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Songwriting and Composition
Here's the place to find out how to get out of creative ruts, analyze what makes a great song, discover inspirations for writing, and maybe even meet an online collaborator.
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- Folk music
- By Ivan May,
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Trending posts on MPN
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I haven't yet worked my expression pedal into my rig. I'm probably not going to be doing super-precise things with it (more like bringing in a 2nd part during the chorus) so we'll see how well I do with it while standing. The other pedals (switches) are no problem. -
That's only about 6 times larger (based on number of instruments, 7 if the hammond counts as 2 keyboards!) and probably 10-20 times heavier than my current normal rig My Omega pro stand is the oddball being somewhat heavy but I hate flimsy keyboard stands.
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I had a Dodge stretch van. It was a manual transmission with '3 on the tree' (let's see how many folks know what that means) and the engine compartment was between the two front seats. Crazy. The T3 and the CP30 both had lids so were sort of built into cases. I had hard cases for the synths and heavy padded custom leather covers for the Mellotrons. Custom quilt covers for the Leslies and believe it or not, Wurlitzer made a gig bag for the EP-200. After paying for everything there was nothing left over for Roadies so it was mostly just me. But I wouldn't trade those times for the world. -
I've found it quite practical to do all of these things standing! LOL. -
New York City has a “cabaret” law that limited live musicians to trios (not to mention restrictions on dancing). This was partly due to a club fire which killed many due to inadequate exits. The big bands were gone, but cats like Wild Bill Davis capitalized on it and partially created the organ trio, and his band was Floyd Smith on guitar, Chris Columbo on drums, and himself originally on a Hammond C2, then later the -3 models. This was before Jimmy Smith started playing organ.
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In MPN’s GEARLAB
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Hi, Steven- This new architecture was introduced in the Nord Wave 2 minus the Piano and Organ sections- -dj -
By Dr Nursers · Posted
Mark thanks so much for this in-depth review. I don't have much of value to add beyond I'm fascinated by the Misha, and it's now on the list to buy if / when I make the eurorack plunge. I've been tempted on Eurorack for 3 or 4 years now but don't really have the room to kick much off. But the interest has not faded. Because of the lack of USB MIDI, it doesn't work in my setup as a desktop unit sadly. -
Key History Although Misha has only been available since mid 2022, its interval-based note-transposition concept actually goes back decades. In 1994, when I was on the editorial staff at Keyboard magazine, a rather confusing press release came in the mail about a product with the most unusual and humorous name I’ve ever heard: the Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee. If you have the July 1994 issue of Keyboard, you can see this text in the New Products section on page 139: MIDI INTERFACE. Yippeeeeee! Haven’t you always wanted to play music using a computer keyboard? Gruenbaum Research has the answer: Their Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee ($1,495) is a micro-processor-based MIDI interface that allows you to trigger synth modules from a standard computer QWERTY keyboard. Modulations and changes of scale are accomplished with the touch of a button or a footswitch. Tone rows and harmony configurations can be created or selected on the fly. Gruenbaum Research, New York, NY. Managing editor Debbie Greenberg and I co-wrote this text based on the press release materials we received, but there wasn’t a photo of the Samchillian and we didn’t understand that it was actually a unique MIDI controller, which you can see for yourself in this vintage YouTube video: Leon Gruenbaum’s Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee, as it looked in 2013. (photo by Mick F. Cantarella) Leon Gruenbaum created the Samchillian, which is really the predecessor to Misha. There’s another fascinating connection between Misha and Keyboard: Steve DeFuria wrote the Software for Musicians and Systems & Applications columns for the magazine — usually both in the same edition! — beginning in early 1986. In his Systems & Applications column for the September 1987 issue, titled Mapping Perfect Harmonies, Steve wrote, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could just tell your instruments what key you’re playing in, and then play whatever notes you want, while your instruments supply the appropriate harmony note or notes?” He goes on to describe how to program and play with diatonic, Lydian, and Ionian key maps on a powerful MIDI processor that was available at the time, the Axxess Unlimited Mapper. “One of the amazing things about playing this way is the resulting freedom from the standard harmonic ideas that we all tend to fall into in most keyboard styles. If you’re an improviser, you’ll be bowled over by the effect this has on your approach to melody and harmonization. Talk about instant gratification! You’ll undoubtedly find some music that you didn’t know you had in you.” Steve could have been writing about Misha. Isn’t it great that Steve and Leon got to work together in bringing Misha to life? Eventide project manager Joe Waltz was the third musketeer in making Misha happen. I will be Zooming soon with Leon, Steve, and Joe about Misha’s creation and where they’d like it to go. Stay tuned. Bottom Line Misha may not appeal to you. Maybe it would bother you for an E key not to play an E, and perhaps it would bother you for one key to play a different note every time you played it. Modular users might feel its 28hp width isn’t worth the features it delivers. It’s not cheap either. I get it. I understand these qualms. But for me, Misha hits so many of the right notes. In action, with multitimbral voices from different synths playing a melody or chord progression or sequence like I’ve never played it before, I’m drawn into what’s happening, how I can change what’s going on, where it might go next — it’s challenging and inspiring at the same time. While I worked with Misha, I found that I tended to record more often than I usually do to capture music I didn’t necessarily know how to recreate. Misha brought me new capabilities in making music, and it’s with me to stay. Pros: Inspiring MIDI note processing and sequencing. Outstanding for improvising and discovering new melodies and chord progressions, whether or not you know music theory. If you do, Misha is deeply programmable to meet your needs. Scores of scales are available, including plenty that are microtonal. CV control of VCO waveform volumes and pan positions. Cons: Addictive. No MIDI I/O via USB port. No MIDI control of VCO waveform volumes or pan positions. Tone Row restriction of notes in sequences might seem limiting. Bypassing MIDI note processing requires CC#88 or a multi-step menu dive.
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