Gig Bag and Public Transport

barkjohnson · Post by **barkjohnson** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 11:08 pm

Hi All,

New to the forum, thinking about buying an SV-1, love the sound and feel but am wondering about some logistical issues vis a vis transport, and I thought someone here might have some advice on the matter. I live in NYC and don't own a car so would be primarily using public transportation, seems like the weight of the SV-1 might be at the threshold of what is reasonable to lug around the city, especially if carrying an amp also. Anyone have any experience with this? Any solutions other than cabbing it? I've seen that fusion-bags makes an SV-1 case with shoulder straps (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc72lGQsKM0), anyone ever used one of these? 40lbs on one's back for any length of time doesn't seem that great either, but at least it would free up hands for carry other gear. Anyway, thought I would ask, maybe someones figured out a good solution. I guess the other option would be a nord electro which is definitely light enough, but I honesty don't love the their non-organ sounds, and they are considerable more expensive.

Best,

BJ

javaj · Post by **javaj** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 11:58 pm

Forget about it- you are carying an amp?? It's too heavy- don't even bother. I am not even using it due to the weight anymore live- it is purely for my home enjoyment (and looks so sexy in my home studio so I don't care- it won't get scratched there). Even the rolling case from Korg won't last if you take it on a sidewalk (one stone and the wheels will lock- grinding a nice flat spot on the wheels). Seriously is not meant to be walked round NYC with.

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:21 pm

I use my SV-1 for live gigs, but only if I know the sound system will be excellent. The EP sounds are great in mono, but I find that the acoustic pianos only sound good in stereo, so it's a compromise there. The SV1 works pretty well with my Bose L1 system, but that's at least three trips from the car, and I find I use my old Kawai ES4 for most gigs since it has decent speakers onboard and is very easy to set up, no amp needed.

If carrying your keyboard around to gigs in NYC is important, I'd look pretty seriously at something with decent interior speakers that can suffice for smaller coffeehouses and clubs -- the Korg SP270 (or the discontinued SP250), or the Kawai ES7 or their newer (cheaper, lighter, but quieter) ES100. Neither really has the best-in-class electric piano sounds, but they're perfectly usable; and the acoustic piano samples are extremely good. Then you've only got the board, the stand, and a bench to worry about.

oy5t3h · Post by **oy5t3h** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:11 am

Casio PX5S is the best 88-note piano-weighted keyboard available if weight/luggability is important.

The Acoustic Pianos are great, Wurli's good also. I wasn't blown away by the Rhodes (compared to my SV-1 anyway), but lots of others (including Joe Sample - search on YouTube) seem happy to use them. No internal speakers, though, so you'll still need an amp - although when I say "amp" I would strongly advise against buying anything sold as a keyboard amp, as they are universally poor - particularly for Acoustic Piano. Get a Active PA speaker, like the Yamaha DXR8/DXR10, or the EV ZXA1.

barkjohnson · Post by **barkjohnson** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:16 pm

Yeah makes sense, thanks for the replies. Around here it seems like everyone uses nords. Can't say I love them, but I see why they are so popular at 15lbs.

BJ

djcactus · Post by **djcactus** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:20 am

Cabbing it isn't the worst option, depends on how many gigs you get lined up on a regular basis.

Low Class · Post by **Low Class** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 3:27 pm

Sold my SV1 for the Casio PX5S. Better pianos, better action, lighter weight. The factory EP's are okay, but there are some downloads on the Casio Forum with some outstanding EP's.