One amp or two?

[Bob]

Is it better to have just one amp for a keyboard, or is it "better" (more powerful, more control options available, etc.) to have two amps?  Two amps being plugged into a keyboard left and right audio outs.

Or doesn't it matter?

[countrymath]

Its better if you want to have a stereo sound.

But keyboard AMPs are useless. Go for monitors, or a PA set.

[keys60]

True. 2 channels for stereo. One amp with stereo out and 2 monitors will do.

[Bob]

They're useless?  What's the point of a keyboard amp then?  Interesting idea.

[quantum]

For a personal setup at home: studio monitors if you want stereo sound.  One amp will also do.  Two amps would allow you to control the L and R channels independently.  

For a performance setup: one amp. If more power is needed, speakers arranged in an array configuration (mono sound).  Stereo sound doesn't really do you much good in PA type scenarios, most especially in large venues.  That is why in such situations you will see an array (cluster) of speakers placed in the middle radiating the sound outward.  Stereo is really meant for a single listener or a small group of people placed equidistant from both L and R speakers.  If stereo is applied to a large group of people in a wide area, each person will experience a different mix ratio of L and R channel sound depending on their proximity to each speaker, which is not desirable. 

[jimbo320]

Bob,
After reading all these posts I need to weigh in.
The reason keyboard amps differ from other amps are the frequencies that the amp receives and delivers. Keyboards put out the full spectrum of sound frequencies but if you don't care or need to hear them all then by all means get whatever you want. But if sound is really important to you think about it!
As for needing two amps, look at it this way. Most keyboards output sound in stereo, at least the keyboards with built-in speakers, with the idea that you're facing the middle of the instrument so stereo is used to put the sound in the middle. So to take advantage of this you could either use one amp with two channels to plug separately into or two amps, one for each side.
On stage I use two keyboard amps, one amp for each side eight feet apart, but that's for the bounce effect. (Bouncing sound from right to left, ect).
What your decision comes downs to is taste and need...