Keyboard Stand Rant

[U.Honey]

Im 63 (190cm) tall. Thats not super tall, about 5-10% of the male population are taller than me. And thats alright, I like being tall. But if youre playing keyboards and you want to stand while playing youre out of luck.

 

I just came up with this hack to lift my keys high enough so I can play comfortably.The project (extension parts + screws + metal blade etc) cost me about $50. And, Im not counting my time. I would be more than happy to pay that extra $50 if I could buy that stand from store and not having to do it myself.

 

On-Stage, QuikLok etc. Are you listening?!

 

 

 

 

[Morizzle]

Good stuff!

I bought my first hard case solely for the purpose of raising my lowest keyboard when playing standing. I'm 196.

[MathOfInsects]

Only 5%-10% of the male population are taller than the 70% of the male population that is taller than me.

[Synthoid]

And all of us love X-stands, right?

[Mr. Nightime]

One plus about that fix is that it puts the legs out further, giving a wider, more stable base.

 

[Mr. Nightime]

And all of us love X-stands, right?

 

 

I don't mind my x-stand if I'm only using the SK-2.

 

But I have a couple gigs coming up where, because I'll be playing left hand bass, I'll need to take my Yamaha as well as the SK-2

 

Gonna use my 2-tier Z-stand for that

[Stokely]

I'm 6'3" also and stand with (usually) two keyboards...no problem providing you pick the right stands.

 

I used to use an x-stand for certain minimal-gear one-keyboard gigs and that was iffy. The "X" was way too skinny for comfort and was just on the edge of playability.

 

I got a two-tier Onstage Z and that was great: stability at any height, more than enough height for me with two boards. It is pretty heavy and not so mobile, and I had some cash burning a hole in my pocket so then...

 

...I got the K&M Spider Pro. Again, plenty of height for two boards and just an awesome stand all around. Has room underneath for my pedalboard and seems very stable...though not as stable as the Z. That's ok, I don't go ape when I play. Very easy to transport. Looks awesome too, I've had more compliments on it than my keyboards from people...grrr.

 

The one and only issue I've had with the Spider Pro is that the top microphone thread keeps coming off into my mic boom--I hate using an actual mic stand--and that makes it harder for the next time. Once the threaded part is off, the screw part can actually fall down into the stand body, which has happened once before a gig. I did already replace the plastic one with a metal version, but I need to do some kind of engineering on this asap.

 

Other than that, I can't remember a more satisfying gear purchase. Mind you, I got the silver Spider Pro that was $100 cheaper than the black one for some reason.

[richforman]

Always nice to hear from a fellow Spider Pro fan. I had the same issues too with the boom mic attachment, and I like the stand so much otherwise that I just gave up on it and (though like you it wouldn't be my ideal first choice) have taken to just using a separate Hercules mic stand when I need one. Like the Spider Pro itself, the Hercules I think is very intelligently designed and gig-friendly, and is very space-efficient (tripod base rather than those huge "dumbbell" type round bases), it's actually quicker and simpler to load in and set up for me than the Spider Pro top-attachment, I don't miss having an "attached" boom stand at all.

[theGman]

I'm 6'2 and I have no problems playing standing with 2 boards.

 

I usually use a Spider Pro and it is plenty high enough for 2 boards. Ref the mike stand piece: I too bought the metal support piece, and I use an adapter to make the smaller Euro-thread ? piece adapt to a normal one.

 

@Stokely: My solution to the tightening problem is to not tighten it down hard, but stop at the last turn before tight. It does not bounce around like you would think, but stays where I want it, and I actually prefer it this way, being able to push it aside if not needed for a particular song. I'm not an ape either, so it's a workable solution for me. If I wanted to, I could get a metric washer & nut and tighten that first (since we both have the metal insert to tighten against) and then put the rubber washer or whatever over the top of it to hold it steady.

 

I also own an aluminum QuickLok Z71? Stand with the 2nd tier option. This is a light stand that weighs under 13#, and the 2nd tier alum. extensions are only about 5# or so.

 

Both these stands give you angles on the top tier of course, so they are user-friendly.

BTW, I somehow ended up buying a 2nd aluminum stand and will put it up for sale I guess; still in original UPS carton, never opened.

 

The advantage to the Spider Pro for ME is that I can slide it it tight places like the back seat of my 96 Cad Seville when necessary to drive the car instead of the mini-van.

 

I actually like the looks of the Z71 (Z stand style) better than the Pro, but I am definitely in the minority on this one.

 

Sorry for the long post.

[Stokely]

My problem with a separate stand is that I'll forget the darn thing! The boom I have fits in my "gear tub". Also, some of our stages are quite small and every bit helps. I have heard great things about those Hercules stands though. I could also use it in my home "studio" (ok, man-corner where I record stuff...)

 

I have to think there's something I can do. Having the metal threads helped a lot, so now I just have to think of a way to keep the darn thing from getting "picked up" by my boom. Is that the issue you had with it?

 

Anyway, not trying to derail the original thought. But consider the Spider Pro as a contender along with the Onstage 2-tier Z stand.

 

I forgot, I also tried a Standtastic that I picked up at a garage sale. It was maybe 2 inches too short--however, it was the shorter of the two models. There's no doubt that the longer-rail model would be tall enough for just about anyone except maybe Shaq....now, I can't say I really liked the Standtastic for other reasons, but height would not be an issue on the taller model.

 

edit: thanks for the reply theGman. A washer might be an easy solution to the "nut falling down" issue! And I'll try not tightening so much, I was afraid the thing might fall out if I didn't....

[MotiDave]

I tried the Spider, one of the things I found was I have to use it as two-tier or take off the top cap, remove the top tier from the structure, and screw the top cap back in. Did I get that right? I found it was heavier than I expected. Good looking unit for the serious guys here, I decided to send it back.

 

btw - i called my SW guy and asked him to give me the black for the same price as silver and he did. (and then I returned it lol).

 

I've used my lead singer's Ultimate Apex a couple times, i liked it as well. top tier doesn't have to be deployed for one-board gigs. anyone have negative feelings about that? or other pedestal stands out there guys like?

[dama]

I've actually thought of doing the opposite with my x stand, Quik Loc T22. Don't know if it's feasible, but I'd like to shorten the 2nd tier bars so the 2nd keyboard could be very close to the bottom one and straight flat.

 

This would be more comfortable for me sitting, playing both. I think it would involve welding cut and re-welding. I don't what that would cost either.

[area51recording]

And all of us love X-stands, right?

 

After using them for years and reading all the horror stories, I finally had one fail on me a couple months ago. Dumped my Px5s upside down at my feet. The controller section is still inoperative (I never used it much anyway, hence my reluctance to go about a repair) but the rest of the board survived. It was a new stand to boot....I'm done with 'em.....

[mate stubb]

Love my K&M. Super light weight, adjustable height, has space for pedals.

 

http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/stand/stand_and_risers.jpg

[rockinroller]

The problem with "height" is that it varies regardless of how tall a person is from the bottom of their feet to the top of their head. A 6'3" individual may have half that height from the waist, up, whereas others may be "all legs", in which case the position in which the arms/hands must reach to perform on a set of keys (or two) may require more height from a stand to be comfortable.

 

I solved the whole issue and bought a nice 6-point adjusting portable bench!

[Barryjam]

Stokely,

 

I need to see if my peddleboard would fit underneath the spider legs of the KM Spider Pro. Can you tell me the dimensions of the area underneath those legs? Width between the two sets of legs and depth between the two sets of legs???

 

Thanks in advance.

[David Emm]

I'm the fortunate owner of an old 2-tier Standtastic model that remains as stable as it was on Day One. Its always held onto the sweet spot as my best rig tool, accommodating pedals, side tables and dangled Stuff of all kinds like a champ over many years. Aside from a few clever custom stands we've seen in various hands, its hard to imagine anything better. However, its a bit heavy for me to haul these days, so if I still played live, I'd leave it at home and play everything from a keytar while sitting in a comfy chair at mid-stage. Turning grey is all the rage, oh my magic truss, need a walker to get to the stage, oh my magic truss.

 

[DanL]

I'm 6'1 and stand quite a bit with one of my bands. I have a Z type stand and adjust it up higher so the bottom board is at a playable level. The top board is in a great spot. I use 3 different height settings on the Z depending on the project.