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[Ken Nelson]

The band I'm working with plays out regionally, at this point we carry our own stuff with little to no hall help on the load ins/outs. They have a Yamaha 88 key synth that is going out as part of the show. I've seen ATA style cases that allow you to play the synth without having to take it out of the case. This is attractive as it's less work to get ready and don't have to stash the case.

1. Is this a bad idea, as in, we're spending money on a case and should worry get the most protection possible. AKA 'Cry once' and buy as much protection for your budget as possible.

2. If it's not crazy, a mfgr referral who does such things would be most helpful.

3. Our budget is $300-400. Again, we will carry it ourselves and not necessarily putting it in some balls-to-the-wall equipment mover (trailer/truck/etc). If the 'playable' case is dumb (please tell me so based on experience, not just being a hater ), how about the SKB's? We've used their rollers in the past for racks and they seem to be okay, but I wouldn't tour pro with them.

[John B. Miller]

Hello Ken:

I am a keyboard player myself, and have gone through various incarnations of packaging over the years. When my band was touring regularly, all our gear was moved around in a trailer or truck, so I invested in some heavy-duty cases to protect my gear from the daily rigours of being loaded in and out with a bunch of other gear that was heavily cased and wheeled. It saved some time, but was also very expensive and HEAVY.

These days, I put my 88-key board in a well-made, padded bag, and carry it from my car into the gig, and back. It's half the weight, a tenth of the expense, and a heck of a lot more flexible if I get other gigs between band shows. I've been doing this now for about 8 years with no mishaps.

If you're putting everything (PA, backline, etc.) in the back of a truck, the hard case is a good thing, but if not...

To your idea of a case you can leave the board in for performance...that will be a custom build, probably more expensive than your budget. Also, I hope you've got a pretty darn heavy-duty keyboard stand, because the case will at least double the weight of the keyboard.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

[Ken Nelson]

John,

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and thoughts, mucho appreciated!!!

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

I'm a gigging keyboard player.  When I was younger and poor(er), I had a couple soft cases for my boards.  Soft cases can in some cases work "ok", more so if the keyboard is pretty light weight like the Nord stuff, but as the board gets heavier, soft cases start losing their effective protection.  Soft cases are absolutely inadequate unless the owner of the board is the only one who ever moves it and it always has a very safe place to ride.

I damaged one of my boards years ago with a soft case - I banged the end into a step and cracked it.  That was the last time I used a soft case.  

The SKB cases are "ok".  They are light weight and water resistant, but the latches royally suck.  

The last 4 or so keyboards I've had I have purchased custom cases for them.  This gives much better protection and makes me worry a lot less when the inevitable situation comes up where there are too many "top of the pile" things in the trailer.  They also cost between $450 and $600 for a good one.

As to a case that the board can be played in - this is possible with a custom case, but I suspect the work of finding two people to lift the case onto the stand and taking the lid off without bashing it into the keyboard outweighs the work of setting the case down, tipping up the lid, and lifting the board out and onto the stand.

[Franklin Benjamin]

I would not recommend a custom case where you leave the keyboard in the tray.  If you remove the top, then you would have to stow the top separately and you run the risk of tweaking the lid or having someone step on it or spill something in it.  Cases are safest when they are closed.  If you get a case, I recommend one with wheels so that you can at least pull it.  Remove it from the case put it on the stand, close the case and stow it.  If you have issues with stowing the case, (I'm guessing you're using a standard X stand) then put the case on the stand and then the keyboard on the case.   If the keyboard is too cumbersome, try seeing if you can work with a 61 key.  I don't know if it's something that you can compromise with though.

[Tim Padrick]

A case like you want isn't going to be had for $300-$400 - not a sturdy one, anyway.

I barely trust the available keyboard stands to hold the weight of the keyboard, let alone the added weight of a case tray.

[Doug Maye]

Cases should be purchased based on the cost of the keyboard IMHO. If you're talking a Yamaha Tyros....buy a good one. I've never seen one that allowed the player to leave it in while playing. I would think that the front would have to be hinged. Like mentioned by someone earlier most keyboard stands may be able to handle the weight, but the more weight the higher the center of gravity. Having had the experience of catching my MOTIF XS8 before it hit the ground, I wouldn't even consider putting it's case on the stand with the keyboard in it. Totaled I'm guessing my keys and case weigh in excess of 140 lbs.