Keyboard amp as mini PA?

[Inazone]

I'm considering picking up something to serve as a small PA for my practice studio that would be suitable for some of my non-guitar roles in my band, to double as a bass amp and vocal amp. I've noticed a lot of small keyboard amps that have 2+ channels, with 1/4" and XLR inputs, dedicated EQs and both woofers and horns, in the 50-100W ballpark. In the past, I've been told that keyboard amps work OK in the capacity because they handle a wider frequency range. Several years ago, I used a keyboard amp to play bass through while my bass combo was in the shop, and it sounded pretty decent.

I'm not concerned with finding something to rival a dedicated bass amp in terms of tone, or to replace my band's normal PA, but we have limited space and input/output flexibility, so being able to run my bass signal (A/B/Y from my guitar pedalboard's octave pedal to bass amp currently) and mic for backing vocals would be a HUGE benefit. Would this be a functional solution?

[lerxstcat]

Re: Keyboard amp as mini PA?

It'd work pretty well in practice I think, but the soundman wouldn't have control of your vocal or bass signal.
That COULD be a plus depending on your soundman.

I think a Peavey KB300 or equivalent (150watts, 1-15" and horn) would be powerful enough to work for that in practice for a metal band. Anything smaller, unless you really scale back the volume in practice, would be buried trying to present a bass and vocal signal together.

[Inazone]

Re: Keyboard amp as mini PA?

I should probably clarify a bit. We don't have a bassist, and our rhythm guitarist more than makes up for it, but to nail some of the bass parts, I use an ABY box to run a clean guitar signal to an octave pedal, and then to (in theory) a bass amp. I also do backing vocals on a couple of song choruses. Neither the bass or vocal parts are for any considerable length of time, and never coincide that I can recall. Since I'm running a Peavey Classic 50-410 guitar combo, I figure that a strategically placed keyboard amp could do what I need.

To be perfectly honest, I'm probably going to do the unthinkable and order a Rogue keyboard amp from MF. Their KB-1560 should hopefully be able to handle the limited use I have in mind, and it's on closeout for $150. It's got 60W to the 15" woofer, separate 20W amps for the tweeters, two channels with independent EQ, and both XLR and 1/4" inputs. On the one hand, Rogue amps have a less than stellar reputation among people with "real" amps, but for something that will get used for about an hour per week (if that), the price is right. I actually had my eye on a Behringer, but it was twice as much for added capacity that I don't need when we do have a full PA already.