Let's put it this way ....
for me personally, they haven't come near to making Arranger KB's & Speaker gear smaller and lighter keeping great sound all around for my liking as of yet to gig with.
Maybe in years to come technology will be better in this regard. What about you?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 06-01-2010).]

Donny,

The older I get the MORE it seems to matter. I just dread moving my G70 around. It is such a beast. I'm thinking of dumping the G70 and my Sd-1 for a Yamaha 910. I can live with the Yamaha drums but will probably get a harmony M to use instead of the Yamaha harmonizer. I'm so spoiled by the vocal processing of the G70.

Peavey makes the PR line of speakers and they are very light compared to some of the others and they sound good. I have the PR15s and like them a lot. For the NH gigs I use the Logitech 2100 that I carry in a large duffle bag. Yamaha also makes some very light powered mixers. I believe these are in the 7 to 10 pound range.

Tom

[This message has been edited by Tom Cavanaugh (edited 06-01-2010).]

Hi Tom...
Yes I agree although both are very good sounding arrangers of which I have gigged with both, but IMO better for home use at that weight. ......they are just too big, heavy and bulky for daily In & Out GIG duty.....I use the S910 now and couldn't be happier, but I still want lighter & smaller. Harmony M is also a good little unit. Good luck

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 06-01-2010).]

Weight is a one of the biggest factors when you are getting older, I am sick of lugging around heavy keyboards but as far as now I cannot cut it with a S910 and my PA800 is busting my nuts, maybe a ketron Audya 4 with a small keyboard? but we are talking mucho bucks!

i'm thinking AUDYA4,
with Korg XD5 (light as a feather)

i now use Ketron XD3 with XD5

Weight is always a factor, but unfortunately (at least for me!) it is trumped by SOUND.

My audience do not care one jot what my keyboard weighs. They care what it sounds like. If I choose a lighter keyboard, I am cheating them if it doesn't sound as good. Trust me, guys, I would LOVE a lighter arranger, but until someone makes one significantly lighter (I'm not going to trade around to save a measly five to ten pounds) that makes absolutely NO compromise in the sound or the action, I am unwilling to make the change...

Most of us use speakers that each weigh up to twice what our arrangers do. If we are willing to lug THOSE around, why not the one thing that makes the MOST impact on our live sound (the arranger itself)..?

All things being equal, of COURSE the lighter gear is the better gear. But things are never equal, are they?

Great sound means a lot to me, and having the right sounds for my type of gig, which is restaurant work, is essential.

I've been fortunate, since the days of the PSR-2000, to be able to use a MOTL arranger, without compromising the quality of sound.

It weighed only 23 lbs.

Since then, I've used PSR-3000, PSR-S900, and nowadays a PSR-S910...all weighing in about the 23-25 lb range.

I use a pair of Yamaha MS-60S powered monitors, that weigh less than 25 lbs each, and they have been perfect for my restaurant work, as well as being totally reliable...they are nearly 20 years old now.

I'm quite content with my gear, and pleased it is very light, and easy to transport and set up, again, with no compromise as to sound quality and dependability.

For me, the days of needing to haul heavy amps/speakers, and keyboards are in the past, and I certainly don't miss them.

Ian

To me weight matters, I am lucky that to my taste and needs as a player, the 2 arrangers I use are IT.
In the amplification I found the perfect match again, to suit MY needs, the Yamaha EMX 312S and I have 2 Pairs of EV ZX90s, for small to medium audiences I use ONE pair, for the largers, I use the 2 pairs, it works great for me, my competitors have copy my gear since they see how light weight the speakers are and the performance they render, 18Lbs each.
Not long ago, my friend Michael Carollo that is 9 years younger than me, had double hernia surgery, and I know the vehicle type you drive has a lot to do, he has a 4 wheel drive Toyota truck that is kind of high to lift the stuff, I drive a Honda Element that is nice and Low to lift to put my stuff in.
Something to consider too, not just the gear. After all, the "real" physical job is loading, unloading, setting up and undoing it.

------------------
mdorantes

I can see this thread heading south, as was probably Donny's perhaps unconscious intention (when has this issue EVER stayed polite? - it's been hashed out enough times!), but I guess the deeper issue is, what SOUND are you willing to put up with?

There are those that are happy enough with MOTL arrangers, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's undeniable that TOTL arrangers sound better (or they wouldn't sell any at all!) and tend to weigh more. Plus, there are those that playing FULL (or close to it) piano parts are part of their 'style', and an arranger with a 76 is part of what is needed, and once again, that adds weight.

Life is full of compromises, and sadly, keeping your gear light involves making them... Some of us are willing to do that, some of us aren't.

Mind you, is there a thing as 'TOO light'? Personally, I've played some of the VERY lightweight keyboards, and a major problem is keeping them in one place while you play! Put them on an X-stand, play heavily at the top end, and they go flying off the stand (or at least bouncing around like a gymnast!). You can't play well under those circumstances... A keyboard MUST remain static while you play... you get an ultra lightweight keyboard, you end up negating the weight loss by having to haul a heavy table around to give it some stability.

Bottom line is, I look back to the days when I hauled around a B3, Rhodes Suitcase, CP70 and a big Leslie (amongst other things), and all of a sudden, 45lbs. total doesn't seem like such a problem! Especially when that 45 lbs. gives me a sound close to indistinguishable from the old heavy gear! Until they bring out a lightweight arranger that doesn't have a lightweight (comparatively) sound, I'm going to stick to what sounds best... And thank my lucky stars the B3 stays in the studio, now!

Weight means a lot to me...all my better gear weighs the most..and if I don't want to compromise..I take the heavy stuff..

G70..46 pounds

MediaStation...50 plus pounds

Roland Cube amps (2) ...70 pounds each