Mitch Towne

A true legend of the business. Thank you for this podcast!

Geoff is so entirely underrated. I’d love to hear more about his time in Yes (specifically the Drama album) and the early days of Asia!

I really enjoyed this episode!! Well done, Gentlemen!

Yes they are. There are many custom options for MAG Organs.

The deposit is much less than 50%.

Hey, all! I thought I’d share this since someone started this thread a couple months ago. My band SRT is being featured on “Lombardi Live” on the DW Drums YouTube page on Tuesday, at 7:00 CST. Don Lombardi is the founder of DW Drums. We did a session at the DW Studios and did a sit-down interview with him. If you’re interested, check it out!

The solo line and the sound she uses brings this classic to mind.

Well stated, Dave!

I am sure we can all name countless examples of players who can play any piece of crap and sound incredible. Guys like Joey D or Cory Henry who could play a Casio from Walmart and just destroy. However, I am not like that. It always seems like my creativity and what I hear is considerably influenced by what instrument I am playing. For example, when I play a real Hammond organ with a good action and a great Leslie, it seems like the full amount of my creativity and talent are engaged. It's like this GIF. I aurally envision more ideas and those ideas branch off into other ideas. Also, if the action is really good, my brain unlocks things that I will attempt. It sometimes seems like the instrument makes me a better musician than I really am, if that makes sense. Contrast that with playing a clone with a stiff Fatar action. My brain seems to shut down. Maybe instead of 10 ideas with 6 separate ideas branching off, I only hear 2. Also, my hands seem to instinctively know that the action isn't going to let me pull off the same type of line I would on a real Hammond, so it puts those ideas behind a locked door. Same goes for a good digital piano or Rhodes emulation. I literally don't hear the same things in my head when I play a Nord that I do playing a Crumar Seven. I think part of it is what the real sound is connected with in my head. Since I am a disciple of guys like Joey D and Chester Thompson who, for the most part, always played the real thing...the sound of the real thing is inexorably tied to the creativity of the music. If I don't hear the right sound...something turns off. I am sure this is why, since 1998, I have tried every single Hammond clone that has come out, always searching for the one that gets me closest to that real thing. In some ways, I feel like this is a reflection of my musicianship...but then, in other ways, it doesn't seem to be something I can totally prevent. My brain seems to work the way it works. I can't be the only person like this, can I? <Actual image of me getting to a gig and the backline is a Hammond XK3>

Has anyone done any extensive tweaking of the “touch sensitivity” setting? I still have mine set at the factory setting with the “Hard” touch selected for all of my pianos and Rhodes sounds. What am I missing?

I haven’t. I’ll try to find one. But it’s mostly the sound of the Seven first. The usually-suboptimal action of the TP100 is actually fantastic with the Crumar virtually modeled Rhodes. 😂

I am still of the belief that the Crumar Seven Rhodes is a cut above all others. It is soooo realistic in how it sounds and feels to me. The YC is great but I never get that feeling of suspended disbelief that I get from the Seven. However, the YC EPs are better then the CP EPs due to the different amp sims, which is why I traded my CP88 for a YC88 The YC pianos are far superior to the Seven, so the YC is obviously the better all-around gigging board. But when I just need a good Rhodes, the Seven is the easy choice. (And the Seven is a lot lighter too.)

Yes. But the YC included amp effects (Fender Twin, Rhodes Suitcase amp) that the CP does not. That’s where the big difference happens.

I recently purchased a YC61 and I freaking love it! The form factor is fantastic for rehearsals and gigs where I don’t need weighted action (I got a YC88 for that) and I’m very happy with how expressive the pianos and EPs are. The keyboard is quite inspiring to play. I’m a hardcore organist, so the organ section is nothing I’d ever use in a halfway important gig situation, especially since the trigger point is so low. But for everything else, this board is definitely a “Nord Killer!”

If you are Rhodescentric, I would go for the YC73 instead of the CP73. You have more effects options on the YC. I had a CP88 and got a YC88 instead because I was able to get better Rhodes sounds from my YC61 than the CP88. Don’t regret it at all.

Well, that’s what I initially thought, but after messing around with a YC61, I was able to get a better Rhodes sound out of it because of the different amp simulations available. That’s what got me going down this path.

Hey all. I know there are threads dedicated to these two boards, and I’ve read through them in the past, but I’m in a bit of a time crunch, so o thought I’d start hopefully a quick one. From what I can tell, the YC has most of the same features of the CP (maybe a couple less pianos but the YC includes the main good ones (CFX, C7 and S700)) but includes some much better EP options and amp sims, as well as the organ and better synths. Both have the same ivory touch, graded keyboards so there is no difference there. I can get a YC used for a little less than a new CP, so it seems like a no brainer. I love the Yamaha 88 boards for shedding purposes. They are nice and heavy for practicing. Anything I’m missing?

I think you solved a big part of your problem in your self observation above - “I wasn’t listening to the musicians around me.” I think you are so focused on your “moment to shine,” that you stop doing what you’re doing the rest of the night - being a part of the group. I totally understand that feeling and a big part of your development is going to be not feeling like you have to be brilliant with every solo or feeling like you “gotta get your licks in.”

If anyone wants more information, here is our website. http://www.srt-band.com

Thank you, Joe! I’m extremely excited about this new group. JR Robinson is a literal drumming legend and Andrew is one of the top LA session guitar players. To get to play with these guys is dream come true for me. We recorded an album at LAFX in July which will be released next year. We will be hitting the road also.

I completely second Adan’s comments on the Crumar Rhodes emulation. Nothing else hardware based comes close. I love my new CP88 for piano, but the vaunted Yamaha Rhodes patches are a joke compared to the Crumar. And the interesting thing is that the TP100 keyboard is a perfect match for it. It’s enough to suspend disbelief.

No. I have not built up a tolerance. I’m on the same 10mg that I started on.

I used my CP88 with my MS-612 last week, playing mostly piano sounds and it sounded fantastic. Not at all harsh. It’s a fantastic amp for piano sounds. (Full disclosure - I’m an endorsing artist for Motion Sound. But I’m also someone who wants to sound as good as possible on stage.)

I’ve been taking Ambien for 16 years. Works like a charm.

All Kenny Kirkland, all the time.