplifying sounds. Hence, a keyboard amp that has more watts could generate more amplification capability. A 180-watt speaker can support a larger and more powerful speaker than a 15-watt amp.
It is also important before buying a keyboard amp to first know where and how you are going to use the amp. If you are just going to use the amp for personal practice inside your room, then you would need an amp with less wattage and less powerful speakers. Yet, if you are going to use in an open-stage live performance, you better opt for an amp with higher wattage that supports more powerful speakers.
Checking the Number of Inputs and Outputs
Once you have figured out how and where you are going to use your keyboard amp, there is a strong likelihood that you will be able to select the right amp. Moreover, if you would only use your amp inside your room, you would simply need an amp with two inputs for your keyboard and microphone. Yet, if you are going to use it when performing live in a large area, you would surely need an amp with more inputs and outputs.
Keyboard amps have a built-in mixer wherein you can plug at once various musical instruments. Each of these input channels has its own volume control so that you can easily balance the sound that comes out of the speaker. Moreover, you should choose an amp that has outputs. Outputs can come in handy if you will be performing at a large venue that has a built-in sound system. Furthermore, you can easily connect your keyboard amp to the venue’s sound system via the output channel of your amp.
You should likewise carefully consider if the amp that you are buying has aux, headphone, and microphone ports. The important thing before selecting an amp is for you to anticipate the number of inputs and outputs and the necessary ports that your amp should have.
Additional Features
Another factor that you would need to consider when buying an amp is the extra advanced features that an amp can offer. Although most keyboard amps do not necessarily have special effects features like those of the reverb, some highly specialized high-end amps carry these additional features. Hence, if you are desirous of these additional features, you can opt for one of these high-end keyboard amps.
FAQs about Keyboard Amps
To help you zero in on the right keyboard amp, you should be cognizant of the following frequently asked questions about keyboard amps:
What Is Keyboard Amplifier?
The keyboard amplifier is usually referred to as keyboard sound magnifier. Its features include a wooden box with pre-amp, horn, megaphone, and speaker all combined in a single box. This box has the capacity to amplify any electronic keyboard instrument. Since keyboard amps can magnify a wide sonic range, you can connect any type of instruments to the keyboard amps as long as they are electronic musical instruments. Hence, you can connect drums, piccolos, pianos, and any other electronic musical instrument to this amp, and still expect that the amp can faithfully produce and magnify the sound of the instruments. Hence, keyboard amplifiers always have a mixer with four to three keyboard inputs and two bass amps inputs.
Is Keyboard Amp Really Necessary?
Although you can just plug in your keyboard to the PA system, you will surely need a keyboard if you want the nuances of your keyboard sounds to be reproduced faithfully. As said earlier, the sonic range of keyboards covers a wide range of tones and sounds which a conventional PA system will be unable to reproduce. Another advantage of using a keyboard amp is that you are afforded beforehand the chance to process the sonic texture of your keyboards even before its sound input enters the PA System. Moreover, you can synthesize your keyboard output by merely tinkering with the built-in mixer of your keyboard amp.
Is Keyboard Amp A Better Choice Than A Guitar Amp For Stage Monitoring?
Some keyboardists think that they do not need a keyboard amp if they have a guitar amp. This may be because guitar amps are less costly than keyboard amps. Yet, is guitar amp a really good alternative? This question can be answered if we would look at the design of the keyboard amps and the range of sound that a keyboard produces.
First, it would be good to note that guitar amps and keyboard amps have remarkable differences, each being designed for a specific instrument. The guitar has a specific tone spectrum, and thus, it needs an amp that can cover well that tone spectrum. Guitar amps come with a narrower frequency range.
Keyboard amps, however, come with a wider frequency range because they are designed to produce a variety of sound samples from different instruments. These instruments include organ, piano, synths, drums, and strings. Hence, keyboard amps should be capable of handling a full spectrum of sonic range to produce an accurate and clean sound.
So, if you are using a guitar amp for your keyboards, then, you are choking or stifling the sound of your keyboard.
Are Powered Speakers Better Alternatives To Keyboard Amps?
With regards to powered speakers, you can be sure that the powered speakers will produce a louder sound. Moreover, powered speakers have greatly improved in recent years. They now pack more bang. Yet, they still can’t produce the full range of sound created by the keyboard. It would be good, therefore, to note that keyboard amp is not intended to pack the loudest bang onstage. It should be loud enough, however, for the keyboardist to hear the sound that his/her keyboard produces.
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Is Connecting Your Keyboard Directly To The PA system A Good Alternative?
Well, you should rule out this option if you are a keyboardist, unless, of course, if you are a solo musician. Take note that if you directly plug your keyboard to the PA system, you forfeit the chance to take perfect control of the sound that you produce.
Since keyboard amps come with many channel inputs and EQ controls, you can pre-process your keyboard sound before it reaches the PA system. You lose these benefits if you directly connect your keyboard to a PA system. You surely do not want to be at the mercy of the PA system’s operator.
How Much Power Should The Keyboard amp Have?
The question as to “how much power does my amp should have?” always comes to the fore whenever you are shopping around for a keyboard amp. The answer to this question largely depends on the type of playing environment you always perform. If you are always performing in a large venue, then, you will need more watts for your amp to drive the larger speakers.
Manufacturers, however, generally provide wattage specs differently. Hence, you should at least understand these differences. Peak watts, for example, pertain to the absolute maximum power that an amplifier can produce during momentary peaks. The amplifier does not reach this power continuously because if it does reach this peak power continuously, the amp runs the risk of being damaged.
The RMS watts, on the other hand, are calculated via the use of the continuous sine wave. RMS means Root Mean Square. Using the continuous sine wave, you can measure the RMS voltage at the stated distortion point. The RMS rating is the more realistic measurement of the output of an amp.
However, the size of the venue should not be your primary concern when buying a keyboard amp. Most live performance venues have provisions for miking your keyboard amp to make it sound louder. This means that you do not need to set your amp to the full volume just to make your keyboard sound heard all over the venue. Your only consideration should be to choose a keyboard amp that can produce sufficient volume and clear sound that is not distorted.
There is no hard rule as to how much wattage your amp should need. Yet, the general rule is that the higher the wattage of an amp, the louder it can play without causing distorting. If you play solo or in a small venue, you will surely be needing less wattage.
However, if you are a part of a larger ensemble that includes a large drum kit that plays loudly, you don’t want your keyboard’s sound to be drowned out by the cacophony of sounds onstage. So, you will need an amp with higher wattage. Moreover, if you are playing outdoors, you will be needing a louder sounding amp to make your keyboard heard with clarity.
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