Sherinian-style stand

[EricBarker]

On a whim the other day, I took my bass synth (PolyD) and angled it's little stand so that it was vertical to my side, the way Derek Sherinian plays. Wow... I think he's onto something! It felt a lot better on my wrist. Another perk is that it's visually more interesting for the audience, and puts less of a barrier between you and them. I can only do this with my small keyboards because I'm basically using a large laptop stand. If I were to do this with one of my larger keyboards, do they make a single-tier stand that tilts backwards and holds the keys vertically?

[timwat]

I can only think of DIY projects, either using USS aluminum tubing or Gibraltar steel / chromed tubing.

 

I've not been a fan of USS tubing for anything other than very light keyboards due to repeated clamp failure (the tube can rotate within the clamp, leading to keyboard tumblage) - it's just hard to get enough torque with that combination of clamp design and materials used.

 

The Gibraltar stuff is of course a lot more expensive, but is ultra stable and reliable. It appears from photos that Derek has integrated Gibraltar stuff into his own custom stand...at least visually it looks that way to me.

 

The other advantage of Gibraltar is their GEMM shelf system, which is a great solution out of the box to hold a heavier keyboard at an angle. I'm currently using two GEMM clamps to support my Kronos 73 above my CP4.

[EscapeRocks]

 

Looks like Tim posted just as I was.... his is the in depth description of my brief answer here

 

Looks like he's using the classic A-Frames

I can create that with my Gibraltar stuff.

 

I am not aware of anyone who makes a ready to go single tier that does it.

[timwat]

Full disclosure - I've thought about tinker toy-ing a Gibraltar version, but considering that my stomach has ballooned (gained too much poundage this year from stress), the tilted stand would be perfect for highlighting my fat belly. 

 

I'm several bouts of stomach flu away from my goal weight, so I have some work to do before I start tilting my keyboards LOL

 

Does this stand make my butt look big?

[EricBarker]

Yeah, this reply triggers me. But I'm not gonna worry to much about that. I've put on some pounds during Covid, but they're starting to creep away. Ideal or not, it's good to have stage presence. Tough when one of the guys I play with looks like a male model, but not gonna let it get to me.

[timwat]

Eric, you're a better man than me.

 

No lie I've been struggling with stress, self-image, worries about health, loved ones with terminal diseases around me, and a bunch of internal demons. 

 

Was considering the Home Depot DIY liposuction kit (large shop vac, fifth of Lagavulin and a big long needle), but I got distracted by CS80 related threads.

[EricBarker]

I totally hear ya. It's been a bad year. My 85 year old dad is quickly losing his mobility. My mom is wrestling with alcoholism (that's actually more of a success story, but still stressful), my long-time guitar player is dying of pancreatic cancer. Even all my younger friends are having minor health problems. I feel like rock, personally, I may have put on some pounds, but I feel great and can't complain next to the people around me. Best I can do is be there to help them out.

Yeah, I do feel a bit self-conscious when I watch the video of all of us rockers ripping our shirts off. I go "ew, shouldn't have joined them". But the fact is, fat or not, summer festivals are the times for shirtless keytar rocking. It makes the audience happy regardless, and if they're happy, I'm happy. Motivates me to keep pulling out the exercise bike just a little more!

And... keep buying more road-worthy gear, hauling that heavy shit around builds upper body strength!

[timwat]

God bless you man. Seriously, I appreciate you, Eric. That's the right attitude, and I needed a good encouragement this afternoon.

 

Thank you brother.

[El Lobo]

Hmm. Thinking about this ... I could tilt my table stand forward simply by making the front legs shorter than the back legs. I wouldn't want to tilt it very much as it would probably fall off. But then I wouldn't want it tilted as much as Derek Sherinian does. Just a little bit ...

[MathOfInsects]

For me the angle thing feels like making a keytar out of a perfectly respectable and defenseless keyboard, which is definitely instrument abuse and possibly illegal, but I did want to say...

I've been thinking lately about that thing guitarists do where they look at you and maybe point the neck toward you, as if to say, "listen to this," and then all "this" is is a particular chord played at a particular moment. You know that thing? Like, we're going back to the 1-chord, and they look over at you and lift their guitar neck toward you like a glass of beer and then...plick, a tiny little moment of playing the one, exactly where you'd expect it, and exactly like you'd expect to hear it.

This is a side effect of the fact that the "business side" of their instrument faces outward instead of inward--and that it's basically one big foam sports finger that's more fun to point than to just own. In other words, they think we are hearing what they are doing, instead of what they are playing.

I was trying to figure out what the keyboard equivalent to this might be, and I think I came up with it. 

It's looking around while holding a single note on an organ or synth. That's the time we are literally doing the least we need to do to make a sound--just holding the damn plank down and keeping it there--and every single keyboard player always uses that moment to look around as if to say, "Listen to this thing I'm doing right now. How do I think of these things? Am I magic? I think I am!"

It's the garlic-not on the side of the nothing-pizza.

[Baldwin Funster]

I would try that except my beer would slide off. And my little package of jam snacks.

1 hour ago, El Lobo said:

 

 

[CyberGene]

The Korg Vox Continental stand allows tilting. Maybe it can be adapted for other keyboards too.

[niacin]

the Korg Vox Continental stand is made by (or marketed under the name) Sequenz:

 

https://sequenzmusicgear.com/en/products/

 

[Justin Havu]

15 hours ago, EricBarker said:

And... keep buying more road-worthy gear, hauling that heavy shit around builds upper body strength!

 

Amen!  One of the reasons why I heft around an RD-1000!  That, and I can't find a lightweight DP with an action that feels as good to me as this one does.

[RedKey]

Gibraltar GEMS Electronic Mounting Station used here.

I don't typically set up this way, but for bigger show, It certainly gets a reaction when the audience can see your hands.  

I'd say a single center post is fine for 3 and maybe 4 oct keyboards.

Larger boards, I wouldn't hesitate to use two of these stands.

[Stokely]

Reminds me of one gig where I was basically right next to a table where patrons can sit, and we had some friends there that night who had seen us play a lot.  I'm normally in the back, and normally have two keyboards, but in this case I just had one and they could easily see what I was playing from about 5-10 feet away.

"I didn't know you played like that, your hands were moving all over that keyboard!"  LOL   Yep, in my normal spot and configuration I could be just faking it for what anyone can see (assuming you made tracks with mistakes in them, that is...)

I've kind of settled on two keyboards consistently, but other than that I wouldn't mind at least trying something like this out.

[EricBarker]

I’m now doing this all the time with my PolyD. And it’s awesome, I love the feel. I still haven’t come up with a solution for my main board yet. It’s easy with a 3oct board to just use a laptop stand, but a 61key+ is a bit more complicated.

 

I’ve completely ditched 2-tier stands, and use 2 separate stands side-by-side. I just have to pick whether the Boog is bass or treble side.

[Morrissey]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:23 PM, MathOfInsects said:

For me the angle thing feels like making a keytar out of a perfectly respectable and defenseless keyboard, which is definitely instrument abuse and possibly illegal, but I did want to say...

I've been thinking lately about that thing guitarists do where they look at you and maybe point the neck toward you, as if to say, "listen to this," and then all "this" is is a particular chord played at a particular moment. You know that thing? Like, we're going back to the 1-chord, and they look over at you and lift their guitar neck toward you like a glass of beer and then...plick, a tiny little moment of playing the one, exactly where you'd expect it, and exactly like you'd expect to hear it.

This is a side effect of the fact that the "business side" of their instrument faces outward instead of inward--and that it's basically one big foam sports finger that's more fun to point than to just own. In other words, they think we are hearing what they are doing, instead of what they are playing.

I was trying to figure out what the keyboard equivalent to this might be, and I think I came up with it. 

It's looking around while holding a single note on an organ or synth. That's the time we are literally doing the least we need to do to make a sound--just holding the damn plank down and keeping it there--and every single keyboard player always uses that moment to look around as if to say, "Listen to this thing I'm doing right now. How do I think of these things? Am I magic? I think I am!"

It's the garlic-not on the side of the nothing-pizza.

 

A keyboard innovator in this space is our own @eric and his pivot keyboard stand, allowing him to dramatically raise one side of the board to add emotion.

[miden]

On 12/9/2022 at 5:52 PM, niacin said:

the Korg Vox Continental stand is made by (or marketed under the name) Sequenz:

 

https://sequenzmusicgear.com/en/products/

 

 

Was just going to ask if the stand comes with it - thanks for the answer

[TommyRude]

On 12/8/2022 at 4:23 PM, MathOfInsects said:

I've been thinking lately about that thing guitarists do where they look at you and maybe point the neck toward you, as if to say, "listen to this,"

Disagree... imho that's not what they're doing.  When a guitarist points the neck at you, depending on the style of music, it can mean different things, but for most it's a visual message, i.e. "I see you, check me out".  For some it might be a gesture of friendliness and acknowledgement.  On the phallic end of the spectrum, it symbolizes an ejaculation of the guitarist's goodness all over you.

[ElmerJFudd]

On 12/9/2022 at 1:25 AM, CyberGene said:

The Korg Vox Continental stand allows tilting. Maybe it can be adapted for other keyboards too.

Owners of the stand.  How is it to cart around and how do you like the pedal space underneath?  Can put your pedals where you want them to be? 

[niacin]

15 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Owners of the stand.  How is it to cart around and how do you like the pedal space underneath?  Can put your pedals where you want them to be? 

It’s fine for pedals , in fact I’ve got an organ pedalboard placed under it atm, but it’s a bugger of a thing to set up and pack down, mine stays home

[Tom Williams]

On 12/8/2022 at 5:20 PM, timwat said:

I'm several bouts of stomach flu away from my goal weight

Best phrase of the year, so far.

[UnderGroundGr]

It is very easy to do it with the up tier of an x stand...

Bob Katsionis(ex Firewind) in the picture!