Gary my Apex 48 pro has served me very well thru the years but sadly it's seen better days and needed worn replacement parts are hard to find, also the "NEWLY" designed Apex pro 48 is a bit different. So I decided it was time for a change. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the K&M Spider or The Ultimate Support Apex 48 pro.

I was watching this video and decided to watch the "keyboard stand" also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tFy3kIYJ4BU#

I was thinking about what DIKI wrote above. I was very impressed with the support that stand gave. It never moved........for the first few minutes. Then it gave way as he hit those end keys.

I don't think for a second that the keyboard would go over, but that's got to interfere with your concentration when that bit of movement happens!

Mark, you're right. The stand seemed to wobble quite a bit when he was slamming the keys on the right side. However, I would suspect that any, single-post, keyboard stand would do the same, and as a player, that would bother the Hell out of me. I also noticed that the guy playing the keyboard was hunched over quite a bit, indicating that he was either really tall, or the keyboard stand was a bit too low for him - not sure which. Now, this shouldn't be a problem with DNJ because he sits down while performing.

For me, I'll stick with my heavy duty Quik Lok X-stand. It's solid as a rock, fully adjustable, not a prayer of tipping in any direction unless someone falls on it and folds flat in less than a second for easy transportation. And, Musician's Friend has them on sale for just $129, which is about $50 less than I paid a decade ago.



Cheers,

Gary

For the ultimate in support, basically, it's about as solid as a piano, the Quik-Lok WS550 http://www.quiklok.com/catalog/?p=productsMore&iProduct=27&sName=WS-550 is the best thing I have ever used.

It folds up quickly, but not into the most convenient shape (a sort of big 'T') and weighs in at 18 lbs.. With solid support at all four corners, basically bounce is a thing of the past.

It's only major drawback is that the legs don't micro adjust, just 8 height adjustment points, so if you find yourself on an uneven surface, a certain amount of support (beer mats always work well!) might be needed under one or two of the legs to get any wobble out.

Im lovin the K&M pro...super solid.

I wasn't even aware of a stand like this. If not for the height-adjustment deficiency (AND angle adjustment), I would consider this the world's most perfect stand because of the "pedal" space down below....and the clean aesthetics.

That height adjustment problem has to be a real "problem" though. I know on my A-frame stand I would be lost without the completely variable height positions.....and the "angle" as I play just slightly off of horizontal.

On my A-frame stand I have complete versatility....add as many tiers as I need, height and angle adjustment, and tons of floor space for any pedals...particularly if you're using bass pedals (I don't use bass pedals though).

On the plus sign, I'd use these Quick-Lok stands for anything that requires "horizontal" position only (DJ table, mixer, MP3 player, etc) ....much better and more professional than hoping to find a sturdy chair on the job!

P.S. It amazes me that with all the companies making all these stands that none of them (including Ultimate Support) thought about bringing back to life the A-frame stands. They're not for everyone, but I'm sure they'd sell enough of them to make it profitable. I can only conclude whoever designs these stands (including the lack of the height-adjustment on the Quick-Lok one)...they're definitely NOT keyboard players!

I used to use one years ago when I was playing multiple keyboards, and carrying all the related gear. I still have it in various stands I made from it(think Tinker Toys).

There is no question about it's versatility and support, but I found it too imposing in smaller venues, and I don't need all of space anymore. Then, there is the problem of it obstructing my view of the audience.

I cut off 6 inches off the K&B and now its perfect view 2 tiers same as I did with the Apex 48pro.. K&M is a great solid
KB stand.

Reading through all the posts on this thread.......my last comment.

Yes, the USS A-frame stands hinder your view of the audience somewhat (if you're sitting), but that's the price one pays for the protection it gives your keyboard. You could bump into that thing with an electric lawnmower and the whole frame will move but the keyboard will still be sitting on it's tier.

If you're playing for a dance crowd, no one is going to notice your stand anyway. Do a concert or a demo or any kind of an act under the spotlight and I WOULD definitely use one of the more "streamlined" stands.

I'm doing my level best to squeeze as much out of one keyboard that I possibly can, so the second tier isn't a big deal to me right now. I am strongly considering an iPad soon to carry all my PDF fakebooks around on, but I think it will rest quite well on the music stand the G70 comes with...

I'm fairly short to start with, so putting a bunch of stuff in front of me and blocking my eye contact with my crowd doesn't strike me as wise! It's hard enough to convince everyone you aren't doing karaoke nowadays, so having them easily see my hands, and how busy they are is the way to avoid much of that!