Keyboard for solo/duo ceremony/cocktail hour

[HSS]

I picked up a TC Helicon SingThing powered-monitor mini-PA /vocal processor about a year ago mainly to mess with around at home. The SingThing is essentially an updated version of the older Voicesolo FX15O which was a pricier and IMO better sounding alternative to the Mackie SRM150 and Behringer 205d hotspot min-PA's. The SingThing, like the older Voicesolo FX150, is very portable and weighs ~7 lbs., IMO it would probably be loud enough for keys and vocals at a small intimate venue.

 

I must admit that I'm quite surprised by the SingThing's sound quality. Although the SingThing is not as loud as either the SRM150 or B205d, IMO itsoverall audio quality and bass response are significantly better. The SingThing has a Tannoy 6.5" co-axial speaker and is rated at 150 watts max. I haven't seen published SPL's but I suspect its max SPL may be in the 80 -100 range. In any case, the SingThing is louder than the internal speakers on most portable digital pianos I've played (e.g. Privias, P125, ES110, Compact 2/2x, etc.)

[AnotherScott]

I must admit that I'm quite surprised by the SingThing's sound quality. Although the SingThing is not as loud as either the SRM150 or B205d, IMO itsoverall audio quality and bass response are significantly better. The SingThing has a Tannoy 6.5" co-axial speaker

Even just on paper, it should sound a lot better. The SRM/B205D have a single "full range" 5 1/4" speaker. A 2-way system with a bigger 6.5" woofer plus the coax tweeter should sound a lot better unless they really screwed up. ;-)

 

 

I haven't seen published SPL's but I suspect its max SPL may be in the 80 -100 range.

That's a pretty wide range to estimate. :-) 80 won't do it, 100 would do it easily. But based on the rest of what you said, I suspect it's closer to the latter than the former. Looks like it could be a good find!

[AnotherScott]

I'm am of the opinion that none of the digital pianos with onboard speakers, which I require for my own sake, are loud enough on their own for solo gigs...So I did a used Bose Acoustic Wave for around $220 and thanks to him I still use it for solo casual gigs. Coupled with my Kawai ES110 it's as loud as a full grand piano.

Interesting! Aren't those things kind of heavy, though?

 

For me, the volume of the FP2/FP4 was sufficient (noticeably louder than the sub-30 lb Yamahas, Kawais, Casios). But as they say, YMMV!

[drawback]

I searched for the Bose Acoustic Wave 2 but it's not available from what I could see.

 

Why do I still look at Rolands â but would their stereo portable PA, the BA-330 work?

[AnotherScott]

Why do I still look at Rolands â but would their stereo portable PA, the BA-330 work?

It would probably work nicely, but it's ~30 lbs.

[AnotherScott]

Why do I still look at Rolands â but would their stereo portable PA, the BA-330 work?

It would probably work nicely, but it's ~30 lbs.

[ElmerJFudd]

Scott,

 

On closer inspection. The Korg Konnect is worth a look. 11lbs, 140w to the 6.5' woofer and two 20w amps to the two 1' tweeters. They say the freq response is 55-20k (I find that low end hard to believe but worth a test drive). I am not sure about the spl at 1 meter. https://www.korg.com/us/products/amplifiers/konnect/specifications.php

 

Either way, without a doubt, it"s going to be louder than any internal slab speakers. And if you pole it, you can turn it to where you need the sound to go.

[esfusion]

I'm happy with my Kurz SP6 with iLoud Micro Monitors velcroed to the top. Plenty of volume for small rooms and great piano fidelity. Plus they let me Bluetooth in iReal tracks for a trio vibe. Sweet.

[AnotherScott]

On closer inspection. The Korg Konnect is worth a look. 11lbs, 140w to the 6.5' woofer and two 20w amps to the two 1' tweeters.

I think it would almost certainly work. As I mentioned, I would have already tried it if it had a line out on it, because it could serve an additional purpose. But without that, it's is a little pricey for its remaining use to me. At 11.7 lbs, it's not SO much lighter than the 14.7 lb Behringer B208D (which I own) that there's a strong case for spending $450. The Alto TX308 at 12.3 lbs is almost as light and only $129, so if anything, that looks like the more appealing option.

 

I'm happy with my Kurz SP6 with iLoud Micro Monitors velcroed to the top. Plenty of volume for small rooms and great piano fidelity.

Ah, so someone has actually already done what I said I was thinking about trying! It's encouraging to see that what I thought could work in theory is actually working for someone. I see that iLoud does make a travel bag for them, is that what you use to transport them? Do/can you leave the "umbilical cord" between the two speakers connected during transport? Where on the speakers do you velcro them? I'm guessing on their sides, so that they lay horizontally on the keyboard, is the most secure/stable way to do it?

[jazzpiano88]

.

[Docbop]

Back in my early days of getting into Jazz guitar I remember Gabor Szabo used you use a cool amp, it was round with a padded top to use the amp as you seat. Seems like something like that for piano would work a couple class D amps and 4x8" speakers two left, two right be small and multipurpose. Could even do a down firing bass speaker like a Acoustic Image amp. Go simpler with a mono setup of down firing bass speaker and single 10". Be simple load in keyboard and your combo seat/amp.

 

With class D amp lightweight, beat the hell out of the old days of a 80 pound Twin Reverb (almost 100 pounds with JBLs).

[Bobadohshe]

Indeed, as far as paying gigs, it has been the most consistent and lucrative for me as well. The schlep sucks, however I have always enjoyed the camaraderie of excellent players with similarly musical life experiences. On the upside, technology and MI venders have gotten the weight down!

 

My worst load in was a ship gig involving two different docking locations at start and end of night. Summer sucks for formal attire, and stair cases on ships are too damn narrow.

 

Yeah casuals, if you were hooked up with the right agency, they actually paid better then what some of my friends were making doing road gigs with name show biz artists like Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Franki Valli and others. I turned down a tour with Jose Feliciano because I had a month of casuals with ceremony and cocktails booked that was twice what he was paying. Not the most glamorous way to make a living but at least I have something to show for it.

 

Today though the pickin's are way more slim to even nonexistent.

 

Yes, ships or boats are the absolute WORST. The Queen Mary in Long Beach has the rep as the most nightmare schlep in LA.

 

 

I make the bulk of my living playing corporates and weddings with my Top 40 band, and on a decent amount of the weddings I am also getting paid to play cocktail hour and / or ceremony. Knock on wood because anything can change, but work is plentiful and - to me - quite enjoyable. The size and layout of my city combined with the plethora of high quality venues makes it a real pleasure of a city to make a living in. Dave is right - when the work is particularly thick, you can make more than if you were out on a lesser tour, and have the great pleasure of sleeping in your own bed at night and seeing your kids during the day. No rockstar tour life, but I kind of closed the book on that chapter of my life at this point anyway.

 

((Also regarding the Queen Mary load in - I always say screw it and cart my stuff onto the main elevator.))

[Al Quinn]

Dave, I like that story about the venue being sued. I was never injured but I had to avoid slipping on wet kitchen floors many times. I encountered so many wet kitchen floors that I had to wear less that dressy shoes just to have better traction and stay safe. But as you mentioned the pay was really good. At some point I realized I could make more money being a sub than being in a band. As I sub I was able to name my price; work was plentiful. Then to my surprise I ended up joining a band that was willing to pay my sub price. Didn"t see that coming but it was a great situation with very good players and singers who were also nice people.

[esfusion]

I put a strip of Velcro on the round support bar on the back and the front of each speaker and anchor them vertically on top of the keyboard. I carry the iLouds loose in a gym bag, sometimes with the umbilical attached. I used to worry about the umbilical developing a short from mishandling, but so far it has held up. I adjust the iLoud bass response down for best piano fidelity. I tried running them through a small sub once, but impedance issues cropped up and the result wasn't worth the effort. Naturally I turn the iLouds around for practice. The Bluetooth feature is great for practicing with Apple Music tracks or iReal. I carry extra Velcro for when the connections need to be renewed.

[AnotherScott]

I've done some more experimentation with the iLoud Micro Monitors. Yes, they would be loud enough.

Combined with the lightest 7x-key keyboards that have action and sounds that I find enjoyable to play, that's about a 22 lb total weight for the speakers plus a Vox Continental 73, or Kurzweil PC4-7 (or presumably also their SP6-7).

 

The alternative, the lightest option with good sounds and sufficiently loud built-in speakers is probably that Dexibell P3, at 28 lbs. The action isn't as good as my old Roland FP2, but it's 4 lbs lighter and has better sounds (and you can load soundfonts into it too, which is pretty cool).

 

The big trade-off here is lower weight vs. longer setup time.

 

All-in-one: Put keyboard on stand, connect power, plug in sustain pedal, turn it on, play.

 

Lighter board plus iLouds: as above, but you have to make up to 8 additional connections (audio and power). You also have to physically un-pack and place the speakers (and make sure the umbilical cord is not in your way). And for a multi-location scenario as we've been discussing, you'll have to un-do all that when you move from ceremony to cocktail, and then re-do it at the second location, and un-do it again when you pack up.

 

So convenience and setup time significantly favors the all-in-one, but especially since this scenario can involve walking the setup some distance and you still need to carry some other stuff (e.g. the stand, a bag with the cords and pedal), the weight difference is not insignificant. (Plus the speakers would go in the shoulder/carry bag with the cords and pedal, and so the weight differential of the heaviest piece you're dealing with is more like 9 lbs than 6, i.e. ~19 lbs vs. 28). Worth having to deal with all the extra wiring? That's the question of the moment...

[Al Quinn]

8 additional connections sounds cumbersome given the scenario / objective. Wouldn"t a lightweight stereo box of some sort fit the bill better. I"m thinking of a loud boom box with very good audio or perhaps something like a Korg Konnect. I tried a Sonos Five which has great stereo audio quality and good power but there was a delay introduced by its DSP that was a showstopper.

[AnotherScott]

8 additional connections sounds cumbersome given the scenario / objective. Wouldn"t a lightweight stereo box of some sort fit the bill better. I"m thinking of a loud boom box with very good audio or perhaps something like a Korg Konnect.

Korg Konnect is something I looked into a bit. Other than the fact that it's $450 and I already own the iLouds, I'm actually not sure how much benefit it provides. 6 connections instead of 8, and 1 item to place instead of 2, but OTOH, almost 12 lbs instead of almost 4.

 

(I am counting every connection point individually. So for an example, an AC adapter is two connections to make... the barrel connector that goes into the speaker, and the plug that goes into the wall or power strip.)

[Al Quinn]

I see, when counting that way 8 isn"t as cumbersome as I initially thought. Even the all-in-one has a few connections.

[AnotherScott]

Even the all-in-one has a few connections.

Right. You can't get around the first three: Power plug into the board, power plug into an outlet, and sustain pedal into the board.

 

iLoud adds: power plug into the speaker, power plug into an outlet, left and right out of the board to left and right into the main speaker, umbilical cord into left speaker and right speaker. Though with the right cable, the left/right could be a single cable with two connectors at each end, which would be quicker than running separate cables for left and right.

[stoken6]

Scott - if you're determined to get the weight down, would any of these be of use? They're listed at Thomann, so European, but I suspect something similar would be available in the US:

- https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_box_pro_achat_104_a.htm 5.5lb 50w

- https://www.thomann.de/gb/fun_generation_bp_108_a.htm 4.6kg/10.1lb 60w battery powered

- https://www.thomann.de/gb/ant_bbm_3.htm 2.1kg/4.6lb 80w

These are all fairly cheap, and sound quality is not going to be astonishing, but they might help you with your specific requirements.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Groove On]

iLoud adds: power plug into the speaker, power plug into an outlet, left and right out of the board to left and right into the main speaker, umbilical cord into left speaker and right speaker. Though with the right cable, the left/right could be a single cable with two connectors at each end, which would be quicker than running separate cables for left and right.

 

What about the 40w single unit iLoud? Looks like it might be more "setup" friendly than the dual monitors. I've seen some good reviews on the clarity/loudness, though my concern was the built-in battery - which apparently can't be replaced. https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloud/

 

For my small travel setup, I've been debating between the 40w iLoud and the Vox VX50KB; currently leaning towards the VOX because of the built-in mixer, but based on your comment the iLouds might have better sound ...

[AnotherScott]

Scott - if you're determined to get the weight down, would any of these be of use? They're listed at Thomann, so European, but I suspect something similar would be available in the US

Interesting... if there are U.S. equivalents, I'm not familiar with them. The first of your links looks best. The second is actually pretty heavy, and the specs are pretty unimpressive on the third.

 

What about the 40w single unit iLoud? Looks like it might be more "setup" friendly than the dual monitors. I've seen some good reviews on the clarity/loudness, though my concern was the built-in battery - which apparently can't be replaced...I've been debating between the 40w iLoud and the Vox VX50KB; currently leaning towards the VOX because of the built-in mixer, but based on your comment the iLouds might have better sound ...

The single iLoud doesn't sound nearly as good as the Micro Monitors, but you make a good point, it might be "good enough" for the task at hand, is light and comopact, and would be simpler in setup (wiring/placement). I would not assume the single iLoud sounds better than the Vox, though,

[Al Quinn]

I just watched Piano Man Chuck's review of the iLoud monitor pair (i.e., where he compares them to his Kawaii digital piano's internal speakers) and was impressed. Nice sound for the size and price!

 

I wasn't expecting to find an SPL spec but it's there on the IK Multimedia website: "Maximum SPL @ 50cm (with two speakers playing, averaged sinewave from 100 Hz to 10 kHz): 107dB." Seems plenty loud to me. How do they sound when pushed? Do they retain a nice sound or become harsh?

 

 

I may have a pair in my future. I've been pursuing a lightweight rig and these might be the final piece to the puzzle. The other pieces are a Korg MicroKey Air 61 and iPad Pro. All together this would be a crazy light / portable rig with very good sound and playability. I know micro keys aren't for everyone but I'm comfortable with them (perhaps because of time spent playing the melodica).

 

For the purpose Scott described in this thread I like the idea of a keyboard that's large enough to place the iLouds on (like esfusion has already done).

[AnotherScott]

I wasn't expecting to find an SPL spec but it's there on the IK Multimedia website: "Maximum SPL @ 50cm (with two speakers playing, averaged sinewave from 100 Hz to 10 kHz): 107dB." Seems plenty loud to me. How do they sound when pushed? Do they retain a nice sound or become harsh?

I don't know how close I pushed them toward their max, but at least to the level that seemed plenty sufficient for my needs, I thought they sounded good. I haven't tried them in an actual large venue, but my experience so far plus esfusion's experience leave me optimistic.

 

Picking up from where I left off in my own pursuits here...

I've done some more experimentation with the iLoud Micro Monitors. Yes, they would be loud enough.

Combined with the lightest 7x-key keyboards that have action and sounds that I find enjoyable to play, that's about a 22 lb total weight for the speakers plus a Vox Continental 73, or Kurzweil PC4-7 (or presumably also their SP6-7).

 

The alternative, the lightest option with good sounds and sufficiently loud built-in speakers is probably that Dexibell P3, at 28 lbs. The action isn't as good as my old Roland FP2, but it's 4 lbs lighter and has better sounds (and you can load soundfonts into it too, which is pretty cool).

 

The big trade-off here is lower weight vs. longer setup time...That's the question of the moment...

I picked up a used Dexibell P3 (returnable if need be). I had a cocktail+ceremony+reception gig this past weekend. I considered whether to take the Vox+iLoud vs. the Dexibell. A few things were slightly out of the ordinary for this gig. One was that the ceremony was going to include a combination of my live playing, plus some recorded things they wanted me to play (which would reside on my iPad). That added a new wrinkle... the Vox/iLoud combination provided no way for me to easily play an auxiliary sound source, whereas the Dexibell has a line input. Another unusual angle was that I'd have about 15 minutes between the end of cocktail hour and when the full band had to start playing. This would provide plenty of time for me to set up to use the ceremony/cocktail board as one of my two reception boards as well, sparing me from bringing a third board, so I also wanted to give some thought as to any preference I might have as to which board I'd prefer for that purpose as well. Third, they had some uncommon song requests for the reception, including a song I sometimes use custom samples for. The fact that the Dexibell lets me load soundfonts meant I could easily accommodate that. In the end, these circumstances pushed me toward choosing the P3 for this gig.

 

Tangent: I also could have gone with the PC4-7, which is almost as light as the Vox. Like the Dexibell, it has audio input. It doesn't have an easy way to load custom samples (or at least I don't know how to do it yet), but unlike the Vox or Dexibell, it's got good MIDI controller functionality, so I probably could have triggered samples from an iPad app without too much effort. Not quite as good as having the samples in the board, but do-able. One shortcoming is that, unlike the Vox, there is not enough free panel space to put the speakers on the top surface. That left me with putting them on the floor, where I'm sure they still would have worked okay... but the ceremony was outdoors, which meant I could conceivably be setting up on grass, and I didn't like the idea of putting the speakers down on that or having to worry about setting up some other surface for them. (This could be an advantage of the SP6 here, but I don't own an SP6.) This gets back to Al's comment, "For the purpose Scott described in this thread I like the idea of a keyboard that's large enough to place the iLouds on."

 

Anyway, there's no doubt that you can feel the difference in schleppage between the 27.6 lb Dexibell and the sub-20 lb Kurzweil or Vox. I'd be less inclined to tuck it under one arm while carrying other gear (e.g. keyboard stand) with the other. So the extra weight could make the difference between one walking trip and two, between the various locations I'd need to play from (or alternatively, whether I'd need to also take the time to put the keyboard in and out of its case for each transition, so that I could easily carry it one-handed from place to place with the case's handle). OTOH, as 27-28 lb boards go, the P3 is one of the easiest boards to move (noticeably easier than the original Kronos 61, for example, at the nearly identical 27.56 lbs). Whether grabbing the board the "short" way or the "long" way, it is easy to get a comfortable, secure grip. (The Kronos is awkward/uncomfortable no matter how you grab it.)

 

But as much as I appreciate the Vox for how good it sounds and how good it feels in light of it's super light weight, as a whole, at least for the sounds I most needed it for (an important qualification there), the Dexibell sounded and felt better, and also benefitted from better split/layer functionality, better patch selection mechanics (i.e. how easily you can select from among a good variety of sounds with just a button press or two), the informative screen that provide patch names during navigation etc., and the ability to load soundfonts, not just for my particular custom sample need, but in also allowing me to get some other nice sounds into it. In the end, beyond the fast setup it provided with its built-in speakers, the Dexibell beat the Vox as a ceremony/cocktail piano by virtue of its piano sound and feel, and beat it as a "bottom of pair" board both in the piano sounds and in its overall interface/versatility. (No, it's not as good as the Vox in its synth or organ functions, but those aren't things I needed here, either for ceremony/cocktail or for "bottom board" duties.)

 

Tangent 2: When I first tried a P3 some years back, the pianos/EPs were not as good as they are now (I disliked the EPs in particular), I think the soundfont capability was more limited (and I knew less about using them), and while it was loud enough, it didn't go as loud as I'd expected. None of this was an issue anymore.

 

Now we come to what may be some of the most unexpected parts of this project...

 

... I ended up not even using Dexibell's high quality piano sounds! There are some soundfonts I really like, and they are smaller than the high quality Dexibell pianos, leaving me more room for other sounds. While I did still keep a bunch of Dexibell sounds in the board, it made me realize that an alternate way to look at the P3 is as a 1.5 GB soundfont player, with strong speakers, no connections to external gear required, and no latency concerns... simple setup, rock solid. That alone is arguably a vaulable entity, even apart from some very nice sounds in Dexibell's library. (Unfortunately, the P3 and P7 are being discontinued, so now their only portable option with speakers is the S7 Pro M, which looks like a very nice board, but is in a different price range, and a bit heavier.)

 

...and here's the kicker. Maybe you noticed I complimented its feel. I've said before that some TP100-based boards feel better than others, but none are great, though the Dexibell is one of the better ones. Well, even though it is still heavy feeling for my taste, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed playing this board. I had great control over dynamics, and the speakers add that tactile haptic sensation you can feel in your fingers as you play. I realized that it really did feel surpisingly like playing a real piano. No, it didn't feel like playing one of my favorite acoustic pianos, but it felt a lot like my experiences playing assorted typical, average acoustic pianos. Which may not sound like a very high bar, but for a sub-30 lb slab piano, it really is. It's still not necessarily my favorite sub-30 lb action overall (that's still probably one of the older Casios), but it is probably the one that provided the most authentic piano experience. That's not what I was specifically looking for when I started down this road, but was a nice bonus!

[CharlieLosGatos]

I bought a pair of iLoud for acoustic piano sounds from Mac. One of the them had a faint buzz in the treble. They were open box GC so likely just a bad unit. But they were a little small for AP sound IMHO. There is a big brother model that looks really interesting. I am also looking for some small practice speakers for my Nord, and I was thinking about these or perhaps the Nord monitors.

[AnotherScott]

I've been meaning to update this thread for a while, and was reminded by Elmer's refresh of his "stereo piano amplification" thread. (That thread is about stereo piano setups, this one is about quick piano setup, but there is some overlap.)

 

When we last left our hero, I had settled on using the Dexibell P3, which really worked out well for the needs of the gig at hand, which in that case was not just as a self-contained "keyboard for solo/duo ceremony/cocktail hour" but also one that would do double-duty as a "bottom" for the pair I would play at the full band reception (meaning I also wanted it to have a good variety of sounds with good quick patch selection facilities), had aux input (for the ceremony times I also have to play something from an iPad), and as a bonus, was even something I could load a custom sample into (not a typical need here, but happened to be something that came in useful). So even though it was heavier than I'd have liked (27.6 lbs, though well-balanced and easily grippable), it was my best option. But (as subsequently alluded to in that other thread), while its beefy speakers meant I could manage probably any solo piano need I'd come across, I ended up doing a cocktail hour in a big crowded room where, yeah, I could still get the volume I needed, but the upward-rather-than-outward facing speakers meant that, when I really needed to crank it up, it became painfully loud to me. There was some discussion there of maybe putting up some kind of baffle. But not being the handy type, I was not feeling sufficiently motivated. The idea of supplementing with a ZXa1 also came up there, but that's too much to carry for the scenario that is the topic of this thread. All of which brings me to this...

 

On 9/20/2021 at 5:31 PM, HSS said:

I picked up a TC Helicon SingThing powered-monitor mini-PA /vocal processor about a year ago mainly to mess with around at home....weighs ~7 lbs., IMO it would probably be loud enough for keys and vocals at a small intimate venue...the SingThing is louder than the internal speakers on most portable digital pianos I've played (e.g. Privias, P125, ES110, Compact 2/2x, etc.)

 

This! I got one. A ZXa1 would have meant another trip, but this is small and light enough that it's still a one-tripper... piano in one hand, keyboard stand in the other, and a shoulder or backpack-style bag to hold the speaker (and power cords, guitar cable, power strip, sustain pedal, to the extent that that's easier than packing things into the keyboard's carry bag). The SingThing does not sound nearly as good as a ZXa1, but especially as a supplement to the speakers in the board, it can do the job. (Unfortunately, they're not available new anymore, though there are some other similarly sized speakers. As mentioned earlier in the thread, though, the coax in the SingThing should sound better than the single "full range" speakers in some others of this type.)

 

So this opened up a new rabbit hole. If I don't need the board to have the beefiest of internal speakers after all, is the P3 still my best option? A couple of other possibilities came to mind...

 

... if I could get by with the SingThing itself, I don't even necessarily need the board to have speakers. The down-side: every use of the board would require taking the time to set up the SingThing. And the piano sound of the SingThing by itself is not stellar. But I found my Yamaha YC73 to be a really good option here. There are trade-offs, as always... compared to the Dexibell, besides the lack of internal speakers, there's no soundfont or custom sample loading. But it's a much more versatile board overall for pulling double duty as the lower part of a pair, and beats the Dexibell in numerous ways (providing clonewheel organ, 5-pin MIDI, internal power supply, MIDI zoning, and nice front panel interaction for splits/layers and effects). And here's the kicker: the front panel master EQ made it very easy to dial in a sound that made the piano sound much better on the SingThing (some high and low boost, and dialing in a frequency for an appropriate mid cut to get rid of a bit of honkiness). I'm sure the CP73 would work well here too. And presumably any other sub-30 lb piano board that has an easily accessible reasonably flexible (e.g. sweepable mid) master EQ. (You can also EQ specific sounds on some boards, but that's more of a nuisance, to have separately EQ'd versions of sounds to be selected depending on which playback system you're using.) 

 

... as some may remember, I really like the playability of older Casio Privias. (The newer ones are okay, but I prefer the older ones... the only ones I really disliked were some of the ones in the middle!) One of my more recent acquisitions was a PX-320, which may be my favorite overall. No, its piano sound is not as good as the YC73. ;-) But it's good enough for my purposes, and to me, the feel is far better than the Yamaha BHS (or the Dexibell's TP100, even though that's one of the better TP100s). And once sound is "good enough," I really start gravitating toward feel, it just gives me more pleasure to play (and this probably makes a bigger difference to me when playing solo). The Casio gave me another advantage over the YC, it does have internal speakers. So I could set up at the venue, and determine right then, do I need to set up the SingThing or can I get by without it? I'll probably need it more often than not, but sometimes, it can be adequate by itself. It doesn't give me the EQ to improve the sound of the SingThing, but since the SingThing is there to provide more "oomph" (i.e. with plenty of tone from the keyboard's own speakers still audible), this also has worked out fine. There are certainly current Privias where this same approach would work well, though I wish more models had 5-pin MIDI, and I'm not a fan of models that don't have direct hard-button or touchscreen patch selection. And similarly, if your slab of choice is a Yamaha, Kawai, whatever, but its speakers aren't robust enough to handle the range of likely venues for the task at hand, this approach of supplementing with a SingThing could work.

 

In theory, that PX320 could also work as a reception "bottom," -- it nicely lets you redefine its dozen patch select buttons to be whatever sounds you want, and its sounds are good enough... and if I want better, these buttons also send MIDI Program Change. They're not definable, but as long as they send any program change, I can remap them on a receiving iPad if I'd prefer to get my sounds from some apps. I haven't done this yet, because since taking the PX320 route, I haven't had a gig where it has made sense to use a ceremony/cocktail board also for reception, but I can see where it could work fine. I also like that the Privias are so shallow, since it allows me to keep the keys of my top and bottom very close to each other.

 

So yeah, after some gigs with the P3, I did some with the YC73, and then I did some with the PX320. And that's where I am at the moment, though any of these would be perfectly good options in their 26.4 to 29.6 lb range, with your pros and cons of choice.

 

Meanwhile, for a whole new wrinkle, I've also picked up a Casio CT-S500, and am thinking that could at least sometimes be the way to go, at 10.4 lbs with an action that pleasantly surprised me for piano (even though obviously not anything like a hammer action). Again, it has built-in speakers, but you'd have to be prepared to supplement. But it could be really convenient. If you had to, you could sit it on your lap (no stand to have to carry or take the time to set up and break down); and with batteries, it's also one less thing to plug in (possibly you won't have to plug in anything at all). And at that weight and size, you can move quickly and easily, e.g. between ceremony and cocktail. You don't need much travel clearance through a crowd, you don't even have to take the time to put the board in and out of its case, since by itself you can easily carry it with one hand, which isn't likely to be the case with a 73+ key 25+ pound board.  It can also fit into tight spaces (I'm thinking now of a holiday party I just did solo in someone's house, which I indeed did do on a 61 because setup space was at a premium). So if you want a setup that can be be super-fast and/or super-compact, this is another way to go. I'm going to talk more about my initial CT-S500 impressions in another thread.

 

 

[HSS]

2 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

And similarly, if your slab of choice is a Yamaha, Kawai, whatever, but its speakers aren't robust enough to handle the range of likely venues for the task at hand, this approach of supplementing with a SingThing could work.

 

You might consider adding the TC Helicon Voicesolo FX150, which like the SingThing is out of production, as an option as a very portable supplementary speaker.   Its size (~7lbs.), 150w amp, and 6.5" coaxial speaker configuration are identical to the SIngThing but it sacrifices the fancy vocal processing harmonizer.  As such, the Voicesolo FX150 was originally an older model and cheaper than the SingThing and as such should hopefully be cheaper on the secondary market.

[stoken6]

I have the Studiospares PM150 (https://www.studiospares.com/studiospares-pm150-personal-monitoring-system-250270.htm) which is the Studiospares OEM of the SoundKing clone of the Behringer clone of the Mackie SRM150. I'm using it as a personal monitor for keys on full-band gigs, but I imagine it would do similarly useful duty in solo cocktail/reception gigs.

3 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

I've also picked up a Casio CT-S500

Casio have given this board just enough "pro" capabilities (patch selection, expression pedal, proper audio outs) to be an intriguing choice for a sofa/campfire/boating board which could also do "grown-up" gigs. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[pinkfloydcramer]

I like my Yamaha CP73 or Kawai ES110 for those situations. For an amp I use my (1st generation) Motion Sound KP100s which sounds good enough- but I would like something lighter and more hifi, so following this thread. I upgraded the stock speakers to better quality Eminence but it wasn’t much of an improvement for AP, It still shines for EP and organ.

[HSS]

On 1/11/2023 at 12:55 PM, HSS said:

 

You might consider adding the TC Helicon Voicesolo FX150, which like the SingThing is out of production, as an option as a very portable supplementary speaker.   Its size (~7lbs.), 150w amp, and 6.5" coaxial speaker configuration are identical to the SIngThing but it sacrifices the fancy vocal processing harmonizer.  As such, the Voicesolo FX150 was originally an older model and cheaper than the SingThing and as such should hopefully be cheaper on the secondary market.

This is just just an anal retentive follow-up to my conversation with myself. I'm sorry if it unnecessarily occupies too much bandwidth. 

 

I actually started out looking for the TC Helicon VoiceSolo FX150 because it offered true pass-through for hot spot monitoring which the SingThing does not do.  I ended up with the SingThing because I got a helluva good deal on it and I'm a sucker for a deal. 

 

Having said this, the SingThing does have some advantages over the FX150.  In addition to a powerful vocal harmonizer, it has a headphone line out and a simple looper. It also originally came with a decent mic (MP75) which I got with the used one I bought. 

 

Just a cautionary note; neither the SingThing or FX150 are as loud as the Mackie SRM150 and its  numerous clones (e.g. B205d, Studioshere PM150, etc.) but IMHO they sound better for keys  As such, neither the SingThing or the FX150 would suffice for a stage monitor with a loud band.  However, I would argue that they are loud enough to use in small quiet venues by themselves or as a supplement for a keyboard's onboard speakers which is evidently how AnotherScott is using his SingThing and how I occasionally use mine. 

 

Edit: Interestingly enough, if my questionable memory serves me correct, I originally found out about the TC Helicon VoiceSolo FX150 from one of Dave Bryce's posts here at KC many years ago.  I seem to recall that he had one and was happy with it.  But I could be wrong and digress...