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Two-tier stand, or Nord legs?


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Hi All,

 

In my first thread in three years I already got recommendations for K&M and Stay stands, and I'm looking at those. Let me give a bit more details.

 

My new rig is: Nord Stage 2 76-key on the bottom, Hammond SK-1 on top. My current two-tier stand is bigger and heavier than I need for this rig, and it's also been beat up on a couple hundred gigs, so...... definitely time for a new stand.

 

I'm also considering a stand alternative â buying the legs for my Nord Stage, and then getting a one-tier stand that's super small and light, and using it to put the SK-1 over the leg-standing Nord. I apparently missed the boat on the short-lived company that made a second tier that clamped onto the end cheeks of the Nord. Curious if anyone tried those?

 

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and advice with me!

 

--Dave

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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Hi Dave - I have the Nord legs for my NS3-88 and it is the sturdiest solution I've ever used for a keyboard. The pedal area underneath is another plus. The two reasons I switched are: 1) Setup at the gig - I got tired of having to kneel on the ground, precisely screw in the legs, then apply the tension bars, then have to flip the whole thing upright. I took up a lot of room on stage while doing it. 2) I changed to standing while playing and my stand did not come with the leg extensions.

 

Now the K&M takes 10 seconds to set up and all I have to do is place my NS3 on top of it. I'm still keeping the legs and I leave the brackets permanently attached in case I ever want to sit down and play. The only negative is that it takes tools to adjust the height, so you won't be making adjustments at the gig, nor will you want to be making changes to height on a regular basis at home.

 

I don't have any recommendations for a second stand for the SK1 if you use the Nord legs.

Nord Stage 3 HA88, Nord Stage 3 Compact, Casio CT-S1, Radial Key Largo, Westone AM Pro 30, Rolls PM55P, K&M 18880 + 18881, Bose S1 Pro, JBL 305p MKII, Zoom Q2n-4K

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Dave -

 

Do you play sitting or standing?

 

I stand for all funk / dance gigs, and only sit for the 100% acoustic type jazz gigs.

 

So I'm using K&M Baby Spider Pro (short version, I'm 5'5") with 2nd tier arms (had to buy separate). Sturdy, quick set up.

 

On an unrelated note - do we know some of the same folks? At least on FB, I think we know Yvette Salas (formerly, Augustine) and wondering if you hang with the same general crew I've been gigging with.

 

Tim Wat

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I swore by the K&M Spider Pro for years but now that I have switched to the Stay two-tier stand, I am even happier with it. (A musician told me recently that they are made by Korg, which I didn't know.) It steals some of the good design ideas from the Spider Pro but is just so much lighter in weight to carry, and still plenty sturdy enough for my rig (88-key MOXF8 on the bottom, 61-key Kronos on top) and is much less expensive to buy. It sets up in seconds and although on the Spider I liked the fact that it was one self-contained piece where the arms and legs folded into the column structure, okay with the Stay I have to take them off and put them back on each time, storing them in special pouches in the included carry bag, but all that is still really quick and easy and the trade off is that with the Stay, I keep the arms exactly where I want them (my preferred height and distance from each other) all the time (with the Spider Pro I had to put them in position each time which is an inexact science, most of us I think end up marking the column with a Sharpie to show ourselves where to place them). The cable clips system for keeping your wiring set up clean is clever, too. You can just take those little thick-rubber-band-like clips off the column to put your cables in place (rather than having to thread them under it), and again to take them all out from under the clip at once, then just put it right back......very time-efficient.

 

Oh yes and the carry-bag: *included* in the price of the stand where with the Spider Pro (which is already a good bit pricier), you need to buy it separately for an extra $45.

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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After making a stand using Gibraltar drum parts, I can't imagine going back. I presently am set up for sitting, but all it would take is some longer legs, and it would become a standing rig. The modularity is great for changing gear. But the best part is that it is EXACTLY right for me ergonomically. Also, nothing moves. There's no sway, no shaking. I know, I've played lots of stands that do that and the gigs were fine. But once you play something that is as solid as playing a grand piano? It is just nice. One cries a bit the first time getting into this sort of thing. But now that I have drums and keys on Gibraltar rack hardware, small reconfigurations are just a reach into the parts bin, or a small Amazon order. My stand comes apart almost instantly for travel. Loosen four clamps, and two bars come out - the rest of the stand is in two flat side pieces. Memory locks means that it goes back together perfectly. Every time.

 

That and buying a small rug to put under it. Now all the pedals are on carpet, and it is just nice. Drummers bring a carpet, so why not a small rug? It establishes my footprint on stage, and makes that spot "mine". Small happiness.

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Ah yes, my initial post should have mentioned that I sit on all gigs now. I stood for many years, and I actually have a Spider stand with three tiers that I absolutely love, but it's the extra-tall model, and when sitting it sticks a column right in front of my face, which I didn't like much at all.

 

I'm definitely intrigued by the Stay stands.

 

One of the interesting things about this rig is that both keyboards are quite shallow, so most "standard" stands are way too long for what I need. The Stay stand seems like it would have the advantage of allowing me to push the keyboards all the way back against the column, and the only thing that would stick out too far would be the ends of the arms.

 

I'm also VERY interested in the idea of using drum hardware! I've never even considered this idea before, but I know when I finally quit f'ing around with stupid folding benches and started sitting on a drum throne, I've never looked back. My only problem is I know nothing about drum hardware, so I'd be starting from scratch on figuring that all out.

 

--Dave

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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On an unrelated note - do we know some of the same folks? At least on FB, I think we know Yvette Salas (formerly, Augustine) and wondering if you hang with the same general crew I've been gigging with.

 

Tim Wat

 

Oh, yes, we probably do! Do you play with Too Smooth? If you do, and if Vincent Lopez is still with those guys, tell him I said I love him and miss him. :) <3 (He was co-author of what is probably my very favorite song I've ever been involved in writing.)

 

I gig a lot less these days, but I'm playing with Rudy Ramos' band, Third Sol. I know a lot of cats in the general Latin scene, and I've also played a lot of Funk and Old School. More in the South Bay than the City, I lived in San Jose for almost 20 years before I moved up here.

 

--Dave

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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Oh, yes, we probably do! Do you play with Too Smooth? If you do, and if Vincent Lopez is still with those guys, tell him I said I love him and miss him. :) <3 (He was co-author of what is probably my very favorite song I've ever been involved in writing.)

 

--Dave

 

PM sent, Dave!

 

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Stay stands are distributed by Korg, and made in Brazil, IIRC. I have the 2-tier Tower with a MODX7 and ESQ-1, and it's rock-solid. Takes me about a minute to set up and tear down. Only thing is the included bag is not the highest quality, but it does the job.

Hardware

Yamaha MODX7, DX7, PSR-530, SY77/Korg TR-Rack, 01/W Pro X, Trinity Pro X, Karma/Ensoniq ESQ-1, VFX-SD

Behringer DeepMind12, Model D, Odyssey, 2600/Roland RD-1000/Arturia Keylab MKII 61

 

Software

Studio One/V Collection 9/Korg Collection 4/Cherry Audio/UVI SonicPass/EW Composer Cloud/Omnisphere, Stylus RMX, Trilian/IK Total Studio 3.5 MAX/Roland Cloud

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On using drum hardware.... Gibraltar makes all the clamps and parts you need. Including mounts for synths and laptops. I can get into part numbers if you want, but first, here's just two pictures of my rig. One from the front. The other from the side, where you can see "the belly of the beast". I think this will let you see how it is constructed.

 

Basically there are three components to this stand:

 

1. Pipe (straight or curved)

2. Clamps

3. Mounts for upper tier stuff (The Nord Grand just rests on rubber pads)

251.thumb.jpg.109b98809fe802d9ee6fc284a5749c0a.jpg

252.thumb.jpg.b9152733bd5267acb7310665af010d1c.jpg

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Dave, I didn't realize until now that you're SF-based. I really like the originals I'm hearing on the Funkery website -- nice mix of old school and NoLa funk influences. And nice keys work. Would love to catch you guys but your calendar not showing any shows.

 

I need to start making connections with other Bay Area keyboardists and get back into more gigging, maybe by subbing here and there. My youngest will be turning 4 soon so feels like I'm emerging from the dark (not to mention smelly) tunnel of early parenting. I'm Marin-based though, which means South and East Bay probably too far to go.

 

Adan

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Dave, I didn't realize until now that you're SF-based. I really like the originals I'm hearing on the Funkery website -- nice mix of old school and NoLa funk influences. And nice keys work. Would love to catch you guys but your calendar not showing any shows.

 

I need to start making connections with other Bay Area keyboardists and get back into more gigging, maybe by subbing here and there. My youngest will be turning 4 soon so feels like I'm emerging from the dark (not to mention smelly) tunnel of early parenting. I'm Marin-based though, which means South and East Bay probably too far to go.

 

Adan

 

Too bad, because I would really love to find someone to take over this Third Sol gig. It's a fun band with a nice mix of original music and covers. The leader is trying to gig more, and I am trying to gig less. :(

 

Thanks for the kind words about The Funkery! I'm more proud of "Brew The Funk" than any other record I've ever made. :blush:

--Dave

 

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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For a 2-tier sitting down set up, I haven't found anything I prefer to the On Stage WS stand with the Tony Orant mod. Tony posted about the WS mod many years ago and I've been using it on and off ever since. It's basically an On Stage WS stand, either the bigun or the little'un, with 2 threaded screws through the holes to prop up the top board. Rubber caps on the screws grip the board in the rear. in the front you have to figure out a way to prop the top board on top of the bottom. For your Stage 76, that's the rub, because it doesn't have any real estate to put a propping device. So I doubt this would work for you, but it's worth mentioning in any 2-tier stand conversation.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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After much internal debating, measuring, and head-scratching, I concluded that the Stay stand would probably work just fine, but that my best bet was the K&M 18880. And so I went to buy one. I can get one overnight, but....the 2nd tier is back-ordered everywhere I could find it, with delivery too late for my Oct 11 gig. Sigh.

 

So I bought a nice red Stay two-tier tower, to match my red Nord Stage. (OK, OK, I really wanted black, but those weren't immediately available either).

 

I think it will work great, and if I'm wrong I'll return it and get the K&M.

 

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I remember now why I love this place so much. :D

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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The Stay stand looks like a real and lighter option than the K&M stand I have, shame that there doesn't appear to be an Aussie distributor. If you are watching this thread Stay team, get onto that willya :)
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