[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 06-20-2003).]

Gary,
Nice, clean lines, BUT......
(there's always a but)
There are two potential "hum-hazzards" in your design.

1) the power cord may cause hum because it is in a tight proximity to the line(signal) cords going into the amp. Usually, it's best to have power cords cross signal cords at a diagnal angle. If there is no hum .... no problem, but that raises a red flag in my mind from past experience.

2) the power transformers are very close to the Digitech, and sometimes, digital gear generates noise when close to transformers. Again - this is from past problems, and is not a hard rule.

If you get noise ...... check those 2 areas first. Other than that - it's a beautiful rig. Take it out and show it off with pride !

Welcome to the 'less is BETTER' fan club. I'm sure a it's a LOT easier to transport & quicker to setup & breakdown now. I trust you're attaching the speakers to the tripod stands while the tripod's lying on the floor (on it's side) now, right?

What brand/model keyboard stand are you using? I know you're a singer, but I didn't see a mic stand/boom. Are you utilizing one which attaches directing to the kb stand?

I'm particularly intigued by the custom shelving you designed for your Digitech to hang from, your laptop to sit on, and the nifty shelf area for all the wires to hang out in. In addition to UD's concerns, I also found your integration of the AC power cord with the audio L/R going to the Barbetta's interesting. If you're not getting any hum, congratulations, you've got the idea setup now. - Scott

UD,

The cables I used were all heavy-duty, fully-sheilded, intrument cables, which pretty much eliminated any possibility of audio hum. Additionally, I shortened all the other power cables to the bare minimum, replaced the plugs and made sure that everything was grounded--including the surge protector, which has a ground indicator light. The end result was even at high levels, there was no noticable hum and all the sounds were clean and crisp.

Photo 1. End of the custom speaker cables I made.

Photo 2. The rig viewed from the performer perspective.

Photo 3. The guts of the Lexan shelf. As you can see, everything is very tight and concealed. All power packs, including the one for the computer, are mounted with industrial strength Velcro. A strip light is attached to the front of the shelf and facing down on the keyboard, thereby eliminating the problem of not being able to see the keyboard's buttons in dimly lit venues.

Photo 4. In order to make set-ups easier, I marked the ratchets for the top of the stand to insure they would be at the same location, even when setting up in dim lighting conditions.

Photo 5. To take the strain off the Baretta's plugs, I attached a small hook to the back of the speakers, then attached another hook to the cable with a black cable tie. There is virtually no weight at all on the plugs and connectors.

Photo 6. The view from the shelf's back side, which is somewhat transparent, will soon be covered with a black sign with gold letters edged in bright red saying "Travlin' Easy." As you can see, there are only four cables coming out the enclosure--one for each speaker, one for the footswitch and the main power cord. All those cables are black and the main cables are hooked to the keyboard stand with hooks similar to those used for the speakers.

Photo 7. The completed rig goes out on its first job this Sunday. I'll be performing for a local Korean War Veterans Association and they anticipate about 250 people. Should be fun.

Did a set up in the office, and at the most, it took about 8 minutes. What a difference.

Thanks again Donny and Dave for all your help,

Gary

With respect to Photo #4, I never thought about marking my Quik-Lok amp stand! Every time I set up I end up altering the height because it's not perfect. I assume that is just a couple of pieces of white tape, or is it white-out type material?

I do realize that due to the different types of rooms being utilized that one amp setting is not optimal for all venues but in my case it doesn't make much of a difference.

Accordianist,

Just two small pieces of white tape cut in the shape of points. When they're aligned, it's perfect for the stand height and the top shelf.

I also mark the ends of all cables that have the same type and color connectors. Makes setting up a lot easier, especially when you're using a harness.

Scott,

Not a bit of hum, even at higher volume levels.

The keyboard stand is a Quic-Loc, but for the life of me I cannot remember the model. It was the heaviest double-braced stand they make and from the spec sheet, I think you could jack up a pick-up truck with it. If I recall, the stand weighs just over 25 pounds.

As for the mic, I use a headset mic, and while the quality of headset mics are not quite as high as handhelds, the advantages far outweigh the differences. I just ordered a new Samson wireless, which will permit more freedom than I already enjoy with the hard-wired headset.
Cheers,

Gary

[This message has been edited by travlin'easy (edited 06-20-2003).]

[This message has been edited by travlin'easy (edited 06-20-2003).]

well sports fans, the new rig hit the street today and performed beyond my wildest expectations. Everything worked perfectly, dead time between songs was less than five seconds at most, the quality of the sounds were outstanding and set-up up time was approximately 8 minutes. Tear-down time was about the same. What's really wild is the gig was for a local Korean War Veterans Association, and after I played the hymns for the U.S. Army, Navy, Airforce and Marines, back to back, one of the attendees came up and asked if I had a tape of the Coast Guard Hymn. He was aghast when I told him I didn't know the song, and additionally, it was me playing--not tapes. He came up later and requested "I've Got You Under My Skin." When I finished playing it, he complimented me saying "That's the best rendition of that song since I heard Sinatra do it in Vegas." Damn I love this job.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary,
Of all the US service medleys, the coast guard is one of the best. (Not as well known, but still a nice tune)

Thanks guys, I'll add that one to the medley.

Gary

Hi Gary

If you want to travel even lighter see the QL-610 by quik lok. Under 10 pounds. It weighs less than their QLX-21 which is wobbly. Heavy duty also, and no real bounce unless the Rockettes are dancing on your keyboard.

If you remember I tried the Monolith too. Actually I could make it bounce. But mainly 23 pounds for a stand is way too heavey. Not to mention the "claw grip" on your hands if you carry it even a very short distance. Stiff hands is not what I want before I perform. (I had to literally take one hand and push my fingers straight out of the claw grip that it produced)That's one thing now, but I'm telling you the older you get that kind of trauma to your body adds up, its like cumulative. Not for me.

BTW, cool set-up. I think this should be every sane keyboardists goal, great sounding equipment, that is as light as you can get.

Scott Langholff




[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 06-22-2003).]

Hi ScottL: I'm thinking of replacing my QL-606 stand (which I use only for the small quick in-out gigs) with the double braced (yet still relatively lightweight) QL-610. Does the QuikLok model: QLX-4 Mic boom work on the QL-610?
http://www.quiklok.com/200x200/sku_QLX_4.jpg



Huh, and I thought only 'balls' bounce.

Are you sure the stand wasn't just positioned on an unstable floor? My Monolith stand definitely doesn't cause my keyboard to bounce whatsoever. I still feel it's the stabilest portable 'foldable flat' kb stand I've used. ScottL, I've not sure where (on the stand) you attempted to carry it from to cause your claw injuries, but I carry mine on the smooth rounded tube section and it doesn't hurt my hands at all. Granted, 23 lbs isn't the lightest stand, and I only use it for the larger events, but it does offer (for me) both stylish design and sturdy on stage keyboard support. - Scott

Hi ScottY

Yes the QLX-4 mic boom fits. Also available it the QLX-5 music stand and some other gizmo's I don't think you'll need.

Definitely try this QL-610. I'll bet you start forgetting to bring your Monolith. Not all X stands are created equal. The 610, unless you are really strong armed should not move.

Actually the Monolith was quite sturdy, I always like to test things to their limit, so, ya, I could make it move a bit. Mostly sideways. The weight really was a concern for me though. My joints have healed pretty well after whatever it is that I did to them, maybe it was carrying around that Peavey KB300, the bulkiest 75 pounds I have ever seen. Sold that bad boy for $300 and the guy loved it.

If you decide to get the 610 I'd love to hear your opinion on it.

Best

Scott Langholff

Hi all

just to prove that I know nothing, I picked up from this thread that 'grounding' can get rid of any hum.
Question, how do I know if cabling and/or equipment is grounded or not?
Sorry for the simple question but if you don't ask you never know!

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Eddie from Rotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info

my mail is virus-free thanks to Norton Antivirus2002

Eddie: Essentially, the entire system must have a common, non-voltage connection that is physically attached by means of a piece of wire. To determine this you must have a volt/ohm meter to check the continuity between pieces of gear. Some pieces of equipment have what some folks refer to as a floating ground, which means there is no electrical contact with the chasis or case. Most of this equipment, however, is electrically sheilded to help prevent interference. while all this may sound complex, it really isn't. The other thing I highly recommend is a good, high-qualityh, grounded, surge protector. My surge protector also has provisions for those plug-in transformers so the transformer does not cover another outlet. If you're playing without a surge protector, it's like playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun.

Scott: I'm old, but not so old I can't handle 23 pounds. I catch fish bigger than that all the time. The Quic-Loc I'm using is rock-solid, plus it has a rock-solid second tier that's adjustable, which is where the shelf is mounted. When my new, Quic-Loc stool arrives, I'll be positioning the stand somewhat higher, which makes it look like you're standing, but you are actually sitting on a padded stool with a backrest. My keyboard stand's upper tier adjustments allow me to do that without having to worry about the arm's position in relation to the shelf.

Scottyee: I looked at the Monolith and it's not suitable for my setup. As for connecting arms for booms, the Quic-Loc website pretty much shows on the accessory's description page which accessories will attach to which specific stands.

Cheers,

Gary

My compliments also on your setup - it obviously took a lot of thought and planning to get your setup this clean. I assume you're open to opinions:

1) This IS the very same QuikLok stand that collapsed on me during a gig about five years ago. The "teeth" slipped and BANG! Two broken keyboards. And I'm a big guy that tends to overtighten rather than undertighten. But I haven't changed any minds yet so it's just to let you know.

2) One thought: I use an APC "Office" Backup UPS on my rig because it has battery power so that if the power goes down and then comes back I don't have to reboot my keyboard. I see you have something similar but I can't tell if it has battery backup.

3) I'm curious: a lot of people here seem to use laptops for lyrics/music? I thought you could do that with the PSR2000's screen, and since it's got XG Scorch you can even display sheet music on it. Has anyone tried using the XG Scorch capability on their keyboard?

The Keyboard stand cannot collapse the way yours did because of the configuration of the shelf. Essentially, it provides a cross brace that locks everything secure. The only way it could collapse is if 10 welds would simultaneously fail, which I think is not gonna' happen.

As for power back-up, no I'm not using a battery back-up. If the power fails on the job, when it comes back on I only have to push two buttons and I'm back in business in less than three seconds--not a problem. I do, however, protect every item with a high-quality surge protector that has built-in filters and can handle up to 15 amps.

As for the laptop, not only does it provide a great view of lyrics, but additionally, at the top of each lyric page are the keyboard settings for that particular song. Consequently, there's never any guesswork as to which key the song is played, tempo, etc, everything is right there in plain view. Also you can store thousands of midi files, plus play they directly from your keyboard via a usb to midi connection through the keyboard. Though I rarely use midis, there are some songs that I just don't play and I have midi files for them just in case they're requested.

Cheers,

Gary

Dnj (Gary), Thanks for the midi website link. I am playing a VFW job in two weeks and needed the Coast Guard theme. The entire site is great. Agai, thanks

Nice setup!

Luis Santos

Hi Gary
Nice neat setup
-Was just wondering what program your using on your computer to display your songs. I checked with www.freehandsystems.com and they
advised that they will be coming out with a software package (and I hope with some sort of a switching device-to flip 'pages') for a
'normal' computer. I'm using music ease to print out fake book stuff in an 'easy key'/Chord Pro for lyrics & chords but normally (because of font size), try to 'set up' my songs over two pages. Just wondering how your managing with a 'single page' display. Thanks!

Gord,

All of my lyrics are set up on MS-Word 2000, which also has all of my keyboard settings at the top of each lyrics page. The access time to a page is less than one second, and I can instantly see not only the lyrics, but additionally, the key that I sing that particular song in, tempo, style and variation. I also have the same data on the keyboard's MFD, which I have customized for specific venues. Dead time between songs is about two to four seconds at most. What is really neat is I can load a complete set of song lyrics for a 45 minute set, and also load the same information on the MFD. Sure makes life a lot easier and keeps the crowds on the dance floor. Now if I could only sing like Donny Pesce!

Cheers,

Gary

[This message has been edited by travlin'easy (edited 06-24-2003).]

Gary,

I see your starting to get the hang of performing in a "lightweight" fashion.
I love your new setup and Im glad Uncle Dave and Myself were able to contribute to being part of the reconstruction process as inspirational consultants!!!

You go Boy ....Your Gonna Love Yourself for it and so will your audience!!!

I'll see ya here next week for the start of my Transformation also

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www.donnypesce.com

Donny: How about giving us a hint of what your next 'new' transformation is going to be? - Scott

Scott,

Gary is kind enough to come to NJ and analize my setup and design a neater look almost like his own. Thats all I can say at this point, but when complete I will post pics ok?
We are in the planning stages .

Hey Donny, and I had thought that Gary's setup had been tailored after 'YOUR' already impressively neat & trim rig. Looking forward to hearing Gary's suggestions on making your rig even neater (trimmer) than it already is.

In the meantime, I hope you and Gary will alot time to jam together, and possibly even record a song or two together as well. Afterall, nothing's more musicially gratifying than creating live music together with fellow pro musicians. It will be cool if you could post songs & pics.

Scott

Scott,

Gary is one KOOL dude! My rig was created by Uncle dave and for that I am humbly gratefull to him. Gary is taking it one step further primarily working out my own Personal
"Have To Haves" especialy in the wiring harness department which will speed up my setup/breakdown considerably being my schedule is so vigorous I need to get in and out really fast.
As far as jammin I'm always open for that, and who knows by the time we're done Gary might even be "Singin' Like Donny Pesce"

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www.donnypesce.com