Touring with Yamaha GX1... how did that work out!!!

[J.F.N.]

We all know that Keith Emerson travelled with his, apparently so did ABBA and Led Zeppelin as well, talk about high risk project!

 

From what I have read about this baby (I have had the privilege to have access to many of the legendary machines people dream about today, including CS80 et al, but I have never seen this one in real life) it is extremely fragile and temperature sensitive, it weighs like a small car and is the size of one too.

 

On top of that, even if all of the above definitely had large productions with serious budgets on the road, there's no way they could lug a second one as a backup!

 

How did they do it, and what was their backup plan?

 

I'd love to hear more about this, anyone here have any stories or firsthand experience?

 

 

[ABECK]

Didn't someone create a cooling system (pipes and water?) for the CS-80?  I really shouldn't complain about an extra cable for my iPad.

[sunspot]

The wikipedia article for the GX-1 has a little more detail:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_GX-1

 

Keith Emerson said it took 8 roadies to move it:

 

https://www.soundonsound.com/people/keith-emersons-keyboard-clearout

 

John Paul Jones used it live at the 1979 Knebworth Festival, you can see it in action here:

 

 

[David Emm]

2 hours ago, ABECK said:

Didn't someone create a cooling system (pipes and water?) for the CS-80?  I really shouldn't complain about an extra cable for my iPad.

 

I BELIEVE it was The Band's Garth Hudson who had his modified. IIRC, again, 'American Scientific Supply' offered a metal tube of oil that maintained a steady temperature with only a couple of degrees of variance from end to end. Attached to the base of the oscillator cards, it kept the $#@! tuning stable, so the ol' CS became a lot more tour-able. One of you may have more detail to offer, but I think that was the deal. A wonderful instrument to have in SOFTWARE! 

[Old No7]

2 hours ago, ABECK said:

Didn't someone create a cooling system (pipes and water?) for the CS-80?  I really shouldn't complain about an extra cable for my iPad.

 

Related info -- as it had many keyboards (but not the keyboards that WE all use) -- I recall back in the early 80's that our massive IBM mainframe was down and they couldn't get it back up WITHOUT A PLUMBER!  Turns out it was water-cooled to control the internal temperature and it was red-lining due to a small leak (which would have created its own other issues...) so they had to shut it down until it was repaired.

 

Oh, and don't ever splash beer on the hot tube of a hot-rodded Leslie Speaker amp!  (Luckily, only one tube was damaged -- it was mine, but it wasn't me who did it...)

 

Old No7

[J.F.N.]

This story contains quite an interesting episode concerning the transportation of a GX1 overseas...

 

"With 135 discrete circuit boards and what looks like 100 miles of point‑to‑point wiring, I wouldn't suggest that any sane person move a GX1 from the dining room to the living room!"

 

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-gx1-synthesizer-part-1

 

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-gx1-synthesizer-part-2

 

[The Despicable MC]

Keith said it took eight roadies to lift his GX-1.  A tech toured with ELP who kept the GX-1 running, same tech invented an auto tuning system that kept it in tune.

And yes it was Garth Hudson's CS-80 that had the cooling modification but it wasn't liquid cooled it was some kind of copper tube designed to be thermal conductive.  It did the job, but unfortunately the CS-80 was stolen when the band played NYC.

[AnotherScott]

42 minutes ago, The Real MC said:

unfortunately the CS-80 was stolen when the band played NYC.

 

Artist's rendering of the perp...

 

[J.F.N.]

4 hours ago, The Real MC said:

Keith said it took eight roadies to lift his GX-1.  A tech toured with ELP who kept the GX-1 running, same tech invented an auto tuning system that kept it in tune.

And yes it was Garth Hudson's CS-80 that had the cooling modification but it wasn't liquid cooled it was some kind of copper tube designed to be thermal conductive.  It did the job, but unfortunately the CS-80 was stolen when the band played NYC.

 

@AnotherScott has a great point, who decides to grab a CS-80 and walk away with it... hahaha, even the CS-60 is a b#tch to lug.