You need a DI Box or a Pre-Amp of some type (a signal booster to be blunt). The signal from your Stick is not strong enough to give a good signal to noise ratio (S:N) to the KC-110 without assistance. If you plug directly, you may notice you are raising the volume levels very high and hearing a humming sound. I use a PreSonus two-channel pre-amp. Phantom power is irrelevant to all non-Railboards, for which it powers the onboard pre-amp. A good salesman can hand these things to you to test, mouth dripping with with commission-inspired drool.

I have a Roland KD110. I really like it. In my home I can't crank it loud since I live in close proximity to other people.

I play my NS through it and it does what I need it to do. I have a Line 6 Pod x3 and I think a amp simulator pedal makes things work so much better in front of the amp.
If you do play directly through the amp I found that it's good to use two channels (one channel for bass side and another channel for melody side). If you plug in to one of the stereo channels you will get bass side through one speaker and it is pretty weak. Putting it in mono will let the bass have both speakers and have a little more umph... but remember that this is a very small amp to start with so don't expect it to sound like a ampeg 8x10 or anything like that.
For the bedroom it works really well for me.

I did take it with me to play with some friends and it was plenty loud. I could play with other stick players at a nice level.

Well... that's my 2 cents...

Hi Skydiver,
I am in exactly the same circumstance. I live in an apartment.

While I am fortunate enough to be married to a lady for whom, knowing that I derive joy from playing my instrument also brings her joy, I want to respect her need to concentrate on her work as well.


Thanks, the idea of putting each side into mono is good to know and I suspect I would have eventually come to that realization. My main use of this amp is to be for practice and to use in very small group situations. I have a big old TOA amp/PA if I need some volume.


Forgive my ignorance of things technical, but I didn't understand the above statement. Do you mean a preamp?

Not to belabor the point but
Again, thanks everybody for your valuable input, especially your patience and constructive criticism toward a novice on several levels.

@ Gene: I read your post in the thread Time Management With Practice.
I thought it was a wonderful composition in and of itself! I found it inspiring, printed it, and will keep it in a visible place.

I play piano and keyboards pretty well; always have. Many years of practice and playing have made it relatively easy for me to pick up and quickly learn many instruments by ear. I fully expected to have an easy time picking up the stick. I was and am overwhelmed by the difficulty associated with left hand positioning. Using different sets of muscles to stretch the fingers on my left hand while they're facing up at me instead of down at a keyboard
Your post has helped to lower my level of frustration and point me in a better, more logical direction. IMHO that post or one much like it should be read by everyone here who is at or near a beginners level on the stick.
Thank you for the sage advice

Harry

Pretty much a preamp...
My concept on my rig is to have all the sounds/effects/noises completed before the amp. The amp is just there to replicate what I am feeding it.
It's my opinion that feeding the amp a tone you already know is as big as it gets will come out as best as possible from an amp like the KC-110. Although there is some adjustability (bass/treble/effects) it won't do a whole lot to your sound to make it bigger or thicker or whatever you want from it.
The stick has a wonderful sound on it's own and if that's the sound you want then no problems but I like to get that produced sound so I use the X3 which has many, many, many (did I say many) effects, compressors, reverbs, etc to use. (I'm not going to go into the debate of analog vs digital vs emulators vs etc...) But I know that when I have my POD in front of the amp I'm a happier camper...

Good luck!

Hi there again, folks
Y'know, coming to the stick from keyboards rather than another stringed instrument will be a blessing. I have no doubt about that.

I have no string player's bad habits to un-learn and I almost feel like I'm starting with a clean slate.
The 'clean slate' part also applies to the correct technical knowledge necessary for this endeavor. Otherwise, pretty much all the sonic let-downs, the uneven tones, the weak bass; you know. all the things you guys mentioned with reasonably high degrees of certainty might happen, happened. In less than two weeks I bought no fewer than four amplifiers .

GC having changed its attitude was an incredibly timely godsend for me!
This entire episode has been quite the learning experience for me. I'm grateful to you all for the information, the thought behind your posts, and your willingness to say so when you disagreed with any (all) of the decisions I've posted. I'm also grateful to GC, whereas each time I'd walk into their store rolling in yesterday's newly bought amp, I did not illicit a single audible "Oh No, not again"

Once upon a time I bought a Line 6 Spider IV 15W guitar combo amp. I do not know why. Sounded horrible. I brought it back to the friendly, albeit stickgnorant staff and they were exemplary in every part of the return process.
Soon after, I bought the mini version of the Fishman Loudbox recommended by Steven Lebeau. It did have a surprisingly clear and lovely tone but it didn't have the features I now know I need when using a passive pickup stick
Happily, when I brought this one back to the store, other staff members took care of me and it all went smooth as silk.
My burgeoning air of ' Of course I know what I'm doing' allowed me to make a completely informed decision based on all my experience and reading your comments. Naturally I bought a Roland KC110.

Happily, when I brought this one back to the store, still other staff members took care of me. However, I was certain they knew exactly who I was based on the looks of recognition when my name popped up on their computer screens again.

Nevertheless, they immediately completed the transaction for me, assured me that the same initial 30 day 'money back / exchange policy, now with added "but no one here will be all that happy to see you again" overtones will be honored as before. The first and second amps were in stock. They ordered the Roland for me, took it back today, and ordered an amp by the name of um, oh yes The Fishman Loudbox Artist PRO-LBX-600 which, for some reason, rang a bell when it was mentioned.

All your observations about preamps, active or passive pick-ups and their requirements, comments on the quality of bass or high end as relating to a specific instrument were almost entirely spot on.

My new practice amp with enough juice for a primary amp depending on the venue will arrive within a week. In every case, I did some pricing and GC matched the prices with no problem. in the final (god help me I hope) case, I managed to find a "trusted seller" on line advertising a new Fishman Loudbox Artist amp for just under $150.00 less than all the other advertised prices. Essentially, for the cost of the preamp I needed to use with the 30w Roland I upgraded to this highly praised amp which needs no preamp and has features up the grand wazoo.

Uh, thanks folks. "Guitars and Amps" used to be a section of the store I had to cross to get to my destination, keys. Now that pretty much everyone in "G & A" knows me there, I hang out and talk shop for a while

I am optimistic. I think I covered all the bases. I worry about certain plot points from the original movie Bedazzled, like when Dudley Moore realizes that in his wish for a quiet life in which his girl utterly adores him, he forgets to mention that in this wish he is a man, she a woman, and they do not live in a convent under a vow of silence...

I will let you know how this ends. Thank you Steven, and thanks for the confidence you all showed in my ability to immediately grasp the concepts as they were described to me. Just saying trust us and BUY THE FISHMAN LOUDBOX ARTIST would have produced the same result and we'd all have had more time to practice.
And a special thanks to Dr. Emmett Frankenstein for the life he gave (so far) to my typing skills .

ArEEverDerChee
hms