rickp

For quick reference, here's Nord's comparison chart: S3 / S4 Comparison Chart

Nord's Stage 4 pages are up; I was interested in the 73HA but see the weight is only 6.4 pounds less than my S3-88 - and only 8.5 inches shorter. Split points are still pre-defined, displays have not appreciably changed . . . From what I see, I'll stick with my S3-88 and S3 Compact.

One of the QSC CP8 speakers normally used live as vocal monitors. Also use a single board in rehearsal, run both channels into the CP8, and position it for my listening. Run a long XLR out of the CP8 to the PA. Running mono in rehearsal provides folks on both sides/ends of the space full range keyboard rather than LH or RH stereo bias. Lightweight, quick and easy - makes rehearsal setup/teardown a treat.

So Yamaha fixed the nasty ground loop buzz you would get if you tried that with a CP4?

To help the thread starter: Yamaha also does the P-121, which is the same as the P-125 (so as you rightly noticed, very similar to your P-85) but with one octave, 2 kilos and about 20 cms less. If I end up not buying the 50 pound P-515 the P-121 is my next choice, unless i can find a used CP4. Thanks for the responses, really great information. I'm still kicking it around in my head. But at this moment I'm leaning towards the P-515. As I just mentioned in another thread, I've become a big fan of the P515, and grab it over my CP4 and other boards for anything piano-centric when a separate aux-out for split bass isn't needed. I'm in the "take what you enjoy playing the most" camp; compromises have to be made somewhere and I'll take mine as some additional grunting required carrying in and out. I lugged an S90ES around for years, and the P515 feels much lighter and shorter, even though it is not much of either. I've always hand carried my digital boards, convinced (rightly or wrongly) that the wheeled-case jostles over thresholds and expansion seams couldn't be good for the longevity of my boards' electronics or moveable parts, so the lightest reasonably padded case that will fit coupled with a repurposed ski bag shoulder strap (strap is positioned to carry 75% of the weight, arm around/hand cupped under the case carry 25%) have become my standard moving rig. Bags such as the Gator GKB series protect well and only add a few pounds and a few inches to the board's weight and dimensions, which help with vehicle fit, loading and unloading, and easing the case onto a table top or amp or a couple chairs lined up for casing and uncasing (I cringe anytime I see a keyboard player wrestle a keyboard out of a case at floor level and then do the clean-and-jerk to move it to the stand . . . some initial elevation sure helps the back immensely). FWIW, the Gator GKB 88 Slim fits the P515 like a glove and only adds 7 pounds to its weight and about 3 inches to its length.

I've become a fan of the P515. If I'm asked to do something piano-centric and a separate output for split bass isn't needed, I'm grabbing the P515 every time these days, despite its extra pounds over the CP4 or Stage 3. Keyboard connection / touch are excellent. If several registrations are needed, the WIFI usb adapter (usb cable and Apple camera adapter can also be used) and an iPad mini provide full touch screen control which allows one-touch registrations with the names and orders needed, access to over 500 voices, and the reassurance that even the dimmest stage lighting between songs for dramatic effect won't leave me with the drama of trying to find and select the correct panel buttons.

For the price range, give the QSC CP series a listen. They're lighter and a bit more compact than their K.2 cousins. I bought the CP8s to use as unobtrusive trio monitors with the K.2 8s and/or 10s out front, but I've increasingly grabbed them instead of K.2s for rehearsals or solo CP4 hotel or banquet events. I used my Key Largo as pre the first CP4 event, but after a little experimentation at home, I've since used xlr directly into them, eq'd for the room, and been happy with the result and the small, light and easy form factor.

Would add Norah Jones, Sara Bareillas.

Many thanks to AS too for in-depth LH Bass discussions/contributions - very much appreciated.

Mine are velcroed on a 3' x 4" rug, along with 3 Nord pedals. No pedal chasing ever and the pedals have consistent placement every time. For transport, the front half of the rug is folded over the pedals, pedal cords place on top, and then the 2 ends are folded/rolled over the middle. That lump of rug is then placed in the bottom of a gator 10' speaker bag, with plenty of room remaining for cables, power block, and collapsed Gibraltar pneu throne base. Travels well. Makes set up a breeze too.

Yes, you"re missing the primary function of your Rolls - to hear your own mic via the pass-through. Run your mic through the Rolls" mic channel, put the monitor out from your KL (which is hard to beat as a sub-$1k keyboard pre) into the TRS channel of the Rolls, and mix to taste for your IEMs. To me, the best use of that Rolls is as an IEM amp fed by a stereo monitor feed (from FOH or stage monitor mixer) mixed to your taste, and your mic fed straight to FOH mixer or vocal preamps, as I think the pass-through does attenuate the voc mic"s signal a bit. If you"re at the mercy of a venue"s unfamiliar sound crew, you may want to run your mic through the Rolls just in case the sound crew is not giving you what you need, and you need to independently bump your mic up in your IEM mix. I agree with you that the limiter is a must; my PM351 gets little use these days unless I"m using it as a quick and easy mixer to feed a wedge - works absolutely great for that - you can mix your mic, your keys, and FOH feed to taste without worrying at all about the sound guys.

I saw a bit of it onscreen in my doc"s reception area (sinus a/b time of year), bass was well covered, and they were all playing with both hands, albeit the front audience-right player also played a percussion pad on one song with his left hand. Honestly, the thing that captured my attention most was the coordination of the Gibraltar stands, and secondarily a few close-shot glimpses of the nice cable management using Velcro ties.

Taylor Swift performed on GMA yesterday morning with four keyboardists, a drummer and one guitar player. Quite a statement about the versatility and utility of modern keyboards, and a definite shift away from guitar-centric bands. Trend that will continue?

I've been happy with a custom fit Stage3 88 cover from eBay; this is the link to that company's product for the P515.

We play over 20 outdoor gigs per year that require equipment to be exposed to afternoon/early evening sun. I have several long generic windshield sun reflectors, several white shower curtain liners (with magnets in the bottom hem that will grip keyboards fairly well) and assorted length bungie cords bought at the dollar store for maybe $40 total. The windshield sun reflectors totally cover the tops of my boards and amps/speakers when they're not in use, and I'll loosely wrap them with the shower curtain liners first if there is any risk of a pop shower or blowing dust. All of that is fairly quick on/off, and stows easily. If we're going to play in intense sunlight, I have one windshield sun reflector that has been trimmed to cover my Stage 3's top panel (I go single-board for the festivals that require quick on/off band transitions) with an overhang over the front and partial cutouts (H-shape cuts that allow "flaps" that will open for control and display access; the flaps also help shade the displays) for a few of the control areas of the keyboard that will require access or viewing during the set. Using pedals for rotor speed, volume, and to advance through presets minimizes the "ports" I need open all the time. To shade my iPads, I have two collapsible music stands that I position as needed, with a 16x24" doubled and taped section of windshield sun screen clipped on the music shelf. Those can be easily tilted or moved as needed to keep the iPads shaded, and they're convenient to keep collapsed and packed away in my cable and pedal case if they're not needed. I still also use cheap reflective "space/rescue blankets" to totally cover equipment if it is going to set in a pre-stage area or onstage a long time between soundcheck and showtime; not the most attractive thing, but very effective. I bought a bunch of those cheap in bulk on eBay, as sometimes the large, cheap thin ones are good for just one use.