Do any of you regularly gig with an expensive keyboard?

[Bobby Simons]

In the 80's I gigged extensively with my Emax HD which was well over 3K back then. I don't know what that would be in today's dollars.

 

OK, I just looked it up, apparently equivalent to 9-10K now. Funny thing is that buying it wiped me out to the point that I couldn't afford a case so I padded the box it came in and used that. What the hell was I thinking?

[elsongs]

The most expensive keyboard I have is a Nord Stage 3 (88). I do perform with it, but I'm selective of where I use it. Lately I've only used it for semi-private affairs like weddings/funerals, but it's mostly because I need piano sounds and piano range/action. 

I have a weekly solo cover gig playing at an outdoor night market. It's in a privately-owned lot, but it's publicly accessible. I don't take the Nord there but it's mainly because I want to use a setup that's lighter and easier to tote around (The Nord takes quite a few minutes to load/unload from my car). I'm using a Nektar Panorama P6 USB keyboard, a Macbook Pro and an audio interface (with a small stereo PA). It's also to protect from the climate because it gets a bit chilly (for California standards - low 50s) and during the first gig I played, there was dew forming on my keyboard. If I'm playing with others (I'm planning to have my band's percussionist join me later on in the year) and when it gets warmer, I might tote the Nord.

[kpl1228]

15 hours ago, Motif88 said:

You must still have your youth...schelping and RD-2000 size/weight board with a case and additional gear passed me by years ago...

I joined a gym partly for this reason! I like solid weighted-key keyboards way too much to not make it my main controller live.

[Motif88]

2 minutes ago, kpl1228 said:

I joined a gym partly for this reason! I like solid weighted-key keyboards way too much to not make it my main controller live.

Yeah, agreed. I went from a Dyno-My Rhodes to a KX-88 to several 88 weighted key workstations, then an RD-2000 now back to the Montage M8x. I don't like playing on synth action keyboards as my main driver

[kpl1228]

13 hours ago, Bobby Simons said:

In the 80's I gigged extensively with my Emax HD which was well over 3K back then. I don't know what that would be in today's dollars.

 

OK, I just looked it up, apparently equivalent to 9-10K now. Funny thing is that buying it wiped me out to the point that I couldn't afford a case so I padded the box it came in and used that. What the hell was I thinking?

Old analogs and classic pianos I get, but I truly don't get early samplers having that value. Recorded message greeting cards have better technology!

[Motif88]

1 hour ago, kpl1228 said:

Old analogs and classic pianos I get, but I truly don't get early samplers having that value. Recorded message greeting cards have better technology!

Impressed and jealous that you still have an Invisible Stand. I foolishly got rid of mine somewhere 15+ years ago.

[Montunoman 2]

3 minutes ago, Motif88 said:

Impressed and jealous that you still have an Invisible Stand. I foolishly got rid of mine somewhere 15+ years ago.

I’m surprised they haven’t re issued the Invisible Stand. I’ve heard keyboardist ravings about them for years! 

[ProfD]

2 hours ago, kpl1228 said:

Old analogs and classic pianos I get, but I truly don't get early samplers having that value. Recorded message greeting cards have better technology!

I believe that $9-10k figure above is the cost of those samplers in 2024 dollars.

 

Otherwise, an old Emax sampler isn't selling for nearly as much on the used gear market as some vintage analog synths.

 

Truth is today's brand new technology easily covers the bases of vintage gear and does even more at a fraction of the cost.

 

It's harder to put a price on the up-charge for nostalgia.😎

[ABECK]

1 hour ago, Montunoman 2 said:

I’m surprised they haven’t re issued the Invisible Stand. I’ve heard keyboardist ravings about them for years! 

They were a bit clunky to carry and pack (I should have gotten the bag!), But after many, many different types of stands over the years, I keep coming back to the invisible as having the best design when it comes to 2nd tier height and offset.  For just a single board, they aren't particularly better than a table top type design.  Sturdy tho - no bounce from what I can recall.

[kpl1228]

34 minutes ago, ABECK said:

They were a bit clunky to carry and pack (I should have gotten the bag!), But after many, many different types of stands over the years, I keep coming back to the invisible as having the best design when it comes to 2nd tier height and offset.  For just a single board, they aren't particularly better than a table top type design.  Sturdy tho - no bounce from what I can recall.

I ended up getting a square drawstring canvas duffel bag from an Army Navy store...very durable and once you get the routine down (which involves your knees and one of your feet), it's a lightning-quick set-up.

Once a month or so you'll see them on Reverb or Ebay or Craigslist/Onecraigs. Pounce when you do! 

[kpl1228]

OP here....old habits die hard. I know I should get some M-Audio wall wart 61 key plastic controller and a tablet or laptop and run direct, but I just can't. However, that avenue is always open for me. I could have also asked how many of you drag your expensive laptop or tablet, or cabinet/amp, etc. Always some risk when playing live, no matter what the gear.

One of the posts said that life is short, bring the fun expensive gear you know and love if it brings you maximum joy playing music. Very true.

But if I'm behind chicken wire, I may limit what I schlep in. Know your audience and environment, I guess!

[Chummy]

How do you define expensive? Obviously the Oberheim is extremely expensive but I gig with a Kawai ES920 and it's not cheap either. I've seen professional gigs with something like a Yamaha P-125 as well or one of those silm Casios which I forgot how the model is called. 

I just look for the right tool for the right gig. Usually if it's not a full band gig, i.e a "Jazz Trio", Piano+Singer duo or just solo piano I wouldn't comprimise on anything other than Kawai's RHIII keybed with their pretty good piano sounds. If I were gigging with electric guitars and a drum set which I'm not, I'd probably get a semi waterfall action.

 

I wouldn't be able to take something like a Prophet 5 or an Oberheim to the gig. Just way too expensive or too much wood, it's like buying a luxury car and it gets scratched the first moment it hits the road, just IDK the raw Analog sounds is not important for live IMHO I could do with emulations and a cheaper / lighter rig for convenience. That's not my opinion, just my preference. 

[brenner13]

3 hours ago, kpl1228 said:

Old analogs and classic pianos I get, but I truly don't get early samplers having that value. Recorded message greeting cards have better technology!

I still have two Roland S-550’s and a boatload of disks and the proprietary sequencer software. The first one I got for my high school graduation. I think it was on close-out as the 7xx- series was about to drop…$2500 back in the day. The second one I picked up in the heyday of eBay…$200…included a bunch of factory disks. 

Haven’t really fired them up in nearly a decade. Wonder if they even still work? Might be fun to give them a whirl and maybe resample some of the noises into more modern tech.

[Motif88]

3 hours ago, ABECK said:

They were a bit clunky to carry and pack (I should have gotten the bag!), But after many, many different types of stands over the years, I keep coming back to the invisible as having the best design when it comes to 2nd tier height and offset.  For just a single board, they aren't particularly better than a table top type design.  Sturdy tho - no bounce from what I can recall.

I had a 2 tier Invisible with a few different layouts but the KX-88 on the bottom, D50 on top was memorable. It allowed for the D50 to be super close to the KX-88. Most 2 tier stands have a big gap between upper and lower tiers.

[Mighty Motif Max]

95% of the time I gig my best gear, when it’s practical. For many years that meant my Motif XF8 plus one of several 61-key options up top as a controller. Then I went to college and no longer had a second person available for load-in at most gigs. That meant I needed to change how I did things, especially after I was diagnosed with a back disease that meant I need to be really mindful of how I work with weight, even though I’m young.
 

These days I currently gig a MODX-7 and Hammond SKpro 73 as my main rig, and sometimes swap in my Fantom-7. I don’t currently gig an 88 for most gigs because I don’t have anything I enjoy playing piano on that’s also reasonable for weight (the PC4 is out because I don’t get along with the action or piano samples anymore). I would vastly prefer a 88 for most gigs, but finding a combination of features and weight with a good action has been a challenge. That will change when I am able to purchase a Nord Stage 4. In the meantime, I’ve worked a lot on being able to play piano well on a synth action.

 

I see it this way - playing music for me has somewhat of a feedback loop. I can make a cheap keyboard sound good - but a nice instrument sounds better and responds better, which in turn feeds back into how I play and how I feel while I am playing as well. That only happens with nice gear. I also only buy equipment for one of two purposes - live gigs or studio/recording work. The studio gear tends to be more specialized or serves a specific purpose (for example, I use my JV-1000 for the vintage sound set and it’s not necessarily up for a lot of gigs).
 

The 5% exception is for some gigs where I’m only really playing a few sounds and they’re more casual - that’s when I either use a house instrument or bring a single board.

[The Real MC]

6 hours ago, ABECK said:

They were a bit clunky to carry and pack (I should have gotten the bag!), But after many, many different types of stands over the years, I keep coming back to the invisible as having the best design when it comes to 2nd tier height and offset.  For just a single board, they aren't particularly better than a table top type design.  Sturdy tho - no bounce from what I can recall.

 

I have one, and I won't use it because the tier with the 88 key weighted board bounced too much.  I'm a piano pounder and I don't like bouncing pianos.

[The Real MC]

Most of my keyboard gear are vintage.  I have no qualms about gigging my Andromeda, Moog Source, Moog Voyager, Taurus pedals.  I would not hesitate to gig my Minimoog or Memorymoog, but I don't need to.

 

There are $$$$ vintage gear in my studio that I will not gig: Four Voice Oberheim (FVS), OBX, 1967 sparkletop Rhodes.  FVS is not practical for gigging with its limited programmer and bulk, plus its fragile interconnects.  Tried to gig the OBX, the case is not sturdy enough and the flexing from handling it has cracked some solder joints on the voicecard motherboard.  Tried gigging the Rhodes twice and both times it went out of tune; those old 1960s Rhodes do not hold their tuning when they go bumpity bumpity bump in a pickup truck.

 

My current gigging system is a Kurzweil MIDIBoard and Hammond XK3.  Everything else is rackmount controlled remotely over MIDI, and those racks are a good deterrent to theft.  I have a Trigon-6 and two OB-X8 - all modules - that I am currently designing a rack-style box with drawers to mount the modules on.  Sadly they are two inches too wide for 19" rack cases.

[Baggypants]

On 2/14/2024 at 4:33 PM, Stokely said:

I can vouch for that.  When my son was on his way to becoming a "band nerd" (and very glad I was!), he picked trumpet.  Now, a good trumpet is expensive.  A good french horn or tuba is EXPENSIVE.

I had a friend who played cello for the Liverpool Phil. He had one of the most expensive instruments in the orchestra but he shut down inquiring people with "It's worth more than my house, but I live in a tent anyway"

[Bobby Simons]

18 hours ago, Montunoman 2 said:

I’m surprised they haven’t re issued the Invisible Stand. I’ve heard keyboardist ravings about them for years! 

Mine was lost/stolen during a loadout probably 25 years ago. I agree - can't believe these aren't back in production. I used to load it up with a KX88 on the lower level and a clavinet above. Rock solid.

[ewall08530]

Everyone with the red keyboard says “Yes”.  😎

[brenner13]

19 hours ago, Montunoman 2 said:

I’m surprised they haven’t re issued the Invisible Stand. I’ve heard keyboardist ravings about them for years! 

Mine stays in the studio. Not exactly sure why, but it kills my back half-way through a gig. Currently an Onstage two-tier Z stand is the most comfortable for a four hour gig for me. Since I don’t haul the PA anymore, there’s plenty of room in my HHR to just flip the top over and keep it assembled. Otherwise it is a pain to have to tear it all apart, but fits really well in its proprietary bag when necessary. 
 

Oh…back OT; the most expensive gear I gigged with was in the 90’s, but that gear deprecated so fast: Roland JX10 and above mentioned Roland S-550…wasn’t worth a quarter of what was paid for them.

 

Through the 90’s and 00’s, I’ve always gigged older, used gear which was near the bottom of it’s monetary value. I was a principled starving artist and that old quirky gear was exactly what was needed for the strange projects and local theater work I did back then. JX10 and SY77 rocked my world for well over a decade. Rhodes VK1000 and Yamaha EX5 worked their way through the early 2000’s. 
 

Then Roland dropped the most utilitarian VR09…$1000 bucks for a brand new, Swiss Army knife of a board with a decent organ…I pre-ordered it the very next day I’d heard about it. Waited five months for delivery in May of 2013. Still gigging that dern thing. Probably the very best musical investment for me. It is relatively cheap, super light weight, and covers 90% of sounds needed for the cover tunes and blues and funk I’ve been doing since.

But because of all the flack it gets online, I’ve tried to replace it a few times. Studiologic Numa Compact 2X, while a great controller, the internal rotary sim is just terrible, and I’ve gone though one replacement and two returns because of jumpy velocity with the keybed on non-organ sounds. Stuck with one now that has a wonky G# above middle C that drives me nuts! Just don’t gig with it at all anymore because of that one bad key. MODX7 replaced the Numa, but the organ still isn’t as good as the VR09; limited controls and somewhat static sound, even with third party organ libraries. 
 

These are all relatively inexpensive gigging tools, and have been pining for a better clone wheel for so long. Hammond SKX Pro or a Nord Stage 4 would probably cure my ills, but just cannot rationalize that much dough for the dirty bar gigs and dusty parties and festivals that I play. I’m real close to nabbing a Mojo 61 for my current blues / funk project but I have some concern about Curmar’s durability with the abusive demands I put my gear through. This is the first time I’ve contemplated selling off some old gear to fund a new purchase. I’m a keyboard hoarder though…just never know when the very specific sound one of those old boards might be exactly what is needed…🙄.

I guess I’m too cheap and my gigs still pay low 1970’s wages to consider gigging with expensive gear.

 

[DJkeys]

19 hours ago, kpl1228 said:

I ended up getting a square drawstring canvas duffel bag from an Army Navy store...very durable and once you get the routine down (which involves your knees and one of your feet), it's a lightning-quick set-up.

Once a month or so you'll see them on Reverb or Ebay or Craigslist/Onecraigs. Pounce when you do! 

I still have one of the original bags from the two Invisible stands I bought.  It is still in brand new condition!

 

-dj

[Canoehead]

19 hours ago, The Real MC said:

bumpity bumpity bump in a pickup truck.

Reminds me of summer nights in high school! 😊

[MathOfInsects]

On 2/16/2024 at 11:00 AM, ABECK said:

They were a bit clunky to carry and pack (I should have gotten the bag!), But after many, many different types of stands over the years, I keep coming back to the invisible as having the best design when it comes to 2nd tier height and offset.  For just a single board, they aren't particularly better than a table top type design.  Sturdy tho - no bounce from what I can recall.

I had a few different ones--I believe there were a couple of different iterations over the years, right? IIRC the second tier had a triangular shape that kept it too high off the lower board for me--you had to clear the angle to place it, and I remember finding that annoying. I also never found the "squeeze and set" mechanics of the tiers to be easy to work with. Maybe people who are using legacy versions have loosened them up over time? I remember it as a struggle each time. And finally, I distinctly remember the set-up being Three-Stooges-level contrived, where one side wanted to fall over while you tried to connect the angled crossbar to the other side. I completely agree they were clever and elegant-looking, but don't have fond memories of using that stand on a frequent repeated basis.

[JohnnyFoster]

On 2/14/2024 at 3:51 PM, sunspot said:

I wouldn't want to gig with my OB-X8 because it's big, and heavy.  A light sub $1k controller like a Numa with an iPad running a copy of OB-Xd will get you 85% of the way there and 99% of the audience doesn't give a damn how about your fancy or authentic your $5k keyboard is.

Best and truest statement I've read all week. So many refuse to believe this, however.

[ABECK]

3 hours ago, MathOfInsects said:

I distinctly remember the set-up being Three-Stooges-level contrived, where one side wanted to fall over while you tried to connect the angled crossbar to the other side.

HAHA - this is 100% accurate!

[ABECK]

On 2/16/2024 at 9:01 PM, The Real MC said:

 

I have one, and I won't use it because the tier with the 88 key weighted board bounced too much.  I'm a piano pounder and I don't like bouncing pianos.

It's amazing what the memory does over a long enough timeline.  For some reason, I don't recall any bouncing, but that may just be a factor of time - like when you pine for the girl (or guy) that got away, but completely forget how they drove you crazy most of the time.

 

[George88]

On 2/14/2024 at 9:57 AM, davinwv said:

 

We are both reformed-saxophonists-turned-keyboardists from West Virginia.

Another transplant WV here too!

[davinwv]

On 2/18/2024 at 7:38 PM, George88 said:

Another transplant WV here too!

 

I'm not transplanted just yet. I still live in NCWV.

[RABid]

In the 1980's I went full time and carried a $12,000 rig: Rhodes Chroma, MemoryMoog, Source, DrumTrax, Ashley mixer, EV cabinet, Crown amp, etc...

 

Now if I play it is a Yamaha MODX6+ and a Korg Kronos 2 61. MODX has all the sounds I need, but the keyboard on the Kronos is way better. The big, new Fantom 7Ex will forever stay at home, along with the Jupiter X, RD2000 and Hammond dual manual XK3c. Those are too heavy and a bit expensive to take anywhere. I'm not as young and daring as I used to be.