MY LIVE SETUP 2023
I try to keep my live setup compact, as light as possible yet powerful enough to play for my average-sized audience. It also needs to be robust and durable. With that in mind, this is my current setup and it works really well. If you’re looking for similar kit, this little post might be useful to you.
KEYBOARD
Nord Stage 3 88 key. It’s robust, I have not broken a single key or any other part of these instruments and I’ve had 3 or 4 of them to date. They are just brilliant. The key bed (Fatar TP40M) feels great to me too as a trained piano player.
PA SYSTEM
I’m currently using just one Bose L1 Pro 16 line array. It looks the business and is very powerful for its size. Plenty of bottom end too – I may get a second but they are NOT cheap! It’s also very useful for pre-performance and break times as I can just connect via Bluetooth and play some background vibes with ease. The only negative so far, come on Bose…. it’s a premium product and the cover for the Sub (which is an extra purchase to the system itself) is no more than a dust cover. It needs to be thicker and more robust for the gigging musician.
MIXER
My compact little 8-channel digital mixer has been with me for years. It’s the QSC Touchmix 8 and it’s absolutely perfect, even if I ever have another vocalist, guitarist etc with me. It’s got all the built-in effects and EQs and they have a really good training set of videos on their site / YouTube.
Kick drum PEDAL
This just gives me a little percussive edge to the songs that just a piano and vocal don’t have. As a piano vocalist, it’s a bit limiting as to what you can do unless you move into the realms of looping or backing tracks etc, as you literally have just one foot free. With both hands on the piano, and my right foot on the expression/sustain pedal, it only leaves my left foot for the Roland KT-10 Beaterless Kick Drum Pedal.
KICK DRUM TRIGGER MODULE
The pedal is just a pedal without a trigger module. I have used the Roland TM2 for years. It has two inputs (although I just use the one for my kick drum pedal) and has served me quite well. I feel like there may be better options out there so will be revising this choice soon when I come to repurchase. I want something that comes with a little protective case rather than me making do with something homemade or commissioning someone to make me something.
Keyboard stand
I’ve been through all sorts of makes and designs over the years. The current support for my Nord Stage 3 is the Ultimate Support V Stand which is really fast to pop up and down. The downside, the bag is cheap and nasty. I have to wrap it up in my gig rug as it’s a funny thing to carry if it’s not all nicely enclosed in its bag.
FLIGHT CASES
This one is easy. Swan Flight every time. Off the peg or bespoke stuff, they just get the job done.