stands and cables for keyboards

[nightmorph]

i bought a juno 106 last month, which is currently at the synth spa gettin' fixed up. earlier today i bought an akai ax-60. need some help gettin' these synths setup in my tiny office studio.

i need a cheap two-tier stand that doesn't take much floor space. budget: under $100, and ideally a used item, to further save money.

i found this Z-frame and this X-stand and a two-tier version of this A-frame, but i'm not really sure what's going to be the sturdiest, as well as occupy the least floor space. i don't gig with the synths, so stand portability isn't a concern.

since i'm a pianist, i sit while playing, so having an adjustable/tilting upper tier is essential to allow access to all the knobs and whatnot.

thanks!

[nightmorph]

turns out i need a 3-tier stand, since i'm aiming to replace my yamaha nocturne with a p155, which makes much better use of my limited space.

i play sitting down, so i'll have the piano on the bottom tier, and two synths above it. i need all the controls to be reachable from this position. wall mounts aren't an option, so are A-frame stands adjustable enough as far as height goes? it looks like the horizontal bars are fixed, which would put the topmost synth too high up. the piano will be the heaviest keyboard, though under 50lbs. the two vintage synths are each about 27-30lbs.

any ideas for 3-tier stands?

[Xero]

ugh i want to throw my z frame out the window, i constantly trip over the damn legs.

get an a-frame. they're pretty much the best.

[nightmorph]

how are they as far as space usage goes, compared to a Z-frame? i occupy one corner of a tiny office space, so i'm lookin' to park the thing as close to the wall as possible.

this On-Stage A-frame looks interesting, but only if i can adjust the heights of the top two tiers, not just their angles. might be a bit too wide, too. i think i have about 55"-57" to play with.

[Rooftree]

morph: We have a lot in common. My tiny studio space is jammed tight into a corner. Every single inch is precious, so I had to choose a stand that used the minimum amount of space. I have an 88-key controller that I use for piano and I sit while playing it. I have a second keyboard above that and it's tilted at a comfortable angle.

And the keyboard stand that I use??? It's the Z-stand that you linked to. It was less than $100, it's rock solid, doesn't take up much floor space, and is adjustable in all directions. The upper tier arms stick out towards the back by a few inches, so this causes a tiny bit of dead space. But then again, you'll need the dead space for the cables coming out the back of your keyboard.

I believe that there is an option for a 3rd tier that you can add to the Z-stand.

An A-frame will waste a lot more space to the rear of the keyboards.

Xero mentioned tripping over the legs of his Z-stand. I can see how that could be a problem. It's not a issue for me since my corner is so cramped I can only approach it from head-on.

[Xero]

i have that same on-stage a-frame stand

you can adjust the height of all 3 tiers.

the z-frame stand you linked is the same one i have as well. You can actually add a third-tier to it as well, but it's no where near as stable as the a-frame with a third tier. I constantly worry that it's gonna tip backwards.

[nightmorph]

Originally Posted by Xero

i have that same on-stage a-frame stand

you can adjust the height of all 3 tiers.

the z-frame stand you linked is the same one i have as well. You can actually add a third-tier to it as well, but it's no where near as stable as the a-frame with a third tier. I constantly worry that it's gonna tip backwards.

thanks for clarifyin'! i just ordered that on-stage A-frame. i'd rather have something built for 3 keyboards from the get-go, rather than kludge together my own stand.

[nightmorph]

the 3-tier OnStage stand turned out to be a disaster. while assembling it for the first time, the plastic clamp for the metal rests snapped. it wasn't being tightened any more than the other five. cheap chinese plastic garbage. now it looks like i'll be shipping the whole thing back to musiciansfriend at my expense, since they don't stock replacement parts.

i guess i'll have to spend more and get a stand that uses all metal clamps, not plastic. any ideas?

[chembros]

I use this stand and haven't had any issues with it. Got it for $99+tax.

Edit: Wrong link meant this one.
http://www.long-mcquade.com/products...oard_Stand.htm

[m.o]

Superglue + duct tape?

[nightmorph]

@chembros:

interested; that looks slightly more sturdy than the similar quik-lok/proline stands i've seen. but how is it for sit-down workflows? can the top tiers be easily reached? also, they're a canadian retailer; i'm down in the US. would rather not have to deal with that extra shipping hassle.

@m.o:

hah! like i'd trust the OnStage stand anymore, knowing that every plastic clamp has the same potential failure.

i did s'more research, and discovered that Standtastic makes some apparently sturdy 2- and 3-tier stands. supposedly, even the 2-tier stands can have an additional pair of brackets mounted. now i'm just wondering if the 48" stand, with 3 tiers, would be suitable for seated performance. if so, i'm buyin' that thing immediately.

[chembros]

I guess that depends on how long your torso and arms are, . The 1st level can be lowered to suit a sitting position and of course the top two levels lower at the same time and are tilt-able. There are two cross bars at the rear for extra stability which also "telescope". It's made by Yorkville/Apex if you can find them in the states.