I'm much taken with the look of this tablet-sized form of electronic sheet music display. See their very descriptive website : http://www.freehandsystems.com/index.html I've posted this on a couple of sites in UK but nobody's come across it yet here. So I'm hoping that there might be one or two US members here who might have.
Like many others I play only from music, and when out gigging have a constant battle at the end of one song to turn the page (maybe several pages), select new style, see what key it's in, work out an appropiate progressive modulation, still keep playing and singing current song etc etc all at once.
I've tried to speed things up by using mainly the excellent Busker books (Fake books popular in UK), putting 5/600 of the most used songs on progressive registration banks (usually about 8 or 9 Banks per book of 101 songs), using those coloured reinforced Index strips to mark next song and using the MFC10 pedalboard (which I found hard at first but now wouldn't be without). In addition, I find the PSR3k's musicstand is so awful that I had to buy a heavy duty orchestral stand sturdy enough to take a music desk light and some of the 'Jumbo' books.
I'd thought of using a laptop but that's landscape not portrait format. Displaying 2 facing pages in Full Screen View makes everything too small to read.
This piece of kit looks impressive but expensive. Anybody got any experience of it? No UK agents for it. Nearest is Netherlands. Grateful for any opinions.
Freddie


------------------
www.easiplan.biz

Freddie, do a search on this forum for this subject, posted by ScottYee and you will find much info. He has one and has posted generous posts about it.

I'd love to have one of these tablets but don't have the funds for that at this time. A laptop is another alternative. Not as good as one of these though if you have the money for it.

You said... MFC10 pedalboard... what is that and how do you use it?

Thanks for that. Yes he's put a lot about it. I think it probably makes me more rather than less keen.
I believe he's away at the moment so will pick his brains when he returns. Thanks for the tip.

Re the MFC10. Here is a website for it: http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D1158%2526CTID%253D208500%2526VNM%253DLIVE%2526AFLG%253DY%2526LGFL%253DN,00.html (sorry it's so long)

Tho' designed for guitar, it'll work well with a keyboard. Better with the Tyros than my PSR3000 as it happens (I've got an excellent tutorial on it if you happen to have a 3K).

What you use it for is up to you - it's programmable. I use mine for changing the main variation, adding Fill-ins and Breaks, Intros and endings - frees up the hands at critical times no end. You can still use two pedals as well so I use one for Expression and one for Harmony.

Regulars on Ebay in UK from time to time. Cost in UK about £220 (say $500)

Highly recommended - especially if you have a Tyros.
Thanks again
Freddie







------------------
www.easiplan.biz

I assume this is a device with foot switches. The buttons on this are different switches? Your foot fits between these buttons? They look close to one another. Pedal on the right side that rocks back and forth?

Yup. This board is a programmable bank of extra switches. Whilst not using it, your foot (in my case left) rests just off the board. When you need to make a change in variation, put in a break infill, whatever, just hit the appropiate button with your foot. They're illuminated so you can tell on a dark stage where they are.
The expression pedal on the right I HAD been hoping to use for overall volume control; on the PSR3k it can't be used for that (it can on the Tyros) so I use it for glide control - much more effective than the pitch bend wheel.

There is an excellent article on it and the 3k here: http://psrtutorial.com/L/3K/mfc10.html. I looked up your profile to see you have a 2k. I THINK the same applies to a 2k as a 3k but would defer to others on that.

As a former organist, I felt right at home with having a pedalboard. In fact I'd MISSED one when I first came to keyboards. It takes practice but is easier than it might look.

One other point - I find that, particularly needing the FC4 pedal (in my case as a harmony switch) and the FC7 as overall volume control (actually I use it to control just the Style volume and the manual knob for overall control), with the normal X-type keyboard, the space between the stand's feet gets too congested and it's better to use any of the stands where the left and right supports are vertically straight upright.

Hope that helps

Freddie