soapbox

Do you want your PC to have the look and feel of a Mac? Personally, if I buy GigaStudio, I'd love to have it look and behave as if it were operating under Mac OS. So, I did a little research. Here's what I found: 1) MacVision : is an expired beta that apparently was pretty popular before it expired. The software can only be used if one is willing to reset the PC's date to before December 2000. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the author has neglected to update the website and provide usable software. Not a good sign... 2) WinMac : It has the look, but apparently not the feel of Mac OS. A skin, perhaps? 3) This one looks promising. Object Desktop : is a suite of desktop tools that lets you completely transform the look and feel of Windows. Object Bar (included) can be made to look and feel like the desktop interface of any OS (Windows, OS/2, Linux, MacOS, QNX, Amiga, etc.).

Kip, I know you as a helpful member of this forum; but I have to ask that you not post links here that promote your products. I can understand how the title of this thread seems like an invitation to do that very sort of thing; but I made remarks to counter that impression on page one of this topic, in my response to Deadsy. I'm sure your samples are great, and even I believe that your links would be more helpful to the members of this forum than Deadsy's. However, people who post here registered their opinions about self-promotion in this thread . I think it's important that we honor those wishes. Kip, as I wrote to Deadsy, I wish you all of the luck in the world. You obviously have done a lot of work. I'm sure you just misinterpreted what I was looking for. Best, Geoff

I have another link: (Let's keep this thread alive!) If you're trying to come to grips with ProTools, Digital Performer, or Logic Audio, Cool Breeze Systems has interactive training CDs and an online school to help you get up to speed.

steadyb, I'm sure you're right. I really haven't explored the site. It's just that I found the warning on the front page a bit foreboding, and yet amusing at the same time!

Kim very cool. Gotta love free struff!

Mugen and Vi An, I'm glad to see you made it to this thread. Thanks for sharing and welcome again! Best, Geoff

Okay, it's forums time. I don't want to list any forums that compete directly with these ones...Actually no forums can compete with these ones! What I will list are forums that support user groups: User Forums: Digidesign User Conference : This is the most quoted user forum at our site. Even though they like to ban people, the DUC is still a good place to go if you have a ProTools related problem or question. KVR VST : There's a lot of support for VST users at this site. This link is to their VST discussion forums. Sonikmatter Communities : This site contains a wide variety of user group forums. There are forums for Emagic, Kurzweil, Korg, Native Instruments, and Yamaha products here. Logic Audio User Forum : If you think that the DUC is strict with it's members, you've got to check out this Logic Users' Group forum just for a laugh! This quote by the moderator particularly got me, "If there is ONE more sucky, whinging, whiney post here, the forums are gone!!!!" I think someone needs a little more fiber in his diet! UnicorNation Bulletin Board : To discuss all things MOTU, go here. Sonic Control : In addition to general discussion forums, this site has forums that cater to GigaSampler users and HALion users. Korg OASYS PCI Discussion Group : I don't usually like yahoo groups, but this appears to be the only place available that's dedicated to discussing the Korg OASYS PCI card. The Korg OASYS site links to this group. MacCentral Forums : If you want to talk about Macs without getting into that tired old Mac vs. PC argument, this is a good place to go. Sorry, I tried to give equal time to PC users; but after a fair amount of searching, I was unable to find a forum dedicated to PC users. Perhaps one of you knows of one? [ 02-01-2002: Message edited by: soapbox ]

This is just too cool! What a great response from all of you! I'm bookmarking this page as my start page whenever I want to surf the web! Thanks everyone, and keep 'em comin'!!!

It wasn't me, but what a cool site! Thanks kcbass, Colonel Taylor, and wager47 for all your great links! I'm going to have fun surfing tomorrow! Best, Geoff

Welcome Superbobus and Colonel Taylor! It's good to have you with us! Yes, it can be addictive (as is evidenced from my too high post count below)!

I've seen a lot of cool links posted by users in threads here. The only problem is that they wind up getting lost in the shuffle of the many topics contained in The Keyboard Corner. Personally, I'd like to keep a collection in this thread, so that we can all have an easy way to find links of interest. I'll start the ball rolling: Software Links: OMS Names Libraries : Got OMS? This is as close as you'll get to support and updates. Shareware Music Machine : A great place to download music oriented shareware, freeware, and demos. Version Tracker : Lists most of the software releases and updates that come out on any given day. Music News: Digital Pro Sound : News, features, reviews, and more! Harmony Central : Get your daily new gear fix here! Music Player Network : Well, you all know this one, but do you really know it? There's lots of coolness here in addition to our forums! ProRec : Features, reviews, and industry news. Not much about Macs though... Sonic Control : Articles, links, and news. Education: Electronic Music Primer : Learn about synthesis here. Miscellaneous: Hearnet : Protect your hearing! Learn how at this site. Jazz Charts : Psst, wanna learn a jazz standard? Get your free charts here! U.S. Copyright Office : Download forms, get copyright information here! Links To Other Links: Find Sounds : the search engine for finding sound effects on the Web. i-Music Production Guide : More than just a collection of links, this site bills itself as "The largest data base of music industry related web information in over 50 countries." The Internet Music Pages : Links to artists, bands, duplication services, managers, legal services, MIDI files, etc. Li\'l Hank\'s Links : Mostly for songwriters; but hey, we keyboard players can write too! Lyricist.com : More links for songwriters. Mac Music : Links of interest to Mac users and/or musicians. Synth Zone : A GREAT collection of synthesizer links! Post cool links here that you think others in this forum would appreciate. It would help if you could also add a brief explanation as I have above. No spam please! [ 01-31-2002: Message edited by: soapbox ]

We have a few new members here who haven't yet introduced themselves. I thought I'd bump this thread to the top as a subtle hint!

Welcome Dave! I saw the "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" performed live in concert by Genesis in Phoenix, Arizona in 1974! I was one of 1,100 people at the concert. Any other questions? Best, Geoff P.S. I have a reel-to-reel tape of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" as it aired on Phoenix local radio KDKB's "album hour" the week of its release. I have a copy of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" on LP and on CD as well as MP3. I guess you might call me a fan... [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: soapbox ]

Welcome Dan. Would you care to tell us a little bit about yourself? Dan, you have a noble ambition to keep things equal. This is just one of the many ways you've shown consideration for your fellow forum members... Happy New Year to you as well, Geoff

I guess dansouth and I have taken it upon ourselves to be the welcoming committee while Keyboard Corner moderator Dave Bryce is out of town . Welcome jmanzella. We often get "multi-instrumentalist" threads on these boards. I'm sure you'll find a number of others in similar circumstances. Personally, I used to play trumpet and drums as well; but these days, it's all keyboards. Welcome Casey. Our moderator, Dave Bryce, is originally from nearby Philadelphia. There is a lot of discussion of recording at home in these forums. You should find a lot to interest you. Welcome Kim. Yes, there are a few other females here. Three who post here in The Keyboard Corner are valkyriesound (Valky), Nelz, and Laurie Z. You'll also find Lee Flier, junglegirl, Drummer Mom, and procontrolmomma posting elsewhere on this site. I'm sure there are a few more I'm unaware of or have forgotten. FWIW, I spent part of my childhood in the Madison area and I have fond memories of living there. As many people here know, I'm a Green Bay Packers fan. Welcome all. I'm looking forward to reading your posts!

NYC Drew, TinderArts, welcome to The Keyboard Corner! It's nice to see familiar names from other forums posting here as well. Don't worry, your secret keyboard jonses are safe with us! rotcod, welcome as well!

Nathan, welcome aboard from another Arizonan. I did most of my growing up in Tempe, and I was a music major at Arizona State University. I've been living in California since 1987, but I still go "home" about once a year. I haven't been to Tucson for a long time though. Does Caruso's still have the best spumoni?

I am really glad to hear that Jane is back. She has great talent and is a cool human being! I was greatly disappointed when WB dropped her. Maybe they couldn't figure out how to market synth based music in a grunge world. Who knows? Anyway, Jane is a great singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. I'm sure there will be a place for her in today's climate! cyclonic, please tell Jane I said "hi" and give her my best wishes. She'll remember me as Yoshiki's programmer (I worked for Yoshiki from 1/93 - 10/96). Best of luck, Geoff Grace

I should point out that there is another Geoff Grace I know of who has done some work with Jefferson Starship and Pete Sears. Strangely enough, a site on the Internet combined one of his credits with two of mine and created a hybrid Geoff Grace. Even stranger, this very same site also claims that an engineer I work with died in 1990, but they go on to list many of his credits that he's acquired since then! He seems to have had an even better career after being resurrected! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif This engineer and I have both informed the site of their errors, but their "information" remains unchanged. Unfortunately, record company people often access this site when they want to see what you've done. Who said that the Internet marked the dawn the beginning of the information age? Sometimes it seems more like the dawn of the misinformation age! For my real info, you can click here . My wife, who is a great actor (her stage name is "janedoe"), has a website as well. So Dan, when do we get to hear about you? This message has been edited by soapbox on 05-15-2001 at 07:46 PM

I cant speak for all of the pros, just for myself. It feels a little weird saying who I am and what Ive done...I dont want to come off like Im arrogant. Not that Im famous anyway, Im sure most of you have never heard of me, even though my name is on a few liner notes here and there. Ive never been interviewed by Keyboard, or EQ, or any major publication, although a number of people Ive worked with have. I guess Ill briefly "unmask" myself for this thread. My name is Geoff Grace. I was born to be a musician and Ive been lucky enough to make a living at it. For my second birthday, I got a toy piano with real black keys (not just painted on) and a cheap phonograph player with a one-inch needle that destroyed records. I begged for piano lessons for years and my parents finally broke down and bought a real piano in 1965, when I was six. Later that year, on December 7th, I had my first piano lesson. I studied classical piano throughout elementary school, but I was frustrated because my teacher refused to teach rock music or composition to me. In junior high school, I gratefully began studying all of those things and more with local Phoenix jazz legend Charles Lewis. I could write a whole story just on my lessons with Charles; he was a great teacher and mentor! I played my first pro gig after graduating from high school in 1976. I worked with a p-funk band off and on until I graduated from college in 1980. I was really into jazz-fusion and progressive rock while I was in high school and college, and I enrolled in Arizona State University as a jazz major in the fall of 1976. ASU had the beginnings of a jazz program at that time, formed by hiring away a few professors from North Texas State, but it wasnt developed enough for me. There were too few teachers and the professors we had sometimes cut class so they could sleep in after gigging late! In 1978, I switched my major to composition, and in the summer of 1979, I studied conducting and orchestration at USC. For my conducting final, I got to conduct a chamber symphony orchestra and the thrill was beyond belief! We students were busy lamenting the fact that this was probably a once in a lifetime experience when our teacher proclaimed, "When Michael Tilson Thomas was a student here a few years ago, he used to hustle orchestral players to perform in a makeshift orchestra he created. Then, he would conduct concerts in the afternoons on the mall." That was enough to inspire me. I went back to ASU for my senior year and I enlisted another composer to help me. Together, we formed a chamber symphony orchestra and gave recitals of our own symphonies during the fall and spring semesters. After graduation, I worked in some of the top bands in the Phoenix area and then in some of the top groups in the southwest, mostly playing new wave, funk, and modern rock music. I eventually made my way here to Los Angeles where I now live. I began working here by playing piano in hotel lobbies and restaurants. After about a year, I hooked up with my first major label artist, Jerry Riopelle. Since then, it has been my fortune to work with some of the top artists in the recording industry in a variety of capacities: as a keyboard player, a programmer, an arranger, an orchestrator, and as a producer and writer. Along the way, Ive worked in some of the best studios in Los Angeles, New York, and London. Thanks for your patience. Ive really enjoyed meeting all of you and hearing your stories! Ill wrap this up with a list: My favorite keyboard is the piano. My favorite band is Gentle Giant. My favorite composer is Igor Stravinsky. My favorite computer is the Macintosh. My favorite DAWs are Digital Performer for MIDI and ProTools for audio. My favorite time is the eternal moment of now. My favorite woman is the wonderful one Ive been married to for almost 11 years, (stage name) janedoe. We have one dog, no kids. Im very happy and lucky!