Wow! I just ordered a pair of the CP12s for home Karaoke and for playing with my drum set. I can’t wait to use them. Thanks for the review! I narrowed my selection to these two speakers, and I’m happy I went with the CP12s.
They BOTH Sound so beautiful. I want one of each on both sides! I heard the cp12 before in a comparison test with Other speakers. It WON The sound quality test in My book. Also i prefer this model over the K12's
I've had a pair of CP12 in my home studio (live performance space, and demo capable recording) and I'm impressed with them. Clear and not harsh. Terrific bargain. Much better than the lower tier JBL stuff.
Thanks a lot for this video ! Have you also tried the QSC K series ? As I can hear the QSC CP8, it seems very very good to my taste. Have you made other videos about active speakers for digital piano ? I'm playing on Kawai VPC1 + Pianoteq 8 and I'm looking for a very good sound system under 3OOO $
Hey Chuck thank you for sharing our use a CPA 8 with my band it sounds amazing I have a jazz Quintet soul-jazz original music cp8 sounds amazing my teacher and Dallas told me to get it Ken Boone who's working with Lyle Mays and others thank you I'll be watching you
I'm thinking of ordering one of these for just acoustic playing. Although the 12 inch sounds more musical to me usually for acoustic 8 inch speakers are more adequate. Any advice would be appreciated.
Chuck please do a demo using BASS sounds! I play LH keyboard bass and would like an honest opinion of how the CP12 can handle the response of sampled and synth bass, low to high volume settings. Thanks for this great review!
Hey Kyle, good to see you here. I'm a Funk Dawg fan! (I play their early stuff all the time!). I must see if Bobby & the guys are got any new recordings out. The ones I have in my collection are from www.mp3.com days ... about 19 years old. Great music! KW is the man!!!
Like most keyboards, using only the Left Line Output Jack (with nothing connected to the Right Line Output Jack) automatically gives you a summarized mono signal... so Left Line Out directly to the monitor gives you a true mono signal. The Nord also offers a mono output selection via the front panel, so you could actually have both L & R out's as 2 mono outputs.
@@PianoManChuck Thank you for your answer, but what would you do if you only have one monitor speaker and you want to have a stereo sound? in your video here the sound of the acoustic piano sounds really good even with just one monitor...
@@Eranrit Stereo sound is NOT possible with one monitor... so to answer your question of what I would do.... I would get a 2nd monitor (that's the ONLY way you're going to get stereo sound).
@@PianoManChuck I guess my question is how do you get a good acoustic piano sound from the Nord in Mono? I've got a pretty decent monitor-RCF Art 315-A, but the sound of the acoustic piano is really terrible..Thanks.
Hi Chuck, I went and tried both a CP8 and a CP12 for digital piano a couple of days ago and I was really disappointed. To me it just sounded like every "affordable" PA speaker or dedicated keyboard amp I've ever plugged a digital piano into. At home I play digital piano through a Roland DM2100 studio monitor set-up, and it faithfully reproduces the great sound I hear when I play my piano through good quality headphones. Why is it so hard to amplify a digital piano in a small live setting?
@@PianoManChuck I completely understand that, but my question is: what is it about the reference monitors that makes the piano sound good, and how can I get that quality in a live setting?
@@PianoManChuck Your answer is incomplete. Do you suggest that PA system doesn't have to have a good sound? You could be more informative and explain why PA system has such inferior sound we have to put up with And perhaps offer Information on competitive systems. To pass the musical sounds through PA system it is like using airplane.gasoline single-engine.
Would any power floor monitor/speaker work for my Synth/electric keyboard? It should I just buy a keyboard amp? Right now I'm using guitar amps for my keyboards..
In my experience, guitar amps sound horrible with keyboards (particularly if you play much piano) but keyboard amps often work OK for guitar. Actually, some keyboard amps are just glorified guitar amps, and sound pretty bad on piano tones. Using two separate powered speakers seems to be the way to go, but even then, it's tricky. As you've probably seen, I'm trying to source good stage monitors right now. Another interesting option is Yamaha Stagepas, but that's so much cabling to do, and I don't know exactly how good or bad those passive speakers are. Manufacturers should step in and suggest which amps/speakers might suit their keyboards/pianos.
Chuck, I bought a CP12 and returned it - I was very disappointed. Limited quality output for a live band situation, EPs sounded muddy, my Kronos had difficulty cutting through the mix, and adjustability in settings was a joke for a gigging musician. A K10 sounded much better, and of course a K12.2 far better. Maybe the CP12 is more appropriate for DJ’ing, or for home use as you have demonstrated.
Chuck, how well do these actually voice piano? I have been trying to figure out what to use for wedding ceremony playing, and frankly, most of these qsc speakers (at least through youtube) don't sound near as good as studio monitors. I realise they are more gigging quality, but if you are playing in an accoustic setting, and you want a natural piano with nuance.. y'no.. ? I almost feel like we have to crowd fund a digital piano array powered speaker. I find Bose has got a hole in the lower mids. Plus it's way too expensive.. etc..
Hi Greg, I'm in the same situation. I'm rehearsing (using headphones) with a great singer. First wedding booked for November and I haven't worked out yet how I'm going to amplify my piano, which sounds so great through headphones, without it sounding like a kid's toy from KMart. I went and tried a CP8 and CP12 a couple of days ago, and it was as disappointing as a cheap Behringer. Have you found out anything new?
@@philbrannigan5854 did you have any success in finding a decent system for your Dp? I use a Bose L1 model 2 with a singer for wedding and I can’t stand the sound of my DP through it. What can represent a sound that can be achieved with studio monitors or headphones?
@@lampmanpaul7459 not really. I ended up getting a Yamaha STAGEPAS 1K. Super portable, voices and acoustic guitar come through sounding good, but digital piano still sounds pretty appalling when compared to headphones or studio monitors. I had a friend who's a sound engineer try and EQ the cheap boxiness out of it, but he only managed a slight improvement. I played him the sound of the piano through headphones, and he was amazed at the difference. It could be that the PA's mono, but I don't have any way of trying a stereo set-up (ie, I don't have a second 1K). I saw a really good player recently who was playing a top-of-the-line Nord through a pair of QSCs, and the sound was horrible. It's really frustrating. It's not that I'm super-picky, but these standard PAs sound really bad for digital piano. I think I'm just going to have to look out for people doing solo piano gigs and go and see them until I find one that sounds good, then talk to the player.
@@PianoManChuck i am getting cp12 and cp8 at almost the same price point..is cp12 better than cp8 then? in the video both of them almost have a similar sound
The reason is price! While the speakers you mention are better, they also come at a price! The CP series is a way to get QSC quality at entry level pricing. Same thing with cars... people tend to get the best that theyu can afford... and the CP series is pretty dang good for the price!
Wow! I just ordered a pair of the CP12s for home Karaoke and for playing with my drum set. I can’t wait to use them. Thanks for the review! I narrowed my selection to these two speakers, and I’m happy I went with the CP12s.
They BOTH Sound so beautiful. I want one of each on both sides! I heard the cp12 before in a comparison test with Other speakers. It WON The sound quality test in My book. Also i prefer this model over the K12's
I've had a pair of CP12 in my home studio (live performance space, and demo capable recording) and I'm impressed with them. Clear and not harsh. Terrific bargain. Much better than the lower tier JBL stuff.
I like the warmth of the CP 12
Thanks a lot for this video ! Have you also tried the QSC K series ? As I can hear the QSC CP8, it seems very very good to my taste. Have you made other videos about active speakers for digital piano ? I'm playing on Kawai VPC1 + Pianoteq 8 and I'm looking for a very good sound system under 3OOO $
Thanks for the great review! I’ll be ordering the CP 12 tomorrow.
Chuck, thank again for a great job.
Hey Chuck thank you for sharing our use a CPA 8 with my band it sounds amazing I have a jazz Quintet soul-jazz original music cp8 sounds amazing my teacher and Dallas told me to get it Ken Boone who's working with Lyle Mays and others thank you I'll be watching you
Very cool in depth review Chuck, Thanks!
Thanks Tim! Sounds even better in person :)
I'm thinking of ordering one of these for just acoustic playing. Although the 12 inch sounds more musical to me usually for acoustic 8 inch speakers are more adequate. Any advice would be appreciated.
Great review! Are these loudspeakers good for singers in addition to piano?
Absolutely!
Chuck please do a demo using BASS sounds! I play LH keyboard bass and would like an honest opinion of how the CP12 can handle the response of sampled and synth bass, low to high volume settings. Thanks for this great review!
Hey Kyle, good to see you here. I'm a Funk Dawg fan! (I play their early stuff all the time!). I must see if Bobby & the guys are got any new recordings out. The ones I have in my collection are from www.mp3.com days ... about 19 years old. Great music! KW is the man!!!
Thank you very much Chuck. Are you using the monitor as mono? or do you conect both the Nord left and right plug ins with a converter to the monitor?
Like most keyboards, using only the Left Line Output Jack (with nothing connected to the Right Line Output Jack) automatically gives you a summarized mono signal... so Left Line Out directly to the monitor gives you a true mono signal. The Nord also offers a mono output selection via the front panel, so you could actually have both L & R out's as 2 mono outputs.
@@PianoManChuck Thank you for your answer, but what would you do if you only have one monitor speaker and you want to have a stereo sound? in your video here the sound of the acoustic piano sounds really good even with just one monitor...
@@Eranrit Stereo sound is NOT possible with one monitor... so to answer your question of what I would do.... I would get a 2nd monitor (that's the ONLY way you're going to get stereo sound).
@@PianoManChuck I guess my question is how do you get a good acoustic piano sound from the Nord in Mono? I've got a pretty decent monitor-RCF Art 315-A, but the sound of the acoustic piano is really terrible..Thanks.
I highly recommend your pursuing this subject at one of the many online forums - - ie: pianoworld.com, musicplayernetwork.com, etc.
Which one would you choose to use as keyboard amp?
How does the CP8 sound on the lowest notes of the Hammond B3 tone setting?
I wanna know too if you see this comment piano man
Hi Chuck, I went and tried both a CP8 and a CP12 for digital piano a couple of days ago and I was really disappointed. To me it just sounded like every "affordable" PA speaker or dedicated keyboard amp I've ever plugged a digital piano into. At home I play digital piano through a Roland DM2100 studio monitor set-up, and it faithfully reproduces the great sound I hear when I play my piano through good quality headphones. Why is it so hard to amplify a digital piano in a small live setting?
You're comparing apples & oranges here. Your Roland DM2100 are studio reference monitors, the QSC's are PA's. Two very different purposes.
@@PianoManChuck I completely understand that, but my question is: what is it about the reference monitors that makes the piano sound good, and how can I get that quality in a live setting?
@@PianoManChuck
Your answer is incomplete. Do you suggest that PA system doesn't have to have a good sound?
You could be more informative and explain why PA system has such inferior sound we have to put up with
And perhaps offer Information on competitive systems.
To pass the musical sounds through PA system it is like using airplane.gasoline single-engine.
Would any power floor monitor/speaker work for my Synth/electric keyboard?
It should I just buy a keyboard amp?
Right now I'm using guitar amps for my keyboards..
In my experience, guitar amps sound horrible with keyboards (particularly if you play much piano) but keyboard amps often work OK for guitar. Actually, some keyboard amps are just glorified guitar amps, and sound pretty bad on piano tones. Using two separate powered speakers seems to be the way to go, but even then, it's tricky. As you've probably seen, I'm trying to source good stage monitors right now.
Another interesting option is Yamaha Stagepas, but that's so much cabling to do, and I don't know exactly how good or bad those passive speakers are. Manufacturers should step in and suggest which amps/speakers might suit their keyboards/pianos.
CP8 and a Subwoofer.
Great review
👌🏻
Is it just me, or does the 12" not only a lower pitch, but also a higher pitch? Maybe it is because the 12' has a narrower dispersion.
would the cp 8 be good for psr sx900 and a roland handsonic drum pad ?
Chuck, I bought a CP12 and returned it - I was very disappointed. Limited quality output for a live band situation, EPs sounded muddy, my Kronos had difficulty cutting through the mix, and adjustability in settings was a joke for a gigging musician. A K10 sounded much better, and of course a K12.2 far better. Maybe the CP12 is more appropriate for DJ’ing, or for home use as you have demonstrated.
Chuck, how well do these actually voice piano? I have been trying to figure out what to use for wedding ceremony playing, and frankly, most of these qsc speakers (at least through youtube) don't sound near as good as studio monitors. I realise they are more gigging quality, but if you are playing in an accoustic setting, and you want a natural piano with nuance.. y'no.. ? I almost feel like we have to crowd fund a digital piano array powered speaker. I find Bose has got a hole in the lower mids. Plus it's way too expensive.. etc..
Hi Greg, I'm in the same situation. I'm rehearsing (using headphones) with a great singer. First wedding booked for November and I haven't worked out yet how I'm going to amplify my piano, which sounds so great through headphones, without it sounding like a kid's toy from KMart. I went and tried a CP8 and CP12 a couple of days ago, and it was as disappointing as a cheap Behringer. Have you found out anything new?
@@philbrannigan5854 did you have any success in finding a decent system for your Dp? I use a Bose L1 model 2 with a singer for wedding and I can’t stand the sound of my DP through it. What can represent a sound that can be achieved with studio monitors or headphones?
@@lampmanpaul7459 not really. I ended up getting a Yamaha STAGEPAS 1K. Super portable, voices and acoustic guitar come through sounding good, but digital piano still sounds pretty appalling when compared to headphones or studio monitors. I had a friend who's a sound engineer try and EQ the cheap boxiness out of it, but he only managed a slight improvement. I played him the sound of the piano through headphones, and he was amazed at the difference. It could be that the PA's mono, but I don't have any way of trying a stereo set-up (ie, I don't have a second 1K). I saw a really good player recently who was playing a top-of-the-line Nord through a pair of QSCs, and the sound was horrible. It's really frustrating. It's not that I'm super-picky, but these standard PAs sound really bad for digital piano. I think I'm just going to have to look out for people doing solo piano gigs and go and see them until I find one that sounds good, then talk to the player.
Thanks
Are you running directly in or through a mixer
Keyboard is direct. Vocal mic is recorded separately.
@PianoManChuck When plugged directly into 2nd channel with an SM58, it sounds muddy . Have you noticed that?
@@Vanhalen1 No.
is cp8 a good option for a small gig in a 200 sq ft room full of 50 ppl
50 people in a 200 sq ft room is really crowded - that's like a 15' x 14' room! Yes, the CP8 will definitely cover that.
yes but we have had 65 ppl in a 200 sq ft room for a small program last week :)
@@PianoManChuck i am getting cp12 and cp8 at almost the same price point..is cp12 better than cp8 then? in the video both of them almost have a similar sound
have u tried adam t7r.... the cheap range abt usd 250.....
but the mids... ahhhh ummm ick
why wouldn't someone just get a 10.2? (or 8.2?) K.2 are better speakers?
The reason is price! While the speakers you mention are better, they also come at a price! The CP series is a way to get QSC quality at entry level pricing. Same thing with cars... people tend to get the best that theyu can afford... and the CP series is pretty dang good for the price!
I agree just save up more money then get the speakers fit for the job ,
is this speaker are enough to my room for music sound? anyone who reply my comments are appreciated ....thanks
Absolutely , power and quality 🤟🏼
You can cover 1000sq feet area With 2 cp8+2 ks112
@@jayeshsounds1499 thanks to your reply
@@edgarmendoza1390 👍