Hitman,

One of the things that is important to me is portability. While having a 76 key controller drive a 61 key keyboard is sn alternative for some, to me it is not very appealing.

I used to gig with two keyboards, but found that:

1. Having an extra keyboard means an extra trip from the car to the stage, and back

2. It means having to use more space in the car, that I don't always have

3. With 2 keyboards you need to use a two-tier stand, and although I have one, I find it much more cumbersome to carry, set up, and break down. It also feels less sturdy.

4. Having two keyboards in front of me prevents me from seeing my audience very well, especially if I use a music stand to put up the notes. For smaller, more intimate gigs having a physically large setup is also inappropriate. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img]

5. It takes longer to set up, having to plug both instruments into power sources, audio cables, pedals, MIDI from one to another. Also longer time to do the sound check. All of this adds up to extra time, which becomes a big deal if I am doing a 1 hr gig at, say, a nursing home. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img]

6. Most importantly for me, there are ergonomic issues when you play a keyboard, but have to reach over to the other keyboard to change settings, such as style variations, sounds, tempos, etc. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img] [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/frown.gif[/img]

None of these issues are insurmountable, and some people do use multiple keyboards to gig with. However, to me this is enough of a hassle to stay away from. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Hence, I prefer an all-in-one solution, such as G70. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/wink.gif[/img]

I also would have liked to have built-in speakers for monitoring, or using for small, intimate settings, but that's another story.

Regards,
Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K (edited 08-07-2006).]