ROLAND KC-350 KEYBOARD AMPLIFIER

ROLAND KC-350 KEYBOARD AMPLIFIER


Years ago when I first started playing music, there was no such thing as a “keyboard amplifier.” Back then, if you had an electric keyboard, such as a Fender Rhodes, the best that you could hope for in order to get a good sound out of your instrument was to plug your keyboard into a good guitar amp, such as a Fender Twin Reverb.


With the advent of modern keyboards, which are able to produce a full range of sounds, ranging from frequencies above that of a Celeste down to those below a Double Bass, one needs an amp that is capable of reproducing the full spectrum of sounds, and thus, a amp with an extended frequency range is a must. A good guitar amp will tend to accentuate the mid range frequencies, and it is not sufficiently responsive enough to do justice to the ultra high and low frequencies that a modern keyboard is capable of generating. Thus, the keyboard amp was created to fit the bill. A good keyboard amp should be powerful enough to be heard above the din of a live band, but it should also be clean and distortion free. A distorted Violin or Flute is simply unacceptable in most circumstances, and just will not cut it.


The Roland Corporation has been a leader in keyboard innovations for years, and it should come as no surprise that the sound engineers at Roland recognized that in order for their keyboards to sound their best, they needed to have an amp that could handle the full range of sounds that their keyboards, or those made by other manufacturers, were capable of reproducing. With that in mind, I decided to check out the Roland KC-350 Keyboard Amp. This amp sells for a discounted street price of $495.97, and it seems to be a bargain at this price range. Read on and see what I mean.


Before I get to a description of how the KC-350 sounds, I would like to briefly review some of the controls and functions that are located on the CONTROL PANEL and then on the JACK PANEL. Starting with the CONTROL PANEL there are four separate Channels to choose from. The first four dials on the CONTROL PANEL are the Volume controls for Channel #1, #2, #3, and #4. Adjacent to the Volume control dial for Channel #4 is a dial labeled OUTPUT SELECT, and this permits one to select to which specific output location the signals are being sent to, including to the headphones alone (no signal to the internal speakers or LINE OUT), the headphones and internal speakers (no signal to LINE OUT), or all three outputs (headphones, internal speakers, and LINE OUT).


The next dial we come to on the CONTROL PANEL is labeled PHONES VOLUME, and this dial controls only the level of the volume that goes to the headphone output. Next to this is an output jack labeled PHONES, and this is where one plugs their headphones into. It is important to note that plugging in a set of phones here does not mute the signal that goes to the other outputs, including the internal speakers. Next we come to three dials labeled LOW, MIDDLE, and HIGH, and these represent the three bands of equalization control that are available. Next in line we come to a switch that is labeled SHAPE. When engaged, this switch provides a boost to the upper and lower frequency ranges, which at lower volumes, can give greater clarity and presence to the sound coming from the internal speakers. The SHAPE switch only effects the signal going to the internal speakers, and does not effect the signal going to any other output on the KC-350. Lastly, we come to the MASTER VOLUME control, which can be used to increase or decrease the total volume level coming from the internal speakers, as well as effecting the volume of an outboard Subwoofer, should one be connected to the KC-350.


It is now time to turn to the inputs and outputs located on the JACK PANEL. There are quarter inch phone jack inputs for each of the four Channels, as well as a balanced XLR input that is suitable for connecting a microphone into Channel #1. Each of the jacks designated as being inputs for the four Channels will accept a keyboard or other electrified instruments. Next in line are two jacks labeled LINE OUT. These jacks can be used to send an output signal to a device such as a PA system or to a recording device of some type.


We then come to two jacks labeled STEREO LINK IN and OUT. Stereo capability can easily be accomplished by using two KC-350’s, and simply connecting a guitar cable to the STEREO LINK OUT jack on the “Master” KC-350, and plugging the other end into the STEREO LINK IN jack located on the “Slave” KC-350. All instruments should be connected to the Master KC-350, and all adjustments to the sound should also be made on the Master KC-350. Next we come to an output jack labeled SUBWOOFER OUT. This jack can be used to send a signal to an external powered subwoofer, which will of course dramatically increase the bass response. Lastly, we come to two RCA type jacks labeled AUX IN. These jacks can be used to connect outboard equipment such as a CD Player or some other similar sound device. All sound adjustments, such as tone and volume must be made on the outboard device.


And now on to a description of some of the other specifications of the Roland KC-350 Keyboard Amplifier. The KC-350 puts out 120 Watts RMS of power, and it sends it to one 12 inch Speaker and one Horn Tweeter. The KC-350 is surprisingly compact for an amp with this number of features and power capacity, and it is 19.3125 inches Wide, 15.375 inches Deep, and 18.5625 inches High, and it weighs in at 48 pounds and 9 ounces.


Well how does the Roland KC-350 Keyboard Amplifier sound? In order to check this out, I used a Roland Juno-D Synthesizer. This is an incredible sounding keyboard. The sound of the strings was simply great coming from the KC-350. The sound of the woodwinds and horns was very realistic. Instruments such as an electric piano, grand piano, organ, harpsichord, and other related keyboard instruments all sounded excellent through this amp. There was literally no distortion to speak of until one reached above Volume setting 8 on the KC-350. The distortion was very slight, and seemed to be noticeable only on the very high end, and as such it was most likely attributable to the horn tweeter and not the internal 12 inch speaker. Because a good keyboard amp should be capable of handling a full spectrum of the sound frequencies, I also decided to try playing a bass guitar, an electric guitar, and an acoustic guitar through the KC-350.


For the Bass guitar, I used a Fender Precision Bass. At reasonably low levels, up about 5 on the volume control, the KC-350 handled the low end O.K. Above this sound level, there was insufficient bottom to fill anything but a small to midsized room, and even then it was not as powerful and commanding as I would have liked. The sound did not compare to what one would expect from a conventional bass amp of similar wattage, although in a pinch, I believe that one could get away with using the KC-350 for playing bass guitar if the room that one was playing in was small, or if the music was not loud and heavy.


I then tried a Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster to see how this amp might sound with an electric guitar. Through the KC-350, the Stratocaster sounded different than it would sound through a conventional guitar amp. A guitar amp accentuates the mid frequencies, while the KC-350 is designed to reproduce a full spectrum of sounds. The KC-350 was very clean sounding, and did not distort worth speaking about when using the Stratocaster. Also the high end was more crisp and bright than when playing through a conventional guitar amp. The result was a sound that might be good for Country music, where a crisp clean sound is desirable. Forget this amp for playing Blues on the electric guitar. It is just too clean and crisp sounding, and there was no distortion to speak of. The sound seemed a bit sterile as well when using an electric guitar, but once again in a pinch, this amp could be used for that purpose.


However, when I played a Gibson J-45 Acoustic-Electric Guitar through the KC-350, the sound was excellent. The KC-350 did a great job of bringing out the rich full sound of this acoustic guitar. The high end was bright, crisp, and clear. The notes, especially when finger picking, were also very well defined, and the low end was excellent, and unmuffled. Chords played on the Gibson J-45 were also clean and clear, and the sound was distinctly better than one would be able to get from a conventional guitar amp, which would have accentuated the mid frequencies.


Lastly, I plugged a microphone into Channel #1 to check out how the KC-350 handled vocals. It did an excellent job in this department, and the sound quality of the voice was every bit as good as or better than one might expect from a PA system in this price range. A big limitation for vocals is that there are no effects to enhance the sound of the vocals, or the sound of anything else for that matter, that were built in to this amp. The addition of reverb, delay, echo, and chorus, for example, would have really helped this amp to be a bit more suitable to use for single player /singer situations.


Well who is the Roland KC-350 Keyboard Amplifier best suited to. The KC-350 is suitable for playing small to moderate sized venues. It produces a rich, full, clean sound, and reproduces the full spectrum of frequencies required by modern day keyboard players. It can also serve as a good amp for an acoustic guitar, and it does a good job of reproducing vocals as well, and because of this, it can also serve as a PA system. Because the KC-350 has four independent channels, one can easily get away with using this amp as a small PA, and if it is linked to another KC-350, as described earlier, it can serve as part of a good stereo PA as well. A big drawback for me is that it does not have any built in sound effects, such as reverb, delay, chorus, or echo. The addition of built in effects would make the KC-350 more desirable as an all in one unit that a musician could use to hook up their instruments, as well as vocal microphone to. Not having these onboard effects is probably not a deal breaker, but it sure could be a deal maker for a prospective buyer.


Well, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my review of this great little keyboard amp. But now if you will please excuse me, I must get back to my practicing.