I've been talking recently to others about keyboards, and the issue of weight has come up quite often. I don't understand what everyone is complaining about with the external plugs some makers offer. I don't see what the point is in griping. Everyone want's a lighter keyboard, and when the makers make them lighter by making the power supply external, they really cut down on the weight. I could just imagine if my PSR-550 had that power supply built in.. With the weight of the keyboard, power supply, and (6) D batteries installed, that thing would be quite heavy. I think it was a good move by the industry to do this. They make them lighter, yet so many people still complain... Keyboards today are nothing like what they weighed 25-30 years ago. So quit complaining, enjoy the music, and enjoy life.

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 11-24-2003).]

Squeak-d. It doesn't make any difference about the weight of a keyboard.. when you leave it home! But it does if you "gig" and are old! I would like a PSR9000 board, but couldn't carry it! Just my opinion, which I hav'nt given to anyone but you
Keith W. Bailey

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If you carry the powers supply in the same case as the kb ( and, you should )... then you are carting the same weight anyway !

I'm afraid many companies add weight to their keyboards just to make them seem more substantial. Clavia is a counter-example: their 4-octave NordLead2X weighs 11 lbs; and their 6-octave NordElectro73 weighs 22 lbs. Unfortunately, I don't think they are planning an arranger.

I hope they make AR Kb's even lighter in the future comparable to controler Kb's in the 10/12 lb range. And that goes for speakers/amps also!
Gig'n nightly & lightweight go hand in hand!

Lighten Up!

When discussing keyboard weight, nobody appears to mention quality. If its made light then usually the case is thin plastic and the keys are low quality. My present board 9KPro has a steel frame base and excellent high quality keys, So this is bound to make it heavy.
I completely agree weight is important when you are out gigging because of carrying and setting up, but please lets not keep asking for lighter boards or they may finish up being made of cardboard...Ha!!!

Graham UK

[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 11-24-2003).]

Graham.... Agreed.. BUT.....needs are needs.
If giggn' pro musicians need something special to forfill their needs on stage, then manufacturers should cater to them by making KB's for all senarios, lightweight equipment with portability/quality for stage & different featured Kb's for home studios. I tried to lift a Mo Es8 in the store a few weeks ago & YIKES you need a fork lift to handle that baby!!
Technology will lighten the load in the future for sure...remember Tube Amps ?...now we have much lighter ones..
see the trend?

I agree with Graham UK, I would like to have the 9000 Pro weight at 11 lbs,
but I don't won't to sacrifice quality for weight.
So give me the 45lbs of quality build, metal frame, great keys, etc. etc.
Denny

after 20+ years of road work with a b-3 and 4
leslies,a rhoades piano and 4 or 5 more keyboards with a full pa just for them, i can't complain about weight(i'm down to one
korg arranger), but i sure do miss the quality and reliability. those keys would
take a beating and still worked night in
night out.

The Motif ES8 is indeed a heavy board (about 66 lbs) but instead of just glueing lead weights under the keys as many makers do, Yamaha provided a counter-balanced action system that feels better than any other board I know of. I'm sure if there was a way to keep the quality of the action and make it lighter then Yamaha would have, so I assume it's as light as it can be considering. I like having the best-quality keyboard for my studio centerpiece keyboard/controller, but my stage board has to be lighter so I use the 9000 Pro, which at 45 lbs is just about as much as I care to carry regularly. If I'd intended to use the Motif for regular gigging, I'd probably have sacrificed the action and a dozen keys and gone with the 76-note model.

On the power supply thing - some external power supplies create noise, and all of them are specialized for the keyboard they go to. Often they have a fairly high-amp output and you can damage the keyboard if you use a generic replacement. I once drove 25 miles to a gig only to find I had left the specialized Kurzweil keyboard power supply at home. Fortunately my wife brought it to me and all was saved, and I special-ordered an expensive spare. But I like it better now that all my keyboards, speakers, etc all use the same inexpensive and common power cord.