Firey stage rig

Thought you all might like to see my stage setup. This is from a wedding I did last Saturday. I use pretty much the same setup whether I play solo or with a band. Pictured are my Yamaha 9000 Pro keyboard on a QuikLok Monolith stand, (2) Chauvet "Bob the Flame Lights" sitting in plant stands, bench, fan, Motion Sound KB-200s amp on a QuikLok amp stand, and the small blue thing under it is a Creative Lab Nomad Jukebox for break music MP3's. The black box on the floor next to the bench is a Radio Shack switch for turning the flame lights on and off. Setup or takedown is under 15 minutes.

This all looks more impressive at night but the day shot gives more detail. The gooseneck LittleLites are part of the keyboard and they light up enough that I don't need a light on my music. The "flame lights" look especially great after dark and are just a piece of silk cloth being blown by a fan so they are totally safe. They can be found at places like Musician's Friend. A guy told me during the gig how much he liked my "pyrotechnics" - this was significant because he was a Rhode Island fireman! Enjoy...

[img]http://acapella.harmony-central.com/foru...&postid=3285655[/img]

HI: PRO
A very nice looking setup.
I dig your flame throwers.
Do you always have the amp behind you ?
Enjoying the 9000 PRO
Denny

Pro, With that Italian AC[fan] on the floor and the flames and where they are located, I hope you never have to expell gas during a show..

The amp is always behind me whenever I use it, which is the suggested placement according to the owner's manual. I also play a regular gig where the house PA is a pair of Mackie powered speakers so the amp stays home then.

Fran: Fortunately the flames are not real, but they look real even close up.

ARE THOSE LIGHTS BATTERY POWERED?

Donny - those little lights are two of the COOLEST features that the 9kpro offered! They plug intp sockets in the back and are powered by the keyboard, itself. If I'm not mistaken, there is even a dimmer switch. If I could live without on board speakers ..... I'd STILL have a 9kpro.(in spite of the size & weight)

Sorry........I meant the FLAMES!!!!!!

Yes Im aware of the Kool onboard lights on the 9k...nice option.

Dnj [weened from onboard speakers :>)]

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-24-2003).]

Pro: Ahhh. Though the picture didn't show up on my computer previouslly, it somehow decided to magically appear 'this time' on my return visit to this thread. COOL (I mean HOT) SHOT ! - Scott

Pro,
I love that stand! It looks really sturdy and the 9000pro looks amazing on it.
Very nice setup, tho I would LOve to see it at night to get the full lighting effect. Bet it looks great.
Best wishes
Tony

Scott: Hmmm, most of us seem able to see the picture embedded here... but if you can't here's a URL to it:
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/foru...&postid=3285655

DNJ: The flame lights are AC powered

Pro,
Do you have problems with feedback or high frequency noise with the amp situated directly behind you and the mic directly in front of it?

Gary

Gary: No feedback problems, but I don't sing either. The mic is strictly for talking to the audience. I could see where this could be a concern for singing keyboard performers, but if you look you can see that the mic would actually be blocked from the amp by my head and body... and since I run the mic into the 9000 Pro directly I believe I could use the vocal EQ controls in the keyboard to adjust for feedback if necessary. But your mileage may vary and this setup may not be the best for the singing player.

Esh....


Do you use the Motion 200s amp for your music/vocals/mp3's for all small gigs [restaurants, small family parties,
under 100 people etc] and use 2 Eon G2's for the bigger gigs or a combo of both?



------------------
www.donnypesce.com

I was going to ask the same question (as Gary). In such scenario I normally get a lot of feedback at relatively low volumes. What do you do when it comes to play at high volumes?

Nice setup. Looks very lightweight. In bars/pubs I manage to bring little equipment, but in weddings my setup is heavier. Thanks for sharing.

-- José.

Pro: Curious how you keep your foot pedal controler from shifting/moving around while performing? Is it is secured to the floor (carpet?) in some fashion?

In my setup, I mount my foot pedals (actually 3 of them) to a piece of 1/8" plywood, using industrial strength velcro snap mounts made by Littlite:
http://www.littlite.com/product.php?id=34

and place the piece of plywood on the floor under the KB. The plywood is kept from moving about by the back tube bar (along the floor) of the Monolith Stand.

OK, my question was already answered. But I can guess that such a placement is not great for singing keyboardists, at least for loud volumes. The advantage is the monitoring.

-- José.

DNJ: this wedding gig was the loudest I have ever pumped the KP-200s - near distortion but not quite. It was plenty loud enough on it's own and so far I haven't used my powered EON's and EON subs with it. There was supposed to be up to 500 people at this event but I didn't want or need to be louder really - there was people seated near me (you can see the chairs in the upper corner of the pic). However if I do anything larger or completely outdoors then I'd take the EONs to add to the KP-200s. So far, the amp has covered every gig by itself.

Scott: I just chase my pedal around right now and haven't dealt with a way to secure it. I'll have to deal with that someday...

esh,

Have there been any vocals versus music thru one amp issues with the Motion 200s? My concern was that is has 10" speakers, what about bass?

what do you think of using 2 Motion 200s for big gigs?? is there a Pole mount underneath the amp?



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-24-2003).]

Again, I don't sing so I can't answer that from experience. It is my humble opinion that you could either run the vocals through the keyboard (assuming your keyboard does that) and then into the amp for combined vocals/music without any problems; or you could use one stereo channel of the amp for keys and the other channel for vocals. The KP-200s has a lo-z mic input dedicated to channel 2 but there is no insertion I/O's so you would have to run your vocal into something like a Digitech Vocalizer workstation for reverb/harmony first then go into the amp. But I don't want to mislead you - a typical PA would probably offer the singer-keyboardist more power, flexibility and fewer feedback headaches than the KP-200s alone. For me as an instrumentalist, the amp is perfect.

Bass is no problem at all - it has LOTS. I ran break party/dance music MP3's over the KP-200s and it rocked.



I don't think this offers any benefit over a regular PA. There is no pole-mounting option on the KP-200s. For big gigs, I would use the KP-200s as a stage amp/vocal monitor and use a regular PA for mains. For me, since I'm an instrumentalist, I can just take the KP-200s' stereo XLR outputs and plug them into my EONs for a large gig.

Esh,

Thanx for the info..I did not know you didn't sing at all when performing.
I guess the MS 200s has its place in the right situation.

Jam On

Very Nice Set up Pro
I use a piece of rubber matting for my various pedals (seq./volume/Sustain/ & RP200 for guitar) It keeps them stable throughout a night's gig.
Again..Very Nice Set Up

Very nice set-up, Pro. I love those flame lamps. About securing pedals to the floor, I keep my EC5 in place with the old standby, a couple of thin strips of duct tape.

Tell ya what, if those cables were tidied up a bit the set-up would look even better.

Thanks Red;

Actually I had forgotten to put on my velcro straps when I took the picture. I carry several and tidy up cords as much as possible usually.

Yo Pro..In addition to Big Red's comment about cleaning up the cables. I went to a marine supply store and picked up some split ribbed tubing,(comes in various diameters)
basically spread it apart, slip in your cables, and your left with one snake.
From my T3 I run 2 outs,1 damper plus midi. These are all contained within a snake, leaving about 8" clear on the ends.The damper, and midi branch off about 3 ' from the other end. I use two kb's(T3 & SP100), both are snaked. What you end up with are 2 snakes, neat and able to be secured to the kb stand with cable straps, so you don't really see them, unless your looking for them. I'll try to find a pic.
btw: I'm not overly familiar with the 9000 Pro. Is that touch screen, and if so, how do you like it?? Any problems?

[This message has been edited by Leon (edited 03-25-2003).]

Thanks Leon. I have used split tubing from Radio Shack in the past when I had a lot more cable than I do now, but for speed and the few cables I currently have I'll probably stick to velcro straps.

The Yamaha 9000 Pro keyboard has been out about two years and several people in this forum use one. It is still a current model but it does not have a touch screen. Here's a site with more info on the 9000 Pro's features:
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/pk/pk2000/products/pro9000/pr9000_b.htm

Pro, where did you find the flame lights and which model are they? I called Musician's Friend and they no longer carry them, even though there sold well. There are two models available from Chauvet, "Bob" and "Bob Jr." Which ones are you using, and also where did you find those neat stands?

Gary

Pro

Love the set up. Looks very "pro". Interested to see you use your music rack. I was trying not to use mine because I think it's good if the audience can see what you're doing, but, since I want to update my routine, I've decided that playing "new old tunes" from my made up fake book of fresh material is better for me and the audience. Much more interesting that way.

I am quite sure I have seen those flame/lights at, of all places, Spencer gifts.

Actually, I thought the cords looked kind of neat. I usually put my "gig bag" in front of my X stand and stuff all the chord overflow into it.

As far as fans, I bought a cheap clip on fan at WalMart, which I clip on the stand leg. I am kind of a hot blooded northerner in Florida, so this keeps me comfy at all times.

Pro: Is that one of those mic booms that attach to the keyboard stand? Do you like it? Much shaking around?

BTW< I think this is a great idea to show your set-up. Much easier to get ideas than a bunch of words. You know what the Chinese say.

Come to think about it this is probably the best thread I have seen, with a lot of interesting comments, questions, and sharing ideas.

Best

Scott Langholff

[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 03-25-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 03-25-2003).]

Gary,

You might want to take a look here:
http://www.music123.com/category/?d=954726056&dd=954727731&c=306&issd=0&src=flame

-- José.

Thanks Jose'

Hi again:

I'm trying to answer as many questions as I can. First, I am totally surprised that Musicians Friend no longer carries "Bob" - I should get a commission on all the darn people I have sent there to buy them!. I think my light is Chauvet's Bob and not Bob Jr. but I'm not certain. I have seen the imitation lights like it by American DJ and the ones at Spencer Gifts and they SUCK! The model by Chauvet is the only one that really looks like real flames, at least to me.



Thanks... I'm fairly tall, 6', and the stand/music does not block me from the audience much but I'm sticking with having my book on stage regardless. It's a three-ring binder with non-glare page protectors and I am always adding music to it.



That's very original - I hadn't thought of that. But normally I do hide my cords. Watch those X-stand - I had one collape on me with two keyboards at a gig once, partially destroying one of them. It was the kind with the so-called alligator teeth. I'll never use one again.



Here is the URL for the mic boom only: http://www.quiklok.com/search_list.taf?_function=detail&Layout_0_uid1=82

It's sheer coincidence that I owned a QuikLok Z-stand and the mic boom for it also fits the Monolith stand. Because the Monolith stand is rock steady, so is the boom. It's the best stand/boom combo I've ever seen.



I've enjoyed having a "show and tell" session that has allowed me to get some good ideas on how to improve what I'm doing while sharing my ideas for others to try. I posted this same thread on the Harmony Central synth discussion group and the picture is an attachment instead of an embedded image - this morning that image had been downloaded 407 times in 48 hours! A lot of synth players there are seeing the 9000 Pro for the first time so that's been fun to talk about. It's been a very positive thread both there and here.

Gary - I answered the questions about Bob in Scott's thread above... honestly the stands I use for the flame lights came from WalMart's garden section - they are $10 metal plant stands. The bottom brace for the legs slips out so the stands stack together for transport. I love the fact that the Bobs and their stands match the 9000 Pro and it's stand, which fashionably coordinates with the amp!

Pro .... Nice compact looking set-up...except for the cables which have ALWAYS been a pet peeve of mine ... Like you, I've gone the velcro route to keep them as neat and tidy as possible ...
One other thought ... I also use music when I play (my own personal 'fake book'), but I've gotten away from the music stand on the KB, so that I can have better eye contact with the audience, and them with me... I now put a black metal stand in front of the KB, as low as possible, on the best angle for me to see the music... It's not as obvious to the audience, and gives them a better view ... ALTHOUGH, some might say I SHOULD hide behind the music... .....
t.

I guess my current music stand hides me as much as mid-chest high but no more. That is a very good idea about using a music stand in front of the keyboard at a deep angle - my first thought was that it might be harder to reach the music (I do sometimes turn to the next song while playing a current one) but still a worthy idea to consider. I enjoy not having to carry a music stand at the moment. In fact, the "flame lights" and all cords/accessories/music books/music stand/mic stand/Littlelites all fit in a single carry-on type of luggage case with wheels right now. Thanks for the comments...

Pro, Just ordered the lights from Music 123 and they'll be here early next week. They'll be a great addition to the rig and I really appreciate your help.

Cheers,

Gary