Playing keyboards and guitar with only one amp ?

Emp_Fab

I have to play (second) keyboards as well as guitar in the band (not simultaneously!) but I've only got the one amp - my Fender HRD.  I've tried plugging the keys into the second input on the amp but it sounds hideously toppy and harsh, and I can't change the amp's eq without it screwing up my guitar tone.  I don't want to have to buy (and lug around) another amp, so, just thinking aloud here, I've only got two options - try to EQ the keys at source so they sound better after the amp's eq, or run them through the PA - but - without a monitor I might struggle to hear what I'm playing.  I might have to use a monitor anyway as I also sing, so that could work...

Do any of you have keyboards in your band and do they use a dedicated amp ?  I could get some wired in-ears and feed them off a little 4 channel mixer to create my own foldback mix.  Hmmm....  What to do....

Danny1969

I play both but just di the keys

As you can't run around the stage while playing keys a set of buds is all you need for monitoring

Emp_Fab

That sounds the most sensible option.  I need another thread on monitor mixes now - sorry !

IanSavage

Is it worth trying the keyboard via the HRD's FX return to bypass the preamp circuitry? Still won't sound great, but probably be a marked improvement on going straight into the input - although you're best off DI-ing it anyway

ICBM

IanSavage said:

Is it worth trying the keyboard via the HRD's FX return to bypass the preamp circuitry? Still won't sound great, but probably be a marked improvement on going straight into the input - although you're best off DI-ing it anyway

Beat me to it.

Remember that you'll need to unplug the keyboard from the Power Amp In to hear the guitar again too, it's a series loop.

EricTheWeary

Keys players in my bands have gone through the PA and then used something for monitoring like the bass player's practice amp. As long as you can hear what you are playing it doesn't have to sound good and the punters get the nice version through the PA.
John Mayall uses a JC 120 for keys, guitar and harp. John Lord used Marshalls for his organ (ahem).
Now I think about it I've played with several keyboardists and not one of them has had a dedicated keyboard amp that I can recall.

NPP

The keys player in my long-defunct band also played through a JC120 and that sounded really good. Probably depends on the sounds you are using - I'd imagine Rhodes sounds through a guitar amp would sound rather nice, for example. 

Emp_Fab

ICBM said:

IanSavage said:

Is it worth trying the keyboard via the HRD's FX return to bypass the preamp circuitry? Still won't sound great, but probably be a marked improvement on going straight into the input - although you're best off DI-ing it anyway

Beat me to it.

Remember that you'll need to unplug the keyboard from the Power Amp In to hear the guitar again too, it's a series loop.

Bugger that... plugging and unplugging cables mid-song ? !!  Most numbers I'm planning on playing both instruments at different points in the song.  If I have to unplug it, I'll lose the end !

Ianpdq

Spider Jam

Phil_aka_Pip

I got a Carlsbro 90W keyboard combo off ebay for £40. As I use a small van, not a silly hatchback or saloon car, carrying it wasn't a problem. Cheap & workable solution.

uncledick

Some time ago we played an 18th birthday party using 5 out of 6 inputs on my AC30.  Guitar, bass, keys and two mics.  Think we got away with it...

Danny1969

The keyboards always gonna sound shit through any guitar amp. you need something that's full range or at least from around 60hz to 16Khz .... even through the return of the HRD it will be awful as the guitar amp can only effectively reproduce mid range frequencies

DI through the PA (pref in stereo) .... no need for di box's just plug it straight into line in sockets of PA  and then just plug a set of buds in the headphones out of the keyboard so you can hear it. Job done, will sound good and cost nothing

koneguitarist

Back in the 80's we used to use Alligator amps which had a switch for keys bass or guitar, worked really well. Still see them around occasionally and quite cheap.

ICBM

Emp_Fab said:

Bugger that... plugging and unplugging cables mid-song ? !!  Most numbers I'm planning on playing both instruments at different points in the song.  If I have to unplug it, I'll lose the end !

Ah. In that case the only solution to using this amp is to get a mini-mixer and put that in the FX loop, so you can run both the guitar and the keyboard into it at the same time. A Boss LS-2 will work if you don't want/have a 'proper' mixer, but it's beginning to get complicated, still might not sound great for the keyboard, and really you're better just putting the keys through the PA anyway…

Danny1969 said:

The keyboards always gonna sound shit through any guitar amp. you need something that's full range or at least from around 60hz to 16Khz .... even through the return of the HRD it will be awful as the guitar amp can only effectively reproduce mid range frequencies

Not quite. I used to play in a band where the keyboard player put a Yamaha digital piano and a Roland VK organ through a Traynor MkIII 2x12" 100W guitar amp (basically a Fender Twin copy) - sounded fantastic, if not exactly hi-fi. I don't know what the frequency range was but probably not too far off 60Hz at the bottom end, if not as high as 16K (or even 10K, probably!) at the top.

But a Hotrod Deluxe… you're right.