Roland KC-500

Amplifier made for keyboard playing. It's got 4 stereo inputs (ie: 8 mono inputs). You can choose levels per channel, and a 3-band EQ for the mixed signal.

I do wish this amp had balanced inputs. I have a Mackie mixer with XLR outputs, but this amp only has 1/4" unbalanced inputs. If I turn the amp volume up to 75%, I can hear an audible hum that goes away if I unplug the input.

Overall, though, this amp has a lot of powerful features/inputs.

I have two of them, but I use them in unchained mode (ie: one is left channel, the other right, and I control their levels independently).

I use this with a Yamaha Motif ES running through a Mackie 1202. I use it in my (mostly silent) home studio, and I definitely have to get down near the amplifier to hear the hiss when I keep it at a reasonable volume.

When it comes time to put it into "PA mode" ie: I need earplugs to listen, I also get audible hum from the inputs.

Although I wish I could get silence as well as ear-shattering blasts all at the same volume knob settings, I must admit it's good enough. Tweak knobs for "home studio" or "loud club" setting.

The amp is extremely flat and clear. It seems to me at the lower volumes, it's got the same frequency response and sensitivity as my studio monitors, so I'm finally going to unplug the monitors and use the amps only.

I do not push these amps to the level of distortion, so I can't say how they sound when distorted. I can't imagine it'd be pretty. They're solid state amps and don't have distortion-related circuitry.

Others have said the knobs' gold plates fall off. Some of them have on one of my amps, but are all present on the other. Someone said the amplifier bit falls into the case unprovoked. I find this hard to believe, since the amp is really ruggedly built, but I haven't really abused these things yet.

I guess I should say in my limited experience, they're just fine and reliable. Maybe one day if I tour with these things I'll try to add some info into this review, or will post an additional review.

I have never dealt with Roland with any product, though I've owned several different bits of Roland gear in the past.

I have been a musician for about 20 years. I don't play live often, so mostly I use these as "studio monitors." I understand they'll work great in a live situation or even as a PA system, which I can believe. I've turned them up to 75% and the whole room was shaking. Earplugs weren't enough to prevent ringing of the ears. LOUD beasts with no audible distortion.

That said, I'm pretty sure you can drive these into distortion. They don't have distortion-preventing features.

Heavyweight 150W Keyboard Amp, 4 channels inc. one with Mic Gain, All Jack in (no xlr sadly for the mic) Stereo Link option for using two in a stereo pair from one input, 3 band EQ overall, would have like to have seen this on each channel, Headphone + Jack and Line stereo outs, excellent for connecting to a pro PA rig. Essential castors (it weighs a ton), nicely recessed controls. Used for gigging week in week out for 6 years in Rock/Soul/Pop covers bands now without fail, easily heard above a drum kit. Used as a PA for vocals occasionally too and regularly as my vocal stage monitor in addition to carrying my backline keyboard sound for a stage piano and Korg Triton. Really handy not to have to carry a separate monitor. Have also line out into larger mixer controlled PA rigs without problems, they loved its choice of outputs.

When I went to get this it was a brand new model and my local store kindly arranged an audition against keyboard amps from Laney, Carlsbro, Peavey (all average) and Marshall (!) which was just awful. When they plugged in the Roland and started up, everyone in the shop just turned and watched, the presence was so good. Fantastic clean sound and surprisingly loud. Took it to my first gig and the Marshall stack using guitarist was jokingly saying "where the rest of your stack" as it's quite short, but after he struggled to be heard over my first John Lord overdriven hammond solo, had to eat humble pie! Only fault is that my stage piano sounds muddy down the bottom so I just cut the bass EQ a bit, all brass/strings/synth sound fantastic and really cut through. So clean one Bass player used it as a benchmark for his clean bass sound, before trying umpteen Bass amps. Nothing was cleaner it was so sweet.

6 years hard work - no major problems. One little brass knob top came off, fixed with superglue. Castors now getting worn due to literally miles of travel with other gear plonked on top (including keyboards!). Invested in a custom cover and so it's still mint otherwise. Roland have quoted to supply new castors which just plug in, dead easy. Built like a tank.

Despite others complaints I've never had a problem. They've supplied me with loads of spares for keyboards which I service myself. No manuals online for older gear tho, they should check out the Peavey site. Only part I've asked for on this amp is the castors. Sent them an email, got one right back. This is Roland UK, don't know if US is as good.

Been gigging since 1986, used to use PA for Keyboards to get a clean sound, then had a buzzy Peavey KBA150 that I loathed and then got the Roland. No looking back for me the Roland is it. I would buy another in a heartbeat. Expensive yes, worth it. definitely. Just great knowing it's there doing its job week in week out. Love the vocal channel. Has saved a couple of gigs when PA failed.

All that you need, nothing extra. 3 band eq on master out. Could have been a lot better with XLR inputs.

It has a transparent sound, which is perfect for a keyboard amp. Very little tone shaping.

The wheels fell off of mine after about 2 years of use. There is a yet unidentified problem that developed after about 3 years: The speakers sound as if they have a short in them, even at the highest volume settings,and I have to plug a mic into it and stick it right on the horn until it feeds back at normal ear piercing level, and then it's at normal volume until some unknown length of time and or weather change.

Roland offers no toll-free number to call, and they have no online documentation of this problem (it seems like they're trying to ignore it).

It worked like a dream for 2 years, then it went crazy. It still sounds good when it comes on, but I don't consider it reliable when you have to make it feed back at first to get it to work at all.

When I joined the band in '96, I was introduced to the KC-500. This amp does it all: I've used it on jazz gigs, cruise ships, casuals, and serious top-40 dance clubs. Having 4 stereo ins is great; sometimes I may have more than one axe at the gig. My bitch about the amp is the direct outs, which I hear they have perfected on the new KC-550. The XLR outs are hit/miss depending on what rooms we play in or who the house engineer is. So I use the 1/4" outs instead into a pair of direct boxes. I liked the amp so much, I bought my own later in 2000 and occasionally use the stereo link feature.

I use a variety of keyboards with this amp:
Roland XP-80
Roland XP-50
Kurzweil K2VX
Ensoniq SD-1
Ensoniq TS-12
Yamaha DX-7IIFD
Yamaha Motif

And I have found this amp to be sonically adequate in reproducing synth sounds and the all-important piano patch. I noticed that some folks have an issue with the horn; the first KC-500 I had [when I joined the band] never had a problem and is still in service. My second one [circa 2000], suffered a stage fall and blew the horn which I replaced with a more heartier bullet horn from Pyramid [TW47]; initially, to my ear it sounded duller than the older one, but I have finetuned the crossover to match the new horn. Crystalline. Now that it is dialed in, I'll probably replace the horn in the older one as well since it is getting old.

Yeah, it's dependable, though I have a quibble about Roland's quality control over the crossover settings. They differ from amp to amp. Also, I recommend to everybody who owns one to replace the cheap ass horn that's in there. Also, those friggin' gold caps on the knob come off, so I paint the tops in glow-in-the-dark colors that look cool in black or colored lights. And the grill screws come off easily; break out some Elmer's Glue when you put them back in.

Never really needed to have warranty service since my second KC-500 was bought used for $300. The first one was $537 new.

Been playing for nearly 30 years and have gigged with larger rigs. This amp freed me from hauling a rack, power amp and speakers. I'm seriously looking at the Carvin KB-1010 which has 7 stereo inputs and 1000W of power into a 2 X 10" wedge configuration and costs about the same as the new KC-550.

I bought the amp in the late 90's. I play all styles of music on a synthesizer and full size electric piano. I use the Stereo Link
In/Out for my effects loop and hook up the other Rolands with the
Line Out. I use this amp for several live shows per day- about 200 days a year. Power? It has a gutsy presence that NONE of the other keyboard amps can deliver....period.

I use a Boss Super Chorus and Boss Digital Reverb/Delay guitar pedals
(except I use them for the keyboards). I do a lot of outdoor shows and have blown out the horn- so I sent to Roland (in CA) for new horns, I told them my problem and they sent me two beefier horns.
I installed the first one out of the two and haven't had a problem since. This amp delivers a very clean sound (my paycheck depends on it). It never has a static buzz (from improperly grounded electrical
lines) that you usually get from many of the other amps I have used in the past, and I've performed in many, many places- indoors and out.

The gold caps come off the knobs. At first, I would glue them back on, but then, it's much more permanent to just paint the vacated space with gold paint. Sometimes the metal corners come loose, but,
being a carpenter I can repair that by replacing the screws with longer and thicker ones. Backup? I use 4 Rolands on every gig.

It's easy to get parts from Roland- and they're friendly.

I've been playing since I was 11....I'm 53 now. I've played larger Peaveys and Crates, but they don't have the clarity and GUTS the Roland does. It doesn't have a place to store the lead cord- so I
screwed a metal broom handle holder clip in the recessed area in the back of the amp, so the cord stays rolled up and out of the way for moving. I like the sturdy metal grill as opposed to the very vulnerable grill cloth most other brands use. For getting paid thousands of dollars every week, I'm expected to have a professional
sound.....I know I wouldn't be able to accomplish this without using
my four Roland amps and Bose PA system. As soon as I get the chance, I'm going to get the new Roland KC 550's. All in all, this amp has cosmetic flaws that can be easily remedied- and these flaws hold very little weight compared to the professional and vibrant sound of this amplifier. Because I can use the Stereo Link In/Out for my effects boxes (and the Line Out to connect the amps) I have a complete quality sound. Also, the drum kits have way more depth on the Roland, than any other brand I've used.

I've had my KC500 for about 3 or 4 years now, and I've had a few problems with it. First of all, the wheels would fall off all of the time. I had to replace them with better wheels. Next, the nobs came off and screws would come off of the amp left and right. Finally, the whole part with the inputs caved into the speaker! I just took it to get fixed and the repairman said that I would be surprised at how often that happens to those speakers. VERY POOR.

haven't dealt with them.

I've been using it on gigs about 3 times/ week for about 3 years straight. I suppose you expect things to go wrong after all of that time, but it was on things that should have not been an issue (like bad screws and bad volume knobs).

GREAT FEATURES IN THIS AMP AS DESCRIBED BELOW. VERY VERSITAL FOR MULTI TASKING. I USE IT FOR LIVE SHOWS FOR BASS, KEYBOARD AND WAS USED THE OTHER NIGHT AS A SMALL P.A. FOR A POLITICAL RALLY/FORUM WITH ALL 32 OF THE LOCAL CANDIDATES OF THE COUNTY I LIVE IN SPEAKING THROUGH MY SHURE WIRELESS SM58. IT WORKS GREAT FOR THE PURPOSES STATED ABOVE ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT VERY LOUD FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED! I ALSO HAVE A 1200 WATT P.A. SYSTEM SO THE BALANCED DIRECT OUTS CAN RUN THROUGH THAT FOR MORE VOLUME. I DID NOT USE THE PA.A FOR THE CANDIDATES FORUM AND IT WAS JUST FINE, (VERY CLEAN AMP). OF COURSE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I WISH IT HAD AT LEAST ONE EFFECTS LOOP OR MORE AND SEPARATE EQ FOR EACH CHANNEL, BUT HEY, IT GETS THE JOB DONE.

LIKE I SAID ABOVE, I USE THIS LIVE FOR BASS, KEYBOARDS AND SMALL P.A. APPLICATIONS, (SPEAKING VENUES ONLY FOR 350 OR LESS PEOPLE). I HAVE ALSO TRIED IT WITH ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS, DJ BOX, AN AIR SYNTH AND A THERIMIN SO I WILL BREAK THE SOUNDS CATIGORIE DOWN FOR EACH.

KEYBOARDS: GOOD BUT NOT GREAT. VERY CLEAN FOR SYNTH. NOT LOUD ENOUGH FOR STAND ALONE KEYBOARD FOR PIANO AND MORE DYNAMIC PATCHES. OKAY FOR THERIMIN, DJ BOX AND AIR SYNTH.

BASS: PRETTY GOOD FOR BASS. AGAIN, NOT QUITE LOUD ENOUGH FOR STAND ALONE UNLESS IT IS A SOFT GIG.

ACOUSTIC GUITAR: VERY NICE BALANCE OF HIGHS AND LOWS. ONE SECRET BRIGHT SPOT ABOUT THIS AMP.

ELECTRIC GUITARS: VERY STERILE, IF YOU CUT THE HIGHS AND MAX THE LOW EQ, YOU CAN GET A PRETTY COOL JAZZ SOUND. I WOULD NEVER USE THIS AMP LIVE FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR UNLESS IT WAS MATED WITH A MUCH MORE RESPONSIVE TUBE AMP.

MICROPHONE: AGAIN, THIS LITTLE ROLAND WILL DO FOR SPEAKING VENUES FOR UNDER 350 PEOPLE AND PERFORM GREAT. THANKS TO ROLAND FOR PUTTING SO MANY JACKS ON THE AMP BECAUSE YOU CAN PLUGG ALOT OF STUFF IN AND RUN A BALANCED STEREO FEED OUT TO THE P.A. AND HAVE A REAL NICE LITTLE SUB-MIXER AS A BONUS TO THIS JUST BEING A KEYBOARD AMP.

HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD ALOT AND NEVER ONCE LET ME DOWN

HAVE NOT HAD TO GO THERE

GREAT VERSITAL AMP. IF YOU OR I NEEDED JUST A STAND ALONE KEYBOARD AMP, I MIGHT LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR MORE POWER AND PUNCH, BECAUSE THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN A ONE TRICK PONY AND YOU CAN SEND THE DIRECT OUT TO THE P.A., YA GOTTA LOVE THIS AMP!!

good

Great, it has like velcro or something on the outside so it doesnt really get scratches.

Never had to use it.

All i can say is this thing rocks my world. This thing is powerful. I play bass on it not synth but it rocks. I have plugged my bass and two mics into for a ghetto band practice and this thing handles it without even messing any of the channels up. Produces everything perfectly (near perfect). I have even played a live (not quite show/gig) and plugged in my bass with a guitar and it sounded great.
THis is worth it.

Four channels including a mic input are handy, as is the built in line out. The channels can't be eq'd separately though, that makes it less flexible. The speaker design (slanted slightly upward) is good for monitoring.

Used by the piano player of our big band (plays an FP3). If I judged it on that alone, I'd only give it a 5: the thing distorts too much - breaks up when the piano player accents certain ranges. We've played around with the various input and output levels and just can't get rid of it (except by turning down, and then he gets drowned out by the brass) Piano sounds great when you run it through another amp... But I've also used it with my acoustic guitar, and it gives a really nice clean sound. The bass is full and round and the tweeter gives the necessary highs. The guitar doesn't cause any of the distortion we get from the piano.

No breakdowns, though the tops fall of the knobs making it hard to read the settings... We've used it a lot, it is trustworthy.

I might buy one for my acoustic guitar, though it is kind of bulky. Never again for a piano, and that's what its made for... Be warned.

I bought this amp new from Guitar Center about 6 months ago. It has four stereo inputs which is great now for the two keyboards I have. I use a couple of effects for a Theremin, but I wish I could use them for my keyboards, but there is no effects loop which would be nice. It packs quite a punch for its size - it is beefy..

I play keyboards with it, of course, and everything comes out crisp and clear.. and the bass sounds are quite impressive as well.. they almost overpower our bassist at times.. Unfortunately I think because of the heavy playing there is a rattling sound in the back everytime I hit a low note.. I'm hoping this doesn't become a big problem. I've also had problems with the amp buzzing when its directly connected to a PA, but that may be a keyboard..

I really don't think this thing could break down - I carry it around from practice and any gigs.. The little plastic piece that holds the cord together in a loop broke as soon as I bought it.. but thats a minor problem.. and of course the rattling which I'm a bit concerned about..

Again Roland dishes out a crappy owners manual and its hard to figure anything out.. I've heard they have good customer service, when you pay them to fix things.. but I've not had to deal with them yet..

I own two keyboards and a theremin, and without this I would not be making any sounds and I'd be overpowered by the guitarists and drums.. If this were ever stolen I would definately go out and get another one.. its great.. However I don't like the cloth covering around the keyboard - stuff sticks to it.. and I'm afraid of staining it with something..

XLR out channel is good for sound engineers.

I am using it for my Roland Electric Drums. Mostly interested in how it amplifies the kick drum - not really satisfactory.

Something is wrong with the amp (although I could just be ignorant - I am a drummer afterall!) It seems like there is a loose wire or maybe it just needs to warm up? (I thought only tube amps had to warm-up?) It plays at low volume with no bass....then after about 15 minutes of use it starts working correctly. I am angry cuz I brought it in to be repaired three times when it was under warranty.

Three separate repairs were performed under warranty. I don't think they ever fixed the problem. ANGRY!

find something else!

I picked up the KC-500 to use with the Roland VG-88 System.
The KC-500 has a 4-channel input system, with a selectable line-out so you can listen to either the speakers, headphones, or both at once. It also has the ability to link-up with another KC-500 to be a true stereo rig where you can control the volume from one location, rather than running back and forth between amps.
It is full-range (it's really billed as a keyboard amp), so it works o.k. for synth sound as well as acoustic and bass guitar.

I'm using it with a Stenberger Guitar that has a GK-2A divided pickup, through the Roland VG-88 System. I also run a BBE Sonic Maximizer between the VG-88 and the amp. The KC-500 seems to be very good for the clean guitar sounds (stratocaster) and acoustic guitar simulations. I haven't really experimented with it much on the heavy sounds.
When I first became interested in these amps, I tried out both the KC-300 and the KC-500. The KC-300, with it's 12" speaker, had better response in the mid area, and was much better at producing a natural guitar sound, but it distorted easily at fairly low volume (Why don't they put a better 12" speaker in that one?!). The KC-500 has plenty of power (for me, at least), and didn't distort, but is kind of heavy in the low end, and I guess it could be a bit "boomy" if not properly equalized. No surprise that the KC-500 reproduced bass-guitar sounds better than the KC-300.
I use the EQ in the VG-88, and set the amp's 3-band EQ flat.
It is a little noisy around different kind of lighting, although no more so than other amps I've used.

I've never had a problem yet. I'm sure the speakers would be the only weak point of an amp like this.

I've never had to contact the company.

I have owned many solid-state and tube amps including Mesas (Trem-O-Verb, Dual & Triple Rectifiers, Strategy 500), Fenders (Twin & Quad Reverbs), Gallien-Krueger, Peavey (Classic Chorus), and other Roland (JC-120).
The KC-500, for people using the guitar synths and V-Guitar systems, is an alternative to buying a separate amp and P.A.-type setup. I think it would be an excellent amp for acoustic guitar.
I will probably buy another one eventually, to run a stereo setup.
I wish that either the amp, or the VG-88 had an effects loop (Are you listening Roland?)

Lots of inputs, 3-band EQ, output volume for stereo XLR outs, headphone out and routing for 1 input...

Pretty good sound, although in high volume conditions, high frequencies don't carry as well as the mids and lows. Fairly noisy at high volumes, but not out of control. The funny thing about the 3-band EQ is that I turn the low and mid all the way off, then the treble is set to almost all the way up. Makes me wonder if the amp could've just had a better 10" speaker and a larger tweeter. It tends to distort pretty badly in the high-mid area of the keyboard.

I think my output control pot has gone bad because the signal out of the XLR outs is now VERY hot and turning the output pot all the way down doesn't seem to solve this problem. This has become a real pain in the ass for most sound engineers. I also believe that the tweeter has some type of damage due to consistant loud volume gigs.

Haven't tried anything yet. I imagine I'll just have to fix the problems when I get the money. If I was going to do it again, I'd do some research into the Barbetta amps, as they seem to cost about the same and may be built more reliability. Unfotunately, I've never even seen a Barbetta, but according to some reviews I've read they do sound to be built pretty well and sound good. Obviously the KC-500 has more options than the Barbetta's, though.

I've been frustrated more and more by this amp. It's definitely been helpful in a pinch because it has so many inputs and routing options. The sound is so-so after two years of heavy touring in loud situations. The output knob breaking is a real bummer, because although I have used it a lot, I do try to baby the thing. For playing around town in medium volume situations, I'd recommend it. For touring, there's got to be a better amp. The distortion is pretty rough. Like I said, I'll definitely be looking into the Barbetta's in the future. I've also been considering SWR combos like the Redhead or Workingman.

Made in '98. Bought two of 'em (there's a stereo-link feature on the amps whereby you can slave one to the other). The amplifier features stereo ins and outs (the outs are both balanced and unbalanced and have pot dedicated to their attenuation), but the speakers output in mono. If you want to go stereo, you can purchase another KC-500 and link the two using the feature I described above. Unfortunately, you only get one three-band equalizer for all four channels. That's a weak point, in my opinion. However, the fourth channel can output to only headphones (w/ speakers off), speakers on, and speakers on with output from the amp. If you're confused about this, I'm sure that someone else explained it more thoroughly. Oh, you also get one XLR in on channel four. One 15" and one tweeter, tuned port. Nice fuzzy covering, cool grill, tight and compact package. Removable casters--big plus!

I play keys in a variety of settings, but mostly in small clubs. The amp provides a flat response and fair volume. Nowhere near as loud as I hoped for, but I'm not playing with obnoxiously loud people. If anything, I can just plug the outputs into the PA for more juice--no DI boxes needed. Really, the amp can ultimately serve as a monitor to the person using it, with the real boost coming out of a PA. You'll make the people around you a lot happier this way. The amp itself sounds smooooth. My gigging setup is my tried-and-true Roland JV80 synth, a Voce V5 organ module running through a Motion Sound horn assembly (bass rotor simulated and amped via the KC-500), a Korg MS2000 and a variety of effects. I've almost found the perfect setup with all the sounds I need. The KC-500 performs its duty almost perfectly for me.

Here's what has broken (and I do try to take good care of them): tweeter diaphragms needed replacing on both amps, the little gold-colored knob-tops mostly fell off--poor glue job. I've rectified and improved on this by using white-out (or white paint) and painting the knob indicators both on top and on the sides. Makes a big difference when you're fumbling around back there. Also, one of my KC's seems to have a dysfunction with channel one, but I haven't really looked into it yet. Otherwise the thing is as reliable as you'd expect from solid-state amps and Roland.

Roland has a bad rep here. Can't say I've talked to them in years, so I don't know if they've improved or not from my last experience with them. I'll give them a mediocre "5".

Another meat and potatoes amplifier. If you don't want to pack a personal PA for every gig, take a look at this amp. Its competitors are Sona Barbetta amps, Crate, Fender makes some weird keyboard amps too. The Sonas are louder and lighter, but the Roland has more options to it. I like mine!

My benchmark for volume is a mere Fender BXR100 bass amp(100watts/15" speaker); the Fender is at least twice as loud as the Roland; I have never turned the BXR100 past 6 (usually keep it from 3-5) to play with a heavy handed drummer(with unamplified drums). I play blues and funk mostly, and jazz (as much as my current chops will allow me to), and rock and whatever else other musicians play who I am fortunate enough to jam with (I try to stay away from heavy metal though). Slap/pop sounded nice; very articlate and clean. I was easily able to distort the Roland's woofer with all controls at full, by plucking the strings a little harder than usual.
I need a good amp that will handle bass and guitar tasks. I was hoping that the Roland would be it. Rather dissapointing was the lack of volume before distortion. It is billed as a keyboard amp, so I was expecting that it could put out higher volumes with the bass frequencies, especially since full size keyboards give lower frequencies than 4- tring bass guitars. Probably would be fine for guitar, and most keyboards as other reviewers have noted. I give sound an 8; only fair for bass guitar; I would worry about vol./dist. using keyboard amp in lower registers. Nice clean Roland sound overall.

Don't own it.

Never contacted Roland.

Been playing guitar and bass for a little over 3 years (really just learning the whole time; self taught mostly). As mentioned, I own a Fender BXR100 bass amp; also a Danelectro Nifty Fifty (cool sounding amp for the price), a Fender Fretless Mex Jazz, an inexpensive Samick copy of a Squire Strat(decent tone for the price), and a new Danelectro DC Bass (extremely cool tone for the price). Just to reiterate: I would not suggest the Roland KC-500 for any bass player who needs to play with a drummer. Other than that, it seemed a well built, clean sounding, versatile amp.

made in 99. Very versatile--I bought this amp for acoustic guitar, the dedicated amps that I looked at sounded very confined and clipped--not to mention that few of them performed at high volume levels. I play folk, funk and worship music mostly on acoustic guitar. The amp has four "channels" it's basically a mixer and does not include any tone shaping controls for the individual channels. The fourth channel can be routed just to the headphones, just to the amp (not the line out) and to all three. The third channel takes mike level signals, but isn't set up to accept a mike w/out an adapter. This would have been easy for Roland to change and is a little disappointing. There is no effects loop, which I would have liked, but was willing to live without. It also has two balanced outputs for going direct. It sounds very loud and full. It also has great definition and clarity.

I'm playing a Taylor 514ce w/ Fishman onboard blender through a Danelectro chorus and a Boss CS2 compressor. I wanted an amp that gave me the sound that was coming out of the mains--no fancy pants gizmos. The kc500 does that well. It's very quiet. The EQ is pretty versatile, but not to the point where you'd use it to shape your tone. I haven't been able to distort the amp at any volume level. It has a great, huge clean sound.

Only had the amp for a week.

I've been playing for twelve years, mostly in church, but also in coffehouse settings and a few other gigs here and there. I would buy this amp again. I really love the size of the sound. You can't beat it for really carrying your signal well. I compared this to the Fender SFX and the Crate 125 and 250 and liked the sound better--it just sounds big--like a pipe organ. I also liked the idea of shaping my own sound, and not having it altered by an amp designed to modify, rather than just amplify my signal. The other amps sounded pretty, but I want to hear what's coming out of the mains as clearly as possible, and I decided that this amp was the most honest of the three. My only complaint is the lack of a real mic input. I know that I can just stick an adapter in there, but I don't wanna.

Solid State, 150 watts RMS, 15" full-range speaker, 2" horn driver, Four channel, stereo input per channel, XLR and 1/4" stereo output. Stereo inputs can be used as mono to connect up to eight instruments. Assignable output from channel four - line out, speaker out, and headphone out means you can have a separate custom stage mix playing out of your KC-500's speakers or headphones while you play. Stereo Link In/Out for chaining two KC-500s for a stereo stage sound using one cable. The Stereo Link function can be used as an effects loop. Headphone jack with a volume control. 3 band rotary EQ and a master volume control. Billed as a Keyboard amplifier, the KC-500 is a perfect "Do Anything" amp. I play all forms of music and this amp is perfect for reproducing bass, clean guitar, electronic drums, keyboards, vocals, you name it.

Roland says this amp is designed for hi-fi sound quality and flat frequency response and I belive them. It is one of the cleanest solid state amps around. You can turn it up to max and it won't distort. I am a midi guitarist and I use 2 KC-500s(16 mono inputs!)with my rig. This amp reproduces bass so tight in a small package, it's scary. The mids and highs have great presence. Because a horn is used, the high end can be a little harsh if not EQ'd right, which is typical of horn tweeters. The KC-500 brings out the best of my Digitech RP-20 effects processor connected to my Strats and Roland guitar synth and sound modules. The stereo linking feature turns two KC-500s into an 8 channel stereo or 16 channel mono 150w per side full range stereo sound system suitable for most any small to medium sized gigs. There's plenty of headroom and I suspect the amp's rated output is modest.

When I bought the two KC-500s, I went to a rehearsal studio to see how the amps stack up. I played them full blast for 6 hours (one half hour break) with midi music and my guitar. The verdict: These amps rock! The heat sinks never got hot, the cabinets never buzzed, the sound quality was so tight, other musicians came in the room thinking I was an actual band. I also played a large venue running guitar, midi, and vocals through the amps for 4 hours no problem.

Called Roland before on other products and must say they're inconsistent. Some days you get a knowledgeable and helpful person, other days you get someone who doesn't have a clue. Since the KC-500 is built like a rock, I doubt I'll need to contact them about the amp.

I have been playing for over 20 years and have had many amplifiers. For Midi players, acoustic guitar, keyboardists, electronic drums, even vocals, this is the best self-contained amp period. This is what the Roland Jazz chorus series should have evolved into. One of the few amps around that the cabinet does not vibrate, even at full volume. Well designed and versatile. Wish it had an extension speaker output, and perhaps some effects. For the money, You cannot find an amp that can truly be used as a P.A., clean guitar amp, bass amp(yes), reproduce electronic drums, and perform well as a keyboard amp.