Anyone Using a 73 Key Board for Cocktail/Bar Keys/Vocalist Gigs?

[summerinstereo]

Only reason I don't dig 61 keys is because they're never semi-weighted or weighted. Not a fan of synth action.

 

Semi-weighted 73 keys sounds great. But if there was a 61 key weighted or semi-weighted keyboard that sounded great, I'd consider that - octave shift it down so there's some low end and we're off to the races.

 

I very rarely (never?) use the higher keys. The lower ones get used way more.

 

Would consider the Yamaha EW-425 if the keys felt any good, but I tried the E473 and.. nah. Just, nah. Need weighted or semi-weighted.

IDK if the 425 is different to the 473, I've been led to believe they're the exact same keybed - just.. more keys on the 425... felt bad to play.

Not as bad as the Juno DS61 which is just ground control to major OOF.

[CyberGene]

1 hour ago, summerinstereo said:

But if there was a 61 key weighted or semi-weighted keyboard that sounded great, I'd consider that

The Yamaha YC61 fits this description. I was pretty happy with its action even for piano playing. And all its samples sounded great, next to the organ simulation and the real FM-synth sounds (although you can't create your own FM-sounds besides the rather rudimentary FM-organ models with some drawbar assigned partials).

[RandyFF]

19 hours ago, BluMunk said:

I have done many a solo bar/cocktail piano gig on my QS7.1, though not in many years, and I don’t think I’d go back to a smaller board by choice. There are enough 88 key boards that are light and easy enough to carry that I don’t need to save the space.

 

That said, I’ve always been bothered by the fact that it’s always seems to be the bass notes that get truncated on 7x key instruments. If I was designing my perfect smaller format board, I’d cut the bottom three notes (start on C), and cut the top fifth (end on E). I guess that leaves 77 keys. Don’t know if it would be worth it to shave slightly less than one octave.

Yes yeah yah!

[RandyFF]

15 hours ago, summerinstereo said:

Would consider the Yamaha EW-425 if the keys felt any good, but I tried the E473 and.. nah. Just, nah. Need weighted or semi-weighted.

IDK if the 425 is different to the 473, I've been led to believe they're the exact same keybed - just.. more keys on the 425... felt bad to play.

Not as bad as the Juno DS61 which is just ground control to major OOF.

It is the same keybed.  Compared to the absolute junk of yesteryears, it’s a vast improvement.  I can coax dynamics out of it. To me it has an almost semi-weighted feel, I’ve had a couple of great semi-weighted boards, but it’s just too damn light to the touch.  For under $500, the keybed is on a par with the sounds, both being a huge upgrade from all the cheapie boards I’ve bought thru the years

[AnotherScott]

On 3/8/2023 at 7:24 AM, Adan said:

My own bugaboo is playing organ on 73 keys.  I can do it, of course, but I can't feel "in the zone" if the top key isn't a C.  

On 3/8/2023 at 11:32 AM, Mike Davis said:

I thought I was the only one! I bought a 73 key version of the Hammond SK-1 and it drove me crazy.

 

Yeah, if a board is not a hammer action board (i.e. it's going to be my organ board), I really want the top note to be a C, I wish it were more common That's a nice feature I think was often overlooked in the Numa Organs... they functioned as 73-key MIDI controllers when not in their own organ mode... but the high note was a C. Korg has also used a high C on their 73-note M50, M3, and Krome at least. 

 

When I was looking into getting the 73-key version of the SK Pro, I was considering having something 3D printed that I could lay over the top keys so that it would end in C. In fact, I've mentioned before that my ideal "compact" board would be a 69-key E-to-C.

 

16 hours ago, summerinstereo said:

Only reason I don't dig 61 keys is because they're never semi-weighted or weighted. Not a fan of synth action.

 

 

There are semi-weighted 61s... I think Yamaha YC61/MODX6/Montage 6, Roland Fantom 6, Korg Kronos/Nautilus (and up until recently, Vox Continental) 61s, and numerous Fatar-based boards.

 

Getting back to the OP, only in recent years have I gigged with hammer action boards that are less than 88 keys... a Dexibel P3 (73) and a Yamaha YC73, because of their functionality. I didn't really miss the extra keys. But I still preferred my old Casio 88's feel.

 

61 is definitely a compromise. Easily accessible octave switching could help.

[AnotherScott]

I'll also add that, if I were looking to play piano from a 61, I think as far as feel goes, the Vox Continental 61, Casio CT-S500, Yamaha YC61, would be sufficiently playable (just don't expect it to feel like a hammer action, of course). Probably the Fantom 6 as well, but if you are playing piano from a 61 at all, it's probably because you want small and light, which the Fantom 61 isn't.

 

[Analogaddict]

I have a hard time understanding how manufacturers decide on the keyboard layouts. The low E layout isn’t really practical for me - I often need low Eb and D, Db and C are also important. Low B and downwards- not so much. On top, having a C really helps with orientation, and if I need to go higher than C I usually need one more octave. In my ideal world, there would be the choice between a weighted 88 and a weighted 76 (A-C) or 73 (C-C). Pitch and mod wheels above the keys, slim aluminum side panels. I get by fine with my YC73, I just miss the lower keys a bit. 

[CyberGene]

I think the E-E layout comes from the original Rhodes pianos. However I would also prefer having a bit more in the bass at the cost of the highest keys, so C-C would be ideal. And would be easier to orient myself visually. I'm still struggling figuring out the lowest and the highest keys on a E-E keyboard and sometimes I play the wrong keys.

[Dave Keys]

I had 2 solutions to fix: my current band gig rig board was too heavy and unpleasant for my fingers, my Lounge Piano Gig board too heavy for my back.

 

There was no one board solution, so realised what I actually needed was 2 boards, and went for the YC73 for the Gig rig, and the CP88 for the sit down Lounge Gigs. 

 

Previously I was not a Yamaha man at all, but these current boards are really well designed great feeling players boards. 

[Al Quinn]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:09 AM, Adan said:

If someone made a 61 note weighted, I'd be very interested.  No one ever will. 

Here’s an option:

 

 

[Al Quinn]

Many years ago I did a lot of cocktail hours and solo piano using a 76-key Roland JV-90 with an MKS-20 piano module. I didn’t care for the action but because I used it a lot I was sort of able to adjust. Never really missed the missing keys versus an 88.
 

I think I’d be find playing solo with my YC73 and the action feels good to me for piano. Like others mentioned, I wish the range was C to C rather than E to E. I’d gladly give up some high notes to have a low Eb, D, Db, and C. And yeah, nothing higher than C on a keyboard for playing organ would be better.