From bw@ashbysolutions.com Sat Dec 07 09:01:46 2013
Subject:Re: Amplification Options: Was RE: New hammond xk3c

There are a lot of sealed, powered monitors , and Yamaha has one of the
better ones. I've owned a lot of Yamaha PA over the years, and have
never been disappointed. My experience is that Yamaha speakers tend to
sound 'softer' than some -- and this is not a swipe at Yamaha. Natural
sound often requires a little less high end than many PA speakers
provide. But, like with digital pianos, there's a tradeoff between the
'natural' sound that works in a solo context vs. the sound that cuts
through a band mix. (I've always felt that Yamaha pianos sound more
natural, but Roland pianos seem less likely to drown in large band.)
The differences are subtle, though, and I'm not sure you're going to be
able to rely on list recommendations alone to choose Yamaha over someone
else.

Another thing that needs to be considered is, where are the speakers
going to be placed, and why? If the purpose is to provide you (the
player) with a monitoring mix, then a wide, tight dispersion pattern is
best. This often means coaxial speakers, or at least, a 'near-field'
monitor like those used in studios. I've been a huge fan of coaxial
tweeters for years, and my own custom on-stage system uses coaxial 12"
speakers with compression drivers. Real sounds in nature tend to be
'point sources' -- i.e., all frequencies of the sound come from one
location -- which is hard to emulate with a 2-way or 3-way speaker,
especially in the first 3-4 feet (1-1,2m) away. I have a pair of
unpowered Cerwin-Vega stage monitors that I've always liked for just
this reason -- coaxial tweeters.

If the goal is to provide everyone with sound (including the player),
then a mid-field monitor is best. I still think that coaxial speakers
win out here, but the choices will be limited. However, I would stay
away from speakers that have less than 90 degrees dispersion.

Another possibility is Alto Pro Audio. Alto used to be a 'Behringer
wannabe' -- which IS a swipe -- but my understanding is that they lured
some design talent away from JBL and seriously upgraded their line. I
haven't heard their new speakers yet, but a list member whose opinions I
highly respect swears by them. And their new floor monitor is coaxial.

Regards,

-BW

Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions.com^(TM)
bw@ashbysolutions.com
http://music.ashbysolutions.com
877.55.ASHBY (877.552.7429)

On 12/6/2013 7:04 PM, G wrote: