From tonysounds@yahoo.com Sat Aug 27 09:47:12 2005
Subject:Rob, and keyboard amps!

Hey Rob, all I can say is WOW!!!!!! My hats off to you on what looks like a really fantastic career and life. You are one of the (hard working) lucky ones; I'm really happy for you brother!

Before you go, here's something to think about in terms of keyboard amps. I was a full-range mini-PA guy who had to move his own stuff for 15 years. For the last 4 years I went to keyboard combos thanks to that Yorkville 300k. Now that my #2 Yorkville has died, I've been seriously auditioning everything I could get my hands on, with the only prerequisites being portability (size n weight) and tone (primary criteria!). The options are dismal, especially if you're looking for a rig that can compete volume-wise with guitarists.

While on the road last week, I took my practice rig (practice because these boxes are heavier than my Yorkvilles, and I bought them very used a couple months ago to leave at our downstairs rehearsal facility) to some shows in Denver: Roland M120 line mixer (love 'em, have 3!) into an ancient Crest power amp (150x2 @ 8) into even older EV S1202 cabs. My piano sounded fantastic and the Rhodes sounds in stereo vibrato were everything I ever wanted in a rig. (This is why I take 2 amps, not for volume, but for motion.) As happy as I am with my Yorkvilles, the girth and tone of the low end of the pianos in my Motif were simply gorgeous, and a real wake-up call.

This week I decided to try and return to that mini-PA style, but in very small, light boxes. (This entails only one more piece than my Yorkville setup: a 2space rack with my power amp.)
I have come home with a pair of Turbosound (a British company, and we all know how the British are revered for tone) TXD12m cabinets. They are essentially a 2way monitor, with ridiculously clean specs, than can be stood upright if need be. In the store they sounded so sweet and warm with source music that it really encouraged me to take them home for my rig (with a full no questions asked return policy). They are very small, clean looking, and weigh only 39lbs. I can't believe they even weigh that much because they are much lighter than my Yorkvilles, but that's what the specs say. They make an even smaller model with an 8" woofer, but I would be scared to try that w/o a sub (too much stuff again). I'll keep you posted as to how they work out, but you should look at them not only for their performance, but for their price (about $400 a cabinet). Here's a link....
http://www.turbosound.com/showroom/txd12m/index.html
Don't be scared: they come with a very attractive grill which is not shown in the pic.

Good luck on your tour, and do NOT forget to sleep and take your vitamins!
T


robshrock wrote:
Thanks for the kind words, Norm. But my website is so out of date and neglected! It's
been sitting dormant for months now... too busy!