Mesa Walkabout for piano

SamJ · #1 02-15-2011, 01:57 AM

Ok, so I'm sure this will be sacrilege for some, but I just got a Yamaha CP1 electronic piano... I don't have the cash to get new speakers for it (yet).. will it sound that bad, or do any harm to my Mesa Boogie Walkabout to just play it thru there? I don't think the tone will be perfect, but it should be fine for now, right?

thanks

MuthaFunk · #2 02-15-2011, 07:04 AM

The Walkabout is voiced for bass and obviously will not sound natural like a piano should. It does have some decent EQ but it might be hard to get a realistic sound. It will work fine though.....

You'll want to start with the bass and treble knob centered and the mid knob all the way up. I would keep all the parametric EQ stuff flat and use them to tweak out room variants that will cloud the sound.

RickenBoogie · #3 02-15-2011, 11:53 AM

I use my Walkabout with synth, and it's fine.

RCCollins · #4 02-15-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

I use my Walkabout with synth, and it's fine.

+1 not much reason to buy a dedicated keyboard amp if you have a spare fullrange bass amp

fenderhutz · #5 02-15-2011, 11:56 AM

Keep the gain low or it will distort easily.

naturalkinds · #6 02-15-2011, 12:48 PM

I personally hate using my Walkabout for Rhodes duties. In isolation, it can sound OK -- and initially I thought it sounded great -- but I'd rather play the piano or any of my synths through a cheapo Roland keyboard amp any day.

Great amp for bass, though!

: )

naturalkinds · #7 02-15-2011, 12:53 PM

Also, I think it's a really bad move to equate a bass amp with a keyboard amp in the sense that they're both 'full range'.

It might be true that the Scout's dinky tweeter can extend up to 20k, but that says absolutely nothing about the distribution of frequency sensitivity across the audible bandwidth. A bass woofer has nowhere near the linearity of a majority of even many inexpensive studio monitors. Not even -- *gasp* -- Accugroove cabs. This linearity is what makes something a good candidate for reproducing the spectrum with any hint of accuracy; raw extension is only a small portion of the equation.

Also: consider piezo tweeters. They sound like garbage, but they extend high in the frequency spectrum. I wouldn't say that a Steinway would sound acceptable through that piece of poop.

naturalkinds · #8 02-15-2011, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

+1 not much reason to buy a dedicated keyboard amp if you have a spare fullrange bass amp

This seriously puzzles me. I find it very challenging to believe that you could make a comment like this after comparing a keyboard amp and a bass amp side-by-side. (That is, if your goal is any sort of verisimilitude with the input signal.) If you're only concerned with volume and meat, then yeah -- sure -- not much reason to move past your bass amp. But if you've got an ear this forgiving, you may as well put your home hi-fi system through your Walkabout cabs, and just chuck the Klipsh floormounts.

Calaverasgrande · #9 02-15-2011, 01:34 PM

I play synth through my bass amp and it sounds great. I've seen a lot of other bands pull this off as well. Playing organ type keys as well as synthy ones.
Of course if you are playing piano then you might find the mids and highs to sound too veiled for your taste. cranking the treble may work in the short term but if you are playing in a band setting it isnt a real solution. I would either get a pair of real PA speakers (JBL EON comes to mind) or spring for a dedicated KB amp.

SamJ · #10 02-15-2011, 01:48 PM

thanks for the info fellas

SamJ · #11 02-15-2011, 06:01 PM

btw... if I still have some of your ears.. What do you all recommend for a decent quality speaker (or should I get two?)... Trying to keep it under $1000 retail price..

Calaverasgrande · #12 02-15-2011, 11:40 PM

JBL EON. Powered speaks. They have pretty good sound quality though are weak in the lower octaves. They take mic or line level. Easy to work on, durable as hell. Can stand mount (suggested) or be a wedge monitor. The lower power grey ones are around $500 new last timeI bought them. I think the higher power black ones are $650? They redisgned them recently so they may be better or worse. If you can find the old gray ones in good shape they would probably not be more than $500-600 a pair. Stereo PA (or keyboard amp) is certainly debateable, but I would still get two of whatever you decide on. I know I would be looking at powered speakers if in your shoes.

ryansalmond · #13 02-15-2011, 11:44 PM

I played a show where one of the other band's piano players played through a walkabout with 2 mesa 12"s and it sounded fantastic.