Gigging organ/piano. If you could do it all over again...

[timwat]

Agree with a lot of the already-given sage advice. All I can add:

 

After not gigging for 20 years, and at your tender age of 50:

 

1) Invest in a handful of those foam ear plugs. Some guys cut them in half and use them for both ears. Protect your hearing and you will thank us all later.

2) Don't buy anything you don't absolutely need for now (as already suggested by others). Spend time on your practice, make sure your playing sounds great, and effortless, and whenever you upgrade something, it will sound that much better on whatever new gear your acquire.

3) Commit to being 100% pro. Show up on time. Set up as quickly as possible. Don't be an azzhole. Encourage the rest of your bandmates. Bring good energy to rehearsals and gig. Be the guy the rest of the band enjoys having around even when you're not playing.

4) Whatever you play, try to make the other guys sound good.

5) Invest time and discipline to growing as a player. For the purposes of this topic, I think it's the best investment that pays dividends forever.

 

Okay, that out of the way, my casual advice: 

 

1) If you confirm after your first few gigs that yeah, it's about 85% organ, my suggestion is get a hold of a Ventilator. A ho-hum clone wheel through a great Leslie sim is going to sound better than a great clone wheel through a ho-hum sim, and the Vent is a great sim.

2) I've dabbled in the laptop route. That movie didn't end well. I'm hardware only, and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. Other respected members here have gone differently, and that's cool too.

3) Amplification depends on the nature of your gigs. After all these years, I now have several options - I can bring loud stereo PA cabs, IEM only, and options in between. But only you can eventually answer what YOUR gigs require. 

4) If the amp you eventually need will ALSO serve for what the audience hears, buy quality. No matter where your gig life takes you, you want to sound GREAT to your audience. It's all you're really selling.

5) We have more quality options in keyboards than we've ever had. Don't sweat your choices on this yet (as already noted above).

6) Protect your hearing. It's like putting on sunscreen, walking away from the mean drunk, or not lending money to that fetching young thing in the miniskirt. You'll live to appreciate your smart choices later.

 

And finally, a question...you said "85% organ, 10% piano and a few EV songs"  What's an "EV song"?

[Neek]

On 11/1/2022 at 8:11 PM, timwat said:

Agree with a lot of the already-given sage advice. All I can add:

 

After not gigging for 20 years, and at your tender age of 50:

 

1) Invest in a handful of those foam ear plugs. Some guys cut them in half and use them for both ears. Protect your hearing and you will thank us all later.

2) Don't buy anything you don't absolutely need for now (as already suggested by others). Spend time on your practice, make sure your playing sounds great, and effortless, and whenever you upgrade something, it will sound that much better on whatever new gear your acquire.

3) Commit to being 100% pro. Show up on time. Set up as quickly as possible. Don't be an azzhole. Encourage the rest of your bandmates. Bring good energy to rehearsals and gig. Be the guy the rest of the band enjoys having around even when you're not playing.

4) Whatever you play, try to make the other guys sound good.

5) Invest time and discipline to growing as a player. For the purposes of this topic, I think it's the best investment that pays dividends forever.

 

Okay, that out of the way, my casual advice: 

 

1) If you confirm after your first few gigs that yeah, it's about 85% organ, my suggestion is get a hold of a Ventilator. A ho-hum clone wheel through a great Leslie sim is going to sound better than a great clone wheel through a ho-hum sim, and the Vent is a great sim.

2) I've dabbled in the laptop route. That movie didn't end well. I'm hardware only, and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. Other respected members here have gone differently, and that's cool too.

3) Amplification depends on the nature of your gigs. After all these years, I now have several options - I can bring loud stereo PA cabs, IEM only, and options in between. But only you can eventually answer what YOUR gigs require. 

4) If the amp you eventually need will ALSO serve for what the audience hears, buy quality. No matter where your gig life takes you, you want to sound GREAT to your audience. It's all you're really selling.

5) We have more quality options in keyboards than we've ever had. Don't sweat your choices on this yet (as already noted above).

6) Protect your hearing. It's like putting on sunscreen, walking away from the mean drunk, or not lending money to that fetching young thing in the miniskirt. You'll live to appreciate your smart choices later.

 

And finally, a question...you said "85% organ, 10% piano and a few EV songs"  What's an "EV song"?

Oh I’m sorry “extra voices” like a song that needs clavinet or Rhodes. Thank so much for taking the time to type that up it is very helpful. 

[Stokely]

Speaking of ear plugs...7 years ago (I've been in the same band for 10 years) I went to in-ears and it literally kept me in live music.   My band, particularly the drummer at the time, was simply too loud and our stages too small for me to deal with it.  My ears were ringing horribly after each show.   One show in particular, four crash cymbals hit at caveman strength at the end of one song caused distortion I felt in my ear, and I said enough.

When I say small stages, we are sometimes talking "test whether the cymbal hanging over your keyboard will actually hit it if it's struck" small.   So any acoustic kit at that distance is going to be a volume problem even with a drummer willing to lay back/use light sticks.

I actually prefer a wedge in some ways, and if we play big outdoor stages I use one if provided... or if our drummer ever got an electronic kit I might return to one.  I'd miss stereo in-ears so I might have to use two! 

I just wanted to mention it as an option in case you have issues with volume once you start gigging.  Ear plugs never worked for me, even decent ones...they just seemed to take away all the high end and I couldn't hear what I was playing or singing.

[ewall08530]

 

“So if you were to do it all again and start with just an SK1, and build a rig for home/practice and small bar gigs, knowing what you know now, how would you approach it?  These forums are amazing and if there are any reference level threads I should be checking out please feel free to link them.  Thanks in advance for any advice you have.  Also while I wouldn't say money is NO object, I wouldn't make a strict budget a limiting factor in options to consider.”

 

Based on your summation I’d get a mini vent for the SK1 and pick up a $600-$800 Yamaha or Casio Privia 88 key piano.  Both would be just fine for home practice and small bar gigs. I’ve done local Blues festivals with a similar back lined rig.  

[stoken6]

On 11/2/2022 at 12:11 AM, timwat said:

What's an "EV song"?

One with such wide extremes of pitch that it leads to range anxiety...

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Delaware Dave]

5 hours ago, Stokely said:

My band was simply too loud ...

Ha! I just left one of my band after playing almost 20 years with the players.  Could no longer deal with the volume and don't miss the noise one bit.

[Delaware Dave]

On 11/1/2022 at 8:11 PM, timwat said:

 What's an "EV song"?

I was assuming Eddie Van Halen.  Only EV I could think of.

[TommyRude]

On 11/1/2022 at 11:31 AM, Adan said:

Seems like the OP is just sort of sticking his toe into the slimy glorious and magically fulfilling waters of bar gigging.

fixed