Steve Nathan

Since Beta, I've asked IK to consider updating. In particular, I wished that B-3X had the ability to include the "live" sound that comes across the microphones. Acoustic Samples does a wonderful job of recreating the "wind" noise for example. It's a small thing, but it adds so much realism.

Stevie Wonder Love: Everything Except: Hate- I Just Called to say I Love You Donny Hathaway Love:Everything Except: Hate- Where is the Love

It's a great feature whatever you use 😉 Rekindled a memory. Years ago I did a session for R&B singer Joe Simon with Roger Hawkins, David Hood and either Wayne Perkins or Will McFarlane (honestly don't remember). The song had 32 bars of changes up front, and then went to 30 minutes of just one chord sustaining the entire time, with Joe talking low and slow over it. They put the biggest reel of tape on the machine and cut at the slowest speed. It was intended to be something you put on the turntable while getting it on with your lover. David Hood was told to play whole notes (low C) every bar for the entire time, and his hand fell sleep and he had to punch in! Roger watched Joe's "direction" on the floor so he'd have dynamics, fills and crashes where needed. I was on B3, so I played the 32 bar front on the upper manual, got my sound ready and put matchbooks in to hold Joe's chord on the lower. I got a cocktail, my cigarettes and lighter on a table next to me, played the opening on top, then hit the lower manual B preset when the C minor chord started, and for the next 30 minutes, I drank, smoked, and "played" the volume pedal and the Half-moon. One (long) take, then Joe came over, handed me 3 hundred dollar bills and I went home 😎 .

Since getting Pianotek8, I've barely touched any of my many other sampled ones.

And there's this

Odd to me that so many equate highest note capability with greatest. I don't know that Tony Bennet can hit the same top notes today as he could in his 20s, but that imho has zero to do with what makes a great singer. Maybe Tom Jones can still hit the same note, but I couldn't care less. He's as good a singer today as he was 40 years ago. I look at taste, pitch, style, control, nuance, feel, emotion, etc. Singing, like playing is not an athletic competition, it's art. All that matters to me is does it move me emotionally. Period!

It's made, but the enormously difficult task of getting clearance from all those record companies remains an obstacle. I remember The Wrecking Crew doc had similar difficulties. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/thesessionman#start

imho, the only way to learn one like this is to play along with the record, over and over until it falls into your hands. Don't sweat the intricacies, learn the intro because it is the dominant hook, and absorb the feel for the rest of it. Other than the intro, I don't think Billy plays it the same way ever.

Although I've been mostly a R&B/Soul/Country musician for my entire adult life, I have always found Heavy Weather in particular, to be a favorite. I don't know many musicians who don't have a similar appreciation for it's deft combination of musicianship and musicality. Great songwriting, great playing and so full of "hooks", I consider it a Masterpiece. I couldn't paint a barn, but I can appreciate brilliant abstract expression.

I was up in my attic yesterday looking for something else and saw that I have a Mirage up there!!

I din't believe he's retiring from music, just retiring from the road/touring. He'll keep making music from his new home in Barcelona, writing, recording, producing, etc. I enjoyed this interview immensely. Tommy's been a friend since we were kids practically, and I've always been blown away by his talent. He could no more quit music than any of us. It's a lifetime.

Don't bet the Farm. 🙃

Just to push back slightly: In many cases, the sounds are just as important as the notes. Sometimes, one synth simply doesn't convey the feeling you want from the part as well as another synth. I'm not a serious composer, and these days I only make recordings for my own amusement, but I don't think of this as wasting time. I rather enjoy searching for something close and tweaking it to perfect.

Hey Dave/Paul.. I know Dave Cohen recommended this guy. He's is definitely on fire as a Nashville Session cat and I really like his sensibilities. Here's his website. I'll email you his address. https://alexwrightmusic.com

Where can I find this Banjo video?

The world lost a giant of a musician today, and I lost a friend. I don't know why I'm telling you, but I felt compelled to post it here. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-rhodes-mn0000888257/credits

Once again, I'm not saying it's not OK to stand. I'm saying it's BS to pretend it doesn't affect your playing when you do. That's all.

If standing is just as good as sitting, why do so few (if any) keyboard players stand in the studio where there's no audience?

Yes, many times, & probably earlier than almost anyone else here (I first saw him w/Nice in a small local bar in Buffalo). What is your point? It's still a zero sum game imho. I've not yet seen a plethora of piano teachers offering "Standing or Sitting options".

There's the music and there's the visual. Yes, it's called Show Business, but the keyboard part of the music is better seated, & the show is better standing, jumping around, costumed, etc. If you're doing any of the latter, the music suffers. It may be a necessary evil to make a living in these times, but let's not pretend it is anything other than sacrificing some of the music for the visual.

I suspect you have that computer loaded down with Non-music (maybe Gaming) bloat. My MBP stays pretty much clear of everything except music programs with an internet browser/email account. I don't know what the PC equivalent to Mac's "Activity Monitor" is, but I'd guess that if you checked it while p laying live, you'd see a lot of resource power active elsewhere.

A Privia.

FWIW: I use a 4 year old MBP, Catalina 2.4 GHz 8-Core , i9 w/64GB & 2TB internal drive, with a little UA Apollo Solo to play outside the house, and I have no pops, clicks, or crackles at all. It's certainly do-able with current technology, and the engineers and producers routinely comment on the quality of sounds I provide vs.the sounds provided by players who show up with Nords, Kurzweils, Yamahas, Korgs etc.

I'd think that trying to find one board that does everything well would result in getting one board that does nothing particularly well. For the Bread & Butter sounds you list, I haven't found any board that I thought did them better than a good computer set up. I've been all in the box for years and not looked back. For more specialized sounds, sure, I get pretty close to my ancient Mini, but not better. Same for other very specific synths, but for piano, Rhodes, Wurly, B3, Strings, Brass, etc..... I'm sticking with software.