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Not OT: I just got a Valente. Ask me anything.


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This came out all right. It's the Valente into the M9 for tremolo and reverb, then direct into my interface. One take, warts and all...

Brotha Josh, congrats in taking a flyer on the Valente. Sounds great in your hands. :thu:

 

The manufacturer should license Josh's demo. It will surely sell more units. :D:cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Awesome videos, Josh! Way better than their own expensive produced stuff.

 

Did anyone notice the dead high C key on the Pomplamoose video? My eye was twitching waiting for him to acknowledge it and he didn't.

Keyboards: Nord Electro 6D 73, Korg SV-1 88, Minilogue XD, Yamaha YPG-625

Bonus: Boss RC-3 Loopstation

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Well if the Valente accomplishes nothing else, at least it gave the world an overhead cam of Josh playing his New Orleans style. I'd say that was worth the trouble . . .

 

"Still Crazy" (which may be a little less New Orleans than the others) showed off the tone of the Valente nicely. The phase really brings it alive.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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hey Josh, just wondering how the scene in the quarter is doing. drove through the quarter about 6 months ago and it made me sick. just about everything was boarded up. I live in south florida now but I really love and miss NOLA. I lived in Violet, south of Chalmette, and played all over NOLA including the quarter and west bank years ago. will be there in april and hope everything will be back to normal............Larry
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  • 2 weeks later...

An update after living with the Valente for a bit...

 

The bad news: a few days ago the instrument developed a mechanical problem that left it effectively unplayable. The Ab above middle C kept sustaining after the key was released. Even worse, this problem arose just as I had pressed Record for my first real take of a video I was planning on shooting â of an Eb blues. So, total deal-breaker for that video.

 

The good news: within 24 hours of emailing the company about the problem I was on a video call with the inventor, Tiago Valente, personally walking me through how to fix it. In his second language. That's a kind of response I've never gotten from Korg, Roland or Yamaha.

 

First they sent me a video showing how to open the board up, which is basically just a matter of a handful of screws and knowing where to lift. From there the problem became immediately obvious: the felt that dampens the reed when the key is released had fallen off the post that holds it. When I told Tiago that, he was very thorough in explaining how to fix it â what kind of tool to use to hold the felt, how to maneuver it back into place, what kind of glue to use, how much to put on each part, how long to let it dry before pressing them together, etc. Then shortly after we got off the call he sent me a video walking me through the process again, to make sure I remembered and understood everything. The repair turned out to be fairly quick and simple, and afterward the instrument was good as new.

 

That issue aside, I've been getting the feel for the instrument and how to play it expressively. I remember seeing an interview with Herbie Hancock where he talked about the first time he ever encountered a Rhodes in a studio, saying it seemed like a toy and he didn't even know what to do with it; he had to "make friends" with it first. Well, I'm no Herbie Hancock, but I've been making friends with the Valente. As with any instrument, there are things that work and things that don't, and I'm still in the process of developing the muscle memory for what those things are. It's a rewarding process. I don't have it perfected yet, but I'm happy with where I am and where I'm going.

 

Here's a reasonably good example: the song I was about to record when one of the keys went south â a little something seasonal now that it's Carnival time!

 

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Glad to hear Valente are taking good care of you because I"d say you"re one of their best assets so far for showing what the piano can do. Your videos are great.

 

Cheers

 

John

Nord Electro 6D 61, Wurlitzer EP200A, Neo Mini Vent, EV ZLX12P, QSC CP8.

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I've been making friends with the Valente...

Brotha Josh, taking a chance on this instrument and exploring it could very well make it your "voice". Also, your musical output could inspire others to give it a shot. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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  • 2 weeks later...
No question the Valente has a sweet spot in the middle range. Seems to get very plucky in the upper octaves. I think I like the bass, but at the same time there's something a little off about it, perhaps it's the blending of pitches Josh refers to in his initial review in this thread. It's not perfect, but then that's kind of the point. If perfect was the goal, stick with digital. Josh's videos demonstrate nicely that the character and feel of the Valente can be a source of inspiration.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Watching Josh play 10ths with his left hand so effortlessly just makes me ... I was going to say ill, but I really mean envious.

 

And that is why, every once in a while, I'll once again throw out my crazy idea: "Hey, now that we live in a world where technology has made customization and short-run manufacturing easier and more affordable than ever, wouldn't it be great if somebody would make a line of DPs and/or MIDI controller keyboards with narrower-than-standard keys in a range of widths, so that people could choose the size that best fits their hands and their needs?" I say this because I recognize that my ability to hit 10ths has nothing to do with dedication or talent or anything admirable, and everything to do with my having had the dumb luck to win that round of the genetic lottery. And I think a world where people who didn't win that round could also play 10ths if they wanted to would be preferable to one where it remains an exclusive-yet-utterly-random club. But every time I bring this up I'm surprised by the amount of negative feedback it gets, with comments like "Should we lower the hoop in basketball too," or "What about all the small Asian women who can barely reach an octave but still play amazing stuff," or "People who can't reach tenths cleanly should just eat cake roll them," and so on. So I've largely stopped bringing it up, even though I still think it would be a great idea.

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And that is why, every once in a while, I'll once again throw out my crazy idea: "Hey, now that we live in a world where technology has made customization and short-run manufacturing easier and more affordable than ever, wouldn't it be great if somebody would make a line of DPs and/or MIDI controller keyboards with narrower-than-standard keys in a range of widths, so that people could choose the size that best fits their hands and their needs?" I say this because I recognize that my ability to hit 10ths has nothing to do with dedication or talent or anything admirable, and everything to do with my having had the dumb luck to win that round of the genetic lottery. And I think a world where that ability was also available to people who didn't win that round would be preferable to one where it remains an exclusive-yet-utterly-random club. But every time I bring this up I'm surprised by the amount of negative feedback it gets, with comments like "Should we lower the hoop in basketball too," or "What about all the small Asian women who can barely reach an octave but still play amazing stuff," or "People who can't reach tenths cleanly should just eat cake roll them," and so on. So I've largely stopped bringing it up, even though I think it would be a great idea.

Any every Yamaha non-hammer board has slightly narrow octaves... and if anything, they get berated for it. A lot of other people feels it's so close it's not an issue. But no one ever seems to say they prefer it!

 

The Korg Microstation's mini-keys make some things kind of fun to play. OTOH, they can make me really sloppy, too. ;-)

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I've heard of people who can do 12ths, but I've never seen them -- or the hands they play with. But a keyboard that would let me hit 12ths ... hmm, there's an idea.

:2thu::keys::cheers::hugegrin::guinness:

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Watching Josh play 10ths with his left hand so effortlessly just makes me ... I was going to say ill, but I really mean envious.

 

And that is why, every once in a while, I'll once again throw out my crazy idea: "Hey, now that we live in a world where technology has made customization and short-run manufacturing easier and more affordable than ever, wouldn't it be great if somebody would make a line of DPs and/or MIDI controller keyboards with narrower-than-standard keys in a range of widths, so that people could choose the size that best fits their hands and their needs?" I say this because I recognize that my ability to hit 10ths has nothing to do with dedication or talent or anything admirable, and everything to do with my having had the dumb luck to win that round of the genetic lottery. And I think a world where people who didn't win that round could also play 10ths if they wanted to would be preferable to one where it remains an exclusive-yet-utterly-random club. But every time I bring this up I'm surprised by the amount of negative feedback it gets, with comments like "Should we lower the hoop in basketball too," or "What about all the small Asian women who can barely reach an octave but still play amazing stuff," or "People who can't reach tenths cleanly should just eat cake roll them," and so on. So I've largely stopped bringing it up, even though I still think it would be a great idea.

 

As someone with 4.5 total fingers on his left hand, I for one would not complain about this enhancement a single bit.

 

Musical virtuosity in the Western tradition has always been saddled with a bunch of arbitrary entrance fees, not least of which is our insanely obscure notation and theory systems, where, with the latter, it's possible to encounter a single measure where you play the 1, 1, 5, and 5 of a key with your 2, 1, 5, and 1 finger, on the 1, 2, 3, and 4 of a measure, over harmony that goes "one," "four," "five," "one," and where the "five" also has a "seven." Other than that it's completely welcoming.

Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material.
www.joshweinstein.com

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Musical virtuosity in the Western tradition has always been saddled with a bunch of arbitrary entrance fees, not least of which is our insanely obscure notation and theory systems, where, with the latter, it's possible to encounter a single measure where you play the 1, 1, 5, and 5 of a key with your 2, 1, 5, and 1 finger, on the 1, 2, 3, and 4 of a measure, over harmony that goes "one," "four," "five," "one," and where the "five" also has a "seven." Other than that it's completely welcoming.
Well, when you put it that way ...

 

And then there's the +5 and the +9 and the 11 and the 13. But I don't have 11 or 13 fingers. And how do I add a finger to the 5 I have on my hand?

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Update: just used the Valente on a band gig for the first time today I dug it, though there's one key that started acting weird, the F# above middle C. It suddenly got extra "chimey" today. I'll have to open it up and have a look. Here are few tunes that feature it...

 

No solo in this one, but it gets used a lot:

 

 

Solo at 4:21 on this one. I laid out for the intro because, embarrassingly, it took me that long to remember what key the song is in:

 

 

This is one that I used to play on an acoustic piano sound before getting the Valente, but I think it works really well here. Solo at 2:12:

 

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Update: just used the Valente on a band gig for the first time today I dug it, though there's one key that started acting weird, the F# above middle C. It suddenly got extra "chimey" today. I'll have to open it up and have a look. Here are few tunes that feature it...

 

Wow, that has a *nice* sound in a band situation. Very impressed.

 

Great band as well. ;)

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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