How to stand

[St0rMl0rD]

What do you think is better, having the keyboard set up to look at the stage, or to the audience?

[Spacehog]

You should have keyboards facing both sides of the stage, and the audience, and ideally also backwards at the roadies. That way you can look at everyone :) This is where only having one keyboard makes you look really lame onstage (unless you've got a cool turny thing like Jordan). You ideally need at least 8 keyboards onstage, 10 is better.

Martin

[Kirby]

I saw Yes yesterday, Mr. Rick Wakeman had more than 10 Keyboards, including 2 Minimoogs. That was cool!

[maJ estY]

You either use two keyboards, one set up to the stage and one set up to the audience, or you use a single keyboard and let StandBuilder build a stand for you! ;)

[Spacehog]

I saw Yes yesterday, Mr. Rick Wakeman had more than 10 Keyboards, including 2 Minimoogs. That was cool!

Yeah, Rick uses 11 at the moment, but he has them so spaced out that it's about 3 strides to get from one side of the rig to the other ;-)

Jan, you just described Neal's Transatlantic setup... with the obsessively bouncing keyboard stands (if there was ever an advert for not using single braced X-frames, there it is :D). Tomas Bodin also has his set up like that.

I currently have two X-frames and an Ultimate column stand, although hope to be getting a 2nd column stand soon as the X-frames aren't ideal (to play stood up you have to have them quite narrow which isn't stable).

Martin

[ChrisMcCoy]

You could always compromise and setup facing into the stage rather than to the stage front or to the stage back. (At a 90 degree angle to the drummer) This is how I set up. It gives me a bird's eye view of the entire band and the audience simultaneously.
C.

[TritonuS]

Yep, that's how I usually do it, at the side of the stage, my right side facing the audience. It's looks cool and is also handy if the stage is small.

[lighthouse]

Yep, that's how I usually do it, at the side of the stage, my right side facing the audience. It's looks cool and is also handy if the stage is small.


You got it!, I usually do the same but with my left side facing tha audience

[St0rMl0rD]

and what if someone (like me) has only one keyboard? ;)

[Spacehog]

Then go out and buy more keyboards :D I only had one for a bit, then got a 2nd, and now suddenly I have four. ;)

Martin

[King_Ellesar]

pardon a possible stupid question, but:

Why have more than one keyboard, really? Is it mostly for show? Cuz if you have the right keyboard, you can just get rackmounts if you want and program all you need yourself? am i wrong? or is mulitiple keyboards a good supplement for not having a single keyboard, like the K2600x or the Korg Triton Extreme, that can do most of it?.......just curious

[Spacehog]

Depends on the type of person you are... if you want configuration nightmares and to spend more time programming than actually playing, then fair enough, go for one keyboard and a rack full of modules. For those of us who are more interested in playing than programming, multiple keyboards mean that we can get more than one sound going on at once without programming splits, can have more sounds instantly accessible, and can concentrate on the notes we play, not on pressing the right button or pedal at exactly the right time to get to the next sound. Personally speaking, I have four keyboards, which gives me instant access (per setup - I can program up to 60 multi-setups per board) to a total of 64 patches, all a single button press away.

There are also some keyboard sounds that you can *not* duplicate on a module or a sampler or workstation keyboard or whatever. The Minimoog is the classic example, nothing sounds even close to one, and you can't exactly turn around and tweak filters etc very quickly while playing, which you can if you have the board right in front of you. A hammond organ as well, you need drawbars and a waterfall action to play proper hammond parts, which needs an extra board (I know the Kurz has the mock drawbars on the KB3 mode, but it doesn't sound very authentic IMO).

So no, it's not just for show, obviously show / ease of use is a contributory factor, but it's also getting the right sounds for the right songs, with the right key feel. Personally, I'd like to add an analogue monosynth (Moog Voyager), something VA (Ion?) or an Andromeda, a hammond clone, a proper weighted digital piano and either a Nord Electro or a V-Combo to my rig, I'd be quite happy with that setup.

Martin

[St0rMl0rD]

Yeah, i have to go with Spacehog...I really don't like programming at all, although I am working with PC and everything, but I'd really like to have everything available at any time...Because if you mess up when changing the sounds, there's almost no turning back.... :cry:

[lighthouse]

I agree, cause I also like different keyweights for some sounds, for example, I`ll go for weighted keys for piano (acustic and electric) of course, waterfall for hammond and a light feel for leads and pads!

[ChrisMcCoy]

Then go out and buy more keyboards :D I only had one for a bit, then got a 2nd, and now suddenly I have four. ;)

Martin

Agree with you there. I tried to consolidate everything to 1 board, and it just didn't feel right. Having the 2nd (or 3rd) board gives you the flexibility to control multiple modules from different boards. To me that helps tremendously in a live situation.

[Lyngs]

Let's not forget THE most important thing - having more keyboards look cooler! 8)

[lighthouse]

ohhhhh yeahhhh!!!

[Deceit]

No words.
Just a cooooooool man.
http://www.dreamtheater.art.pl/old/gfx/galeria/ex/p_exdt_5.jpg
Italian: Quanto è tamarro quest'uomo.
Leopard skin and lavalamps forever,
Deceit.

[John]

One word . . .


KEYTAR*


* with wireless midi.