Hi everyone,
I don't post quite often but I do read this forum very often.

Frank, I currently use my "JD 2006" live for giging. I have everything together and connected in one 76 key keyboard case. I made my own hinges that can separate. When I come to the place, I just remove the top of the case, correctly position the laptop (I had a special stand made out of plexiglass for this), plug in a FEW cables, and I'm redy to go. All that I carry around are:

1) keyboard case (with everything inside)
2) X style keyboard stand
3) Mackie SRM 450 self powered speaker
4) speaker stand (very light)
5) Small bag with all the wires, extension cords .mic etc...

Total setup time from when I step out of the car to when I'm totaly ready to play is less than 10 minutes. Of course it varies with the situation of the gig but I'm talking appoximate.

In the keyboard case are the:
Laptop: P4 1.8 Ghz 1 Gig RAM
M-audio 61 key controller keyboard
Alesis multimix 6fx
Laptop power supply
laptop custom made stand
Multi outlet power strip so that all I have to plug in is 1 plug.
Foam stuffing that comes with the case. to make everything stable.

I don't know the weight of the case but it has wheels, a big plus.

I use OMB because it seems more stable to me and live stylers auto harmony didn't work correctly.

Forte solo,
Live Synth Pro,
Convolution reverb with Lexicon 960 impulses,
Soundfonts that I gathered from the web and edited to my liking.

The system works flawlessly besides the occasional tiny hicup. Sometimes I even record the gig, including vocal, back in to the laptop. Even then it almost doesn't hicup. I feel that the very tiny unoften hicup is justified by the beautiful sound quality. I always get comliments.

Frank, Why don't you use gigastudio anymore?
I would think that this is the best solution for live gigs since it flawlessly recognizes program change messages and all the instruments can be loaded so that there is no problem (am I right with this?) with changing voices on the fly.

I'm planning to upgrade my laptop and get going with a Gigastudio system, BUT... of course I must ask the ULTIMATE athority in soft arrangers for his permission and advice!
Thank you very much Frank for all your info.
I would appreciate to hear what anyone has to say.