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Sound:
I have used my KM100 twice now.
First in my carpeted studio with another musician (guitar/vocals) we had plenty of power and nice decent sound. Be careful of jacking the highs too much because this thing can CRANK the high EQ frequencies and it hurts!!
Second experience: today I was outdoors in a medium space with a guitarist and a sax player.
I had my Yamaha PSR-S700 keyboard (drums, bass, keyboard sounds) connected via stereo 1/4" to stereo RCA plugged into the Auxiliary jack of the KM100 and the aux volume on the KM100 at noon.
The sax player had a little Yamaha mixer and he plugged his sax condenser mic and my Shure beta 58 into the little Yammy mixer and then we routed that via a single 1/4" to Input 4 on the KM100 and put Input 4's volume at about 10:00.
The guitarist had his own Line 6 amp and was self-contained.
The overall volume knob on the KM100 was at noon.
The KM100 was on the ground tilted back on its wedge shape so that it projected up a little. We had it between and behind myself and the sax player.
EQ-wise: I pulled the mids down a tad and boosted bass and highs very slightly.
Overall impression:
This thing has PLENTY of power. The 12" cone looks pretty rugged and indestructable. We were at maybe half power and quite easily filled the grassy lawn area where we were. Even with that many "instruments" (drums, bass, keyboard sounds, sax, and vocals) pouring into the KM100 it reproduced everything cleanly. In retrospect I could have boosted the bass a little more.
I fully expected to wrestle with feedback from the two microphones, but partly because we carefully pointed them off axis and partly because they're good mic's we had NO feedback problems.
I am very impressed with this little guy so far. It sounded so good that for medium to larger outdoor gigs I think I may go get another KM100 and do everything stereo and have twice the power and have two point sources of sound. For most indoor gigs (smaller to medium rooms), ONE of these is plenty. VERY solid sound. I had considered the Behringer 15" keyboard amp because it has effects on board, but I'm totally okay with the Hartke KM100 not having effects because I'll just use an outboard mixer or recording unit (like the Zoom R16) to run vocals through and get a little splash of reverb. For instrumental jazz you're basically done. Plug a keyboard (like the Yamaha arranger series that have drums bass and keyboard sounds) into the KM100 and maybe a sax mic and you're good to go!
VERY happy with this purchase. Maybe down the road I'll use my Zoom H2 to record a duo/trio where I'm using it for the "PA" so you can at least hear a rough approximation of what it can do. Well done Hartke/Samson!!
Feature:
It lacks onboard effects, but that is not a problem if you handle your effects with outboard gear.
Ease of Use:
VERY simple to use. Everything is intuitive.
Quality:
The amp is constructed well. The 12" cone looks pretty rugged and well made.
Value:
I bought mine used but I would pay full price for the quality I'm hearing.
Manufacturer Support:
Haven't dealt with company yet.
Overall:
I actually want to buy another one, not only for a backup, but to use them both in larger gigs.
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Sound:
This amp was to replace my 8-year old Roland KC300 (which has developed a slight warble). I had high hopes for this amp. But, it has a pronounced "hiss", one that you can hear from several feet away with *nothing* plugged into the map and all volume knobs at zero. Beyond the hiss, the amp sounded like a much smaller amp with that "inside a tin can" kind of feel. Could not eq it way. My Roland of 8-years sounded far superior (warble and all).
Feature:
Great features though, rear mounted inputs, front mounted knobs (perfect for use as an onstage monitor). 7-band eq was what sucked me in though - an excellent idea. It's the only reason I didn't go for the KC350 as a replacement for my current Roland amp. The Hartke amp does not mix stero, but I found that a plus for me since I only even monitor myself in mono. I also liked the rca inputs for ipod playback - nice feature.
Quality:
Knobs are small-ish, but feel solid. Eq sliders are metal (not plastic) and felt durable. I docked the amp a few points though becuase of the plastic corners. Something like this should have steel corners.
Value:
This amp is supposed to be on par with the Roland KC350, and is certainly priced as such. On the first day out of the box, it was noticeably inferior to my 8-year old KC300. 7-band eq is nice touch, but eq'd poop is still poop. I would recommend that anyone buy the KC350 instead (KC300 is no longer made).
Manufacturer Support:
I've never dealt with Hartke customer support.
The Wow Factor:
It looks really sharp. My only asthetic complaint is the plastic corners (should be steel).
Overall:
I'm having big buyer's regret. I have a brand new KM100, but I still choose to take my ancient KC300 to my gigs. I will be returning it and buying a KC350 instead.
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