My 130 Watt Peavey KB-300 amp sounds fine, but every time I lift that 95
lbs box into my car, it feels like my spine will break in halves. My 88-key
Fatar 1100 master controller works fine too, but at 45 lbs it's so bulky
that I ditched even the canvas carrying bag I bought for it.

Does anyone know of a comparison chart that lists speakers and 88-key
master keyboards by weight? My next upgrade attempt will be focused on gear
having less weight. (My next MIDI master controller will still need to have
channel on/off buttons and 88-keys too, though)

For starters, I could replace the Peavey KB-300 (ran at half power at most)
with a Fender Passport 150 system of only 26 lbs... opinions?

In article
,
George wrote:

Does anyone know of a comparison chart that lists speakers and 88-key
master keyboards by weight?

Not a chart, but the topic has been discussed recently and extensively
on r.m.m.piano -- check the archives.
The consensus was that the Yamaha P-60 was the most portable piano
keyboard with full piano action. If you want full synthesizer
capability, that's another step, but try r.m.m.synth.

--
Alan
http://www.hummingbear.net/~aayoung/Jazz/jazz.html

I dreamed of a life that was pure and true
I dreamed of a job only I could do...

---Monk's Dream

If you truly believe that the Peavey "sounds fine" or that the fender could
replace it you are the most uncritical listener I've come across in years! Your
back may be the least of your problems! Buy a self contained Casio/Yamaha and be
done with it

Kevin T

George wrote:

My 130 Watt Peavey KB-300 amp sounds fine, but every time I lift that 95
lbs box into my car, it feels like my spine will break in halves. My 88-key
Fatar 1100 master controller works fine too, but at 45 lbs it's so bulky
that I ditched even the canvas carrying bag I bought for it.

Does anyone know of a comparison chart that lists speakers and 88-key
master keyboards by weight? My next upgrade attempt will be focused on gear
having less weight. (My next MIDI master controller will still need to have
channel on/off buttons and 88-keys too, though)

For starters, I could replace the Peavey KB-300 (ran at half power at most)
with a Fender Passport 150 system of only 26 lbs... opinions?

In article , Kevin Tracy
wrote:

If you truly believe that the Peavey "sounds fine" or that the fender could
replace it you are the most uncritical listener I've come across in years!

I have not heard the Fender, that's why asked for opinions. I am looking
for something that's good and light.

I'd forget the Fender Passport you mentioned. It's not up to either the
frequency response nor dynamics of a piano. I'd say you need to work out
more so that the heft doesn't bother you and then keep what you have. The
only other direction is to go up, like a Barbetta and like products. A
portable piano offers enough problems as it is in playability and stability,
much less the inability of most amps to give you a presentable sound.

However, if you're going to DI the piano to a FOH system, smaller can work.
A KB150 (or current equivalent) can get you the lesser heft and still offer
a reasonable MONITORING amp, but it's not a gigging amp without SR support.
And most PA setups that a gigging musician will run into simply do not make
a piano sound good anyway. Too much in lows, too much in highs, nothing in
the middle where most piano players play. Notice in one case I used SR and
in the other I used PA. There's a difference and you'll probably run into
PA systems more than SR systems. Also, having just visited the Peavey site,
it appears that nothing is going to be "heftable" although the newer designs
now seem to come with a built in hand truck.

Just to make piano sound reasonable I ended up going to a pair of Mackie
SR1530s, which may get some smirks, but the concept was a three way system
that actually offers some decent piano midrange without the crossover
getting in the way (happens to work well with vocals too). But now you're
up to a powered tri-amped speaker that's ungainly (although it works fine on
a hand truck), and 110 lbs and requires a mixer.

Another possibility is to simply realize that a car isn't a gigworthy mode
of transportation for a gigging musician. Buy a used van, put your KB300
into an amp case with big casters and build a ramp
(http://www.jcwhitney.com/item.jhtml?ITEMID=4105&BQ=jcw2) (it costs about
$50 for ramp ends that you mount on 2X8s). Personally I wouldn't be looking
at changing a working system, but rather how I work WITH the system. Think
about working smarter and don't carry or lift when you can roll.

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio

301-585-4681




"George" wrote in message
...
In article , Kevin Tracy

wrote:

If you truly believe that the Peavey "sounds fine" or that the fender
could
replace it you are the most uncritical listener I've come across in
years!

I have not heard the Fender, that's why asked for opinions. I am looking
for something that's good and light.

Good comments Roger, but I did more than "smirk" when you said you use (2)
SR1530s! I use (1) JBL G2 EON15p 400w bi-amped 15+1" horn . About 45lbs W built
in 3ch mixer & EQ. This unit has lots of Clean almost hi-fi sound and I can keep
up with Marshalls without any PA/SR help. I do put it behind me on a tripod
speaker stand sometimes to get it "up&over" If I'm wagging a volume war
PS I've heard the NEW Peavey Keyboard amps are very good especially the one W 2x
10"s

Kevin Tracy

"Roger W. Norman" wrote:

I'd forget the Fender Passport you mentioned. It's not up to either the
frequency response nor dynamics of a piano. I'd say you need to work out
more so that the heft doesn't bother you and then keep what you have. The
only other direction is to go up, like a Barbetta and like products. A
portable piano offers enough problems as it is in playability and stability,
much less the inability of most amps to give you a presentable sound.

snip

In article
,
(George) wrote:

My 130 Watt Peavey KB-300 amp sounds fine, but every time I lift that 95
lbs box into my car, it feels like my spine will break in halves. My 88-key
Fatar 1100 master controller works fine too, but at 45 lbs it's so bulky
that I ditched even the canvas carrying bag I bought for it.

My first full setup was a Peavey KB-300 with a Roland RD300s 88 key
digital piano (ahh - youth).

The peavey was just too big and heavy, even after adding wheels (also
had a real bad resonant frequency on a particular F#).

I traded up to a Roland A90 with a JBL EON15" G2 powered monitor (got a
pair but usually use one).

Happy with the setup, but am looking at the 10" version of the JBL as
its lighter, and will cover most of the smaller stuff I do.

Also thinking of getting a 76 key synth too. So I can have a nice
portable setup and save the back breakers for the bigger gigs.

--
Rocky Road - in Oz