HSS
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Posts posted by HSS
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On 3/31/2024 at 6:01 PM, D. Gauss said:
I use kitchen trash bags, but i have no shame.
I'm a cheap old fart and also proudly use trash bags as speaker covers.
Back on topic... I have a pair Alto TS310's and IMO they're good speakers for the price. I play in mono and use one of 'em or a Yamaha DBR10 for quieter gigs, and use a QSC K12 for louder gigs. I checked out the newer Alto TS410's and didn't hear a significant difference vs. the TS310's, and I have I no interest in Bluetooth, so I don't plan to upgrade.
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I just watched this YT video of the Texas Tornados playing Mendocino and am really digging Augie Meyers doing his Vox organ thing. His ridiculously short solo at about 1' 20" in the linked video below just kills me. His little solo may not be full of hot licks but damn IMO it's so precise and tasty. Flaco Jimenez kicks butt on the accordion in this song as well.
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I agree with all of the previous folks mentioned. I would add Chuck Leavell.
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Yes. I gig with my most expensive boards, even though the ladies aren't impressed. My most expensive boards are a Nord 5D 73, Hammond SK1 61, and a recently purchased Kurz PC4-7.
Since the Pandemic ended, I usually gig with my Nord 5D 73 on top or by itself if load in/out is difficult or it's a quick gig. Before the Pandemic I usually used my Hammond SK1 on top.
At this point, I've only used my Kurz PC4-7 out a couple of times at rehearsals and have yet to gig with it. Once I get more comfortable with it and finish setting up multis, I plan to start using it more on gigs.
My bottom boards for gigs are Yamaha MX88 and P121, Kurz SP4-7, or sometimes a Casio CGP-700.
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I lived in New Orleans from late 1982 until 1990 and was lucky enough to catch James Booker a few times at the Maple Leaf before he passed away in 1983. I'd order me up a couple of Dixies and watch him play 20 - 30 ft. from where I was sitting. He was an incredibly intense emotive performer live.
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On 2/6/2024 at 8:07 PM, TommyRude said:
OK, so maybe I was way off base on my initial reaction. If folks are willing to shell out $$ to come and see you play, no matter how old you are, and they have a great time, who’s some knucklehead internet warrior to say anything about it? One of my friends posted up this - don’t know if it’s accurate but so what! 😁😂
FWIW... I don't know if it qualifies as "touring", but Bob Weir and Mickey Hart are doing a several week residency at the Sphere here in Las Vegas beginning in May with Dead and Company. Bob and Mickey are probably around 80 but they'll be backed up by some young guns, including John Mayer. Needless to say, the local Deadheads, some of whom I play with in a Dead tribute band, are salivating about it and spending small fortunes reserving seats for all of the shows. I'm not a Deadhead (and I'm cheap) so I won't be joining 'em.
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15 hours ago, analogika said:
I’m not seeing the “stem separation”?
There’s vocal isolation/vocal removal (which leaves much of the reverb on my test with Adele’s “Someone Like You”), but that’s it.
Am I missing something?Agree... I spent a few minutes inside the new update and couldn't find anything pertaining to "stem separation". Perhaps Audacity is using different terminology? But then again, I'm old and tired and may have missed it.
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15 minutes ago, BluesB3 said:
Also what is the practical length for 1/4" to 1/4" TS instrument cord without signal loss or noise?
FWIW an anecdotal number I've heard for max length for using 1/4" TS cables is 20 ft. When I use TS cables, I try to keep mine to 15 ft or less. I'm sure there are other more knowledgeable KC'ers than me who can clarify this more.
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I agree with the recommendations in the post above, including flipping your QSC's channel 1 mic/line switch to mic and dialing the gain up carefully. I've done it on my QSC K12 a few times in a pinch. But IMO a Key Largo or small mixer is the way to go.
If a Key Largo is too expensive, just about any decent quality small mixer can work to boost the gain out to the QSC. I usually use a small Yamaha MGO6x.
Having said this, I confess that I'm gassing for a Key Largo because its routing options are geat for keyboards.
FWIW... I also have small Behringer 802 or 502 mixers as backups which are cheaper and lower quality than the Yamaha MGO6 but work OK.
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17 hours ago, Radagast said:
The new board has mono/poly mode with portamento. That’s more than an “incremental improvement”True but not for my admittedly selfish purposes. I mainly play AP, EP, B3, and occasional clav with the old school blues and soul bands I gig with. If I played more synth, I'd probably feel differently. Each to their own.
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IMO the new Numa Compact X SE seems to be an incremental improvement over the Numa Compact 2X which I already have and like due to its portability, sounds, and controls at its price point. I also like its semi-weighted compromise action (with aftertouch) which for me works for piano, organ, and synth.
Unless I missed it, it's not clear to me whether dedicated controls or buttons for favorites/ registrations are present in the new Numa Compact X SE. This was a limiting factor for me for gigging or even rehearsing with the Numa Compact 2X. Also, it would have been great if a 73/76 key version was offered. Like a previous poster said, I often gig with bands on small, cramped stages and using an 88 key board is usually difficult or simply not possible. A second split point, similar to the Yamaha CK's, would have been desirable as well. I also wonder if the internal speaker system is improved compared to the Numa Compact 2X, which IMO is pretty lame despite its hyped 2 x10 watt specs. The new enhanced synth capabilities don't interest me much since I don't play much synth.
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2 hours ago, harmonizer said:
Zoom L20.
It has 18 completely independent inputs.
I use it as both the live mixing board for our covers band gigs, and as our multitrack recorder.
We have 7 people in the band, 5 of whom sing at various times. On some songs we have 4 people singing at once, with some of those singers playing keys or guitar at the same time. And two of us play horns and sometimes switch rapidly between playing a horn (which uses a separate mic) and singing backup vocals.
It has 6 separate monitor outs, which can each have a separate mix - this is a wonderful thing, especially if want to have separate monitor mixes for certain band members using in-ear monitors.
The separate tracks get recorded on some sort of SD card, which I can then easily transfer to a computer for post-gig mixing.
I have used my Zoom L20 for at least 7 gigs with this 7 person covers band. From my perspective, it is completely up to the task.
I have a Zoom L12 and I agree.
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17 minutes ago, AnotherScott said:
I think your Kurzweil PC4-7 comes really close to that.
True... But the CK's having onboard speakers and battery power is giving me GAS. But then again, I already have too much redundancy in my gigging boards.
FWIW... Do you or anyone have opinions for which B3 emulation is better, the CK's or the PC4's?
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4 hours ago, Manolios said:
But yeah, a really nice instrument, I‘d love a 73 version…
Agree... A 73 / 76 key 15-20 lb. CK with decent piano-organ compromise semi-weighted action would hit the sweet spot for me.
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15 hours ago, The Piano Man said:
Today, I use the Kurzweil PC3a8. I use the German Concert and Bright Grand programs but do also still use the old Triple Strike Studio Grand. I also have an SP76 for when I cannot face hauling the PC3a8.
OT: I gigged a lot with a SP76 up until about 15 years ago. In hindsight, it had my favorite semi-weighted action for piano playing, I now wish I hadn't sold it for just a couple of hundred bucks about 10 years ago. Newer is not always better, even in the world of digital keyboards.
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2 hours ago, Docbop said:
My Nord S3 mainly use the Studio Grand 2 a very useable sound for recording and live. If I want some phat solo sound on the S3 then the White Grand. Then on my recording computer I have Keyscape and so many great AP and EP sounds to choose from.
When using my Nord 5d 73, I also usually use Studio Grand 2 in loud band mixes. For more mellow exposed band stuff, I usually use the White Grand.
At the risk of coming across like an antiquated clueless old fart (which I am), I confess that I still like the old much-maligned Kurz Triple Strike "Pro Piano" sample in loud band mixes when using my old Kurz SP4-7 or even newer PC4-7. IMHO newer and/or more detailed and realistic AP's don't necessarily work best in loud band mixes.
Disclaimer: I play in mono at band gigs because IMO that's what works best for FOH and, I confess, because I'm old and lazy.
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I'm 66 and a retired petroleum geologist with a nice family and home, no debt, and a healthy retirement nest egg. In addition to SS and a small pension, I siphon approx. 1% off of the nest egg annually to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for my family.
I pay for my music gear addiction with weekend warrior dive bar gigs a couple of times per month. So far this year I'm about $2000 in the black after spending $1500 on new toys.
My main current old fart complaint, in addition to being a crappy keyboardist, is that when I take a bath my balls float.
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I purchased a used mint Kurz PC4-7 a few months ago via Sweetwater Gear Exchange. The transaction went smoothly, and I have no complaints. I received the board via Fed Express promptly and it was in mint condition as advertised by the seller.
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At most I'd perhaps do a solo gig with a drum machine but beyond that playing a band gig with full-blown backing tracks isn't for me. I'd rather sound like crap that than be a mime pretending to play. Having said this, I don't begrudge anyone doing what they want or need to do, especially to pay the bills.
It's interesting that one of the bands I play with is a Grateful Dead band. Needless to say, Dead songs aren't very amenable to using the backing-tracks and the dancing hippie Deadheads would probably walk out of any show if backing tracks were used. Having said this, I'm not a Deadhead and play with that band mainly because it's the best paying gig I have and it's fun playing in front of folks who are actually focused on the band's music.
My other gigging bands are musically better than the Dead band, but they don't pay as much, and their audiences are pretty much unaware of what the band is doing on stage. They could use backing tracks and, for the most part, their audiences wouldn't know the difference or care.
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I met Joe a few times about 15 -20 years ago when I lived in Houston. He recommended KC to me. He's a good dude.
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When gigging with one of my low-brow blues or soul bands with one of my clones, regardless of the song, I always start with the old standby 888000000, with C3 on, 3rd perc / fast on, and Leslie sim off / brake. I then start pulling/pushing draws and toggling things on/off dependent upon the song's vibe, the band mix, and my mood. During solos I tend to pull /push draws and toggle things on/off more, often pulling upper draws to add some screaming sizzle during the solos' climaxes.
I would add that I'm a mediocre payer at best and in my old fart dotage, I'm lazy and don't want to and often can't remember specific settings for different tunes, so I go with my gut feeling in the moment.
I suspect if I wasn't so lazy and more professional, I would probably memorize settings for specific songs and/or take copious notes on stage with me.
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7 hours ago, AnotherScott said:
That's one of the things I liked about the Kurzweil SP4-7, it was extremely compact for a 7x-key board. Off-hand, I can't think of anything comparable today.
True... I have a new PC4-7, which has excellent sounds and controller features, but I'm reluctant to give up my old SP4-7 because of its small footprint and sturdy steel build. Of course, the SP4-7's sturdy steel build comes with an extra 5 or 6 lbs. of weight vs. the PC4-7.
Sorry for wandering OT.
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1 hour ago, danskeys said:
Me too. And with the discontinuation of the P121 (73-note, GHS piano), without a replacement, this makes even more sense. I'd prefer a fully weighted 73-note, but I could probably live with the semi-weighted.
I have a P121 which I really like. The reason I'd prefer a semi-weighted version of a CK is because I suck at playing organ chops on a fully-weighted hammer action board. Each to their own.
In any case, a small footprint 73 or 76 key option is a sweet spot for many low-brow dive bar players like me who usually end up on dinky little stages fighting for a few extra inches of space.
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The CK's look like a lot of bang-for-the-buck. If Yamaha came out with a 73 or 76 key semi-weighted CK, I'd probably jump on it.
Bluetooth MIDI Adapters
in The Keyboard Corner
Posted
Thanks for the heads-up. I just ordered it. I don't have an immediate need for it but it'll be in my gig bag just in case. I'm also a sucker for a potentially good deal because I'm a cheap old fart. I've been burned a few times but all-in-all I've come out ahead with my cheapness.