88 vs less

[aron]

Interesting threads re: 88 notes vs less. From what I have seen HERE, most piano players use 88 keys - but mostly on a stage piano variant. They rarely use synth sounds and mainly play piano or Rhodes. These guys will do mostly jazz gigs around here.

For the most part, the regularly gigging musicians in Hawaii are not using 88 note keyboards. They are using multiple 61 or maybe a 76.

I know the argument is that the 88 note keyboard is "only" so many pounds more than the others, but there is way more to just the difference in weight. When Yamaha changed the size of the S90 to the S90ES, it could no longer fit sideways into my car. I had to start putting it in the front seat. This meant, I had to pull the car out of parking spaces to put it in the front seat. It was painful.

Not only that, the hard core guys have the 88 in flight cases. This is extremely heavy. When you play a lot of gigs in festivals etc... you have a very short window of setup time. Rushing when carrying a heavy case is just asking for back trouble. When I was lugging my S90ES around in the gig bag, I felt it in my shoulders and back.

All that being said, most piano players will want 88 keys and for that, I am glad the Kross, the PX-5S and the Juno DS88 exist. Otherwise the 55 pound+ monsters are very difficult to carry around.

Of course when I have backline, all that goes out the window - give me 88!

[Rashk]

For me 49 keys are enough, but on the side I'm not a professional keyboarder.

[GregC]

Interesting threads re: 88 notes vs less. From what I have seen HERE, most piano players use 88 keys - but mostly on a stage piano variant. They rarely use synth sounds and mainly play piano or Rhodes. These guys will do mostly jazz gigs around here.

For the most part, the regularly gigging musicians in Hawaii are not using 88 note keyboards. They are using multiple 61 or maybe a 76.

I know the argument is that the 88 note keyboard is "only" so many pounds more than the others, but there is way more to just the difference in weight. When Yamaha changed the size of the S90 to the S90ES, it could no longer fit sideways into my car. I had to start putting it in the front seat. This meant, I had to pull the car out of parking spaces to put it in the front seat. It was painful.

Not only that, the hard core guys have the 88 in flight cases. This is extremely heavy. When you play a lot of gigs in festivals etc... you have a very short window of setup time. Rushing when carrying a heavy case is just asking for back trouble. When I was lugging my S90ES around in the gig bag, I felt it in my shoulders and back.

All that being said, most piano players will want 88 keys and for that, I am glad the Kross, the PX-5S and the Juno DS88 exist. Otherwise the 55 pound+ monsters are very difficult to carry around.

Of course when I have backline, all that goes out the window - give me 88!

Haven't gigged in some decades.

I think I would prefer an 88 ( Kronos) with a simple backup.

It seems better to split zones, even use the sequencer if I needed more real estate.

To stack 3 or 4 boards on stands is a lot of work and seems to be a throwback to the 70's.

I don't expect much agreement

[michelkeijzers]

For 25 years I always used 61 keys, once a 76 (non weighted).
Also except for the first few years, I used always two keyboards, to remove split problems.

However, since last year I have one 88 since I noticed it's nicer to play piano, and having even less split problems. And I also play now regularly non-piano sounds on the 88 keyboard.

Btw, my 88 keyboard is a StudioLogic Acuna 88, very light, and my other is a Kronos 61 (all sounds come from this beast). And I only have to buy a new next-generation Kronos for 61 keys and still be able to use 88 keys .

[GregC]

For 25 years I always used 61 keys, once a 76 (non weighted).
Also except for the first few years, I used always two keyboards, to remove split problems.

However, since last year I have one 88 since I noticed it's nicer to play piano, and having even less split problems. And I also play now regularly non-piano sounds on the 88 keyboard.

Btw, my 88 keyboard is a StudioLogic Acuna 88, very light, and my other is a Kronos 61 (all sounds come from this beast). And I only have to buy a new next-generation Kronos for 61 keys and still be able to use 88 keys .

And I can't imagine Korg doing a " Montage Midi " on their Kronos successor

[Bachus]

Perfect would be a Kronos with 2 keybeds...

76 key synthaction waterfall on top
76 key weighted piano action at the lower..

76 key lower piano keybed only because i think an 88 key lower keybed would make the instrument to chuncky...


Maybe they could add real drawbars and some arranger stuff from the pa series and call it the "Korgan Aione"