FRFR self-powered stereo amp for the Kemper? Why not the Roland KC-880?

    So I've been following all the FRFR threads for some time. And nobody seems to have come to a conclusion that seems kind of obvious to me, which is that we've had FRFR amp/cabs for years. They're called Keyboard Amps.


    Why wouldn't the Roland KC-880 make an excellent Kemper poweramp/cab? It's stereo, self-powered, 160Wx2, has a built-in mixer if you need it, and even looks (mostly) like a guitar amp. Has anyone tried this? $999 street.


    http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/990


    Manual here:


    http://bit.ly/1cJwSVM


    -djh

    God, it sure is! Hence the casters. It looks roadworthy, and the woofers are twelve inch... - gonna preorder one of these, and see what happens. I can think of a lot of uses for this even if I don't end up using it with the Kemper - the built-in mixer and DSP is a bonus.


    -djh

    I was looking at keyboard amps before I got the Kemper for use with other modelers and ended up comparing the Behringer stuff to the Roland, and liked the Behringer better actually. That said I sold off the Behringer and maybe a year later picked up another and didn't like it nearly as much as the powered PA speakers I was experimenting with at the time. I storngly advise trying before buying and if possible setting up a Behringer keyboard amp side by side with one.

    Check out the Motion Sound KP500s. Its 250w x 2 stereo with a wedged (splayed) front for more stereo separation. It also has an adjustable "expander" effect that works really well to widen the sound.


    None of the combo amps will sound as good as powered PA speakers but for stage monitoring, I'm pretty happy.


    bd

    Back last July when we were offered coupons to buy a new PowerRack Kemper for $350 off, I did the math, and figured that all things considered, it would cost me about $800 to exchange a new lamp for old and I still wouldn't have a cabinet. Surely I could do better. In the end I put a Roland KC-880 on backorder, and it came in today. 320W, stereo, FRFR, FX, and a 4-channel mixer! Weighs as much as a Marshall 4x12 cab, but comes with casters. ZZounds had it with no sales tax to CA & cheap shipping, and thanks to a holiday sale price-match it cost me about the same ($869, incl. tax and shipping.)


    The dimensions of the top are large enough to comfortably hold a Grundorf rack case on top, so Kemper Rack users are in good shape. Sound-wise, this amp is earthshakingly loud, and the low end is everything you'd expect from a guitar cab. The response is more high-middy for crunch tones then I would like; initially I was testing it out in stereo, but decided running it in mono mode was better so I could take advantage of the KPA's Monitor Out EQ.


    For anyone else trying this, the "Jens Trem 906 Solo" profile is pretty sweet - these are the settings I used to get a balanced tone. There is real bass on tap here - Chug!


    KPA:
    Mon Bass: 0.0
    Mon Treb: -3.8
    Mon Pres: -3.8


    Roland:
    Bass: 10:45
    Mid: 1:00
    High: 10:50


    [Blocked Image: http://dallashodgson.info/images/RolandFront.jpg][Blocked Image: http://dallashodgson.info/images/RolandBack.jpg]

    The speakers in those KC series are just horrible IMHO.
    I tried 2 different KC's and they have no clarity.
    It works fine for a keyboard, but for a guitar they are just too bland.


    Besides the weight problem which is why most folks here are going with a 1X12 for FRFR situation, to get the best quality sound out of the KPA with a monitor you really need coaxial speakers.
    That's why a cab with traditional speakers and a tweeter or ported just won't sound the same.


    $869 is very close to the price of the CLR, and the difference in quality of the 1X12 more than outweighs the small benefit of having 2 speakers which have no real spread on them when they are that close together to notice a big difference.
    Once again, no disrespect, this is just my opinion after trying numerous lower priced monitor solutions before giving up and just buying a CLR.


    But in the end, if you like it then that's all that really matters so enjoy!

    Wow, gotta love the web. The Roland KC-160 and KC-550 aren't even in the same league. The KC-880 is not a modest single-speaker toy; it's got a pair of 12" woofers, a pair of tweeters, tuned port and if anything, leans a bit towards the bright. Any more clear and you'd poke your eye, err, ear out! Try actually demoing a piece of gear before commenting next time, eh? It's clear you haven't been anywhere near this product, because after a brief debut at NAMM these have been pretty much backordered until now. Go ahead and tell me how all the thousands of stereo Roland JC-120's, Flextones & Princeston Choruses, etc. in the wild are somehow invalid because they weren't bent into a slight "V" shape. Don't like stereo? Run it in mono, sheesh. Next you'll be complaining that Marshall's angled cabs aren't tilted enough either :whistling:


    This amp's the centerpiece of my rehearsal studio right now; since it's got a built-in mixer, I'm running my keys, TD-10 electronic drums, KPA and vox through it simultaneously - because I can. And that's hella convenient! No complaints yet as guitar monitor or PA - so far it's been more than up to the task. Just sayin'.


    -djh

    Edited 2 times, last by dhodgson ().