How many keyboards for playing out live

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 10:27 pm

Usually just my Kronos 73 since I like to have it on my rotating stand. Sometimes I'll add my King Korg to the right of it in an "L" shape. Sometimes at my friends house for jams I'll use his 3 tier QuikLoc stand and have his King Korg as well as his Moog Little Phatty. It all just depends on how lazy I am at the time. Too lazy. Not many keyboards. Waaaaaaay back in the 70's, I used a Fender Rhodes with a Roland RS-202 on top, and to the right a Crumar Organizer with my MiniKorg on top of that. In the 80's I used several different rigs depending on the band. For a 4 month house band gig I had my Rhodes, a Polysix, my Minikorg, an EX-800, DX-7, Crumar DS-2, and for the life of me I can't remember the 7th one.

In the early 90's, my DX-7, a Roland U-20, and a Korg M3R midied to my DX-7.

ErnstDabest · Post by **ErnstDabest** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 10:33 pm

........ Yanni says, however amount gets the job done !!!

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:14 pm

Yanni's is cool but this is more to my taste! I think it might be my age showing again!

laandodeman · Post by **laandodeman** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 6:52 am

Korg Kronos + Moog Voyager

Derek Cook · Post by **Derek Cook** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:30 am

Yamaha EX5 and Korg Kronos (with FC300 Foot Controller extra switches/pedals)

The Kronos replaced from my last rig: Nord G2, Motif Rack ES and a laptop running NI B4II

I'm looking at replacing the EX5 with a Montage (or similar top end keyboard from another manufacturer), but only because it is time to retire the EX5 from gigging duties.

Why two boards? In Welsh Floyd I do a lot of jumping about between different sounds, and whilst I do switch within songs (and between) using the foot controller, sometimes it is better to have multiple sounds mapped out across two boards.

Why not a Kronos and a MIDI controller? If one board goes down, I need something that makes sounds to get me through the gig.

JPROBERTLA · Post by **JPROBERTLA** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:52 am

I have used as many as five, but now just the K 2-88. I would really like to have a 61 or 73 waterfall key non-weighted controller that is small, light and has a very high quality keybed, but I can't find one. Sometimes even 88 does not give you enough space for practical splits and it would be nice to play organ on a non-weighted keyboard.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:56 pm

jeremykeys wrote:Yanni's is cool but this is more to my taste! I think it might be my age showing again!

those were great days. Fortunately, the boards have greatly improved over the past 30-40 years and the rig can be minimized

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:45 pm

JPROBERTLA wrote:I have used as many as five, but now just the K 2-88. I would really like to have a 61 or 73 waterfall key non-weighted controller that is small, light and has a very high quality keybed, but I can't find one. Sometimes even 88 does not give you enough space for practical splits and it would be nice to play organ on a non-weighted keyboard.

How about an older Nord Electro or a Hammond SK1? I used that latter one for a while and kinda liked it.

SteelBreeze · Post by **SteelBreeze** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:32 pm

Kronos X73 and Nord Stage EX compact on the top. Killer duo.

JPROBERTLA · Post by **JPROBERTLA** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:24 pm

SanderExpander:

How about an older Nord Electro or a Hammond SK1? I used that latter one for a while and kinda liked it.

I thought about the Nord because of its weight and back-up sound source capability, but can't find one around here. Don't buy keyboards I can't see/play first.
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Falcon2e · Post by **Falcon2e** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:42 pm

Currently - K2 61 & Nord Stage 2 73. Lots of complex splits & zones with both keyboards. New technology makes our jobs so much easier.

Canoehead · Post by **Canoehead** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:45 pm

Kronos 2-61 and Studiologic VMK 161 Organ controller.

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:13 am

Falcon2e wrote:. Lots of complex splits & zones with both keyboards. New technology makes our jobs so much easier.

Unless of course you accidentally hit your set list advance pedal in the wrong part of a song! Not saying that I've ever done that though. Nope! Not me! Never! Ever! Really. Never ever happened. Not even more than once maybe!

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 7:33 am

I used to prefer a setup of an 88 key weighted and a 61 synth action key..

Currently i think the kronos 88 is a good enough trade off to play fast organ and synth parts, making it the perfect all in one solution....

chris · Post by **chris** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:00 am

Kronos 1 + Nord Lead 2x.
Different analog style.