My "BIGGEST", and noticeable change was going from my accordion to a B3...

If you have regular audiences- ie. the same set of people come back to you regularly I'd have thought there's every chance they'd notice a change if it was significant.

Random lay-listeners who drop in once in a blue moon would be more hard pressed since they have no basis for comparison.
Which type of audience is more prevalent?

John

The thing is, if you are using MP3's for the primary backing (or playing with a live band), all you are changing out is the actual keyboard sounds you use live. Most of us could change around pretty freely for that, but the minute you have to prepare SMF's or styles for the gig for each keyboard, doing something like this looks like WAY too much work!

I know I'm an old stick in the mud, but once I find something that covers all the bases adequately, I don't really feel the need to prove to myself that I made the right decision by trying everything else briefly...

Bottom line is... you went through all that change, and you'll be back on the G70 before long I'm doing primarily all live band work this summer, could take my K2500 or the Triton, but neither of them would work as well, and be as versatile as the G70. I can't honestly think of any of those other keyboards doing a significantly better job at any sound for a live gig, and none of them cover ALL the bases as well as the G70.

You are working way TOO hard, my friend

Believe me they notice. When I switched to the Bose Compact, at my first gig with the new system, a woman up front asked, "Where's the box you usually bring?" At the end of the show, she was the first to comment on how much better the pole sounded. The AD also noticed the minute she walked into the room. It's been similar experiences at each place. And hands down, they say the sound is much clearer and much better than before. That's all I need to hear.

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

Yeah. What Joe said.

The first notice seemed to be sound related. Then came the visual comments.

Eddie

When I first switched from the Barbetta Sona 32SCs to the Bose L1 (standard) everyone immediately noticed two things--they had no trouble understanding me when I was making announcements, and for the first time in years the folks sitting closest to the sound system could enjoy the music, while at the same time, hold a conversation without yelling at the person next to them. I've since switched to the Bose L1 Compact, everyone still loves what they hear, and my back loves what it feels when I pick up the system.

Ironically, most of the VFWs and American Legions in my area have gone to Karaoke for Friday night entertainment. The few KJs that have switched to the L1 are booking the vast majority of the jobs, while those using conventional sound systems are not getting as many bookings--even at locations whey they've been booked for years. I guess the folks at the clubs must have noticed the difference in sound quality too.

Cheers,

Gary

Like the others, they noticed the Bose, both for appearance and sound.
So far nobody has mentioned noticing that I changed from E50 to Audya.
They just want a beat they can dance to, words they remember and a volume that is "just right".
I play Last Date, Wonderful Tonight, Margaritaville, Brown-eyed Girl, Unchained Melody, Can't Help Falling Asleep, I mean in love, and yes Kansas City. Every night is like the first time they've heard them in years. If I do new songs, they don't even seem to notice.
I have to buy new stuff to keep me semi-excited!
Sure beats the crap out of a day job though!
DonM

Nobody noticed the difference between a $1200 arranger that is perhaps already discontinued, and a $5000 state of the art latest model?

That's a pretty high price to pay to keep YOU semi-excited. Me, I'd prefer to stay semi-rich!

Something I've noticed about the whole "Bose sound' (I play quite often with someone with who has an L1 system, so I AM talking from real life experience) is that the highs are quite 'hyped' compared to studio monitors and regular type PA's. As we get older, those frequencies tend to get lost first. Perhaps this accounts for how well received they are by more elderly audiences?

I don't mind this, personally, but for me, the disconnect between the sub and top speakers (I always feel a lack of low mids in Bose systems) is what troubles me the most. You get tremendous clarity, but little of that warmth and 'beef' you get from more conventional systems, IMO (don't forget, that's all it is! )...

I sure think they do, Steve.

Your post describes your client noticing your new equipment. the same has happened to me. Visually, if you go from one set up to something noticeably different, perceptive clients will notice. Clients from both my nursing homes as well as club have commented on the Bose appearance especially.

Another NH entertainer in Dayton was using some old beat up cabinets in his show and while they sounded pretty good, they looked rough. Once he started using his new speakers that looked nice, even the residents noticed.

It goes without saying that they'll notice the difference in capabilities and general sound a lot too.

I agree with the majority of the posters to this thread that fall in line with your observations.



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Bill in Dayton

You're probably right about justifying the cost. The Audya has a lot of features that are really good for live playing. Lots of controls, both static and interactive. No need for mixer, pc, harmonizer, etc. On-the-fly style adjustment and quick saving of registrations, as good or better than the Roland. The new user interfaces are really great for auditioning new styles and songs.
There's a lot to like. I feel the new pianos are really great. I like the 6-button foot switch. A lot of what I like about the Audya has to do with comfort and versatility during live play.
As for the Bose, I get more good comments from the younger (maybe 22-40) as the older set. I thing it's because they are more aware of and appreciative of new technology.
The sound is good throughout the spectrum.
It's easy to tweak if you aren't hearing enough of a frequency you want.
I must admit, I much prefer having two of them. Again this is more for me than for the audience.
I'm surely somewhat nearing the end of my career, at age 66, so why not use what I consider the best? If the Audya doesn't prove to be that, I'll go exploring again.
I won't go back to Yamaha until they improve the drums. Roland seems to be dead in the water, at least for now, although I do enjoy their sounds and styles. I didn't like the Korg OS, sound or style selection. Not much left for now.
After all a guy has to have a few tax deductions or end up giving it my favorite Uncle (Sam). Yes, I know Sam needs it, but it seems easy enough for him to just print another few billion to give away.
DonM