Ideas for lighting up dark KB control panels

[CEB]

I ocassionally have an issue with reading the control panel on my Kawai DP. Use a Quik-Lok Monolith stand and the clonewheel on the top tier can block out all the light and it is difficult to see which button I am pushing sometimes.

 

I am going to look around some hardware and department stores for a solution. What I think I would like would be some sort of like those LED strip lights they sell for cars but I want something I can power with a standard AC plug in. I was just going to stick the lights on the bottom of the clonewheel tier.

 

Anyone else ever deal with this issue.

 

Thanks

[AnotherScott]

I wonder if you could somehow make use of some of these kinds of things...

 

http://www.blacklight.com/items/ID12917

[Skinny]

I use a couple of those clamp-on utility lights, with blue CFL bulbs. The blue is nice and subdued, giving just enough light to see my boards, while not being too bright and distracting.

 

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/sf/1-14-clamp%20light.jpg

 

They're not the most attractive things, but they do the job. I clamp them on to the tier support arm, and aim them just right as to not be in the way or terribly noticeable.

 

I have thought about attatching something more inconspicuous to the bottom of both of my upper-tier boards, though.

[HAMEGZ]

I use these

http://www.americanmusical.com/ProductImages/Large/55510.jpg

 

Mighty Bright Duet 2 LED Music Stand Light

 

under my second tier to illuminate the bottom boards

[Tonysounds]

Sometimes I Use This Velcroed to the bottom of my XK1

[Sven Golly]

There are a myriad of small LED lights that are battery-powered; why not simply grab a couple of those, and some hook'n'loop (aka Velcro) and put that on the bottom of the top board; at the gig? Cost you $20 or so for everything, and you could use rechargeable batteries to save money.

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41v2qHWrhJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Clonk here for the above item on Amazon.com

[Tonysounds]

THe rope lights are AC powered, and come in at least Red, White, Blue, and now with the holiday season, probably in other colors as well.

[mate stubb]

Rope lights, mounted under the top board?

 

http://www.lighthouseww.com/images/DSC00107%20Rope%20Light%20Blue%20WF.jpg

[Tonysounds]

Yes, but the link I supplied has all lights encased in a plastic tube. One swath of Velcro on the bottom of the XK1, and I attach little strips of the other Velcro side every few inches for stability. Works great. White supplies the most light, blue giving less (but adequate for certain screens).

[Sven Golly]

THe rope lights are AC powered, and come in at least Red, White, Blue, and now with the holiday season, probably in other colors as well.

 

I use white rope lighting across the front of the 'stage' area when I play small clubs and pubs... it serves as a 'drunk fence', repelling them from the floor monitors, mic stands, etc. almost as good as an electric fence.

 

In the AC vs. battery discussion, the fewer things I have to plug in to the power bar, the better.

[Steve Force]

Rope lights, mounted under the top board?

 

http://www.lighthouseww.com/images/DSC00107%20Rope%20Light%20Blue%20WF.jpg

 

I have some of those, white though, between my Moog LP and XK-3C. Works pretty well in my project studio.

 

Looks sweet with my aqua lava lamp, disco ball, and stripper pole as well...

 

But that is a different story....

 

 

 

[Tonysounds]

In the AC vs. battery discussion, the fewer things I have to plug in to the power bar, the better.

 

I gotcha. I only mentioned it because he specified he wanted AC.

[Meisenhower]

I use these

http://www.americanmusical.com/ProductImages/Large/55510.jpg

 

Mighty Bright Duet 2 LED Music Stand Light

 

under my second tier to illuminate the bottom boards

 

+1 on this light. It can do many duties from lighting up keyboards, music stand and mixers. Small, bright and fully adjustable. Comes in battery and AC power versions. Can't beat it with a stick!

 

 

[Dana.]

http://www.ubergizmo.com/photos/2009/6/led-goggles.jpg

[larico]

I use these lights as well, although the ones I use have only a single light per. They work great and be clipped on just about anywhere on my keyboard stand. Flex tube lets you bend them to any position you need. They are battery operated, but the batteries last for a ton of gigs, and I leave them on for the whole gig most of the time (4 hours).

 

What I REALLY REALLY would like to see is keyboard manufacturers give us a digital readout of the master volume knob.

 

Just a simple thing, like - full volume = 100, half way up gives a readout of 50, off gives a readout of 000 and so on.

 

Something like that would be a huge feature to me. Trying to read where the little master volume knobs and sliders are in a dark club (especially on the bottom keyboard of a 2 keyboard stack) is SOOOOO frustating. If you need the volume to be precisely set prior to a song starting, this can be very frustrating when you can't see the almost invisible pointer on the knob or slider.

 

Richard

[AnotherScott]

Here are some other possibilities on amazon that might be worth looking at...

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B001I8ZTW2/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=286168&s=garden

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B001EYELME/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=3375251&s=sporting-goods

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003EM04WA/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=284507&s=kitchen

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B001CEAM7E/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi

 

EDIT: Okay, who can tell me why those links didn't work to display the pics? Well, at least you can copy and paste them...

[kanker.]

EDIT: Okay, who can tell me why those links didn't work to display the pics? Well, at least you can copy and paste them...

What you linked to was a page that is a webpage that includes an image. You need to link to the actual image itself, which typically means the address will end in a .jpg suffix.

 

For the first link you posted, the image is at this address -

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31t0MboNqEL._SS400_.jpg

 

and if you put that in the img tags, you get -

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31t0MboNqEL._SS400_.jpg

[CEB]

Thanks everyone.

 

Rope lights are what I had in mind but when I found some they were anywhere from 12 to 150 feet. I need a very short rope. I am happy to see there are shorter lengths available. I will check out some of the other other stuff also.

 

Thanks again

[AnotherScott]

What you linked to was a page that is a webpage that includes an image. You need to link to the actual image itself

Ah, yes, that makes sense, thanks. I wasn't thinking that way since the page is, itself, an image link from within amazon's web site, but... yep.

[Joe Muscara]

What you linked to was a page that is a webpage that includes an image. You need to link to the actual image itself

Ah, yes, that makes sense, thanks. I wasn't thinking that way since the page is, itself, an image link from within amazon's web site, but... yep.

Go fix 'em.

 

[AnotherScott]

Go fix 'em.

 

 

Here ya' go...

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41z9pADSHKL._SS500_.jpg

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31pQJ-oQMLL._SS500_.jpg

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ReQcyMrpL._SS500_.jpg

 

 

[EscapeRocks]

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41v2qHWrhJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Clonk here for the above item on Amazon.com

 

I use one of these velcro'd to the bottom of the keyboard on the upper tier of my Apex.

 

It's positioned to be over the buttons of my CP33.

 

Works perfectly.

 

 

[wineandkeyz]

I use one of these plugged into the USB port on my Yamaha S90ES:

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/usb-flexlight.jpg

[Al Coda]

I use one of these plugged into the USB port on my Yamaha S90ES:

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/usb-flexlight.jpg

 

Great !

There exist similar ones (LED) you can put into a MIDI tru connector of any MIDI keyboard.

Saw these @ebay.de some time ago.

 

I myself, I´m using 2 gooseneck lamps which have their own PSU and dimmer.

I bought these in the 90th and there are common bulbs in use.

 

A.C.

[AnotherScott]

I use one of these plugged into the USB port on my Yamaha S90ES:

Now that is the best use I've ever seen for USB on a live performance keyboard! Finally, light with no batteries to run down and no AC cord, excellent. (Of course, even most keyboards with USB ports only have the B connectors, and not the A, oh well.)

[AnotherScott]

[There exist similar ones (LED) you can put into a MIDI tru connector of any MIDI keyboard.

Cool, how did I miss that? Of course, these days, thru connectors seem to be getting more rare too. I imagine they would also work on an Out, if you had one to spare. I think only the IN doesn't supply power...

[Synthoid]

I use these

http://www.americanmusical.com/ProductImages/Large/55510.jpg

 

Apparently, Martians invented those lights:

 

(Bit higher wattage though)

 

http://movie-poster.ws/movies/wallpaper/scifi/war-of-the-worlds/war-of-the-worlds.jpg

 

 

[Mr. B.]

I used to use two two foot long black lights during the 70's and 80's, its amazing how much they lighten up and the audiance just thinks they are for effect. You need light back there damnit. I liked the tube of blue lights the best.

Those little round stick and click are made of a plastic that is known for a fact to cause cancer, they are not sold in California. They are made in China where pollution is the highest in the world, only America has the next highest rating. I am continually shocked at the cancer causing chemicals being used in China and America that our government does not catch.

[timwat]

Can't comment on the cancer risk, but stick and clicks are widely available at home depots and the like here in NorCal.

[HAMEGZ]

I use these

http://www.americanmusical.com/ProductImages/Large/55510.jpg

 

Apparently, Martians invented those lights:

 

(Bit higher wattage though)

 

http://movie-poster.ws/movies/wallpaper/scifi/war-of-the-worlds/war-of-the-worlds.jpg

 

 

 

YES BUT MY LIGHTS ARE STEREO!!!