I TOTALLY AGREE with what Donny is emphasizing here. HOW you sound is EVERYTHING and can make/break future gig bookings. Get the BEST you possibly can afford. If you're a vocalist, the same goes for your mic selection. No matter how great the sound system, the resultant sound quality will be limited by the quality of the mic. - Scott

Hello

Another thought on this subject. When I did the testing I used the built in demo. Before I buy anything I will either play like I normally do and/or have some songs on a disk I recorded so I can move around the room to see how the sound travels etc. I've noticed in the past on other keyboards that the built in demo is not always the same sound as when playing it yourself.

Scott

I TOTALLY AGREE with what Donny and Scottyee are emphasizing here. Spend up on the speakers to do justice to your instrument and to your performance. As far as I am concerned a stereo set-up is the only way to go (having done the mono thing for a very short time). Stereo gives better separation and a perceived greater depth and more even volume (intencity) of sound throughout the hall, not to mention the quality of the sound produced.

[This message has been edited by JonPro (edited 07-16-2002).]

Though I agree with you, and prefer running in stereo, if budget is a concern, I'd suggest purchasing one SINGLE 'higher quality' more expensive speaker PA such as the Mackie SM450 or EV SxA100 first (instead of going with 2 lower quality stereo PA speakers), and then later on, when your budget permits, purchase a second PA speaker (SM450 or EV SxA100) to run in stereo. I believe that the 'audio quality' itself supercedes the requirement for stereo, though I admit that running stereo further enhances the sound & ambience. Just my opinion of course.

By the way, my PA setup consists of two EV SxA100s. For the smaller gigs I just take ONE PA speaker running (running mono) and it sounds pretty good. I take both SxA100's and run stereo for the larger venues. I'm really happy with my setup PA setup cuz it's both lightweight & portable and offers terrific sound. - Scott

Large speaker elements generate low frequency sounds more efficiently than small speaker elements, generally speaking. By attenuating mid-range frequencies, one can get a wide flat frequency response from a small speaker. However, more power is required to drive the smaller speaker and more heat is generated so the smaller speakers may run hotter. I think this applies to the Barbettas. If this is a factor for you, you might check on this regarding the Warfedales.

I had a pair of the powered EON 15's and I replaced them with a pair of powered G2 EON 10's. The 15's were overkill for me... the rooms I play are usually small and I play at near-acoustic levels. I use my EON 10's for both mains and monitors, by placing them on the floor at an angle behind me. They seem plenty powerful at 175 watts each and they carry bass surprisingly well (being on the floor probably helps). The newer G2 EON 10 powered models have more power than the originals did. They are fairly common so I tried them out at a music store with an arranger keyboard before I bought them... they sounded great. I bought them new, I think for around $450 each. I also recommend the carry bags that JBL makes for them, which makes them much easier to tote (the EON 10's have a strange and uncomfortable hand hold on top, the bags have a real handle) and less prone to scuff.

I also have a pair of the original non-G2 EON powered subwoofers that I have used with the EON 10's in auditoriums and outdoors. The EON 10's feet fit into the holes on the top of the subs so they stack great. So if you really want to cover the bases (or basses) and can handle the cost then having both the 10's and the matching subs is the most versatile way to go.

JBL EON's are not inexpensive, but they are really well made, sound great and will last for many years with a little care. They also have good resale value (I had no trouble selling my old EON 15's).