Due to a change in my day job work schedule I now have a day during the week where I can pick up some mid week/non weekend gigs. Today I played a senior facility that I have not played for a couple of years because they only have Monday thru Friday afternoon entertainment, never wanted to use too much vacation/sick time from the day job to play an hour gig.

Prior to this I played at the facility once per month first using a PSR 3000, then a Tyros2.

The same AD still works at the facility and the first thing she noticed my Korg PA2xPro, then my Bose compact and commented Whoa, you're really stepping up with some "pro looking equipment." I was surprised at the comment since Tyros2 and the Barbetta 31c don't exactly look like toys. Seems to me an AD noticing equipment is more an exception than the rule.

Do your customers/clients notice when you upgrade/downgrade equipment?

Yep!

First it was my PA1-X Pro (upgraded from my Roland VA-7) the difference between the two was night and day as far as I was concerned, and the comments I got on the first few gigs with it (from regulars) proved that.

(Naturally, the comments I got about our Bose L1 Model 2 system were just out of control...!)

I've been told more than once that audiences don't "notice things" about an act (equipment, playing, Singing) that's a load of crap.

Ya know, now that I think about it, we played a gig just last night where we had to use the Venue's system (A couple of big Mackie Top bins and two Bass bins) because of sound restrictions (loooong story - don't ask!)
anyhoo -

the people who had seen us there before told me how much of a downgrade our sound was from our "funny lookin' Bose Pole". Somebody even told me when I talked they couldn't hardly understand a word I was saying!
This was a venue we had only played for the THIRD TIME!


I never never NEVER underestimate our audiences.

Strange, though... When people get a less than stellar sound out of their Bose, someone alway steps up and says 'you set it up wrong'. But get a less than stellar sound out of any other PA system (that many bands DO get a great sound out of ) and it MUST be the system that's at fault!

Anybody else find that curious?

No not so curious. It simply seems easier to get a good balanced sound out of a Bose system. Dunno why but it seems to be the case. Sure a good dedicated sound man may be able to set both up for a good sound .... but who can afford to pay a dedicated sound man to monitor the gig. The Bose does seem easier to setup and forget.

Steve could it be the 76 keys?? A 76KB will "Look" more impressive for sure. The PSR series KB's do look "Cheesey" Not to take anything away from the PA2X. As far as the Bose, I would agree with Nigel!! The Bose is the perfect speaker for most venues a OMB would play ... Plug and Play.

Looks, Shmooks......what they WILL notice is what you sound like period!

My audiences absolutely have noticed when I changed equipment. When I showed up with my Tyros 3 the comments were numerous. And later when I added the Bose system the same thing happened.

Often even while setting up at new places the AD will comment about the equipment I have. And almost every gig I play there will be folks asking a lot questions about the keyboard or speakers while I am loading up to leave.

So yes, in my experience, the audience does notice the difference.

Hammer

My regular listeners really noticed the Yamaha PSR-S900, mainly because the SA sounds are so much better then the sounds on the PSR-3000.

They are amazed that so much music can come out of such a neat and compact instrument.

When I switched to using two Bose L1's in stereo, I got a lot of wonderful comments, most of which centered around how full it sounded and also how it didn't sound too loud.

Ian

My Sunday night gig has something to look forward too....what keyboard will I be using?

Over the last several weeks this was my line up...One time and out (Change keyboards)..

EMU Xboard61 (with laptop)..week 1.

G70...week 2.

MediaStation,,,week 3..

E-50..week 4..

Juno Stage..week 5..

And this Sunday will be the E-80...)

This must be record ....

I also received comments when I switched to the S900 from the 3000.

While I didn't receive compliments when I upgraded from JBL Eon10 G2s to FBT Maxx 2As, I never more get any complaints that I am playing too loud.

It sounds like the Bose are really in another league - especially in stereo!

The biggest compliments I ever got was when I upgraded from the Suzuki Q Chord http://www.qchord.net/ to an arranger!

Beakybird

Beakybird

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

"I'm surely somewhat nearing the end of my career, at age 66,"

Don bite your tongue

Don - it seems to me that you should have at least another 5-10 yrs left on those tires.

Donny - welcome back. Happy belated birthday.

I played my first two NH jobs with two different keyboards; first the G70 and later the 3K. Got called back the first time; haven't heard anything (yet) after the last. Could it be my equipment?

Thanx Cass

Interesting comments,

JCKeeys, not only did the AD comment on the Pa2xPro, but a couple of residents did.

Donny, "Welcome back to the show that never ends."

Gary since starting to use the Bose I don't have people in the front row ever say it's too loud, like with the Barbetta or any of the other conventional amps I've used.

I did get a good laugh last year when one of the audience members commented that the Bose tower looked like a pole and that maybe I would do a pole dance. NOT!!

Bill, As I read the comments and think that 90% of my gigs are on weekend afternoons or early evenings, I find it's rare to find an AD working on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, more the exeption than the rule.

Well actually I do know why this is the case but it can be a two edged sword. It is simply because the Bose design using an array of small speakers removes some critical midrange EQ decisions that can make for a good or a bad sound. The small speakers just don't produce a lot of those midrange frequencies. If there were some 10 or 12 inch speakers or midrange horns in the system then that probably wouldn't be the case. The downside is that it really isn't possible to reproduce those frequencies when desired so some instruments in that part of the sound spectrum will always remain more buried than they would on a conventional sound system. The upside that makes the Bose attractive to OMB or bands without a sound man is that overall the sound always is comfortable to listen to in almost any room without any special setup. Conventional systems can sound radically different when set up in different spaces, particularly in regard to midrange and do require careful attention to EQ. But I do agree with Diki that a conventional system can certainly be setup to sound good as well but it does require a lot more setup work when you move from room to room.

The Bose design removes both the EQ control and potential problems associated with having that control. So while a dedicated sound man would feel constrained using a Bose system those without a sound man appreciate the set and forget nature of the system. Like everything in life it is a trade off and the decision is more about what gives you the results you need and minimizes problems.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 08-01-2009).]

Stephen,

Thought you would enjoy this. Today I played a gig at one of my regular venues and used my PSR3000. While packing up to go home two ladies approached me and asked if I had changed keyboards. I asked why and they said it just didn't sound the same - not as real. I usually use my Tyros 3 at this gig. So indeed - they do notice.

Hammer