keyboard stand recommendations

[LeesKeys]

I'm looking for a 2-tier keyboard stand. I will be using a Casio PXS series on the bottom (about 25 lbs) and a light weight midi controller on the top tier (about 10 lbs). I'm not looking for anything heavy duty. I need something that will be fairly easy to set up and breakdown and with good positioning options so I can place the top tier close to the bottom one. I've been looking at the KS7292 Double-X Ergo Lok Keyboard Stand (https://www.zzounds.com/item--MUPKS7292) which seems to be in the ball park of what I'm looking for. Anyone have experience with this keyboard or can you suggest an alternative?

 

Thanks!

[AnotherScott]

K&M 18880 with 18881 2nd tier stacker (which can be used facing either forward or backwards). It's very light, very fast to setup and breakdown, and lets you get the boards close.

[harmonizer]

I use an Ultimate Apex: http://www.ultimatesupport.com/apex-ax-48-pro.html

One thing it does really well is hold keyboards at a high height, without sacrificing any stability.

This was important for me because I do all my playing standing up (gigs and rehearsals), and I am taller than average.

X-stands have the disadvantage that as you increase their height, they become less and less stable.

 

One disadvantage of the Ultimate Apex is that it is not a pedal-friendly as some other keyboard stands.

For me that does not matter so much.

There are some other options out there which are more pedal-friendly, but keep full stability when you position keyboards at higher heights.

[Ledbetter]

I use the Ultimate stand as well. I put the pedals in front (towards the audience) of the horizontal support 'feet.' Heavy, but stable and convenient.

[LeesKeys]

K&M 18880 with 18881 2nd tier stacker (which can be used facing either forward or backwards). It's very light, very fast to setup and breakdown, and lets you get the boards close.

 

I've always liked K&M products. I used the Spider stand for a while but it's much heavier-duty than what I need these days. Can the 1880 be adjusted to a good height for standing or sitting?

[xKnuckles]

Another vote for the K&M 1880. It is perfection: light, quick to set up, adjustable etc. However, if you need it for both sitting and standing then you would be well advised to buy it twice. It takes at least 15 minutes to change the height and it is not practical to keep resetting it if you gig regularly. I have got two 1880 setups; both with two tiers and am delighted with them.

[LeesKeys]

What's the difference in the K&M 18881 and 18882 2nd tier extensions? Also, looking at Amazon, the 18881 model shows a picture of two extension units at $77, whereas the 18882 model shows a picture of one unit at $99.

[AnotherScott]

18882 is a second tier that has a pass-through structure that allows you to add a third tier, but that same structure also interferes with your ability to flip it backwards like you can the 18881. Typically, 18882 is a "middle" tier and 18881 is a "top" tier. Though you could also use a 18882 as a top if you don't care about flipping it backwards. AFAIK, they are both always sold as pairs.

[LeesKeys]

you could also use a 18882 as a top if you don't care about flipping it backwards. .

 

Trying to think why I would want to flip it backward?

[AnotherScott]

Flip it backwards...

 

...to put the upper board further back, for example if your bottom board has a touchscreen you want to keep unobstructed (without having to place your second board quite highso that you can easily see/access the first board control surface beneath it).

 

...to get the upper board lower, since the height of the arms themselves don't add to the height of the bottom board, for determining the lowest possible positining of the seconf board.

 

This has been a common setup of mine with this stand... the front of the second board rests directly on the rear section of my lower board, and the reversed arms supports the rear of the second board.

 

Depending on your lower board, to get the top tier low enough, you could drop the 18881 all the way down and not use any of its "stops"... or even, as I did, "cut away" some of the side support piece allowing it to drop even further. That removes the ability to tilt it, but I never tilted anyway.

[Old No7]

I use an Ultimate Apex: http://www.ultimatesupport.com/apex-ax-48-pro.html

One thing it does really well is hold keyboards at a high height, without sacrificing any stability.

This was important for me because I do all my playing standing up (gigs and rehearsals), and I am taller than average.

X-stands have the disadvantage that as you increase their height, they become less and less stable.

Since I added a 3rd tier onto my Ultimate Apex, I also added a large weight on the back leg to help stabilize it. Works great.

 

One disadvantage of the Ultimate Apex is that it is not a pedal-friendly as some other keyboard stands.

For me that does not matter so much.

There are some other options out there which are more pedal-friendly, but keep full stability when you position keyboards at higher heights.

Mine's pretty "pedal friendly" and while I could possibly add some more -- this is more than enough to manage... (image below)

 

Old No7

 

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I have really liked my 18880 and 18881 combination. Aircraft grade aluminum, weighs very little. By default there is a good bit of space between boards. It can be cut down to reduce that. In my case, I got close enough for my purposes, and closer would have covered up the controls too much on the bottom board. I've used it with a combination of PC3-76 and PC361, and with a Kurzweil and the Hammond SK1-73.

 

More recently, I took it apart, use just the bottom, and place a very light MIDI controller on it, using an iPad as a sound source. I no longer have the van (since 2015), but it fits OK in the Volt, along with the board and one QSC K10. Can hand carry everything in one load if I don't need a seat.

 

As mentioned, although it is possible to change the height, it is not all that quick or easy, and might result in considerable wear if done frequenty.

 

My OnStage 2-tier Z-stands work great for semi-permanent locations, but weighs a ton and doesn't fold up well. The K&M doesn't fold up either, except collapsing the "accordion" back and changing the width.

[harmonizer]

Old No 7, you need more pedals !

[Old No7]

Old No 7, you need more pedals !

Ha! LOL!

 

My kids said I was into PEDAL-phelia -- which just sounds SO wrong!

 

I sure could use another foot at times........

 

Old No7

[DJkeys]

I use the K&M Baby Spider Pro with a second tier. 18 pounds, breaks down quick, boards are as close as you want, jury rigged mic attachment, solid.

[llatham2020]

Consider the Proline PL402.

 

I got it for 99 bucks at GC.

 

I use it with an 88 Key montage on the bottom and an FA 06 on top (which is pretty light).

 

The upper tier arms angle left and right, and then they have a joint that angles forward.

 

2 caveats:

 

1. Like many X style stands it uses a lever to pull in a pin to collapse the stand, which is held out by a spring. After some use, the pin will round off and not spring out all the way, which means the pin will slip in the hole and the stand will collapse! Many of the this will happen to but I've found it way stronger than things you tighten down with plastic bushings that will crack and then it won't tighten anymore. So I drilled a hole through the plate and just put a carabiner in there as a backup - I just make sure the pin is pushed all the way forward and then the carabiner is there as a backup.

 

2. The 2nd tier has "teeth" that kind of lock in into various positions so you can't get every single possible position, and mine was manufactured a bit off so they're not perfectly symmetrical so the upper keyboard is angled ever so slightly at one end, but you don't notice it when you move the arms forward. Like most of these though that means the upper keyboard can be angled towards you which is good if you have to reach up to it, but you can't really lower it with the upper keyboard staying flat without the arms getting so close together, or so far apart the upper keyboard may topple off or fall through! So you sort HAVE to angle the upper keyboard if you want the keys of the upper one closer to the lower one.

 

All that said, when I'm done with a gig I loosen the two "wing bolts" on the upper tear and let gravity take them to the down position, and then take the carabiner out and pull the lever and fold up the X - then gravity does it's thing for the upper tier and lets them hang down so I then tighten the bolts enough so they don't flop around (the teeth are helpful with that) while I transport it. Opposite procedure for set up.

 

Plenty of room underneath for pedals.

 

Keyboard sits far enough forward knees can go under it for sitting.

 

For 100 bucks and a slight modification, it's not a bad deal and easy to set up and tear down.

[LeesKeys]

Thanks for all the responses. This topic started when I was thinking about getting a larger 2nd keyboard, thus needing a different type of keyboard stand. I try to keep this as minimalist as possible. A Casio PXS-1000, Korg microkey 37, korg nanokontrol and Focusrite Scarlette 2i2. All keys are used as midi controllers and software is on the iPad. The items on top of the Casio and temporarily attached with gaffers tape. I have a very basic x stand. So far it all works well and I have minimal gear to pack and carry. I think I'll probably stick with it for a while longer. Here's a pic of my setup https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMuGCJSxvmXzNJgyly5hB7Xz52XIXMgqaNm-IkK

[MuzikTeechur]

K&M 18880 with 18881 2nd tier stacker (which can be used facing either forward or backwards). It's very light, very fast to setup and breakdown, and lets you get the boards close.

 

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS ^^^^^^^^

 

I've owned so many types of stands I've lost count. This is light, easy to set up, strong, and infinitely adjustable. Only downside is that it's a little pricey compared to others (lesser stands).

[CEB]

They all suck. Every stand has some sort of trade off. The K&M 18880 and 18881 and 18882 combinations are as good as anything available. The spring pins eventually fail. You need a 10mm socket if you want to make height adjustments. On the fly adjustments suck ... like if want to sit and play but next time you want to stand......But it"s light. It may scare you with side to side wobble but the more weight you put on it the more it stabilizes. I"ve played at least hundreds of gig on my three tier K and M setup. It works.

 

My On Stage KS7365-EJ is way more adjustable put requires setup time and setup can be finicky. I use it because it"s very adjustable and boards can get close and My double manual clone fits on the top tier. But setup and tear down sucks.

 

My Monolith are not very adjustable at all and are heavy. But man there is NO setup time. And they are super stable. Though DB couldn"t get along with his tiers. Still my choice for most 2 tier gigs where I don"t need a 2 manual organ on top... super convenient.

 

My Old Standtastic clone Instandt is fiddly and a finger pincher and there are small parts you can lose but it works well.

 

What we need are programmable anti gravity repulsor/stabilizers from Alderaan but Tarkin blew the planet up.

[AnotherScott]

Yes, I'd say the one shortcoming of the 18880 is that it is not suitable for someone who wants to easily be able to vary its height, i.e. for standing gigs vs. sitting gigs. I guess if you gig enough to justify it, you could buy a second one, and keep one set for sitting height and one set for standing height. At least you'd only have to buy the extra base piece, you could use the same set(s) of stackers.

[LeesKeys]

It's surprising that someone hasn't invented the near perfect keyboard stand. For me it would be a K&S Spider Pro which weighs 20 lbs and costs $150. Ok, that's not gonna happen.

[CEB]

Invisible Stands were cool.

[Doerfler]

Invisible Stands were cool.

 

Indeed. I still have one.

 

Hope I get to use it one day.

[Stokely]

It's surprising that someone hasn't invented the near perfect keyboard stand. For me it would be a K&S Spider Pro which weighs 20 lbs and costs $150. Ok, that's not gonna happen.

 

Not exactly what you describe, but pre-covid I was strongly considering a Stay stand of some type to replace my Spider Pro. I like (actually love) the spider but it is heavy and bulky and eventually stands tend to fail--I've heard the spider pro legs can give way in some fashion. It's done many a gig at this point. Anyway, my buddy has a 3-tier Stay stand and it's much lighter. I really value ease of transport--I started re-gigging about 9 years ago and my main stand before the Spider Pro was an Onstage Z 2-tier stand--great stand for tall people, very sturdy...but a major pain to carry around and in tight spaces. One issue with the spider pro is that it's an awkward and heavy cylinder shape, so I have issues with it when I use my cart. Not insurmountable problems by any means! I do like having a mic adapter on my stand if possible.

 

The spider pro has arms that stay attached but that's both a plus and a minus...for one-keyboard gigs I'd prefer to take off the top arms and use just the bottom, but it's a PITA. The Stay has detachable arms and legs that are a breeze to take on and off and you can pick and choose which arms and where they go iirc.

 

As it is, no gigs in the foreseeable future and I'll probably stick with the spider if they do start up while keeping my eye out. I'm not positive Stay is even still making stands, for one thing.

[mobi]

Invisible Stands were cool.

 

 

I keep 3, one at my home studio, another one fully functional and the last one rusty with missing parts,

 

None of modern stands is as reliable, sturdy and durable ,besides low foot print ( on stage and folded)

[DJkeys]

Invisible Stands were cool.

 

I still have two of them as well, they hold up most of my project studio gear (see avatar). I also have the original bag one of them came in.

 

-dj

[Noah DC]

I"ve toyed with picking up one of those Invisible stands, but after looking into it, they just can"t adjust low enough for anyone who wants to play a stage piano sitting down. According to one of the handful of owners I nearly bought from, the lowest height setting on the bottom tier of the Invisible is 29' which would put my CP4 many inches above a viable height for playing sitting down. Surprised to hear some folks are into these as an option when they want to play both sitting and standing...

[BluesB3]

I've used the Apex Pro for years but I don't have a heavy stage piano. It's quick in and quick out once you know how not to pinch your fingers. It's not the steadiest thing on the handtruck so I usually just carry it with a free hand on the 2nd trip. I've always been afraid of some customer/audience/barfly coming up to request Mustang Sally leaning on the Nord Electro though. However, if they're ever any gigs again, I'm seriously thinking of joining the K&M 18880 crowd.