Age Check for Those of Us Still Gigging and Hauling Gear

[pianomikeoct]

I'll be 70 in October and last summer I gigged with the Numa X 88 and the Hammond Xk-1c they are both light and sound good together, at the time I was playing with a Guitar Player slash singer and I filled everything in and it sounded pretty good. I think the Numa 88 is 32 pounds and the Hammond about 16 ponds, did not have that  lightweight gear in the old days.

[ewall08530]

I’ll be 74 next month. On the few band gigs that I do every month I’m using IEM’s to monitor and either a Nord Stage 3 Compact or Yamaha CK 88 and a CK 61 as a top board.  
Solo / duo gigs are with the CK 88 + Piano Teq played through a Bose Pro 8 or a Bose S1 Pro+. 

[AnotherScott]

7 hours ago, Sam Mullins said:

62. Duo act and I also bring PA. 

 

Keyboard rig: 

- CK88 (road case)

- Arturia Keylab 61 (soft case)

- Mac-mini

 

Do you take any screen/kybd/mouse for the Mini, or operate it completely headlessly (with program changes from your boards)?

 

7 hours ago, Sam Mullins said:

We also occasionally do a reduced setup in small spaces:

- CK88

- JBL EON Compact One in a bag with all needed cables (has built-in mixer and is only speaker for 2 vocals, guitar and CK88)...gotta love the 5 minute setup!

 

If I were going to do a gig with a single board, and I wanted it to be an 88-key hammer action board, for me, I think it would come down to the CK88 or Kurz PC4. But for small spaces and speed, personally, I'd forego the 88 hammer action, and go for the PC4-7. And as it happens, I just picked up a Bose S1 Pro+., similar to your JBL, but am not sure yet how much I can ask of it. I usually use a Bose L1 Pro8. No matter what, I need a mixer. The smallest gigs I'm doing these days are trios, requiring (besides keys) 3 vocals and 1 or 2 acoustic guitars. I use a small, light Mackie Mix12FX.

 

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

I’m currently 22. Gig rig has stabilized now:

 

- Yamaha MODX7, Hammond SK Pro 73

- 2-tier K&M 18950 stand

- Yamaha MG10XU mixer (solo gigs) or a rack with a Samson SM10 line mixer for band gigs

- Drum throne

- Pair of PA speakers (headphones for gigs with that monitoring option) - currently down to one EV ELX200-10P since my old Yamaha gave up the ghost, but will be back to two soon.

- Rock N Roller cart now, which has helped minimize load-in trips and saves some of the shlep factor. Should have bought one years ago.

- Most solo gigs add a piano accordion as well.

 

I will be adding a NS4-88 to the mix and then putting the MODX7 up top, and leaving the SK Pro at home for a lot of gigs unless I need more organ (unless I add a third tier…hmm. That Nord does bring the weight up a bit though…my last 88 was a PC4 and I will miss how easy to move around that was. But the better keybed and pianos are worth it for me. 

 

Back before college when I usually had a spare family member to help with load in, I gigged a Motif XF8 in a hardshell case. That ended quickly when it was just me, plus space constraints at school limited how huge of pieces of equipment I could take. I also was since diagnosed with a back disease where I do need to be careful with how I lift things and the maximum weight, so that beast is probably not coming out again, sadly.

[1203]

Age: 54. Gig rig as on the photo, Rhodes Mk2/73, Nord Stage 2 76, Nord Electro 5D/73. Not light, but much fun! 

… and occasionally without the Rhodes. 

[Delaware Dave]

10 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

If I were going to do a gig with a single board

 

Kurz Forte, I attach a Vent or Burn for the leslie substitute and it covers all the bases.  Even though the TP40L keybed is lightly weighted as long as the music isnt organ-centric I easily get throught the gig, if it is more organ-centric then i use the PC3 with the semi-weighted keys and use the Gemini module.

[Delaware Dave]

10 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

I’m currently 22.

You've accumulated more equipment @ 22 then i have over a lifefime, and I'm 3 times your age.  I also did regional touring and still havent purchased that much stuff. Theorizing that i grew up in the analog age and using a rhodes, wurli, cp70, hammond/leslie and prophet 5 i never felt the need to upgrade keyboards as they all hit the target until they started becoming to heavy/bulky to move else i'd probably still be using them...

[wineandkeyz]

Age 66, see my signature.

 

Occasionally I'll bring the SK Pro out to gigs, but only if I know there's room onstage for an L-shaped setup. I also balk at bringing it to outdoor gigs, as that would be one more piece of gear to deal with if the weather gets bad.

[kpl1228]

Just turned 60.

Roland RD 2000, Mojo61, Motif XF7. JBL powered cabinet. All good boards to use at a gig, but the Motif covers most of it, and with 76 keys, gives me full keyboard options. 4 space rack that I have lately questioned why I even bother (EQ, reverb, mixer, power supply). In a flight case which makes me REALLY question it, though to be fair, it's usually only one or two keyboards at a gig.

We are creatures of habit, and I just can't see myself going M-Audio with wallwarts and crappy keyboard action. Plastic to me is cheap and chintzy.

I'm also considering what 5 octave polysynth I "need." No one cares about this stuff at a gig but me, so why do I think this? Please make it stop. 

 

 

[eric]

Mid 50s here, and I am using a smaller rig than I have in the past. There was an era that I would bring a Leslie 122 to many gigs...in a flight case! Those days are over. I had even worked out a way to move that beast completely by myself even with stairs involved. Nope, not doing that any more.

 

I still insist upon flight cases for gear, as they have saved my keyboards in multiple situations...plus, there is an occasional gig that involves putting gear under a bus or in a trailer...so I'd rather just have it ready for anything.

 

I am gigging with a Nord Stage 3 Compact, which is relatively easy to move even in a flight case. I have a rack and a couple of briefcases for cables and IEM gear. I use a cart to make it all easy for getting in and out of gigs. 90% of the shows I play can support me rolling in a cart right up to the stage and I can do it all in one trip including the keyboard, rack, briefcases, and keyboard stand.

 

 

[wineandkeyz]

21 minutes ago, eric said:

I still insist upon flight cases for gear, as they have saved my keyboards in multiple situations...

 

Ditto. I've actually collected two sets of cases for my road keys. I have Anvil-style hard cases for trips that involve trailers and/or stacking other gear on top of mine, and lighter Gator/SKB cases for when I'm hauling my stuff in my own vehicle (which is most of the time).

[ElmerJFudd]

4 hours ago, 1203 said:

Age: 54. Gig rig as on the photo, Rhodes Mk2/73, Nord Stage 2 76, Nord Electro 5D/73. Not light, but much fun! 

… and occasionally without the Rhodes. 

Oh my!   My first reaction is, I don’t want to be the one assigned to carry the Rhodes - that’s one of the sounds the Nords should be able to cover quite well!  

[John Tweed]

I’ll be 73 next month. 
 

My usual amplification is a QSC K10, but I’m going to get an Alto TS408 because I think that will be fine for me in most situations, and maybe even use both on occasion. I’ve also got some modest in-ears which I have never used, but a couple of recent gigs have convinced me to give them a serious go.

 

For some years I have been using a CP4 and Hammond SK1.  These days I’m using a CK61 on its own, with iPad/iPhone organ, although the CK organ is adequate a lot of the time. This is for gigs where I am playing mostly organ and there’s a bass player, and piano/ep  requirements are such that I can get away without a weighted keyboard. If I need a full 88 then it’ll be my CP4. I’m tempted to get a CK88 as it’s lighter than a CP4 and it would be usable in situations where I need 88-note piano and some organ - as it is now I’d need to take two boards.

 

I’ve recently upgraded my Legend Live to a Soul, but have yet to gig the Soul. The Live did many a gig where I was handling left hand bass. I do have an upcoming gig where I won’t be playing bass, but I’m planning to use the Soul anyway for the visuals (imho the colour is much nicer than the Live).

[1203]

47 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Oh my!   My first reaction is, I don’t want to be the one assigned to carry the Rhodes - that’s one of the sounds the Nords should be able to cover quite well!  

With two people and without the lid, it's not that hard to carry...😅 And the Nord Rhodes samples aren't bad, but they're not the best either. Besides, playing a real electromechanical instrument is a completely different world.

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Rhodes - that’s one of the sounds the Nords should be able to cover quite well!  

The Nord and every other digital piano (DP) facsimile sounds fine as long as it's not played next to a real Rhodes or other electromechanical KB.😁 

 

The newer technology provides a great alternative for consolidating several hundred pounds of sounds into one box and schlepping it.😎

[Old No7]

8 hours ago, 1203 said:

Age: 54. Gig rig as on the photo, Rhodes Mk2/73, Nord Stage 2 76, Nord Electro 5D/73. Not light, but much fun! 

… and occasionally without the Rhodes. 

 

My first thought was you should paint the Rhodes red...

 

But then you'd risk EscapeRocks making it his own!!!

 

Old No7

[ElmerJFudd]

3 hours ago, 1203 said:

With two people and without the lid, it's not that hard to carry...😅 And the Nord Rhodes samples aren't bad, but they're not the best either. Besides, playing a real electromechanical instrument is a completely different world.

It’s true.  There’s nothing like the real thing. I applaud you for acquiring a willing co-hauler. 😊

[Sam Mullins]

17 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

 

Do you take any screen/kybd/mouse for the Mini, or operate it completely headlessly (with program changes from your boards)?

 

 

I have a cheap Arzopa 15" monitor that runs off single USB-C (with power) and a small logitech wirelesss keyboard with built-in mouse pad.  More setup than a mac laptop but in some ways better; it lets me easily mount the screen above my keyboards using a tablet holder.  I'm using Mainstage and display chord charts/lyrics so having it right in front of me is best.  

[1203]

1 hour ago, ElmerJFudd said:

It’s true.  There’s nothing like the real thing. I applaud you for acquiring a willing co-hauler. 😊

I've never had a problem finding someone to help carry it. My bandmates are always happy when I take the Rhodes to a gig. But admittedly, the gigs aren't all that frequent.  😊

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

I'm, uh, 50+ but I've only been playing away from home for a couple years.  So hopefully that buys me some more time in the golden years. 

 

My big KB is a Casio CDP-S360 and it's pretty slim so it isn't too heavy.  I haul it every Friday to our practice room at the school where I replace the school's KB with my own....  And theirs is a real porker.  I'm glad I don't have to move it any great distance.

 

My little KB is a featherweight in comparison.

 

 

 

 

[Moonglow]

Age: 62

 

Gear: Kronos 88, Jupiter-80, On-Stage two-tier Z stand, JBL PRX 615M, bag for wires/pedals. Not visible: ATA brief case, milk crate for Key Largo mixer and Ventilator (both in their shipping boxes), music, and towell.

 

 

[NewImprov]

I'll be 62 at the end of this month. Here's my current rig:

 

 

2 stands in an L-shape, Rhodes and Arturia Keylab (controller for Mainstage) facing front, Crumar Mojo and Sequential Take 5 to my right. Rack holds my laptop running Mainstage, a Radial KL-8 as a mixer interface, an iConnectivity MIOXM as a midi-interface/router, and a Radial power conditioner. I have pedalboards under each stand with effects for the Rhodes and controller/expression/sustain pedals.

 

People say the Rhodes is overkill. It is, but, it's just so much more fun to play than any emulation I've tried. I gigged with a weighted controller, and a variety of Rhodes sample sets running in Mainstage for years, and, I often got compliments on my sound. But the finger to key to ear connection I get with the Rhodes just wasn't there. After the band started using my studio as a rehearsal space, and I started playing it on our material, the band told me they'd always help me move it if I brought it to gigs. So I have for the last 5 years or so. We only gig once a month or so. I have a handtruck, and the only help I need is to set it on the stand, and carry it onto stage if there's stairs.

 

I have a Korg Grandstage that has a perfectly fine Rhodes sound (and, imho, a terrific Wurly), and I'll take it to gigs where the Rhodes doesn't make sense, but it just doesn't feel the same.

[Mighty Motif Max]

13 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

23 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

I’m currently 22.

You've accumulated more equipment @ 22 then i have over a lifefime, and I'm 3 times your age.  I also did regional touring and still havent purchased that much stuff. Theorizing that i grew up in the analog age and using a rhodes, wurli, cp70, hammond/leslie and prophet 5 i never felt the need to upgrade keyboards as they all hit the target until they started becoming to heavy/bulky to move else i'd probably still be using them...

I think part of it for me is that I started playing piano when I was about two years old, and was doing some gigs by age 8, so there was always this idea of trying to improve and get better/more proficient, whether that being in technique or in gear. And for me, also, growing up with one of those fancy Clavinova CVP units with tons of instrument sounds and such, I ended up being fascinated with all sorts of timbres and ways of making music. Took up accordion at age 8, pipe organ at 12, percussion at 14, guitar at 16, drums at 18, etc etc, and a lot of gear comes along with that. I also tend to buy almost exclusively used and will wait years for a good enough deal, so I've managed to cover most of the gear expenses with gig money through the years. I bought my first synth in 2015 and my Motif in 2016, and it went up from there. If I thought I could have a stable career in music, I would have gone to school for that. Instead, I study accounting so I can afford gear down the road...with a music minor so I can keep improving. Numbers and finance admin is the career direction, but music is my life deep down...that's how I tend to think about it, anyways.

[AnotherScott]

6 hours ago, Sam Mullins said:

I have a cheap Arzopa 15" monitor that runs off single USB-C (with power) and a small logitech wirelesss keyboard with built-in mouse pad.  More setup than a mac laptop but in some ways better; it lets me easily mount the screen above my keyboards using a tablet holder.  I'm using Mainstage and display chord charts/lyrics so having it right in front of me is best.  

 

Yeah, laptop logistics are awkward compared to tablets. If I were assembling that kind of system, ideally, I think I'd use a Macbook in clamshell mode, and use an iPad running Logic Remote for real-time access. Pricier way to go, though.

[Mididude]

20 hours ago, kpl1228 said:

Just turned 60.

Roland RD 2000, Mojo61, Motif XF7. JBL powered cabinet. All good boards to use at a gig, but the Motif covers most of it, and with 76 keys, gives me full keyboard options. 4 space rack that I have lately questioned why I even bother (EQ, reverb, mixer, power supply). In a flight case which makes me REALLY question it, though to be fair, it's usually only one or two keyboards at a gig.

We are creatures of habit, and I just can't see myself going M-Audio with wallwarts and crappy keyboard action. Plastic to me is cheap and chintzy.

I'm also considering what 5 octave polysynth I "need." No one cares about this stuff at a gig but me, so why do I think this? Please make it stop. 

 

 

Exploit that big Yamaha, like I think you implied.  Thin down the rig.  I think it's something Matt Johnson might do.  :-).  Especially if he were schlepping it all himself.  

[niacin]

Age 54.

 

Festival/lightweight gigs (cause I might have to walk a distance):

Hammond SK-1 (7kg) in a backpack, kids size single brace x-stand, EV Everse-8 (7kg) if I have to take my own amplification.  I’ll find a chair/stool when i get there.

- I have an SKpro-61 but have hung on to the SK-1 cause it’s smaller and lighter.  1 trip from the car.  Nothing over 7kg.

 

Jazz/Funk/Blues/Soul gigs:

2-manual Hammond SKXpro, heavy duty mixer stand, Yamaha DHR12, folding bench.  

- The SKXpro recessed handle in the middle of the back panel is genius.   If I need some serious firepower add a Line6 L3t in a rolling drum case.  2/3 trips from the car.  Nothing over 20kg.

 

Tribute/pop gigs:

Korg Vox Continental-73, Hammond SKpro-61, pre-wired pedalboard in a large suitcase, 4u rack, K&M 18880 stand with 2nd tier, folding bench, IEMs, box of leads et al.

- 3 trips from the car.  Nothing over 10kg.

[wd8dky]

I'm 61 with cancer, so I've had to scale back. 

 

Church rig: Kurzweil PC4-7 with pedalboard (Neo Vent II, expression pedal, volume pedal) 

Monitor: Mackie SRM-150

 

One trip in or out. 

[Delaware Dave]

9 hours ago, wd8dky said:

I'm 61 with cancer, so I've had to scale back. 

 

Church rig: Kurzweil PC4-7 with pedalboard (Neo Vent II, expression pedal, volume pedal) 

Monitor: Mackie SRM-150

 

One trip in or out. 

 

Funny, last few shows for me have been Forte7 and the Vent.  The Forte covers all of the sounds I need and the Vent fixes the leslie issue of the Forte.  Previously was neck and neck with the drummer being the last one to leave, last two gigs I'm the first one out the door.  Digging that.....

[Stokely]

As an aside, your comment reminded me....we just got a new drummer.

Holy crap does he set up and especially tear down fast.

My rig is likewise a single keyboard and I'd have to bust ass to beat him and he has a regular size kit.   Granted our sound guy does the mics and cables, while I have mine to gather up and pack, but still....  Then there are family-friendly gigs where his wife and two teenage kids form what looks like a rehearsed team to pack up and load up his stuff, it's like vultures descending on a carcasse in the Serengeti.  

I can feel it...the pull to go back to two keyboards.  I love the simple load-in and setup, but I also enjoy having that second board there for flexibility.  Plus the one I want is a complement to gaps in my main one.   If I do, at some point the cycle will begin anew and I'll go back to one again.  Three is right out, borrowing from Monty Python (of course, that was "Five" but who's counting)

[jazzpiano88]

As we age, I think it is key to avoid injuries due to gravity.    That's falls, fractures, hernias, and back injuries.

Do not put yourself in the position of being injured.   Always get assistance or let some younger guy climb the ladder or lift the equipment.  Never allow yourself to become immobilized. if possible.

 

After 60, we're one hospital stay away from the grave.    And that's not just from the primary injury.   Half the time, the secondary infection/illness is what kills you.  It's in the medical literature.

 

Then there's the old adage, "he died of a hangnail".   Ignored the pain, developed an infection,  was sent home with antibiotics, became immobile, and died of a pulmonary embolism. 

 

Or "died of a sprained ankle".   Couldn't cook due to the pain getting around with the walker.   Died of a fall due to fainting brought on by hypoglycemia secondary to diet.