Re: Rhodes and digital piano amp solution?

[wanderer]

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 20:53:43 -0800, Jon wrote:

> Hi
>
> I currently have a Kurzweil PC2x digital piano, which I run through a
> Roland KC-300 keyboard amp. I currently use the acoustic grand piano
> sounds most, then the rhodes sounds and then the organs. I use this setup
> mostly for live jazz gigs.
>
> I am about to get a Fender Rhodes electric piano. From what I have read,
> I gather that a Fender Rhodes won't work through most regular keyboard
> amps, and that it sounds best through guitar amps, like a Fender Twin
> Reverb or Roland Jazz Chorus 120, or even a Peavey Classic 30 or Music Man
> 410HD. However I know that piano sounds will not sound so great through
> these guitar amps.
>
> I probably won't be using both keyboards on the same gig together, but I
> haven't got much money to spend, so I am looking for the cheapest
> alternative, whereby I can get that classic authentic Rhodes sound, when I
> use the rhodes, and also retain the beautiful acoustic grand piano sound
> on the PC2x, when I use that.
>
> Thanks very much

electro-harmonix makes a nice tube preamp pedal that will boost the
instrument level signal of the rhodes to a line level signal for your
keyboard amp, and will also give you the characteristic tube warmth /
overdrive that a guitar amp would give you. to me this seems better than
an amp modeling solution because you'll retain an all analog signal path
and really let the rhodes shine.

[WillStG]

<< wanderer >>
<< > I am about to get a Fender Rhodes electric piano. From what I have read,
> I gather that a Fender Rhodes won't work through most regular keyboard
> amps, and that it sounds best through guitar amps, like a Fender Twin
> Reverb or Roland Jazz Chorus 120, or even a Peavey Classic 30 or Music Man
> 410HD. However I know that piano sounds will not sound so great through
> these guitar amps. >>
<< > I probably won't be using both keyboards on the same gig together, but I
> haven't got much money to spend, so I am looking for the cheapest
> alternative, whereby I can get that classic authentic Rhodes sound, when I
> use the rhodes, and also retain the beautiful acoustic grand piano sound
> on the PC2x, when I use that. >>

Well - the JC 120 is used by a lot of gigging keyboardists, it is stereo
which is nice. For your Grand Piano sound you might try a small mixer like a
Mackie 1202 or 1402 into the insert returns in the back of the amp, that would
bypass the preamps stage. And you could plug the rhodes in the front of the
Jc120 at the same time, take the insert send into a couple of channels of your
mixer as well. You might be able to get sounds appropriate for both keyboards
that way.

Or you could try a Tech 21 pedal or a a MXR Microamp or Dynacomp, something
like that to kick the level up of the Rhodes.

Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

[ryanm]

"Jon" > wrote in message
m...
>
> I am about to get a Fender Rhodes electric piano. From what I have
> read, I gather that a Fender Rhodes won't work through most regular
> keyboard amps, and that it sounds best through guitar amps, like a
> Fender Twin Reverb or Roland Jazz Chorus 120, or even a Peavey Classic
> 30 or Music Man 410HD. However I know that piano sounds will not
> sound so great through these guitar amps.
>
> I probably won't be using both keyboards on the same gig together, but
> I haven't got much money to spend, so I am looking for the cheapest
> alternative, whereby I can get that classic authentic Rhodes sound,
> when I use the rhodes, and also retain the beautiful acoustic grand
> piano sound on the PC2x, when I use that.
>
A *good* (Fender) tube amp won't color your piano sound that much,
because part of what makes them good is the clean headroom. You'll want a
sparkly clean Fender sound though, so something like a twin or a super,
which will be way louder than you'll ever need for direct applications, and
about 10x as loud as you'll ever need if you plan to mic it.

Chances are, it will color your piano sound less than the pickup system
you have in there. And a Rhodes through a blackface Super Reverb with the
volume up about halfway is a beautiful thing. It adds that tiny bit of tube
saturation that you hear in classic recordings (think Get Back by the
Beatles) but doesn't do anything to it that could be called distortion.

ryanm

[WillStG]

<< "ryanm" >>
<< A *good* (Fender) tube amp won't color your piano sound that much, because
part of what makes them good is the clean headroom. You'll want a sparkly clean
Fender sound though, so something like a twin or a super, which will be way
louder than you'll ever need for direct applications, and about 10x as loud as
you'll ever need if you plan to mic it. >>

Well, I used a Twin for Nylon String acoustic when I was playing in the
pit for "Man Of La Mancha" once. I used a microphone plugged right into the
amp, and the nylon string sounded great that way. (Never tried a sampled
Grand Piano though.)

Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits