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The lack of aesthetics in keyboards and accessories.


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Someone needs to start making Invisible stands again. I just cannot stand seeing $3500+ keyboards sitting on what looks like an ironing board or an A frame that you'd hang laundry on.

 

Maybe Behringer will do it.

 

It's almost 2020 and there is not a single keyboard stand that is affordable, portable and really nice looking.

 

I have a silver Apex that looks nice on its own, but immediately looks clunky with certain boards, and for larger boards, the bouncing is terrifying.

 

I have a 4-legged, two-tier stand that looks like the result of an unholy union between and Erector set and a Tinkertoy Set. And it never gets the second tier quite right.

 

Even the Invisible stands, which ergonomically wonderful, look oddly imbalanced from the audience.

 

And don't get me started on keytars. I love them and have owned 80% of them, but how about actually getting a designer who is a musician to make one? They all look like a caricature of what a keytar should be. When you watch a band and the guy with the Chapman stick looks cooler than the guy with the KX-5, there is a problem.

 

And then there are the keyboards themselves. There are some incredibly beautiful keyboards out there, and not just ones that have become beautiful because of the cachet attached to them over time. But man, there are some really horrible dogs out there right now. And I'm not talking about the user interface, which is a nightmare that deserves its own post. I'm talking about cheesy logos, design elements, colors and form factor. There needs to be a reboot of how people perceive keyboards, in my opinion. There seems to be a school of thought that they need to look like really cheap boomboxes and stereo equipment, designed by the company accountant who is looking at the design in terms of a Chinese manufacturing aesthetic instead of an artistic or design point of view. Some of the most expensive keyboards out there look like they belong in the booth of a flea market next to butterfly knives and phone cases.

 

For gear that is supposed to create art, I think keyboards as an industry have matured enough that we can start holding the manufacturers accountable for poor aesthetic design, not just sound quality and user interface. Just as we should not have to "tolerate" a programming interface, we should not have to tolerate looking at a giant cheesy logo on our 1800.00 controller.

 

And this is not a dig at the engineers, project managers, marketing managers, or even the designers at these companies or working as contractors. I think it's more of a matter of prioritizing design and rethinking who gets to make those decisions. It's certainly POSSIBLE to make beautiful keyboards and stands...they already exist! You just have to decide that its worth caring about.

 

But I will concede that keytars may just have to be ugly. THAT I can tolerate.

 

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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I agree! Last night I was cleaning my keybaords and was admiring the end blocks on my Electro. I wish the whole board could look like that. And when you consider electric guitars, some of them are works of art! I've always loved Derek Trucks' SG:

 

sepuow5cs4gyhzsmakug.jpg

 

 

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I agree! Last night I was cleaning my keybaords and was admiring the end blocks on my Electro. I wish the whole board could look like that. And when you consider electric guitars, some of them are works of art! I've always loved Derek Trucks' SG:

 

sepuow5cs4gyhzsmakug.jpg

 

Funny, as soon as I read the OP about making an attractive keytar, the first thing that came to mind was a Gibson SG. Sure enough, I scrolled down, and there it was.

Thanks for the instant gratification!

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

-Mark Twain

 

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People have complimented me on my stand (spider pro).

 

Personally I don't care at all how my gear or anyone else's looks...I need to do a better job on myself before worrying about that :) I worry more about how it works...stuff like having put up with wall warts etc.

 

As a part-timer weekend warrior with limited time (from work to gigs on fridays) I want light and easy to set up. It's a compromise for sure. I'm a strong dude so it's not like I can't lift things...but I'm shooting for a 10 minute load-and-setup deal, not to mention it's 9000 degrees in Florida most of the time and I don't like being drenched in sweat even before a gig... Utility, baby!

 

 

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@ zerodyne,

Accepting that keytars perhaps have to be ugly is a bit counter-intuitive, because they're the most seen by others. Most of us have our keyboard mostly hidden, so what you're mostly seeing is the back and the sides, which as surfaces are easier to beautify than the top panel. Following the lead of the Roland AXE, there could be easily swapped pieces for the rear panel (just recess the jacks and various on the rear panel), with one that you beautify yourself and slide into place. Perhaps David, Escape Rocks could design custom rear panels for particular boards that velcros in place, you could choose your look depending on the venue.

 

One trend with some current boards is to have the company name light up! Seems rather brazen to many of us, but simple LEDs outlining the rear panel, adjustable color and brightness, possibly pulsing with your rhythym, would at least bring some attention to us poor dweebs hidden behind so much gear.

 

For me, not being seen by the audience and often being cut off from complete visual contact and mobility from the other musicians is more of an issue than the straight up aesthetic of the boards, which are mostly not seen. JR has the right idea, he can easily rotate his Kronos AND tilt it for getting good angles for the audience to see him!

 

I suspect that many of us, myself included, are drawn to the look of a starship command center, the screen and all the faders/knobs/etc. gets me everytime, and I've succumbed to that 'beauty' many times (I know better now!). Though I do love what some do, like Nord, to beautify a bit.

 

It does seem like, unless you're seated at a piano with a side orientation so the audience can see you, that we're a bit like the Wizard of Oz, manipulating all manner of levers and gizmos to create our magic. Contrast that to those damn guitarists with their ultimately simple rigs who only have a guitar between them and the audience. Big difference. Note: I may be subject to guitar envy at times.

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

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Put me in the category of utility first. In fact, rather than the hardware grabbing attention, I'd rather it blend in and make sure that I'M the one grabbing attention through my performance - not just playing, but visual as well.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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I upgraded my 2 board stand last Fall, from a great Spider Pro (silver) to a Gibraltar chrome tube stand with a custom designed center tube mike holder.

 

It looks great, it takes just a wee bit longer to set up, like 5 minutes vs. 2.

It is nice to get the respect and interest from others. Even moved things around slightly, to improve visibility. That's a switch!

 

The reason I upgraded to this chrome beauty is to apply my love for classic cars as much as possible to the keyboard system.

Seeing the guys brag rightly so of their cool guitars, drum sets etc. is like strolling through a car show among the 50s, 60s, 70s etc. restored cars and trucks.

 

Not much can be done with the boards; like trying to get excited about any other appliances, like refrigerators or stoves. Waaahhh

I would like to upgrade the keys to reverse colors on my Nord 5, to add a little classic look to it. My other board, a Roland J50, is already black and looks better with the normal key colors.

 

I'm working on a '56 Chevy Panel rat rod now, but I don't think I want to carry that theme to keyboards. ha ha

 

 

 

 

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This is why with certain boards I take them totally apart and repaint them.

 

VR-09

7LYbVF.jpg

 

PX5S (Big Red)

gSYsa9.jpg

 

My Old Korg M50-61 in Plum Crazy w/racing stripe, and 8-Ball Shift Knob for the Joystick

W61LFu.jpg

 

My first project: Original Alesis Vortex in Hammered Copper

TAClQC.jpg

 

My Vortex Wireless 2 in Metallicast "Brushed Aluminum Red"

zLtt22.jpg

GI3VM9.jpg

 

As you can see in one of the Pics, on high profile gigs, I bring out the old Ultimate Support Missile Launcher (AX-90).

 

My current project is slowly coming together. I am getting the parts together from Gibraltar to make a 2 tier stand. I will be having the tubes anodized in a color to be determined at a local place that does this kind of thing.

 

Apparently customization is my addiction ;)

 

 

 

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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For those of you crying "Utility first!" I totally agree with you. But what I was trying to say is that we have come far enough down the path to be able to expect beauty with utility. Believe me, as a UX designer by trade, form over function doesn't sit well with me, but there is no reason for them to be mutually exclusive. I don't want to start talking brands and models because it can get contentious really fast and people have difficulty analyzing whether they love something aesthetically, ironically, or emotionally, but there are many beautiful keyboards out there already. I'm just pondering why they are not ALL beautiful to some minimal standard. The same could be said about stereo equipment or computer monitors, I guess, but we are talking about instruments that are supposed to evoke a visceral response, but something that sits on a shelf.

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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Im surprised we havent seen a bigger market for facade type stands. I put my DMC-122 inside a fake Hammond clonewheel stand from Valhalla that I got cheap on Craigslist and people really like it. But other than Valhalla and the occasional empty piano shell you see on bigger tours, Im not really aware of much. Seems like a business opportunity for someone.
"If you can't dazzle them with dexterity, baffle them with bullshit."
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Another old school cat and all that matters is what music the musician plays could care less about what the instrument looks like. In fact for me I rather see some cat playing an old beat up instrument with lots of mojo from years of gigging and playing memorable music.

 

It's also one of the thing I miss about concerts in the 60's, 70's and you'd just see musicians on stage with a gear playing their asses off. No fancy prop's or sets, basic lighting it was all about the music. Guess that's why I a Jazz fan because for most part it just musicians on a stage saying something with their instruments.

 

 

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The new PX S series is elegant looking with it's sleek high gloss finish. The best looking board I've had.

 

pxs1000-gallery6.jpg

px-s3000_4.jpg

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Put me in the camp of "aesthetics matter". Most of the time I think of myself more as an entertainer than a performer, and people eat with their eyes.

 

For example, for acoustic/cocktail gigs, this combination is not hard on the eyes.

 

 

 

I'm also interested in the new Nord Grand for a lot of the same reasons.

 

 

 

 

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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Thing is, once you start going too far out of the norm on aesthetics, you run just as much risk of turning somebody off as you do finding people who like it. Beaty is in the eye of the beholder. You don't want somebody buying your competitor's $4000 keyboard because they didn't like your choice of paint.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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I guess I really don't find that much wrong with the keyboards I see. Especially considering that the audience mainly just sees the back anyway, and I don't care much what my boards look like. To go with with J.Dan is saying, one person's "minimal" is another's "sparse" etc :)

 

That said, I do appreciate build quality. My old Virus and now my Nord Electro have metal, wood, are lightweight (especially the Nord) and are compactly-built, which means easy to handle. And they look cool to me :)

 

I do wish there were more customization options that don't require us to repaint things ourselves (I would fail miserably at it). Guitarists have a zillion options, granted we are mostly talking simple hunks of wood, metal and paint.

 

My buddy, unlike me, always disliked the look of modern boards (even though he loves the functionality) and keeps thinking of ways to build a "facade" of some sort where you think he might be playing some old 70s thing made of wood LOL! When he says this i just think "another thing to carry" :D

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A few Aesthetically interesting keyboards:

 

OASYS

 

ccs-14-0-33332600-1434037301.jpg

 

SV-1

 

korg-sv-1-xl.jpg

 

System 8

 

11667678_800.jpg

 

Sub 37

 

12368382_800.jpg

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Questions of aesthetics are very subjective.

 

That said, I do believe putting some thought into on-stage presentation is important if putting on a show. The audience are paying to see as well as hear.

 

But I remain unconvinced that 99.99% of the audience cares what colour a keyboard is or whether the stand its on is X or column shaped. Sorry gang, I just dont think theyre checking out your Ultimate Apex and your brushed aluminium as much as you think they are. Demeanour, clothing, stage dressing, lighting are far more attention-grabbing considerations to the folks I interact with.

 

Thats not to say one cant derive personal pleasure out of owning something that they consider to be pretty of course. Crumar Seven light-up logo? Love it!

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There needs to be a reboot of how people perceive keyboards, in my opinion.

 

I agree there is room for improvement in the visual design of keyboards intended for stage use.

 

We all "listen with our eyes" to some extent, and a vintage Hammond console (especially the B3) has a certain elegance and gravitas that a generic-looking slab-on-a-stand (or even some chopped consoles) cannot match. Even if the sound is great, a dorky look can diminish the impact.

 

Of course, some top-shelf clonewheels have optional deluxe stands that give a better look than the (often ill-fitting) generic keyboard stands that are commonly used, and for me, a stylish-looking, well-proportioned stand is well worth the little extra cost, weight, and hassle when the look matters.

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The SV-1 has been a big seller, and I think it's fair to speculate that the sleek, modern look has had something to do with that.

 

Did the vintage streamlined look of the Crumar Seven have something to do with my decision to get one? To some extent, yeah. If convenience were all that mattered, I'd go on stage wearing cargo shorts, sandals, and the t-shirt I picked up off my floor this morning. (And If I played in a jam band, that would be totally appropriate.) But I aim for better in my appearance.

 

But a flat-top keyboard with a control panel that faces you combines aesthetics and functionality in that it's perfect for stacking. In a similar way, the angled screw-in legs both look good and eliminate the need for a separate bulky stand.

 

You might say, well, that's fine for a piano-focused board, but you can't fit as many controls on the front panel, and certainly not a touch screen. Fair point, but the Seven has space for a lot more controls than it currently has.

 

I'd like to see more flat-top, front-paneled keyboards, for aesthetics, for functionality, for all that's good about humanity.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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I am somewhat in the middle. The control surface must be neat, organized, uncrowded.

 

For example, an arranger loaded with 50 buttons instantly puts me off.

 

The chassis design and color has to have a flow or thought process. Simple

is better.

 

I am not interested in trying to figure out what is flashy or what ever might impress a crowd. That 'look at me' factor is simply not a priority.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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I am not interested in trying to figure out what is flashy or what ever might impress a crowd. That 'look at me' factor is simply not a priority.

 

That's great! I have a drawer full of hardly used cargo shorts I can sell you for pennies on the dollar. OK, actually they're ratty and full of holes, perfect for the man who doesn't obsess about his appearance!

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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For me it depends. I really don't care that my regular synths and keys are merely functional, but I am also fortunate to have a Steinway Model L which to me is a beautiful hunk of wood. Only one synth has stirred that sort of aesthetic awe recently: The Nonlinear Labs C15. It's impractically expensive but with two long ribbons and a bunch of sound-design potential it's too cool. :thu:

 

maxresdefault.jpg

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I like the appearance of my MOXF8 anyway, the burgundy faux-wood endcaps look both classy and modern.

Rich Forman

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg Kronos 2-61, Roland Fantom X7, Ferrofish B4000+ organ module, Roland VR-09, EV ZLX12P, K&M Spider Pro stand,

Yamaha S80, Korg Trinity Plus

 

 

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I have gigged 30+ years and learned long ago that few people care what your gear or your keyboard stand looks like.

 

What gets their attention is the sound and/or the visual appeal.

 

I'm practical pig in many ways and aim to gig a compact rig. I don't gig a Steinway model D piano or Rhodes so for practical purposes I use ROMplers. And few people have as high an authenticity standard as me so I make sure the sound quality of the ROMplers meet my needs. I make sure the clonewheel and analog synths meet my needs.

 

People DO notice the sound. They react when I play the intro to "Don't Stop Believing" and other iconic piano songs. They react when I play the Oberheim parts for "Too Much Time On My Hands", the Minimoog parts for "Never Been Any Reason", and other iconic analog synth songs. They react when they feel that deep gutty bass from my Minitaur radiating through their bones. Same with the clonewheel organ.

 

It doesn't hurt that I own the same model keyboards used on those songs and that I know how to duplicate those sounds.

 

One out of every twenty club patrons is a discriminating musician, the other nineteen are the non-musicians. The other nineteen are the ones putting money in your pocket. The more you make them dance, sweat, get thirsty, buy drinks, dance, sweat, get thirsty, buy drinks, dance, sweat, get thirsty, buy drinks, ad infinitum, the more money you make. If you're gigging a club/bar, you are beer salesman sad to say.

 

If you're looking to impress the discriminating musicians in the audience, you're in it for the advancement of art and you can stop reading. This is not meant to be a put down as I admire musicians who push the envelope.

 

If you're looking to get the non-musicians to enjoy the show, you need visual appeal.

 

What is visual appeal? Get your hands where people can see them. Stop standing behind a stack of keyboards, put them to your sides where people can see your fingers move. Make eye contact with the audience, they like that. Smile, they like that. Dance while playing, monkey see monkey do. Make dramatic hand motions that people can see.

 

Why do you think guitar players get all the attention? They're doing all the above.

 

It's not the gear or the keyboard stands. It's the performer playing them.

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I am not interested in trying to figure out what is flashy or what ever might impress a crowd. That 'look at me' factor is simply not a priority.

 

That's great! I have a drawer full of hardly used cargo shorts I can sell you for pennies on the dollar. OK, actually they're ratty and full of holes, perfect for the man who doesn't obsess about his appearance!

 

LOL, cargo shorts are lame.

 

if you have thread bare Hawaiian shirts, let me know ;)

 

 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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