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Adam Burgess

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Everything posted by Adam Burgess

  1. Just trying out the keybed manufacturer Matsushita…
  2. It's a bug bear, but sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and use the proper (expensive) Apple adapters now everything is on USB C/Thunderbolt connectors. Not all USB C > USB B cables are created equal. They might power stuff, but will not handshake, or pass data. Was in my local bar one day after they got a new LED wall. Macs would just not see the controller using Amazon level adapters. Had 6 guys on site trying to fix it for an event. Told them a hundred times to go get an Apple Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter - after many man hours, they did, and it worked instantly. Been working for a year. Same with Ethernet adapters etc... you just don't know what you're gonna get. Although I've had success with UGreen stuff in the main.
  3. You will notice saturation on anything bass heavy with cheap DIs like Samson/Behringer etc... I'd go with your gut and get a Radial. I grabbed a JDI Duplex years ago and it's been brilliant.
  4. I've always been able to hear a chord and get it 90% of the time correct. Single notes usually 100% if I'm having a good day. I sometimes reference what, for example, an F# looks like on paper, sometimes I just feel an F#, sometimes it's correlating it with an F# if I was sitting at a piano. If I'm wrong, it's a fifth out. Some harmonic filtering going on? Don't know. Singing a pitch on command, I can't do. I can tell it's wrong, but I think it's just 'cause I'm a crappy singer. I get bored long before I've slid up and down to be happy with it. I have massive synesthesia, too. Sometimes this F# maybe a certain shape and colour on the 4D space that seems to exist in my head. One strange quirk is that if I wear shades, my hearing drops by about the same level as my eyes… Not volume level, but it its perception. Think that's one of the important words in this thread. I wouldn't say I had perfect pitch at all, and can't say whether it's learned, in-built, or other, as I've hit keys for as long as I can remember. But, I'm good at it after 40 years of having a connection between touching something and hearing it. If I wasn't a piano player, I doubt I would be able to do it, even if I knew WHAT it was I was trying to do!
  5. It took a good few weeks of getting out of Korg and Yamaha mode into finding out what a Stage 2 could REALLY do with some careful forethought and programming. Sold mine cause I had maybe two years of piano only gigs, and hated the waste of it sitting in a case. I loved that 88 and have been recently thinking about a new Stage. It popped up on a Facebook memory thing last week. Positively slimmer, lighter, and shorter than the current Kronos 88. Having 16 parts on hand makes programming stuff easy, but, as above - with some careful programming, the Stage, especially the new ones, can do a lot.
  6. Can't remember! Sure there were a couple of extensions that required this. Maybe Loopback…? On the latest Sonoma beta these days!
  7. I was looking at something lighter than a Kronos 88 for just piano gigs… And, a Kronos 88 JUST doesn't fit in a Dubai taxi in a wheeled case, which is fine apart from transporting to a stage which could be miles from the nearest road 😞 Used to have a P120 many years ago, and I always liked the action, and it was slim and light! No joystick etc to the left, so quite a bit narrower, too. May risk something that has the GHS keybed. Think that will be fine (MX88, CK88, P225 etc. etc) - they're cheap enough and can't be any worse than that god awful Arturia Keylab mkII 88 I bought and sold in a couple of months or a Numa piano I had the misery of trying for a while, which I basically gave away to a church so they had a backup or to give someone as a practise instrument. Mind, I did a conducting only gig last night. Carrying a laptop to put on the stand and walking straight outta the gig was life changing haha. Usually I'd be conducting from behind a rig of some sort, so always be out later than the flute player…
  8. When working with guitarists, there's always that classic case of not quite major or minor in bluesy stuff… So, yes choose the better 'dominant' notes. I'd have no qualms about B C# F# over an A6/9, but then to thicken it, I wouldn't say no to B C# (E) F# A, or just a nice 'containing' high E on it's own… All about context… Where's it going, and, where has it come from?
  9. My Roland Integra is a 'soft off', where the power switch stays 'in', so needs a double press to turn it back on. I 'think' my Kronos 2 physically stays 'on', also - even though the switch definitely has more 'electronics' to it! Always turn these things off, anyway…
  10. @AnotherScott Yes, Scott. Agree with all the above. I believe this Bose is the L1S version I've used. It was going out of production at the time, so I don't think it was much more than $1000 US. Extra sub module was, well, extra. But worth it, I reckon!
  11. We've used the Bose L1 in a few duo gigs before, so live keys, sax, 2x vocals, and tracks. XR18 or X32 before it. So handy to have that to get a nice handle on the dynamics. Sometimes the sax is only miked to slap some reverb and delay on it and is fine acoustically, but the little Bose With two bass modules, I'd say it's good for 100 pax more than comfortably, in those restaurant/terrace/corp. dinner type things, at least. Couldn't do a rock band in a crowded bar without red-lining, but it's 'full sounding' which is sometimes more important than VOLUME! The RCF E-Vox sounded beefy enough to me the other night (compressed music, not live musicians, of course). The company played their "we're the best" corporate video early in the night and it was LOUD. Impressively so. And they had 2x sets compared to the Bose in the other room. Whether the tops could cope with live 'spiky' drums and bass clicks and pops… I'm not sure. But, I wouldn't hesitate to try it, or discount the system at all. (Like I would with the Mackie )The RCFs subs are quite a bit bigger than the Bose, and I'm sure they'd keep up quite easily. At a guess - I'd go for 200 pax in a 'busy' background noisy type room! Having used RCF TT+ stuff in the past in a LOUD ROCK BAND, I'm sure the protection is very good, if the tech has trickled down to the different ranges - but the musos have to be sensible if it redlines or they can hear and limiting or distortion… Not scientific in the slightest - but I guess the DSPs in these things are so good these days, when tailored to known speaker drivers and amps, they can be really impressive. In the same way the now quite old and tiny NEXO PS8 sounded with a huge 3600W heavy iron Crown amp and the external DSP rack(!) One of the nicest monitors I'd ever used for piano.
  12. Tagged along with a sax and tracks playing friend of mine to a small corporate ballroom gig last night. First time I'd heard the RCF E-Vox 12 in the wild. Sounded lovely - and impressive for the size and weight. She had her own Bose L1 set up in the lobby for the first set, and that I also like. Heard the Mackie column thing once and it was not the nicest thing in the world. Got a couple of JBL PRX4xx speakers that come out on occasion, and they just keep working here in the Middle East's humidity and heat and salty aired beach gigs. Harman quite ubiquitous around here for pub level stuff and service is actually among the better companies. Yamaha being another notable one.
  13. Out of all the keyboards I've owned, my Korg i3 (2020) is the only one that paid for itself in one gig! It's fun to play, sounds fine and weighs nothing. I put some strap locks on it in case I ever need a Keytar again 😃 Works great for jam nights, little duo gigs, lightweight top keyboard…
  14. Awesome, guys. That's great to get some real world set-up info. Thank you very much.
  15. https://midisolutions.com/prodevp.htm MIDI Solutions Event Processor? I have used one of their Thru boxes for years as a MIDI splitter and it has sat there for years quietly working
  16. Sitting on the QE2 (old big boat) and got some downtime between a couple of gigs this weekend. I like to keep thinking about my Roladn Integra iPad app, which by the time I finish It (or get someone to code it properly). I'm brute forcing things, and I know there's better ways, but, I'm not clever enough! Ultimately, I'd like it to be modular and be able to be changed easily to control other bits of MIDI gear. So, my question… Thinking about other features - MIDI learn as a thing. It would convert CC messages from an external controller to the SysEx needed to say control Drawbars, or the filter etc. I know the Integra can send stuff received at MIDI In to the USB port (> iPad). I know my Deepmind 12 can do it. I have my Kronos on the gig this weekend, so will double check that, but, I've never found anything a Kronos can't do! Actually, now my question… How many other modules/keyboards support this USB MIDI Thru thing? Anyone use the feature?
  17. Great stuff. Sometimes, if I repair something, the time or money isn't always wasted if you're learning. Which we all should be - everyday 😀
  18. Exactly… That's the right thinking. Having those envelopes on hand if you need them can add so much movement and depth to a sound. Also, it's great that the 560 still has more to give. Even if you think it has limitations, that every board has and you'd find if you replaced it, it's cool to HAVE to work in those limitations. When I had a Nord Stage, with its fixed splits and limited layering, you had to get quite creative to do a one-board gig with it.
  19. I've had a few FS key-bedded units (Tritons/Yammy SY…) and they're good. Got a Classic Triton 76 here and it still plays quite nice. Bit clattery in places, but it's 25 years old. Only thing to come close (that I've owned) is the Keylab mkII 61. The key shape can be a little awkward and sharp on the corners while glissing/smearing, but feels nice overall. Best 61 I've tried has to be the Kronos 61. I have actually done piano gigs on it. It's amazingly well balanced, precise, and buttery at the same time. Travel is lovely. But, the keyboard itself is heavy in comparison to the Arturia. No longer have one 😞 That's just me, of course! Some people love the Fatar in the Keylab mkII 88. I hated it, and it's Numa brothers… Guess they're there if you pay the $$$ like anything else!
  20. When I'm not doing work for money - I keep working on my Integra editor (which I guess would also work back to the JV/XP/XV stuff with not many changes… thinking about how my old XP50 was structured) Overall, learning what EVERY parameter does on the Integra has definitely given me a much bigger understanding about, at least Roland's, synthesis than I would have ever have done just doing the preset thing. It's just a horrible menu-dive hell… On the Integra's PCM engine, there's SOOOO much control over many filters: Filter, Amp, and Pitch envelopes per partial, 4x partials per tone, so there's 12 envelopes right away. Times that by 16 parts - and in one "Performance" (Studio Set) you've got… … more than I can sum in my head, but it's quite a lot 🙂 Also as many as 8 LFOs modulating 'anything' per tone/partial, more or less, AND a modulation matrix for other inputs to do 'stuff'! It's quite overwhelming, for sure! EDIT: And, of course, they're all Time-Variant (in Roland speak, too!) as well as being Level Variable. But, you have given me a great idea for something else to add to the list*. Linkable, or Copy/Paste-able envelopes… * which will have to go to a real software person at some point! Getting above my hobbyist pay grade as it is. I'm only a piana player, really.
  21. It does. Available as an option to replace one of the knobs. Guess you could always drill a hole and jumper the cables from the installed knob to a jack socket - then you can use either…
  22. Since repair in the Middle East is about non-existent… I've took many things apart. It's just easier than sending stuff away for crazy prices and it coming back not much better than when it left. Yamaha stuff here (therefore, some Korg stuff (keys etc.)) is ok to come by and the guy in the spares dept. can get anything quickly with a Yamaha part number. Korg, I had to really try to get spares - Korg UK were excellent. Not done much Roland stuff, but, again they've been great in the UK since the 90s. I hope they still are. Don't mind experimenting with, and breaking my own boards, but, gotta be much more diligent with other peoples gear! My work on them is usually replacing keys, but also easy re-soldering crappy DC jacks, audio connections/replacing boards, pots, screens etc. Replaced a USB jack on my X32 Rack's expansion card not so long ago which was a bit fiddly with my eyes getting worse after passing 40-something! Was actually working on the mixer's PSU and shoo-ed the cat away, she ended up behind the desk and landed on the USB cable that was still plugged in haha. Was good practise. Replacing the USB jack on an iConnectivity Audio2+ was much easier because of that necessity. I've ruined a few things, most notably the time I re-sprayed my Triton Extreme. Dropped the touch screen putting everything back in, and pulled off its flex cable. I was gutted, but learned it's SysEx capability quite quickly hehe! Definitely fixed more than I've rendered useless. I count that as a win. Just read @The Real MC's post. I did take apart an AC30 once to replace a couple of bits, slipped with a screwdriver and all 130kg of me ended up in a different room of the house in a split-second. Those caps are BIG! Amp is still working as far as I know, and I'm here to tell the tale. Scary, though. Learned a lesson, and am far more patient these days.
  23. Been back and forth with hardware only and iPads/laptops more times than I care/dare to admit. Pros and cons galore for each, but I had to get another Kronos 88 last year and sold on my Arturia Keylab 88 without any regret!
  24. It's quite a deep synth, for sure. Millions of waveforms, 4x stereo partials per part x16 parts. The Mod Matrix is huge and very capable. 2x LFOs per partial, etc etc… the sheer number of parameters is mind boggling. I did start to write an Editor better than anything available at the mo! Will finish it one day 🙂
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