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GigMan

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  1. I wound up buying the Kurzweil PC4 - great 'board w/a nice overall light weight, yet a decent playing action. Some really nice sounds in it - but I would have to say my Yamaha MoFX8 gives it a run for the money as far as Fender Rhodes & Clavinet sounds!
  2. KingConga - Thx for the suggestion but I'm looking for simplicity/portability - like an "all-in-one" keyboard such as the Kurzweil PC4 or PC4 SE - without having to drag a laptop around, and without having to bring a sound module and connect to a MIDI controller. I did that years ago - used a Kurzweil MicroPiano, controlled by an Ensoniq KS-32. It got the job done but these days I'd prefer the simplicity of just 1 keyboard - for certain gigs. I can get a new Kurzweil PC4SE for $1,500 - I don't think that's unreasonable for a high quality instrument. I play almost 100 gigs a year, so it would pay for itself pretty quickly... I have a day job as in IT support in an NJ public school district, so I don't play full-time - if I did, I'd shoot for 200 gigs a year!! ha ha - -
  3. Looking to replace my 13 yr. Roland RD300GX, which has served me well on hundreds of gigs over the years - 1 keyboard setup gigs. For bigger gigs where I bring 2 keyboards (weddings, banquets, parties - ie, NOT cramped bar gigs), I use a Yamaha MoFX8 & a Korg Kronos 61. Considering purchase of a Kurzweil PC4 - nice light weight/portability, variety of good sounds, lots of physical controls (faders, "hard buttons," etc.) that eliminates menu-diving for simple tasks (layering, splits, etc.). I am aware that Kurzweil has a reputation for "reliability issues" but I am willing to assume that risk. I am also eyeing up the Kurzweil PC4 SE as a cheaper but viable alternative - which looks to have the exact same keybed/action and mostly the same sounds? - - for a lot less money (about $800 difference from my vendor). One MAJOR difference which kind of matters to me is after-touch: the PC4 has it, the PC4 SE does NOT have it. Not sure if should be the tipping point for me or not, as I would ONLY want to employ after-touch on a few sounds here and there... but it is really nice to have when you want to use it. Looking for opinions - esp. from anyone has played both, or owns one vs. the other (PC4 vs. PC4 SE) - - thx
  4. Has anyone tried/used/purchase the Kurzweil PC4 SE? Wondering what your opinions are - thx
  5. I have a Korg Kronos 61 with the wooden endcaps - purchased new in June 2016 for $2,500. It has broken keys at the top end of the key bed - I have brought it in for repair to a Korg authorized electronics shop, Triple S Electronics in Bloomfield, NJ. I am awaiting the estimate - but wondering how much I should be willing to spend on repairing it? I am a gigging musician, my keyboards come out to gigs with me and get used "in the field" - I am not a stay-at-home and noodle in the basement type. I need good sounds at my fingertips for various types of gigs: bars/restaurants, concerts in the park, private parties, weddings, etc... I use it on the gigs where I am bringing out 2 keyboards & love the sounds in it - but I don't have THAT many 2 keyboard gigs lined up presently. At a lot of the gigs I can get away with just 1 keyboard & a smaller "sound pallet." I am thinking that if they have to replace the WHOLE keybed on the Korg Kronos it may be expensive - but I think I am willing to put up to $1,500 or $1,600 into the repair if it comes out in perfect working condition. A used Korg Kronos 61 seems to be over 2K! I know that I could buy a brand new Korg Krome EX 61 (which probably has very good sounds as well, though not quite Kronos-quality) for under 1K - but I think the keyboard action on the Krome is kind of nasty, if I remember correctly. I could even get a Roland Juno-DS 61 for about 8 bills - which I think has some real good sounds in it. I am wondering what others would do in my situation - and how much would you be willing to spend to fix the Korg Kronos?
  6. I wound up buying the Ultimate Support Apex Plus with the built in mic. boom Am still considering buying the OnStage KS7292 double-braced, double tier X stand as well - just for comparison. You only live once - and I play out (gigs) often enough that spending a few hundred bucks for 2 brand-new 2 tier stands - doesn't really phase me! lol
  7. Actually - just noticed that my Harmony Central profile sez I joined as an HC member in 2002, NOT 2012 - wooooooaaaaahhhh... Holy crap, that's 19 years ago!?
  8. Who here uses a 2 tier kybd. stand for gigging, what do you use and how do you like it? I don't use 2 kybds. on every gig but when I do, I use either my old Ultimate Support Apex (from the late 80's!) or a double braced X style "ProLine" 2 tier stand I bought at Guitar Wanker - when my 2 tier Quik Lok stand broke on me. In fact, I have had 2 Quik Lok 2 tier stands break on me in my lifetime - the upper arms are height adjustable but the pieces wear out. The ProLine is a decent stand but does NOT have hight-adjustable 2nd tier arms. I KNOW that the X style stands are more solid than the Apex/column stands, less "bounce" when playing - so I did recently consider buying this one and wondering if anyone here uses it: - since it does have adjustable height on the 2nd tier arms. But I have found that those style stands are bulky to move into buildings, especially when they are laying on my Rock+Roller Gig Cart and the legs stick out JUST ENOUGH to get caught in doorways of narrow halls in hotels or kitchens of banquet rooms, or tiny little pathways of crowded bars when trying to plow through a crowd of people and not bang into them! lol For a BRIEF HOT MINUTE I also considered this one too: ...as it has GREAT reviews - and has nice space under the legs to put my 2 sustain pedals. But I can NOT in good conscience pay over $400 bucks for a keyboard stand, that would haunt me for the rest of my days! ha ha So now I am upgrading to the current model of Ultimate Support Apex Plus w/the built in mic. boom arm: ...because of the low-profile it has on stage - I am a short guy & trying to peer over the 2 tiered X stands to see the band and the audience has always been tricky, especially with a music stand and lyrics book there as well (which I wound up putting off to the side at a less convenient viewing angle). I will use iPad from now on & leave the music stand at home - but even so, the low profile of the Apex Plus and the convenient "fold it up into itself" carrying method appeals to me. Even though the sustain pedal situation will be a pain - I'll have to lean them against the right Tri-Bar leg or stick them sideways in front of the Tri-bar legs. Anyway - Just curious to hear about what 2 tier stands you gigging keyboard players are using these days!
  9. Any Roland DS88 users out there? I'm sure you can answer this easily: Does the DS88 have the ability to use faders to control a bass line in the left hand side of the Split and then 2 different parts in a Dual Layer in the right hand side above the Split Point - the way my RD300GX does? My Roland RD300GX digital piano is still great for 1-keyboard gigs with NOT a need for a large sound pallet: Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Strings, a Generic Saw Wave Synth Sound, a few Passable Organs, etc... for BIGGER gigs needing a wider sound pallet, I use a Yamaha MoX8 with a Korg Kronos 61 - great combination of sounds. But I do still like using the Roland RD300GX for 1-keyboard gigs, esp. if I am called upon to do Left Hand Bass, because I can Split the RD300GX easily by pressing the specific key where I want the split point. - and then I can Layer 2 sounds together in a Dual Layer thing on the fly, above the Split Point. And there's 3 faders marked Lower and Upper 1. Upper 2 that let me control volume of all 3 of these parts COMPLETELY on the fly. The DS88 has a much bigger sound pallet and does have Split and Dual buttons - but it only has 2 Faders marked Upper and Lower, so I think if you do a Split, you only get 1 sound on the left of the Split and 1 sound on the right. And if the faders are marked Lower and Upper then you can't control 2 different sounds in a Layer above the Split point. So I do NOT think the DS88 does have the ability to use faders to control a bass line in a Split and then 2 different parts in a Dual Layer, controlling the volume of ALL 3 PARTS AT THE SAME TIME - the way my RD300GX does. Someone please prove me wrong? Thx
  10. I too am an OLD member (joined 2012) - just have not been here in a while, looks like my last post was 5 yrs. ago! Outkaster - do I remember correctly that you are in NJ, like me?
  11. Originally posted by theradvocate personally I consider john Paul Jones, enwhistle, and McCartney as the elite bass players (obviously specifically in rock pop) ... all players have every bit of technical ability as anyone but the tact and appreciation for the construction of a bass line withing a song is unparralelled ... john paul jones might be the most underatted bassists/musician in that respect (and of course the key players on this board should really appreciate his keys ability) I agree about Sir Paul and JPJ - Entwhistle, however... I always thought he was too busy for a bass plyr. Then again, I didn't like Keith Moon's drumming - also thought it too busy or sloppy (esp. as compared to Bonham), so I guess they were a good match (Entwhistle & Moon) for eachother!
  12. Originally posted by chrisgil im gonna be watchin one of my all time favourite bassists play guitar for most the concert next year. Genesis at Twickenham Cant wait. best news of the year. Would that be Mike Rutherford?
  13. Originally posted by 303face Kool from Kool and The Gang. ...oh yeah - Robert "Kool" Bell is a good bassman, forgot all about him! Also that guy from Sly & Family Stone who pretty much originated/invented/defined the "spanking" or popping style of bass playing - as practiced by Flea today from RHCP - was it "Larry Graham"??
  14. Originally posted by kooki_sf +1 for the squarepusher "squarepusher" - - what means this...?? - -
  15. Will Lee Tony Levin Leland Sklar Marcus Miller Flea John Paul Jones Duck Dunn James Jamerson
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