I don't have any idea how it would do for an arranger. A guy who plays guitar/sings said he loves it.
http://www.bobbrozman.com/ra400.html

Promo material says it's designed for acoustic instruments, so I would guess it's not for kbs ...
t.

Hi everyone:

In a few times in several Roland seminars, the Roland people used 2 of the acoustic amps (AC-60+ KCW)as PA and connected the Keyboards, digital recorders, mics, and sounded really great, of course, this was for a few dozen people, a small venue.

I also know that the Italian engineering has good reputation, a perfect example is Montarbo, great sound, reliable, high quality product not available in USA so far, I would buy it if it was sold here.

I am not familiar with the ra400 by Bobbrozman, the best way to find out, is to actually to test it with a keyboard.

Frequency range of an acoustic guitar goes down to about 80 or so hertz. Frequency range of a bass guitar goes down to about 40 or even below for a 5-string. That may not seem a lot of difference, but at these pitch ranges, that's over an octave!

A system designed to compliment an acoustic guitarist's rig will not be designed to handle the bass and kick and floor tom ranges that your arranger will produce, plain and simple.

At low volumes, and unhyped EQ curves, things should still be fairly even, but once you bring an amp into it's designed volume range (a 300 watt amp isn't designed to never go above 100!) you will definitely start to hear the designed frequency range coming into play...

PA speakers (other than those designed as the top part of a bi-amped system) are specifically designed to cover ALL frequency ranges fairly evenly, even at the top of it's intended volume curve. Things designed for instruments with lesser range needs, or the mid-hyped needs of band monitoring applications (combo amps in particular) are never going to remain as flat as they get louder...

My groin was screaming as I read the specs - lol. It looks very attractive. I'd like to hear from someone who has actually played thru one.

Hey, it only weighs 46 lbs...that shouldn't bother anyone used to lugging a G70.

Guitar amps do not amplify keyboards very well, especially arrangers, even amps designed for acoustic guitar, which have a slightly broader frequency range than those for electric instruments.

Some people play synthesizers through guitar amps, but it is mainly for an effect or a certain tone.

I used to play "lead guitar" in one band I played in, using a highly modded guitar patch on my DX7MkII and a Fender Twin, plus some effects pedals.

I must say, the amp in question looks very cool.

Ian

It certainly has been a while, but I remember using Fender and Ampeg amps for my Frafisa Combo Compact and Hohner Pianet. But things were very different back in the 60's and 70's. Heck, I even played through a Super Beatle; now that was a unique sound.

And yeah, Ian I could carry the G70 with one hand and the Brozman with the other - to my grave.

Farfisa compact...that was a gem (and the organ to have, if you get/afford the Hammond) back in the day...my first pro keyboard, and also first combo organ, was, here's one you may not know, a Howard Baldwin Combo which was played through my first amp, a Fender Twin, which I still have(the amp, not the organ).

The Howard was resplendent in blue and black and always had the smell of key contact cleaner wafting from it's innards.

It had, (gasp!) nine tones...and the sound is generally described as , raunchy, harsh fuzzy, raspy, nasty, gritty, spitty - all terms of endearment, of course.

Of course, back in the day, each amp only had to amplify ONE part. And could be as nasty, distorted, and band limited as you want, because it was not having to amplify ALL the instruments in the band at the same time!

With an arranger, that is not an option, so I recommend avoiding any 'combo' or instrument amps. They simply are NOT designed to be full range and flat...

I tried a Traynor K4 Keyboard amp out in the local music store.

First, I played the S900, which I was there to demo, and needless to say, the amp just did not have the quality or stereo spread of two dedicated powered speaker cabinets.

However, I tried a Hammond XK1 through it and it sounded very impressive...I wasn't using bass pedals, but the rotary speaker sim was captured perfectly with the K4 and it had lots of power. Then one of guys hooked up a Roland FP4, and again, it sounded real nice, the electric piano with chorus had a nice defined movement, and no distortion, other than what was in the sound when you whacked it.

These type of amp/speakers are made to play your keyboards (organ/piano/synthesizer) through when playing in a combo...they make crappy PA systems, although I guess they may do okay at a small gig, but they just don't handle the myriad of frequencies generated by an arranger....maybe if a sub woofer was added, it may do better.

Ian