Az Samad Lessons

Guitar, Ukulele and Music Lessons

music stand

Music Gear Review: Capsule Music Stand by KraftGeek

by Leave a Comment

My Origin Story

My dad is the reason I can read music.

Years ago (back in 1996 to be exact), when I started to play guitar, he told me that he would buy me a nicer guitar if I did two things:

  1. Take classical guitar lessons
  2. Learn to read music

… and that led me to a whole series of events and circumstances that made me who I am today, working as a professional musician, almost 30 years after I first picked up guitar.

Now, what does this all relate to today’s review? Well, since I can read music (and have spent years studying though different books), I always value a good music stand.

My Experience With Music Stands

I remember buying multiple basic foldable music stands (mainly because I had gigs and rehearsals where no music stand was provided), and I often had mixed feelings about those because:

  1. They are flimsy and eventually fall apart
  2. They can’t really stand heavy folders with a lot of music
  3. It’s impossible to place a real book or thick music book in any kind of stable way

Then, that brings me to the two times when I bought nicer old school orchestra type stands… now those are nice, except that because I don’t drive, it means that I have to figure out how to transport them in one go, which is almost near impossible since I will often bring:

  1. A guitar (or multiple guitars)
  2. A pedalboard or a bag of 3-4 loose guitar pedals for the show
  3. My formal wear (that I usually only change into closer to showtime, and rarely from home, because Malaysian weather is humid and dry, so I either sweat so much or my clothes might get wet)
  4. My guitar parts (which are usually in the same backpack as the pedals, or in the guitar bag)

So, between multiple guitars, all the other gear, I would rarely bring the nicer sturdy orchestra type stands. The one I have now stays at home, permanently at home.

Anyhow that puts in context, to me receiving an email from the fine people at KraftGeek.

When they offered to send me one of their music stands in exchange for an honest review, the first thing I did was go to their website and check whether the stand looks like it could actually handle heavy duty professional music work life.

As I read other reviews and watched some videos, it became obvious to me that they are serious about their music stands and not just making something quick to sell.

That is why I agreed to this collaboration and am writing this post now. (And they had two colors available – black or platinum, but I picked boring black because it is the most practical WORK SITUATION color. If I could get two colours, I would take both – black for formal, platinum for more interesting funky non-formal performances).

First things first, just to clarify:

  1. Yes, I received all this gear for free, in exchange for an honest review on my website
  2. Yes, if you click on the related links, you will get a discount for your purchase (remember to use my discount code, “azsamad” to save 15%, and I will receive some affiliate income from the sale

But… the review is my honest experience with the music stands (so far) and is not motivated to try to sell as many of these stands to as many people as possible.

If you need a TLDR right here, yes the music stand, the light and the phone/tablet holder are all amazing… and if you gig, I sincerely believe that this is a worthwhile investment (and the VERY BEST portable music stand I’ve ever personally used).

In fact, recently when I watch other musicians perform, I’ve been looking out to see if they are using better more stable portable stands than this, and honestly they are not.

These stands are it!

Now, let’s actually get into the details of what I think about the stands, part by part. Here we go!

Initial Thoughts

How is the capsule music stand?

Well, purely from an asthetic point of view… this is like the “Apple” of music stands. The whole design looks sleek and modern and the actual stand feels very sturdy and luxurious.

This explains why it actually was featured in the MoMA Design Shop and was a NAMM 2024 “Best in Show” award winner. Even when I just opened the it from the box, it already felt cooler than your average music stand. And… when I opened it up, it was obvious this stand was in a league of its own.

It weights 1.16kg (that’s around 2.56lbs for my friends in the US) and the whole unit is one thing. There’s no like separate screws or parts. Everything opens up from the unit.

So the question is: who would this music stand be for? Is this for the traveling or gigging pro musician, the student, the busker or someone else?

For me, I believe this is the music stand for anyone who is sick and tired of flimsy stands that fall apart after awhile. If you know what I’m talking about, and you’ve experienced what I have over the years, this stand might just be for you.

The Stand

Now let’s focus into the actual stand.

There is a “quick-trigger” base at the bottom of the stand that opens up the legs. The twist and click mechanism works well and to me makes sense. There is with no assembly required compared to my previous music stand that had two parts that needed to be connected before I could use it.

There is the rotary knob to adjust the desk angle. It’s also worth pointing out that the stand is sturdy for me to put a heavy binder without it pushing the stand downwards. That being said, be reasonable of course, don’t put two volumes of The Schillinger System Of Musical Composition on this stand.

I also particularly the adjustable bars and the part that slides out so you can put 3-4 pages out on the stand. There are also built-in, transparent page holders which are really “clips” on the side. These are neat compared to the usual ones that stick out from the bottom of the stand or the metallic ones that sort off attack your score with reckless abandon.

In a nutshell, here are the official specs:

Height: 74-168cm/29-66”
Max height from ground to the bottom of the desk: 128cm/50”
Weight: 1.16kg/2.56lbs
Base Radius: 30cm/11.8”
Load Capacity: 2.0 kg/4.5 lbs
Folded Size: 43.8*4*7cm/17.24*1.62*2.75”
Desk Size: 48 (W) *39 (H)cm/18.9 (W)*15.4 (H)″
Desk Angle: 30° backward

The Bag

Talking about the bag… I would say that this bag is a must-have if you get the stand.

For one, it actually holds not just the stand but also up to three separate accessories with the padded compartments. I only use two of it so far, for the LumiLight and the FlexyMount, but I can see myself maybe putting a small bag for assorted accessories like extra guitar tuners, picks, capos or strings. At the moment, that bag of gear is in my main backpack usually, but I might just put it in here next time.

The padding and the internal dividers also help keep the metal stand from scratching the accessories like the LumiLight and the FlexyMount.

On the outside, the overall look of the bag is stylish and I dig the color and finish as well. You could carry this by itself (hang it around your shoulder) or put it in a tote bag (that’s what I did two days ago when I had a performance).

For those of us who rely on taking Grab/inDrive or the LRT to get to gigs, every inch of space in our bags matters. This stand replaces that awkward, bulky orchestra stand that usually requires a car trunk while still providing the sturdiness.

The Light (LumiLight)

This is super cool with how it folds into the smaller folded version. I love that it can be powered with either 3 AA batteries or a USB-C cable. The USB-C cable option is great for plugging into a power bank, although I would recommend you having a long enough USB cable for the power bank to reach the light (if you have a bulky power bank like mine). Personally I probably would not use 3 AA batteries to power it up (since I already use so many batteries for other gear), but it is a good option to have in case your power bank is out of juice.

The LumiLight crews into the top of the stand and is at a good angle for the music to be lit (pun intended).

There are two brightness levels so you can choose whichever feels more comfortable for your reading.

For the geeks, here are the specs for the light:

Model Name: LumiLight
Beam: 16 pcs of CREE 2835 6000K white
Lumen: 80
Power: AA Battery*3 or USB-C external Power
Dimensions: 1.45*1.7*5.56” / 3.7*4.3*14cm
Weight: 3.6 Ounces / 102g
Material: ABS, PC
Model Number: 504

The Phone/Tablet Holder (FlexyMount)

For the phone/tablet holder. It took a bit of time for me to set it up the first time. But after that, it was such a welcomed feature for me since it made it possible for me to record myself by placing the phone on the FlexyMount.

This is really important to me since I usually at least record audio of some rehearsal so that I can be better prepared for the next rehearsal. It’s definitely more stable and less clumsy than putting it somewhere else in the rehearsal space (or by the scores, which I’ve done before as well.)

Also, since it uses the standard 1/4” screw connector, you could actually use this mount on other tripods or mount other smaller devices to the stand. I haven’t actually tried this though, so I have no experience on that part.

Talking about the mount holding your device, I found it easy to connect my old iPhone 11 Pro Max to it. I don’t have an iPad or tablet so I can’t comment on that.

As before, I’m sharing the specs here:

Model Name: FlexyMount
Dimensions:1.6*1.38*3.7” / 4*3.5*9.4cm
Holder Weight: 2 Ounces / 56.7g
Connector Weight: 1 Ounce / 28g
Clip Range: Up to 13” Tablet
Features: One Cold Shoe Adapter
Model Material: Zinc Alloy, ABS, PC
Model Number: 209A

Conclusion

All in all, this is really the portable music stand that I’ve been waiting for. After years of gigging with different music stands (and using whatever was available at the venue or rehearsal space). I’m happy that I can now bring this to my next rehearsal and performance.

TLDR: For serious musicians who want to get away from bulky, traditional orchestra style stands or flimsy wire ones, this might be the right one for you.
Pros: Fast and easy to set up, portable, looks professional (and cool especially with the bag).
Cons: This piece of gear is pricey. It is much more expensive than what most people expect a music stand probably costs, but you do get what you pay for. Also, it’s important to note that while the stand is instant, the accessories (light and phone holder) require a bit of “screwing-in” time. Do allow an extra 60 seconds for a full “Concerto” setup. It’s a tiny trade-off for the stability you get, but something to keep in mind if you’re the type of musician who likes to walk on stage at the very last second!

IMPORTANT: If you do buy this stand, I recommend getting the Concerto Combo which includes the stand + bag + device holder + light. There is also the possibility of the combo being already discounted compared to buying them separately, and then when you use my discount code, you save even more!

Thanks KraftGeek for sending this my way!

It’s definitely a cool combo of style vs practical features in one.

If you want to get this now, go to:

Online Store: https://bit.ly/azsamad (affiliate link)
and use the 15% Discount Code: azsamad

You can also get it from:
Amazon US: https://bit.ly/3SgJrjo

Again, thank you to the fine people at KraftGeek for sending this my way, and if you do get this, I hope you find it as useful as I have!

[Submissions for Review Consideration]

  • Are you an author who wrote a jazz, guitar or music book?
  • Have you created a DVD or an online video course or subscription based website?
  • Would you like me to review your book/course?

OR…

  • Are you working with a gear company (guitar, pedals, amps, audio interface, plugins, guitar accesories)?
  • Would you like me to review your gear?

Please send me a message at azsamad2 at gmail.com with:

For courses: a link to the course/video/product + access info etc.
For books: a link to the book (Dropbox) or PDF attachment (if it’s small) for review consideration.
For music gear/hardware or software: a link to the product page and order page

Depending on whether I dig the book/course/product, I’ll let you know if I do plan to review it!

I cannot guarantee a review for every submission & if I’m not too into it, I may opt not to review it. I mean, it’s better to get a good review that for me to write a bad review just because it’s not a match for the kind of stuff I dig right? :p

NOTE: All reviews reflect my honest personal opinion so be aware that I will point out both cool Pros and Cons that I see in the work. You dig?