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Very Kool.....great pictures also. Was that a gig you performed for also? Nice, Neat, Lightweight & Compact what's better then that to gig with?...I'm always on the lookout for a smaller gig package also that will work for MY needs....thanx for sharing!

Yes! It was my first gig with a 49 keys only keyboard !

When you are accomodated to play on 76 or 88 keys, it's a strange compression feeling, but after some minutes, setting the right Split note and the octaves, it was OK

I just bought this small Roland A500s usb keyboard.
It is very cool ! Lightweight but robust. Small enought to go on a standard bag. It is USB powered, So only one USB cable to the computer, and we are ready to play.
You can plug Sustain and Volume pedal.
On the same USB cable you have a MIDI OUT port, who can be used like a MIDI interface.

So I plugged my computer to the Ketron SD2 with a midi cable coming out of the keyboard.

The Roland USB/MIDI technology is not the same as other companies. They developped their own USB protocol for fast and stable MIDI transfert to the computer.

I was very pleased about the overall strong feeling when playing.

I was also able to assign 2 buttons and 1 knob to control the vArranger.

I assigned the Master volume to the knob, Variation Up and FILL IN to the 2 buttons.

For the others things, I was using the touch screen.

Quite hard in the first tries, but OK with some experience

I played several jobs for Amtrac some years ago. One trip was for Amtrac employees and dignitaries. Left out of Dallas, went to Ft. Worth for lunch, turned around and came back.
I used a Technics KN2000 or 5000, can't remember which. Had a small mixer and amp. It was great.
I did another that left out of Marshall, Texas and again returned that same day.
It paid well, but it took quite a while to get them to pay the invoices.
DonM

There are a fair amount of train and boat gigs (jobs) in this part of the world, some of which pay very well. I know of at least two guys who love em'.

Cheers,

Gary