Roland Ships Stereo Battery-powered Keyboard Amp
(ShackMan | Posted 2010-03-22)
"Sure, it's battery-powered, but how many batteries does it use, right? How long does it last?" You might say, "I bet it's a bear to get the batteries in."
Normally, yes, but Roland has given thought to all of those concerns and created the KC-110: a very lightweight (exactly 16 lbs.) package that can last 9-hours on 8 "AA" batteries. The battery pack sits right on the back of the amp and can be removed with just a twist of two knobs. The batteries inside appear to be well-housed, with no messing around with springs to hold the batteries in. Just lay them in the case the right way, and you're good to go. It's also the only amp I've ever heard of that runs on "AA" batteries and doesn't fit on your belt buckle. The KC-110 is also totally cool running on NiMH batteries or other rechargeable types. It comes with a DC power adapter as well, for those times when battery operation isn't necessary.
Making up those 16 lbs. are two tweeters and two 6.5" woofers that run in stereo pairs and put out a solid 30 watts of power, enough to handle a club, a coffee house, or some on stage monitoring in larger situations. Two of the KC-110's three channels run in stereo, allowing your keyboard to have a more full and rich sound. The third channel functions as a line input for outside audio sources and features an XLR input for plugging in a microphone. The two stereo channels can also function as 1/4" inputs as well, turning the KC-110 into a small PA system. The rear panel's connectivity doesn't end there, either. Two stereo aux inputs allow for other outside sources, such as a drum machine, iPod, or CD player, to be connected and run simultaneously.
Roland also held over some of the other features from the KC-110's larger brother amplifiers, such as a DSP effect section with reverb, chorus, and what Roland calls a "wide" chorus effect. This simply adds depth to the chorus effect and makes the amplifier and keyboard sound just a little bit bigger than they actually are. Not a bad feature to have.
Speaking of sounding bigger, Roland definitely tried to cover all the bases on that front with a tilt-back stand on the bottom of the amp and an optional ST-A95 Speaker Stand for getting the amplifier up off of the floor. The 2-band shelving EQ (treble, bass) is generally only necessary in extreme situations of tone loss due to the room, as the amp seems to reproduce the sound of a keyboard rather well.
The KC-110 is now shipping with a suggested retail price of $469.00. It is available in stores for around $400.
Information taken from a Roland U.S. press release.
