Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    What do you have for a budget Karl?
    
    		Derek

    
    Re; budget?   No real limit, except the feeling that what I do probably
    does not justify spending over $500 (unless $50 or $100 more makes
    the difference between some hiss and no hiss).
    
    Also, I should have made it clear that this is a stereo amp, not
    an instrument amp.
						- Karl

    For a stereo power amp try a Crown D-60 or D-75. Most likely you
    will never have any problems and you can strap it later for mono
    if you decide to get another and add more power. 
    
    If you want to play FM and records...etc anything Japanese
    is just like anything else Japanese. I secretly suspect they are
    all made by the same company anyway. Get the one that looks the
    coolest with your equipment and is on sale with a liberal return
    policy and 30 day price guarantee.
                        
    Dennis Savage
    

    
    
    If you want the reliability and ruggedness of Crown, but want to
    get a little more bang for your buck, try QSC. Crown is great equipment
    with a fantastic reliability record, but you pay for it. 
    
    Model 1400 - 200W/ch-8 ohms, 300W/ch-4 ohms, 625W-8 ohms mono with     
    2 db headroom. Three rack spaces. Phone and XLR inputs, phone outputs.
    Calibrated gain controls. Clipping indicators. 2 speed fan. (The
    factory tests the high speed of the fan by running the amp at full
    power across a DEAD SHORT. If the fan doesn't go to high speed within
    20 minutes it's dead.)
    
    $500 at AST in NYC, but I'm sure you can bargain them down. As for
    Massachusetts dealers, Steve's Quality Instruments in Beverly? sells
    them.
    
    I've got an older Model 31 and am looking for another as well as
    a Model 41 for my system. They sound great and have never given
    me any trouble. Every time I've called the factory for information
    they've been more than helpful, and sent me manuals and schematics
    at no charge even though I bought my equipment used.    

    My $.02,
    
    Chris
    
    
    

I've moved a discussion of keyboard amps here at the suggestion of the co-mod.

I listened to a KB100 at Daddy's yesterday, and was bothered by the loud hum it
emitted. Does anyone know if this is a problem with this line? If it's likely
an artifact of the electrical environment, I'd still be inclined to try it
elsewhere before plopping any cash down.

BTW, I'm concentrating on amps in the range of the KB100 mainly due to their
relative "totability." I understand the "enough is never enough" rationale,
but the size and weight of, say, the KB300 is a bit much. Comments on units
with a better "power-to-weight" ratio are definitely welcome.

I haven't yet sought out other vendors to compare comparable amps, though I hope
to do so soon. Has anyone found a specific shop to be an excellent source WRT
amps in particular? I figured I'd try the "usual suspects," anyway, but new
sources are always welcome.

Daddy's currently has a lot of used amps listed as part of their latest
marketing blurb ("Amp Assault"). The prices on used KB100s described as "like
new" are floating around $100 less than their asking price on new units. Has
this line changed significantly anywhere along the way, to the extent that
"vintage" should be a concern?

Last one: if I *do* decide to go used, are there any cut-and-tried tests which
will reveal any amp circuit and/or speaker problems? I'm a bit hesitant to
just try a used amp under normal circumstances and decide it's healthy on that
basis.

Thanks for all input, past and future-

	Bob

    The KB line has undergone mostly cosmetic changes.  Theoretically they
    have made circuit improvements as well, but the controls, etc. are
    still the same.
    
    As far as checking an amp out...cranking it and playing it loud for a
    while (10 minutes or more) is the best test as far as I'm concerned, if
    it's flaky, you should notice something.   Pay attention to rattles
    when playing bass notes and unwanted distortion, hiss or noise in
    general.  
    
    As far as noise goes, you can always try this test:
    
    Get some 1/4" phone plugs at Radio Shack and solder the tips and rings
    together, this makes them "grounding plugs".  Plug into all the inputs
    of the amp with these, turn the volumes way up and listen for noise.
    This will be the noise that will be contributed by the amp. Any *other*
    noise you hear while playing is due to the source.  
    
    						Brian

>    Get some 1/4" phone plugs at Radio Shack and solder the tips and rings
>    together, this makes them "grounding plugs".  Plug into all the inputs
>    of the amp with these, turn the volumes way up and listen for noise.
>    This will be the noise that will be contributed by the amp. Any *other*
>    noise you hear while playing is due to the source.  

The loud hum I heard from the KB100 was with a single input (a Wavestation)
plugged in but silent, all other channels set at zero but with no inputs
connected. Is this situation different in any substantial way from the
"grounding plug" setup you describe? (If it is, I'd think using grounding plugs
all the time would be a standard practice- is it?)

Bob

    Some amplifiers use jacks that short the input to ground when no inputs
    are plugged in; this would do the same thing as using the grounding
    plug.  Most do not.  Most 1/4" inputs are high impedance and leaving
    these open (rather than grounded) allows for noise pickup.
    
    The idea of using the grounding plug is to see how noisy the
    preamp/power amp chain is.  By cranking the volumes up with a grounded
    input you will only be hearing the residual noise since there is no
    input present.  If you leave the input open you may also hear some
    noise due to the high input impedance.  This may sound nuts, but it is
    noticeable on most guitar amps, try it sometime.
    
    The hum in the store could be due to ground looping.  Make sure the
    keyboard and amp are plugged into the same outlet.  Also, if the KB100
    has a ground lift/polarity switch, try both positions.
    
    							Brian

             The KB series from Peavey tend to be very reliable units from
    what I've experienced. I've got a KB400 that I've used heavily since 
    about 1985. It still sounds great and I've never had a problem with it.
    
         Frank