Perhaps a single Kronos would surely do the job...but I like having at least two keyboards when I'm gigging in a band.

Even if it was 88 keys and splittable, I would still prefer one with 88 weighted, and the other with 61 lightweight action keys.

Having two keyboards is just so much more flexible.

Having said that, the Kronos is an awesome instrument...probably one of the best workstations available, at least for now.

Ian

Ian, that shot brings back sweet (and, sadly-long ago) memories.

I still like to have two keyboards on the stand, and do that (or more) on all my house gigs.


GREAT SHOT, with the starbursts, by the way. That was sort of chancy with film. The shot looks like it was in real time and the starburst effect was created with a filter...that took some really artistic coordination.


Be well!


Russ

How on earth did you manage to play with those bottom keyboards around your knees, Ian?! Looks like it used to make you hunch over...

Russ, what I also miss is the ability to stack instruments...nothing today has a flat top, or a clean surface to let you set another keyboard on top.

It sure saved on dragging around the horrid A-Frame stands, that were prevalent back in the day, and things were quite stable.

I had my Rhodes modified with a flat top, that was available at the time.

The "Star-burst" effect was added to an old photo, using this site, which has all kinds of great effects.

Here is the link: http://www.tuxpi.com/


Ian

Great picture Ian. I actually miss the old days of being surrounded by stacks of keyboards. Granted it is far easier these days since pretty much any sound needed can be accomplished by a single or at the very most two keyboards. But I feel sorry for the newer keyboardists of today because they didn't get to experience what it was like to turn knobs and move sliders in order to program a synth for the next song on the set list, all while playing the song in progress. It was a lot more work, and WAY more satisfying.

Years ago I was in a band that covered Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, etc. and had quite a rig. In front of me was a Rhodes, which supported an ARP Odyssey on the left and a Minimoog on the right. To my left was a Mellotron with the standard tape set, above that was a Wurlitzer EP200 and on top a Korg Poly-Ensemble S. To my right was another Mellotron with the 1/4" tape conversion (I made my own custom tapes with a Tascam 2340 reel to reel deck). On top of that Mellotron was a Crumar T3 double manual organ and above that a Korg MaxiKorg synth. Behind me was a Hammond M3 running through two Leslie 145's. The other keyboards ran through two EV Voice of the Theater cabinets and Kustom radial horns. It took a Dodge stretch van and part of the band van just to haul my gear.

The keyboards of today are far more sophisticated and capable than the keyboards of the past. But there is absolutely nothing like the feeling you get when in the midst of a multiple keyboard setup and the knowledge that if you want a particular sound, you had better know how to program it on the spot because the words programmable and preset hadn't been invented yet.

WOW! I remember days like those--sure glad they're long ago, though. Lugging all that gear, making 8 to 10 trips to the van with a refrigerator dolly, speakers that weighed nearly as much as a refrigerator and were about the same size, keyboard stands that were assembled like Erector Sets, wires all over the place like someone dropped a large plate of black spaghetti, playing four hour gigs, then tearing it all down at 1 a.m. and crawling into bed at 3 a.m.. It was fun (I think). My how times have changed.

Thanks for the memories,

Gary

Donny,

Wonder if the KRONOS got the same blue LEDS as the PA2x, Heeeeee!

Dave, you would have needed your own stage.

The maximum keyboards I was using at one one point was six.

I had the Hammond B-3, the Jupiter 8 sitting on top, the Rhodes with the Roland SH-2000 on top, the Wurlitzer with a Minimoog on top.

The B-3 went through two Leslie 147RV, the Rhodes had it's own speakers, the SH-2000 went into a Fender Princeton (that was mic'd) and the Wurlitzer and Minimoog were in one of my two modified Fender Twins.

The darn organ was the monster, at over 400 lbs...four people to move it...it, the Leslies, and the Rhodes Suitcase (it was a Mark I)stayed with the PA and a few other things in a big storage shed...I took the Wurly home with me, as well as the Jupiter 8, the SH-2000 and the Minimoog.

Man, you made your own Mellotron tapes? Pretty cool. I've never owned a 'Tron, but I have played them quite a bit...a real special technique was needed due to the tape length and it's need to rewind.

Having your own tapes was quite a feat...you could then have your own completely customized sounds and sound mixtures?

I also remember seeing you demo an "ahead-of-it's time" digital piano/keyboard that used something called "DRAKE" technology.

Maybe it was by GEM? I seem to remember it was something like, Promega 3? Is that right?

I do remember the demonstration was done with complete professionalism, and you did an excellent job showcasing the instrument.

I appreciate a good demo, as that's what I've been doing for the past 25 years or so.

The Promega (?) was a fascinating and powerful instrument...ahhhh, here it is; I found it.

http://www.generalmusic.us/promega3.htm

Again, a fine job, Dave.

Ian

Hi Ian,

Ten keyboards may have been a little excessive, but the more the merrier I always say. Truly though, I made use of all of them. Like I mentioned above, there were many times when I was playing one of the analog synths while programming one of the others for the next song coming up. The floor space I ate up did limit the clubs we could play, so there were times when I would scale it down. But man it sure looked cool when everything was there.

The Mellotron was one of the neatest instruments I have ever owned. And as long as you maintained them properly, they were fairly trouble free. The biggest problem I had was tapes wearing out. Which is why I installed the 1/4" tape kit. Instead of the 3 head block positions of a stock Mellotron (standard tape set was Flute - Strings - Choir) the kit allowed for 4 positions which is why I used a Tascam 2340 7" reel deck which was a 4 track recorder. Recording the tapes was easy. The lengthy process was cutting the tape to length and spooling it and installing the spools into the tape frame.

Yes, that's me with the Promega 3. It was and still is an incredible instrument. Thanks for the kind words regarding the demo video.

Dave

Dave great stuff as usual love your demos.....I hear they NEED good KB demonstrators like yourself over at KORG ..
hey Dan O are you listening also?..