Keyboards ***......?

[pepj]

I think keyboard players need to be more than filler so the band needs to know how to create space for them.. and too many gtrs ..and bands really don't.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Depends on the gig and a myriad other factors.

But for a "bread and butter" cover band setup you probably can't go below a single entry level performance workstation like the Roland Juno D.

If, and that's a big if, you're willing to give up the piano-style keys and stick with the synth-style 61-key keyboard, it'll set you back about 800-1000 quid. Add a stand, maybe monitors.

And, unlike a guitar, the moment you stop gigging it's entirely useless (to play for pleasure you probably play the piano in the living room, for production you use soft synths).



But... what makes you think so?
It's been stagnant for 30 years at least.
The last major revolution was the keyboard workstation in the late 80s, or maybe, just maybe, physical modeling in the 90s (think Korg M1 and Nord Lead).

The latest entry level Korg Kross you can buy in the shop is mostly the same as the Triton Le from 25 years ago.
Before the Triton Le Korg was still shipping the sound engine from the M1, which was a bit limited and honestly relied heavily on the sample ROM to produce pleasant sounds.

Flagships like the Korg Kronos have lots of additional physical modeling and FM engines, just in case your crowd really cares about that authentic Rhodes sound... but I'd say those are very very niche things, unless you're Herbie Hancock, and you can still bring a laptop with a VST if you really want it.

Read the rest of my post. And as you po8bted out, keyboards are heavily dependent on software, which does change. You can grab an old bass and amp and play. You get an old keyboard, you need to understand lots of software updates just to get started. That a whole 'nother skill and time commitment.

 

[patate_hurlante]

Read the rest of my post. And as you po8bted out, keyboards are heavily dependent on software, which does change. You can grab an old bass and amp and play. You get an old keyboard, you need to understand lots of software updates just to get started. That a whole 'nother skill and time commitment.

As a keyboard player, I swear I wish I knew what you mean.

Last time I checked most keyboard instruments, with the notable exception of stuff like the Roland V-Synth, keep looking, feeling, and playing just the same for the whole of their existence.

The occasional firmware update, if you get it when the instrument is serviced, does at most fix some bug, like some weird MIDI message sent by mistake (the GEM Equinox had a lovely one with the ALL NOTES OFF message being sent whenever volume went to 0, IIRC).

I don't think you need to understand software updates either, that's for the tech who services your instrument.
You need to read the manual (once) in order to program your instrument, that's true, but that's about it.

Even if you could theoretically run (a scaled down version of) the KRONOS software on a OASYS, which is a barebones PC under the hood just like its bigger sister, for obvious reasons Korg won't let you: you need to buy the new flagship iron to get the new software.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Let's put it this way. If I want to play bass, I pick it up and play it. My acoustic guitar is 50 years old, and my main bass was put together 40 years ago from 50 year old pieces. The bass comes out of the gig bag ready to go, usually not even needing tuning.

Understand, I grew up studying the original Moog (that took up a whole wall), and learned to program patches on a DX-7.

If I want to play keyboard now, at the very least, I have to scroll through banks of patches to find what I want. If I want to make it practical for live, I have to program it, so I am not scrolling through banks of patches in between songs. If I did show up with a DX-7, I'd be laughed off the stage.

 

[bass player 53]

Let's put it this way. If I want to play bass, I pick it up and play it. My acoustic guitar is 50 years old, and my main bass was put together 40 years ago from 50 year old pieces. The bass comes out of the gig bag ready to go, usually not even needing tuning.

Understand, I grew up studying the original Moog (that took up a whole wall), and learned to program patches on a DX-7.

If I want to play keyboard now, at the very least, I have to scroll through banks of patches to find what I want. If I want to make it practical for live, I have to program it, so I am not scrolling through banks of patches in between songs. If I did show up with a DX-7, I'd be laughed off the stage.

I own and play a Yamaha YC88 keyboard. I do none of the things
you’re talking about.
Same is true for Nord Stage 2 thru 4
owners too.

 

[PolkaHero]

Classical pianist here. I've played keyboards in bands in the past and play synth on a few songs in my current band. While it's a nice break for a few songs, I prefer to play bass in a band setting. Most keyboard parts are really boring and most sound guys don't know how to mix the keyboards which are usually buried in the mix. Not to mention it used to take me over a half hour to set up my 2 keyboard rig where my bass rig takes about 10 minutes. Yep, much more enjoyable playing more challenging solo selections at my church gig than banging out right hand chords in the rock band (have to watch what you play with the left hand so it doesn't step over the bassist).

 

[patate_hurlante]

If I want to play keyboard now, at the very least, I have to scroll through banks of patches to find what I want. If I want to make it practical for live, I have to program it, so I am not scrolling

Indeed. And that’s the reason why playing keyboards in pop/rock cover bands is essentially a desk job 95% of the time and not great for the hobbyist.

If I had to name one reason, is that “practice time” ends up being “programming time”.

The big name guys offload that part to their keyboard techs for a good reason.

Under that light, I really can’t fault those that just go with the backing tracks.

Still, hardly something to do with “software updates”, you program a Triton roughly the same way you program a M1, ditto for the later touchscreen keyboards.

There’s the lucky guy whose task amounts to “just playing” (some have popped up in this thread), but either they have great chops and are bringing piano and organ magic to the table all the time, or simply don’t know how lucky they are ;-)

 

[patate_hurlante]

Not to mention it used to take me over a half hour to set up my 2 keyboard rig where my bass rig takes about 10 minutes.

My God, it’s depressing just to think of it, isn’t it?

It’s a second day job, that’s what it is.

 

[Ancientangler]

Playing keys in a cover band is a different skillset than many keyboardist or pianist possess. Don't believe me, consider the abundance of comments about that keyboardist stomping all over the bass with his/her left hand. This sort of player is just doing what comes naturally and it would work fine and be totally appropriate if they were doing a solo gig. In a cover band they need to change the way they voice chords and stay out of the bass players way. Much easier to say than do apparently.

Standard band instrumentation I am used to is bass, guitar, keys, vocals, drums. Probably not a surprise since I came of age in the 80s. A good keyboardist is rare and coveted.

I know exactly ONE great keyboardist in my town who has clearly said that when he's playing with a bassist, he imagines a brick wall blocking the left 1/3 of his keys so he doesn't step on the bass. But this guy also runs a recording studio, so he know how ugly things can get.