Always used a mixer, powered Yamaha emx5 at first. Current mixer is a soundtrack efx8 in rack w sound modules. Went to Maui 11s for indoor gigs. Use ev sx300s w outboard power amp or ev Sb2a powered subs for outdoor stuff.

Line array style for singles-quick, lightweight and painless..recommend Maui's from Frank V. No more stands and 3 power levels to choose from..

Serious stuff you have there

I hear ya. Still a lot of setting up, to run stereo (refuse to run otherwise). I have it narrowed to (2) choices and I'm hoping my 1st choice works - it will easy as pie thereafter - sure

I find that the keyboards of today give you all you need to do a great job; no mixer needed. Rooms are different and that’s why we are given master EQ’s and master reverb controls.

You set up your set up in the largest room you have, and then use the options to adjust to what you want. A mixer gives you work and problems that are difficult to adjust on the job. Not needed.
OMHO, John C.

PS, One stand, one Keyboard, one Speaker, one Mic, and one wire from keyboard to the powered speaker --- and one wire for the mic. Oh, and yes the music.

But since us humans are not all wired the same way – whatever makes you happy rules!

I have to maintain equipment for 1- 5 pc gigs. I found it beneficial to assemble power cords and shielded speaker cables in split loom together. Made up 2 each in 7, 14, 20' lengths for stereo use. Colored tape at end to identify lengths quickly. An ice to 3 prong power adapter allows combining lengths for long runs though rarely needed. Run them back to mixer and nearby power strip (in rack). Similar assembly from keyboard to mixer - stereo cable, power, Mic cable in split loom. Another from keyboard to volume,sustain pedals. Neat and fast. Takes initial time and work but you get it back quickly, and no individual wire mess all over. Cables fit in one bag.

Zuki
Lots of FX available in the KB...which, in Yamaha, can be saved to registrations.

Jim, I use the keyboard for just about everything other than vocal harmony. For vocal harmony I use the TC Helicon Harmony-M, which is very small and compact, and very user friendly. I fire the Harmony-M into the keyboard's line in, and everything is outputted through the keyboard's normal outputs to the PA system.

While I rarely use midi files, those too are fired from my 9-inch Netbook PC directly into the keyboard via the host connection and use VanBasco's MIDI/Karaoke player. The mouse sits atop a small, wooden platform that is affixed beneath the keyboard stand and held in place by the weight of the keyboard and a slot cut in the platform. No one can see it but me, and it is mounted on the right side of the keyboard where it's easily accessed.

Back when I used a mixer, I used a 4 channel mixer that was mounted on the right side of my custom console. I didn't like the way it looked and figured out how to do everything through the keyboard without compromising the sound. Additionally, I rarely had anyone requiring the use of a second mic, but when I did, I merely plugged a mic directly into the Bose L1 Compact mic input, so they could make announcements, etc. I never used a guest singer or other instrument player, but they could have fired their gear through the other Bose inputs.

If you wish, I will be more than happy to make a short video of my system so you and others can see how it is put together. The neatest part about this is when I got to the job, most everything was already connected under the hood of the console, and the only connections necessary were those into the back of the keyboard. Set up time was just 7 minutes, and that was if I took my time. If I were in a hurry, I could easily do it in 5 minutes or less.

Hope this helps,

Gary

I don't touch FX on the mixer, except for the mic. I do all that and save on keyboard, as you stated. Will never run one speaker, so I move on. I still like the powered mixer, passive monitor idea.
2 less power cables and upgraded mixer (when using the tube attachment and yamaha attachment, it is a breeze). I just need to get equal sounding qsc performance.

I can set up in 10 minutes if I take my time. If I hurry it can take 30 minutes.
On the subject of speakers, I will personally never go back to un-powered. I used just about everything, big and small, over the years and the modern line-array systems are perfect for me.
I do keep a small mixer in my system. It only means one additional connection, from the kb to the mixer. Everything else is from the keyboard. I do have guest singers and the occasional guitar player sitting in, so the little Yamaha AG06 is all I need. No power supply except for a USB cable.
I do run the laptop to the mixer instead of the keyboard, and use two outputs from the mixer to my digital recorder.
On the rare occasions when I have more people playing with me, I bring a bigger mixer, usually Peavey 8 channel. I don't change my setup though, I just run the outputs of my Yamaha mixer into stereo channels on the larger mixer, and still have seven open channels for the "band". I do change the digital recorder to aux outs of the Peavey, so I can record everything.
I also have, with either mixer, outputs availble to run into the house system where I work in case they want my music in any of the other rooms.
In other words, it all depends on what you need!

If you really care about the sound enough to fine tune it for each different venue (as you should), I would think that it would be cumbersome, at the least, to make all the adjustments at the keyboard. Every venue has it's own unique acoustical characteristics and there is no 'one size fits all' with a mix. For that reason, I would ALWAYS favor a mixer (preferably a digital one with memory in case I played the same venue a lot - for the record, though, I prefer the SOUND of analog). I've only had one powered mixer, a high-end stereo 8-channel which I still have back in the storeroom somewhere but can't remember the name (old age). I hated it so bad (because of the sound) that I NEVER, EVER used it (tried it with many different sets of speakers). Sounds good in theory but didn't work for me. My personal preference is a quality mixer and quality powered 15"s or 10"s w/sub. My preference, however, has to do with getting a good ORGAN sound without hauling a Leslie around. I currently use 2 EV SXA250's with a compact 16ch analog mixer. Sounds okay.

chas

Has anyone said you have a 'twisted mind'