Adam Burgess
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Posts posted by Adam Burgess
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20 minutes ago, Dockeys said:
Keys 2 has evolved so much in recent years. It used to be a case of cover for keys one parts and then padding out stuff like strings (reinforcing strings already in the band or layering on top of existing brass). even though a lot of them have becomes more challenging they were still fun to play. Lately it’s just nuts. There’s so many ridiculous patch changes and sample triggers with split seconds to change that’s it less about playing and more akin to button pressing.
I'm doing Kinky boots at the moment and whist it’s not as bad as this one there are some really difficult corners in terms of patch changes. One false step and you risk playing a very brash dance patch instead of a gentle harp.
Considering the amount of prep time for all the setting up of patches I’d be veering towards playing piano on show gigs.
Some of these changes are in weird places! And, yes - a double patch change could be hilarious!
What screws my head up are parts where a high C is triggering a horn chord a mile down the keyboard! Just doesn't sit well with me!
I'd much rather play Keys 1, but I do get work doing the donkey work of Keys 2 and covering what ever else is missing, as there aren't a great many proper reading players here! The Lord giveth the gigs and taketh the prep time! -
27 minutes ago, SamuelBLupowitz said:
Keys 2 in a musical theater pit is a whole other kettle of fish from playing in a band, that’s for sure. That’s why I always stuck to bass for those gigs!
Yup. I'm getting the old bass out for Little Shop of Horrors in a few weeks!
Always prefer to MD, or Keys 1!-
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I did a load of theatre shows back in the UK. I agree! Gorgeous arrangements - no ridiculous things like above. Guess it's just easy to do the arrangements in Sibelius and copy/paste everything into a keyboard part if someone else is busy - rather than writing for a specific line-up.
Best ones for me: I played keyboard bass for Anything Goes. Only other electric thing was the guitar.
Proper big band "4x Tpts, 4x Bones, 3 reeds" line up with violin, and 2x percussion.
Also Mack and Mabel. Very similar but I was on Strings. Basically unison octaves all the way thru and great fun.
Reeds had EVERYTHING with them. Piccolo, Flute, all the Saxes, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Contrabassoon, Oboe…
How they play those runs, especially with the EXTRA key changes that go on top of the crazy amount in musical theatre!
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Just now, stoken6 said:
Yeah that's trying too hard. I get why keys would play a string section in a pit orchestra. But all those woodwind and guitar cues? Spamalot instrumentation calls for full-time percussion (alongside drums), 2 reeds, guitar ...
Cheers, Mike.
Yes, very true! Think there's 10x players in this band!
I'm still asking for more $$$. These gigs just need serious concentration - just relentless for 2 hours. The real flute player, for example, will have an easy peasy time! -
Just a quick laugh to make the purists feel a little ill at the thought of those who do not only play piano, EP, and B3 on their revered keyboards…
Just got a call to play Keys 2 for a production of Spamalot in Abu Dhabi. I think this wins the award for the most ever patch changes in 2 hours!
Must insist they hire the MainStage concert. No way am I sitting down to program this for a couple of weeks! 🫠
Score looks fun to play, though 🤪
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On 4/8/2023 at 2:42 PM, EB5AGV said:
I told the audio guy that I was the less experienced of the band, so that he didn't care too much about me being low on the mix
Nooooo! It's bad enough being heard, anyway 🙂
My quick story…
Was doing a week's run of South Pacific in a local theatre playing the harp parts. On the Wednesday, I took my board home to do a recording for something.
So, on the Thursday, me and the drummer are in the bar having a quick beer before the show. The 10 min bell rings so we make our way to the pit. The feeling when there's five mins to go until showtime and all you see is an empty keyboard stand with a few cables dangling over it is not a nice feeling! 😶🌫️
Managed to borrow a Roland E-15(!) from a friend who lived quite close - much harder than you think in the times before text messaging and cell phones! Missed the first 30 mins of the show and was embarrassed for the next 30 eons!
Also, with a club band I was in for years, we used a few songs with string/horn parts, walk on music etc on track from my XP50 via the floppy drive. I, of course, being sensible, had backups. Except that I'd made sure all the backup disks were still working that week, along with the primary disks. Fatal mistake of all the disks being together. They're all at home and not with the gear!
No great loss but such an annoyance. Think we actually finished that gig and in the bathroom, some guy asked what time the band were on…
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If the JV-1010 is anything like the 1080/2080/Integra, the SysEx spec is very comprehensive, so external editing is 'easy' 😛
Early Windows editor? https://nilsa.home.xs4all.nl/edinfo.htm
Or a panel for CTRLR? https://ctrlr.org/panels/
If push comes to shove, and there's no other way, you could send a load of SysEx strings from a sequencer or MIDI monitor then save…! -
I love my Arturia Keylab mkII 61.
• Keys feel among the better ones out there
• Has a Transpose button on the panel
• Many pedal inputs & real MIDI and USB
• Setup software is excellent
EDITED TO ADD:
• Build is excellent. Really solid.
• It fits in a 49 key-size case
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18 minutes ago, Al Quinn said:
I have a gig tonight where I'll be connecting the YC73 XLR outs to the XLR inputs on RCF TT08As. Using standard XLR mic cables is convenient and I believe I'm getting more gain with this connection scheme vs. using the 1/4" outputs, which the manual says are unbalanced.
I realize this might not be a strong justification for having XLRs on a keyboard but I do believe, in this case, I'm getting some benefit (i.e, as expected the YC73 XLR outs are balanced). I won't be using a mixer and, since it's an electric blues gig where I won't be going through the PA, some extra gain might come in handy.
Speakers at the TT level with have protection, I'm sure. When I was in the UK in a regular band, we had RCF TT for FOH and it was always glorious.
And, I agree, XLRs are so convenient. Everything in the world should be XLR, IEC cables, USB-C. Thank you 🙂 -
28 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:
Wouldn't active circuitry be more likely to be damaged by phantom power (calling the EEs here!)? Transformer-coupling, either with a DI or inline isolator, is a simple way to guarantee no DC gets to either the speaker or keyboard.
Sennheiser radio mic recievers, ARE protected thru circuitry ('cause I asked them). I would guess the other brands at that level are, too (Shure etc.).
I plug my XR18/X32 into other mixers all the time. I always ask, and check the sound guy's routing! If anything would've gone wrong, I reckon it'll have happened by now!
Sure some DC blocking capacitors are involved, so maybe it is actually passive circuitry, rather than active. Transformers aren't involved as you'd find in DIs. Nor opto-coupling like MIDI has.
Powered speakers… I really wouldn't trust any pass-through with phantom WITHOUT MAKING SURE from the manufacturer 🙂 -
Depends.
Some speakers' outputs are wired straight across the input (in this case from your keyboard), so there'd be no protection from phantom travelling to the keyboard. Some will have active circuitry and protection.
Just gotta mail QSC or Yamaha or whoever and ask… -
This is the basic idea. Arrows on the far right are Auto-Continues for any segues.
So, this now just runs in the background and StreamDeck does the GO button pressing.Also had buttons for previous/next/panic but thankfully all really stable.
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8 hours ago, obxa said:
Very cool. Using a Streamdeck is a brilliant idea!! I do the smaller 15 pad one in the studio with Abelton and Finale. Never thought about using on gigs. Would be perfect for Mainstage. I've got the midi plugins installed, but haven't done extensive programming.
I'm curious, when you mention the Kronos, are messages sent via the Mac output and software, or are you sending actual midi messages directly to it from Streamdeck?
Thanks in advance!
It's actually all based in QLab as grouped cues. Each 'song' has the individual .WAV files, any CC messages for the mixer, and SysEx to any connected keyboards for patch changes etc. The StreamDeck just sends an OSC "/cue/xxx/go" command to QLab, and it starts all the 'children' in that 'song cue' in a timeline. Found that handy for patch changes midway thru a song, or to send a program change at the end of a song, so it's early for the next tune. Also, good for nudging slow attack audio parts around to get them better in time. Things you don't notice when doing stuff in a hurry!
QLab can also run AppleScripts, so maybe in the future, I'll try getting it to turn my pages at the correct moment for any sheet music in Preview…
Found hitting a decently sized button much easier than mousing around, or even the QLab Remote on iPad. Really like the StreamDeck.
I did mail the developer of the MIDI plug-in about adding a changeable parameter to any SysEx messages (like you can with CCs) but, he said nothing will happen in the near future, which is a shame! Would loved to make some knobs and up/down buttons to control 'stuff'.
The MIDI spec for the XR18 is really simple, so quite easy to make a control surface for that. Although, you can go much much deeper with OSC!
EDIT: Kronos/XR18/StreamDeck USB'd thru an OWC Hub in the rack. Power also provided to the Mac from there, too. -
1 hour ago, jerrythek said:
Coupled to the floor they are often waayyy too bassy. I always set the back switch to Ext Sub, removing all the low frequencies, which worked much better.
YMMV
I agree.
To the OP - glad you've ordered something! But, just for future info - guitar amp stands are available if the floor is just a bit low - and the speakers end up being to bassy! -
5 hours ago, Garubi said:
Great setup, and really elegant!
do you use the XR18 just for your submixing or for the whole show?
What do you send with the 7 out to the FOH?
For these tribute shows (no budget for BVs or a keys 2 player) I have multitracks and clicks from QLab on the Mac.
Cause we rarely get rehearsal time, and balancing my live sounds is hard enough as it is, from the XR18…
1 BVs
2 808/Perc.
3 Strings
4 Horns
5 Xtra Synths
6 click to drummer’s IEMs
L/R for live keys (piano/pads/some synth/lead strings)
StreamDeck - starts the tracks in QLab, mutes FX/and a few level changes on the XR18, changes patches on the Kronos…
Was quite a small neat rig for what it did!
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13 hours ago, MontageMonkey said:
This is my first post and I wasn't sure quite where to put it so as this is about our rigs I'd ask here. I have a Yamaha Montage with an ancient Korg TritonLE on top. The Korg is muted and I play the Yamaha through it as a second keyboard for solos and such. This beloved Korg is 19 years old and spongy and on its last legs so my qustion to you all is - what 'dumb' keyboard can anyone recommend that just sits there and does nothing but host my Montage? I'm looking for non weighted and simplistic, but not necessarily cheap. Aftertouch for example. Any suggestions?
Just while I'm here, I really like my Arturia Keylab mkII. Well made, and the software to set it up is great. You can program most stuff from the front panel, but it can be a pain.
It's well made, not heavy, but sturdy. Key action is pretty good, apart from organ smears - the keys can be a bit sharp side to side! -
15 hours ago, dalpozlead said:
I think this is the solution! super tks!
Good luck, brother. Pics expected soon 🙂
And, Boss do a version, of course. Smaller, but looks around the same price.
https://www.boss.info/us/products/ab-2/specifications/ -
https://coppersoundpedals.com/product/passive-aby/
Would this, or something like it, work?
• The Roland's left output to the AB box
• The Roland's right output to the mixer
• One output from the AB box goes to the mixer
• One output from the AB box goes to the FX loop.
• The mixer will have 3 channels:
the R channel always, and two inputs from L depending which is selected on the AB box.
All assuming you pan any sounds you need thru the L channel only.
It's passive, so there shouldn't be any significant signal level change (with short cables) with the Right channel with the Roland in stereo mode, and guess you could wire a remote physical switch, if you don't want a pedal?
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10 minutes ago, dalpozlead said:
The MONO issue is a good point, but I can deal with this programing the lead sound to be panned to L (that’s the one Im sending to the FX loop).
The FX Loop: Phaser -> Distortion -> Delay -> Reverb
I could also get a Phaser with stereo input… so the real issue would be how to switch from both options.
Would the patch not do the switching by default, then? Or are you putting other stuff thru the right channel?
EDIT: Oh, yeah. I'm being stupid. Most of the time, there will be other stuff thru both L/R! Interesting routing problem, for sure! -
A slightly cut down version of the rig for the Whitney tribute show this year in Dubai.
Kronos 88 (rebuilt from my old 73 Kronos - with the weight - I should've kept the 73 keybed 😂 and built around that!)
Arturia 61 - power and MIDI straight to/from the Kronos
Spider Pro and a Gibraltar Electronic Stand thing.
M2 MacBook Air for some multitracks and clicks in QLab, and for dots.
Streamdeck triggering the tracks and patch changes on both the Kronos and the
XR18 on the floor.
FOH gets 7 outs and one out to the drummer for click and cues.
Last year had an SV1 88, Integra-7, Triton, the Arturia, and MainStage. Was gonna sample some stuff into the Kronos but the Kronos sounds were good enough. I did kind miss the D50-esque stuff from the Roland, but, hey. It's only a gig - and the flown in vocalist was very happy, so all ok!
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I don't think that you can use, or at least get a MONO sum from the L/MONO jack on the JV if something is plugged into the R jack.
It's a mechanical thing that switches the jack internally.
I will have a think of the way I would do it, and let you know! First impressions… I think you need the functionality of a couple studio patchbay channels… Hmmm. Interesting problem. What's in the FX loop? -
On 3/17/2023 at 7:28 PM, ProfD said:
Regardless of where you bought the VC, if it was brand new and still under some type of warranty, Korg [wherever] should be willing to help solve the problem even if it means sending a replacement. Contact them.😎
I'm in the Middle East and not much support around here, but Korg UK were really helpful getting one of my Kronoseses back on the road!
Definitely contact Korg Canada. -
Izotope RX stuff can do a 'reasonable' job of taking out drums, vocals, and bass. Leaving you with 'everything else'. It may be handy in certain ways to pick things out… although, with the holes that are sometimes left, it makes it a bit unbearable to listen to if looped learning a part.
You may argue that if a part can't be heard well enough in the mix; it's just adds body, or whatever, then, would anyone notice live? Depends how far you wanna go.-
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All the best getting your solo stuff realised and recorded. What a lovely opportunity!
Have a great day.
For those who won't play brass on keyboards…
in The Keyboard Corner
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Yes, playing the notes is scary enough! I'm insisting they rent buy a MainStage Concert. No way would I program this for one run!
Thanks for the support! I hope what ever is causing you any stress gets worked out, mate 🙂