Expert: Cleggsan - 12/27/2009

Question
H,

I use a Roland FP4 in my church,  using primarily the piano sound.  right now I play use the on board speakers.  I need to add some volume for a medium size auditorium and take some load off the on board speakers.  Good acoustic piano sound reproduction is important to me.  $500 is what I am hoping to pay but will go higher for a really good sound.  One suggestions I heard was a monitor because of its true sound- although others criticize it as an amp because of its "true" sound.

Small is better from a weight perspective.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks much.

Answer
Audio power out is only 7w for the Roland FP4 so you certainly will need an external power amp and speakers (if you intend to play in stereo; one speaker is sufficient for mono playback).

I don't like making equipment recommendations because there are so many subjective factors involved.  Especially, the sound quality of the speakers which are very much related to personal taste.  But, cost, size, weight, sensitivity, etc. are all important to decide upon.

My suggestion would be  to go to a Sam Ash or other music store where they can give you some guidance and let you audition a few possibilities.  Also, you can search various possibilities online with a few google or bing searches.  Find one or two amps and speakers that appeal to you, research the reviews on them and then go into a store and check them out.  It takes some personal research to make the decision I have found.

The outputs on the Roland FP4 are 1/4" phone plugs so you will need an amp with phone plugs or converter cables that will go from the 1/4" to rca phonos.  But that is of small inconvenience.  Then, be sure the impedance match is correct between the amp ratings and speakers.  Most professional and home audio amps are rated for 8 ohm loads; some at 4 ohms.  Speakers for professional monitoring are generally 8 ohms; some 6 and some 4, so make sure if you buy a 4 ohm speaker the amp will accommodate a 4 ohm load.

Your budget of $500 should be adequate unless you choose the top professional equipment!  As you know, cast can go from $$ to $$$$ very easily.

Hope this will help you along the way.