stillearning

I could do that when it was a slow, somewhat predictable drift. Other times it was unexpected jumps. Usually out of nowhere. Hard to want to deal with, especially when there were reliable alternatives waiting in the wings. As much as I loved my Mini, it had to go. Glad you got a good one!

I hear you on the sound, ARPs were a bit thin sounding. But… I had an early MiniMoog, and it drifted out of tune constantly, often as much a whole step while playing a simple 4 bar solo which made it un-usable. I bought an Odyssey, and it was rock solid for an entire 4 hour night.

Live rig is two Nord Stage 3’s stacked, which I run stereo directly into the line ins of a Yamaha MG mixer mounted on a pedal board using 1/4 inch cables. Mixer’s XLR outs run stereo to FOH. If the band’s using in ears, I use the headphone out of the Yamaha to feed a small Rolls mixer so I can add an aux signal from FOH to monitor vocals mixed with my keys. If not using in ears, then the 1/4 inch outs of the Yamaha mixer feed a pair of small wedge monitors behind me.

I liberally apply talcum powder to a dry terry washcloth on both sides, aggressively rub it into the rag, then lay the rag at my feet. Whenever my hands feel like they’re starting to ‘tack up’, I grab the rag for a quick drying. If it’s a particularly humid and sticky night, I’ll give the keyboards a quick, light wipe from time to time. Just a little, it’s mostly for my hands. I’d rather have too much talc on my hands than not enough. Can’t stand that sticky keys feel. I also wipe the keys down with a damp cloth, then fully dry them before I leave home too, so they’re extra clean.

I second the suggestion of a cold rag over your head. Bring a light colored, medium sized cooler filled generously with ice, keep your drinks in it, and use that to soak the rag. If you’re in the sun, a light colored hat, preferably with a wide brim to create as much sun protection as possible. If you’re in the shade, maybe ditch any hats. If you can get to a car with A/C during breaks, maybe not a bad idea either.

Rumor has it that was Billy Shears.

Gotta disagree. I’m retired, and teach kids (and adults) at the local School of Rock one night a week. I have kids wanting to learn Beatles songs quite often. Right now I’m teaching two different children I Am the Walrus and Come Together. In the past… Let It Be, Hey Jude, and others that aren’t coming to mind at the moment. It often surprises me what they ask to learn! They come in wanting to learn Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, early Elton John, even Genesis! Heck, I had one teenage girl wanting to learn a Peter Hammill song, but that was a rare one for sure. This job continually restores my faith in the younger generation, and I love it! The Beatles, cultural fossils? Not that I’m seeing!

Turning 70 soon Heart valve replaced twice, needing knees replaced soon. But otherwise healthy. Nord Stage 3 88 Nord Stage 3 73 QuikLok Monolith 2 Tier Pedal Board Alto TX310 x2

In the 60’s - Yamaha YC-30 Organ In the 70’s - ARP Quadra 2000’s - Korg 01/W ProX Now - Nord Stage 3

I’m not currently a regular member in any band, but do my share of ‘fill-in’ gigs where I’m often a last minute sub with no rehearsal. I’m almost 70, and don’t want to rehearse any more than needed, but still enjoy the occasional gig. The bands can range from prog, to pop, to corporate/wedding. My rig is a setup I feel covers everything I need, and is fast and easy to program, often on the fly. Two Nord Stage 3’s. An 88 on the bottom, and a 73 on top. With a custom pedalboard with 4 Yamaha FC 7 controller pedals and a Yamaha MG-06 mixer.

I’m another one. I can use the transpose button for a half step, sometimes a whole step. Never more than that. Transposing a 4th or 5th is asking for trouble. Ain’t gonna happen.

I have some experience with the Kawai ES 120. We visit my wife’s sister on the west coast often enough that we bought one to keep there to play when we visit. Great action, and great value for the price. Internal speakers sound decent enough, but I’ve never gigged with one running into external speakers, so I can’t speak to that. I also have several Nords that I gig with back at home. I prefer the sound of the Nords myself. Only caveat I’ll mention, is that I’ve never had good luck getting Nord pianos mixed down to mono. I’ve found listening to both left and right channels in stereo, even if it’s two speakers on top of each other, sounds better to me. Certainly subjective, but I don’t think it’s a gain to switch to the Kawai. But its action is nice for the price. I think a good speaker (or two) will help a lot more with the sound of your current keyboard. Best value in a portable speaker is (imo) the Alto TX series that Reezekeys mentioned. I bought two TX 310s and for the price, I don’t think you can go wrong. For small to medium gigs, without a loud drummer or guitarist, they hold their own. Very easy to schlep two of em at the same time as they’re incredibly light and have built in handles. I’m almost 70 with bad knees, and they’re no problem for me.

I take em just to challenge myself and for fun. You never know what will happen, and who you might meet. I do insist on an emailed and printable set list, with song keys shown. If it’s a song I’m unsure of/never played before, I chart it on plain paper, then scan it into forScore on my iPad. Otherwise, I wing it and have fun. Typically take minimal gear: Nord Stage 3 88, stand, pedalboard, and either powered speakers or my in-ear setup depending on their PA. If it’s not mounted and prewired on the pedal board, it stays home. I can set up in about 10 mins. Do this once in a while, and your name gets passed around and you meet some great musos in the process! More fun than being a full time member in a band for me. Been there, done that at my age (70 later this year).

Those three are my own personal favorites from the late 60’s into the 70’s also. ELP’s first tour was my first ever concert in the early 70’s, and I feel lucky to have seen every Genesis tour while Gabriel was still in the band. But to me Emerson was the GOAT on rock keyboards.

Same. We did a few of those ‘Good Morning’ shows. Sometimes they covered, sometimes not.