Well said Gary & Uncle Dave.

I have been using two JBL Eon10 G2s that I keep on the floor tilted up towards the ceiling. For larger rooms I bring poles.

As posted, I am changing to the FBT Maxx 2As because of the great reviews they have gotten. Spec-wise, they have much better bass response. In fact the frequency response is better than (now this is only on paper) the 12" Mackie SRM450s.

I'm into a quick setup and take down, because I do over 500 shows a year. Nursing and retirement homes make up 90% of my business.

But even though I want to get in and out quick, while I'm there, I want to play the best keyboard I can afford two of (the PSR-S900) and the best 10" powered speakers I can get my hands on. Maybe I would sound even better if I brought in a 70 lbs. subwoofer, but with a gig paying +- $150, you got to draw a line somewhere.

One little anecdote that is pertinent to this topic: It is quite frequent as a nursing home entertainer that I see the TV on with a Lawrence Welk video. The seniors usually don't pay any attention. Well I go to this one nursing home in Niles, IL, where, in the common area, they installed this awesome Bose surround sound system with a great subwoofer. Not only were the seniors paying attention to that Lawrence Welk video, but a few of them were clapping between songs!

Sound reinforcement is important.

By the way, I started out in the Chicago area playing with crappy speakers (and arriving with an unprofessional appearance), and ten years later, there are a few activity directors who are still around and won't hire me because of what they saw ten years ago. Put your best foot forward.

Beakybird

[This message has been edited by Beakybird (edited 04-10-2008).]

So what do some of you do when the inevitable industrial strength conversations start between staff members on different sides of the room? I tell them off....not for ME, I really don't care, but for the folks I'm playing to. It's not fair to THEM!

A tip I'd like to share. Before I leave the floor at the end of my performance, I go out to the audience and shake hands with every single person there (or at least "touch" every audience member). They really enjoy the human contact and particularly with the person who just entertained them.

Lucky

Just home from (3) NH gigs. I use Mackie 450v2s on the floor. I've had pole mounted speakers FALL due to active elders and complacent activity assistants, so the floor is a peace of mind. They sound great and full (in stereo). I agree, use the best you can buy - the elders look forward to music more than anything

zuki

Aside from a very time consuming task After a show...especially when there's a double involved & time is of the essence...isn't that is a great way to get sick with the transferring of germs by touching all those people?.....healthy is everything.

Haven't you heard of hand sanitizers?

Hand sanitizers are also great before you play...makes your hands smooth and dry.

AND most contain alcohol...so if there is no bar....

Keep a small bottle in your gig bag...germs will hate you, but your hands will thank you.

Ian

There are two items in addition to my music gear that I never leave home without--hand sanitizer and a 7-inch floor fan. The Turbo-Fan was purchased at Target for just $6.95, it's very quiet, but quite powerful. It is three speed, black, and tilts upward so it can be placed on the floor beneath the keyboard so it blows the cooler air close to the floor upwards and keeps you comfortable. Most nursing homes are kept quite warm, even in the dead of winter.

Gary

Ditto on the fan. I purchased a smiliar one at Walmart. It resides in my keyboard bag beside the S900. As for speakers, I used internal speakers for most of my nursing home gigs until last fall. Since then, I have got in the habit of taking one (I own a pair for larger gigs) of my Eon 15 G2's. I leave the keyboard volume for the internal speakers about where I normally did, tilt the Eon up beside me, and bring the volume up to where I can just hear it a little. Adds a whole new dimension to the sound, and I am still retaining at least some of the stereo separation from the internal speakers, to satisfy my ear at least. I also have a pair of Roland KC100's which I never use. Just don't care for the sound. I am however, loving all the posts on this topic, as I am really in the mood to try something different. Gary

I pass out the following amps.

http://tinyurl.com/293mdd

Everyone is happy.
100 units = price of the BOSE L1.
Jerry



[This message has been edited by Jerryghr (edited 04-11-2008).]

I have gone through a number of speakers/amps over the years. Currently for a REALLY small gig, I might use the built-in speakers (of my KN-7000 or S900), more likely I take a pair of Roland CM-30's. For medium gigs and bigger, I take my Yamaha StagePas 500's - either on floor angled up or on poles depending on the layout of where I'm playing. For even larger gigs, I add a subwoofer to the StagePas, but this is needed rarely.

About 50% of my solo gigs are for Retirement Communities and similar, where the audience can be anywhere from 30 people to 200 depending on the place, event, etc.

Yamaha PAs 300 in larger rooms, and Roland Cm-30s in smaller rooms with lower ceilings (I find they provide a much crisper clearer sound than the Yamaha Pas in that setting).

Graham