Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
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May we agree to stop labeling music stands with solid desks as "portable"?
If solid-desk music stands are 'portable', then sure: Manhasset M48 "school/institutional" stands are also 'portable', because they can be picked up with a person's hand and carried to another location (and even fit inside most all automobiles).
Further, someone could simply rename a crescent wrench as a "Manhasset M48 Additional Portability Tool" (aka: M48APT).
Yes...I'm quite aware that I'm an oddball - as well as very old-fashioned - but I personally consider this - in particular - to be "portable":
These users thanked the author bloke for the post:
0436B343-ACFB-4146-91A6-246D7E72EF7E.jpeg (100.06 KiB) Viewed 865 times
I like the design of the “Peak” music stands. A good compromise between a solid desk and the portability of the “wire” stands that always seem too flimsy for me. The desk is hinged in four places. You take out the music ledge, which also acts as a reinforcing bar, fold up the stand and desk, and it fits neatly into a Cordura case. As a package a bit bigger than a wire stand case but still easily portable and oh so much sturdier!
King 2341 “new style”
Kanstul 902-3B
Conn Helleberg Standard 120
With "portable"' I would pretty much expect it to slip in the side music pouch of a padded bag or in a compartment inside a hard case - whether a case already had such a compartment, or I had to create it myself.
I never think it's a very good idea to stick a folder with 200 tunes on it on any music stand. When I'm confronted with a folder like that that belongs to some longstanding ensemble - such as a jazz band or quintet, I pull out the tunes that have been called, and set the folder under my chair.
WIND:
There is no stand nor any folder which is windproof.
It seems to me that outdoor gigs on windy days are for musical groups that have either memorized or don't read music.
These users thanked the author bloke for the post:
I have Peak and yes it is easier to transport but it's a pain to set up. For most circumstances (if I don't have to walk very far) I just take the Manhasset. For outdoors, you can't put your foot on the leg of the Peak like you can the Manhasset to keep it from blowing over, and carrying a sand bag sort of defeats the purpose of a portable stand. I've seen another "stand in a bag" where the desk is full size, but I think it still has legs that you can't put your foot on. I'm thinking of repurposing the Peak bag for my tuba stand.
Mary Ann wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 9:01 amre: ...to keep it from blowing over, and carrying a sand bag sort of defeats the purpose of a portable stand...
MOST (and the rare) outdoor things that I do are gratis, involve sitting in with a community band consisting of some old friends (a band which already has plenty of competent tuba players) and (considering those factors) if one of their outdoor performances is on a day when it is above 85 degrees or windy, then - for me - "something came up"...and (again: as there are at least two of them and often four of them showing up) they're fine (if not much better off) without me. again: No stand is windproof. Even if sunken into concrete, the desk could/would spin around sideways.
My folds-up-to-12-inches-by-two-inches stand will blow over just as quickly as will one of those 1950's 3/16" thick steel desk Hamilton's, and will support a piece of music (with its upper fold-out arms) up to four pages wide...and I haven't yet figured out how to play more than one piece of music at a time with one mouthpiece and one tuba.
The term 'portable' is best substituted with the term 'collapsible'. Since I use an iPad, I use a basic mic stand with an iPad holder that screws into the top of the stand
I use that exact stand but a different holder which has a much lower profile. When it comes to wind, the legs of the stand get pretty low and wide and I can literally place a foot on the leg to hold it down (or use something with some weight to it). Fairly small and light, really.
These users thanked the author kingrob76 for the post:
- I wasn't so damn lazy (learning how to load/use one of those things)
- If I wasn't so cheap (I don't buy stuff that I suspect I might not use even enough to wear it out, particularly if its more than fifty bucks)
- If I wasn't so clumsy (I'd surely knock that thing over and bust the device)
- If I wasn't so determined to boycott Apple (and would probably only consider the $1000 Samsung Galaxy S8 Tab Ultra - due to its large size/my bad eyes)
- If I wasn't so distrusting of technology (as 1's and 0's - so very often seem to let me down at inopportune moments)
...I might buy something like that and mess with it.
...but the charts sitting on the stands (when I show up for gigs) are already there...and free.
I'm 55 and had cataract surgery in one eye. Having a backlit display of music at regular page size is invaluable.
I also get about 3 hours from the battery at full brightness but even 85% brightness stretches that to over 5 hours. Having everything I've ever played in my iPad is actually really useful. Importing a 2-page piece of music into ForScore with the camera takes about 60 seconds. Unless I'm sight reading something I'll never ever play again it's worth the hassle (for me).
I'm considerably older, have bad cataracts, but am having trouble finding the time to stop and have them removed.
I'm also stalling as long as I can, because (though I'm looking through a very 'dirty windshield') I can still focus well enough up close to read everything typed on this website on my laptop at default size) and can see well enough to drive without distance vision glasses. (When I drove to Wisconsin and back, I didn't even bring my spectacles on the trip - and some driving was two-lane at night.)
When there's sheet music, it's typically larger than the size required to fit it on to a tablet screen. I arrive early, grab a pencil, and write in stuff (larger) that's difficult for me to see. (I don't wear reading glasses on stage, either.)
The only trouble I've had - so far - was playing Mahler 1 with two hours' notice, having to finish up some repair work, getting cleaned up, picking up the music (from a location away from the venue) and then reading it (without reminding myself of things about it - nor practicing at home at all). My buddy (bass trombonist) helped me with numbers of measures rest. In my head, I knew the piece well enough (sounds/pitches/etc.) to intelligently guess at ledger-line pitches, etc.
I WILL get my eyes fixed - when/if there's time (or when I absolutely can't see anymore) but - at that point - I'll have to choose WHERE my eyes (with no ability - then - to change the focal point without bi/tri-focals) FIXED focal point will be...a huge decision (at least, in my view).
bloke wrote: ↑Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:06 am
I'm considerably older, have bad cataracts, but am having trouble finding the time to stop and have them removed.
I'm also stalling as long as I can, because (though I'm looking through a very 'dirty windshield') I can still focus well enough up close to read everything typed on this website on my laptop at default size) and can see well enough to drive without distance vision glasses . . .
. . . I WILL get my eyes fixed - when/if there's time (or when I absolutely can't see anymore) but - at that point - I'll have to choose WHERE my eyes (with no ability - then - to change the focal point without bi/tri-focals) FIXED focal point will be...a huge decision (at least, in my view).
kingrob76 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:44 pm
I'm 55 and had cataract surgery in one eye. Having a backlit display of music at regular page size is invaluable.
I also get about 3 hours from the battery at full brightness but even 85% brightness stretches that to over 5 hours. Having everything I've ever played in my iPad is actually really useful. Importing a 2-page piece of music into ForScore with the camera takes about 60 seconds. Unless I'm sight reading something I'll never ever play again it's worth the hassle (for me).
I'm interested. Can you explain the process of importing the sheet music. I assumed one would use a scanner but you seem to indicate you just take a photo. Can you post a shot here of a piece of music done this way?
It's not a file I can export it appears, as I am using the app to take the photo. But the idea is as simple as it sounds - I lay the music flat, position the camera so it fills the frame and use the app to take a picture. I can adjust the photo as needed with the tools in the app (ForScore). Next page, another photo. I have a 12.9" screen on my iPad Pro 2, and it's basically the size of the page. I can always zoom in if I want, but I've never needed to. Marches are nice because I can rotate the iPad and BOOM - enlarged.
Oh, because people are stupid I keep my iPad in a case designed to protect it from drops and such (MILSPEC complaint, apparently). It's been dropped, and it's come out just fine. The reason I use the microphone stand is I no longer trust music stands to hold my iPad, or trust people around music stands with an iPad on them.
