I’m curious as to how many people are gigging with their xs8 and how many people are using it for studio work only? It seems really big and heavy to be carting around everywhere…

Yes, it’s big, and yes, it’s heavy, particularly in a flight case.  And yes, I use it to gig, much more than I have it out in the studio.  I had to buy another vehicle because it wouldn’t fit into my current daily driver!

So why do I lug it around?  Sound and feel.  I’m a pianist by training, and I play in a group which requires a lot of piano work, so 88 weighted keys is a requirement.  So are top quality sounds - not just acoustic piano sounds, but the standard EP, organ, and synth sounds as well.  I originally had an S-90 as my main board; skipped the 2-90es and Motif ES-8 upgrades because they didn’t seem better enough to justify the additional expense.  However, when the xs series came out, I changed my mind.

In the studio, I have a Baldwin acoustic grand and a Motif es-6 for most of my synth work, so I don’t typically haul the xs-8 out of the case unless I’m doing programming or setup work on it.  Most of my studio work, though, is for arranging for my trio, as opposed to writing and recording solo stuff.  It’s all pretty much focused on the outside gigs.

Eric

Thanks for the reply. I bought the xs8 and it’s my primary keyboard now.  I’ve played 3 or 4 gigs on it, each one with more customized settings. Still have a Nord Electro 2, but its been in the case since I got the xs8. It’s a haul but it’s worth it.

I used to haul a hammond and leslie in addition to a keyboard so hauling an xs8 to shows is actually an improvement.  Do miss that old leslie though VVBG