# What do you use as a keyboard amp? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391 "2008-05-07T03:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/1 "2008-05-07T03:01:44Z")
I have a Kurzweil PC88 that I use exclusively in my home (as a stand-in for an acoustic piano). It has no internal speakers, so when I don’t want to use headphones I hook it up to a stereo system using the system’s auxiliary input. I keep searching for the smallest micro system I can find that has an auxiliary in, but it seems like the smaller systems don’t have them. The best I can do is a bookshelf system, which kinda takes up a lot of room (especially the speakers, which I place under the keyboard on either side). I keep thinking that there has to be a better way! I definitely want the left/right separation, so hooking up to a traditional keyboard amp isn’t an option. In light of that, maybe my stereo system setup _is_ the best way for me? If you use a keyboard at home and amplify it somehow, what do you use? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/2 "2008-05-07T03:29:58Z")
Be careful with that stereo and an electronic keyboard. If you use something besides the piano voice, say DX7, you can easily blow speakers. I play an instrument through my home theater receiver, but I use passive studio monitors (cheap ones – Alesis Monitor One Mk2), which are less likely to commit suicide via cone breakage (but its still a possibily). ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/3 "2008-05-07T04:41:19Z")
Thanks for the tip, **squeegee** , but I’ve been using this setup (with various stereo systems) for the past 10 years and have always known about the speaker risk. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/4 "2008-05-07T05:03:54Z")
I was just remembering my days of blowing out (not inexpensive) speakers using my MIDI setup and doing Tocatta & Fugue horror movie music on it. Good times, good times. I think a good stereo amp and some really resilient speakers aren’t a bad option. Passive studio monitors are built to take some abuse. My Alesis speakers were $200 new, and they sound awesome, best $200 I ever spent. And I’ve yet to blow them out, despite much provocation. That said, I haven’t been doing electronic keyboard work lately, so someone will probably be along with a non-“tin cans and string” option, unlike mine. 🙂 Or, failing that, a straight mixer and a couple of active studio monitors would probably be even better, and you’ll get tone that’ll blow your head off (should the need arise). ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/5 "2008-05-07T05:18:10Z")
Ditto on what **squeegee** said. In the past I’ve run my keys through a mixer-power amp-pair of M1s chain. The Alesis monitors are truly a great deal and very adequate for keyboard amplification in the home. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/6 "2008-05-07T06:34:26Z")
I’d like to add that a pair of [Behringer](http://www.behringer.com/B3030A/index.cfm?lang=ENG) active monitors plugged to a mixing board (maybe a small [Mackie](http://www.mackie.com/)) might be a sweet combo for you. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/7 "2008-05-07T14:57:19Z")
I run my keys (guitar, too) direct into the board (well, through a sub-mixer). We have individual monitor mixes so everyone gets as much keys as they like. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-as-a-keyboard-amp/448391/8 "2008-05-07T22:03:26Z")
The mixing board/monitor thing never occurred to me. I’d been trying to keep the setup simple, but when I think about it I already have 3 pieces of equipment (and I bet I could find a board smaller than a stereo). I might have to check that out. 🙂 Thanks, everyone!