Performing Out in the streets help!

[Rapslow]

hello i want to sing/play piano out in the streets
but i have no idea where to start

im thinkin right now

api 3124+MB
motif or kurzweil keyboard
cheap mic
a pair of speakers (will studio monitors work??)

and i guess i need a power supply to plug in those gears?

is there anything wrong with my plan?
do i need something else?
what speakers should i get?
where do i get the power supply?

if somebody could help me
i would appereciate it very much

thank you !

[Digitar]

Rapslow,

If this is really a serious question I'd have to ask, WHY?

But I'm gonna try to help you. First off if your gonna be playing in the streets, you're gonna need portability and a long lasting battery for your PA and your keyboard, cause counting on power seems to be asking alot.

Nady has a PA that will do what you need to amplify your keys. It's model # is MPM 4130 mixer and (2) PS112 speakers. SameDay Music has a package deal that includes the mixer, the speakers, speaker stands, Cables, and a wireless mike for $380 bucks. It says the battery will last for up to 15 hours so it seems like a killer deal, but for that price I wouldn't expect TOO much.

Next you'll need a battery powered keyboard and keyboard stand, keeping portability in mind again. Do a Google search for Portable keyboards, cause there are many different choices. All the big keyboard manufacturers have them.

Next you'll need a cart of sometype to transport them to and from your location. And check into your local laws for playing on the street, cause you could get hassled if any of the neighbors you're playing near call the police.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Digitar

[Remoteness]

Digitar made some very good points.

Tell us what you want to accomplish with this event so we can better help you decide what you need to do and/or get.

[joeq]

I have a friend who did a lot of street performing including a stint as an Official NYC Subway Musician.

And at one point he and his partner used to roll a real live upright piano to a corner near his house.

One suggestion I would add is to not do your street performing with higher-end studio gear like Kurzweil and API

My friend was ripped off more than once. Even if your town is a low-crime area, there's rain and wind and the general knocks of transporting the gear.

In Europe, I noticed a lot of guys using marine batteries and inverters for power. Are there other street musicians in your area? Why not chat them up about their gear?

[RichS]

How 'bout this...

Street performer in the town square – York, England. Guaranteed you'll get more listeners with this than any run-of-the-mill electronic keyboard.

All you need is a van and a ramp.

[Shadow_7]

Most street players I've heard were purely accoustic. Guitar and sang, accoustic (not electric) piano and sang, sax, trumpet, trombone, homeless poet.

As far as electronics, they're a pain, and when the power is out, you're out. Marine batteries and inverter is probably the most reliable and cheapest for longer battery life. I got 8 AA rechargeables at Radio Shack, which were $18+ per 4, so $40-ish total bucks for a whole 2.5 hours of record time on my field recorder. There's other beefier batteries at about $200 for a rumored 10 hours. I'm not quite there yet, but I'll likely need a second set of 8x AA's to reach the record/play times that I desire.

The advantages of purely accoustic, is that you're not so loud you're gonna get your permit checked within ten seconds of starting. And you're generally more portable. So if you're playing to just critters, you can relocate to where the human critters are. And on the accoustic model, when it rains, your gear doesn't stop working.

Granted that for piano, it's not conveinent. But it's the streat so you've got to keep security in mind. It's harder to steal an instrument that's in your hand. Or a full sized piano when you make a quick trip to the john. Plus your electronic synth is probably a couple grand. And you can pick up an upright piano for free in some cases. Lots of them on craigslist in these parts.

[Jim vanBergen]

Don't take an API out on the streets.

it'll be gone before you know it.

Most guys I see use Pignose amps, or Galaxy hotspots, or to get bigger, other similar small battery-powered PA like the ones made by Fender and Anchor.

Keep it simple, the fewest parts possible, and easy to carry!

[bigos]

the electro harmonix freedom amp is the best and loudest amp on the market. It also only costs around 250 dollars,
Dont Take your API's on the street!!!!!!
bigos

[Remoteness]

Don't even put an API logo on your Electro Harmonix Freedom amp!!!