elsongs

Yeah...Auto-Tune, trap beats, and the I-V-vi-IV chord progression aren't inherently horrible in themselves - it's their over-use that makes them horrible.

A friend of mine was communicating with him outside YouTube (either email or chat) a couple years ago and said he came across as a total a-hole. It cracks me up every time he's critiquing the current Top 10 and will like a song just because there's a guitar on it. 🤣

Yes, I already mentioned that have the cables/pedals that stay in my studio and a duplicate set of cables/pedals that I use when I gig so no need to remove any of them.

It really depends. My main keyboard is a Nord Stage 3 88. It's 42 lbs, which is actually on the light side for a weighted 88-key. But it, inside its case is still bulky and I need to have it go in at an angle in my car's backseat, which takes a little time to orchestrate (though not as much time as if I had to fold down the back seats and load it into the trunk). For private gigs, or higher-paid/higher-profile performances, I'll play that. The other thing with bringing the Nord is re-connecting everything when I get back home. Even though I have a separate set of cables and pedals for playing live, which saves a lot of time and headache, having to plug everything back in after I get back from a gig is an extra task. But I currently have a weekly solo gig playing cover tunes at an outdoor night market. I leave the Nord at home and just play a Nektar Panorama P6 USB controller (17 lbs) connected to my MacBook Pro. I also have a Samson mini PA system that I play out of. So when I leave the house, I just bring 4 relatively light and small pieces with me: the keyboard in a soft case, a backpack containing my laptop, mic, audio interface and cables and the two mini PA speakers (my keyboard stand, mic stand and music stand stay in the trunk of my car all the time). Setup and loading is quick and it's 3 quick 100-foot trips from my car to the performance area. And when I return home from my gig, I don't have to plug this in since I have the Nektar specifically for gigging.

Thanks, that's good to know. I used to be a Zzounds regular back in the late '90s when online gear sales started taking off. I remember they used to have the best prices around. Nowadays, pretty much all the online music retailers sell most items at the same price. Tax, shipping and shipping time is the greater denominator these days.

I live just 20 minutes from the Hollywood Sam Ash (via surface streets). I've had mixed experiences going there. The last thing I purchased was a heavy-duty On-Stage X keyboard stand back in December. GC across the street didn't even seem to have something similar in stock. But then a month later my Novation Impulse 61 USB controller (which is my main keyboard in my studio for softsynths/DAW control) was on the fritz for a while, and I was in the market for a replacement. So I went to Sam Ash to check out the keyboard actions of the various USB controllers they had up there. I was testing them out individually by feel and the salesman came up to me and said, "Those are actually USB controllers..." as if I didn't know what I was doing. "Yeah, I know." I said, feeling somewhat insulted by someone who was likely born when I had my first DAW. I just had a "Yeah no, F-- that dude" feeling and left the store (I already obtained the info I wanted - the NI Kontrol S61 had the best feel, but I wasn't ready to plunk down $800 for it. Anyway I managed to do a successful DIY repair on my Novation controller and all is working again). I guess the future is in "niche" boutique stores for serious keyboard gear. In the Los Angeles area, the best store in town for synths is Perfect Circuit Audio in Burbank. I know they're geared more towards modular heads, but they do have a healthy amount of keyboard synths (and drum machines and tabletop synths) on display. I've also bought some Hosa cables there that GC, Sam Ash and even Ametron (a local electronics store in the San Fernando Valley that also stocks a lot of pro audio accessories) didn't even have in stock (and for less than list price, too). For online music purchases, I'm all over the place. I bought my Nord Stage 3 from Kraft Music a few years ago. I used to rely on Sweetwater but those calls from their Sales Engineers are annoying AF, sorry. My usual go-to is American Musical Supply since they ship to CA from a warehouse in Reno, NV and my orders always arrive in just 2 days with the standard shipping.

I remember seeing it when it originally aired on SNL but didn't really understand the context behind it until recently. I just thought, "Oh, that's Elvis Costello...how random."

I'm going to Dodgers Opening Day on Thursday afternoon! Woo-Hoo! My first Opening Day since 2017.

If it's great, you enjoy and cherish them. If it's horrible, then you're thankful you don't have to do that again.

It's definitely sound, but it's not music.

I saw 'Oppenheimer' in September in an IMAX theatre. It was my first time watching a movie in the theater since February 2020. Göransson's soundtrack was the thing that blew me away the most about the movie. It was relentless, it hit you HARD. It was immersive. I was impressed. Though LG has been known for his work in films and TV shows, he's also been a music producer. I had no idea until a few months ago that he actually produced this tune: He's also worked with Adele:

The most expensive keyboard I have is a Nord Stage 3 (88). I do perform with it, but I'm selective of where I use it. Lately I've only used it for semi-private affairs like weddings/funerals, but it's mostly because I need piano sounds and piano range/action. I have a weekly solo cover gig playing at an outdoor night market. It's in a privately-owned lot, but it's publicly accessible. I don't take the Nord there but it's mainly because I want to use a setup that's lighter and easier to tote around (The Nord takes quite a few minutes to load/unload from my car). I'm using a Nektar Panorama P6 USB keyboard, a Macbook Pro and an audio interface (with a small stereo PA). It's also to protect from the climate because it gets a bit chilly (for California standards - low 50s) and during the first gig I played, there was dew forming on my keyboard. If I'm playing with others (I'm planning to have my band's percussionist join me later on in the year) and when it gets warmer, I might tote the Nord.

When I used to perform with an Ensoniq EPS sampler workstation, I used to alter the "ensoniq" logo on the back with electrical tape to spell out my name. The last time I performed on TV, I played a Nord Electro 2 and the station staff covered the back of my keyboard plus the stand on the bottom with a black skirting. I suppose it was mainly there to keep the cables out of view, but the "Nord Electro 2" logo was also covered up. I had no say in it, nor did they tell me, "We're going to have to cover the logo on your keyboard."

Got a DJ Tech Tools MIDI Fighter Twister knob controller for my DAW setup the other week to provide more tactile control of my softsynths. Very well-built, nice solid knob action and can be easily custom-configurable via the MF Utility app (just remember to run as Administrator in Win 10/11 or else the application screen will keep blinking and won't recognize the MIDI Fighter Twister. It looks pretty sweet with the LEDs, even when you boot up your computer.

Gen-Xer here who grew up on the time travel subgenre...'Back to the Future' trilogy, the 'Bill and Ted' trilogy, the 'Terminator' trilo...okay just the first two movies. 'The Matrix' kinda sorta qualifies but the first one was all that mattered. As for TV shows, the original 'Doctor Who', 'Quantum Leap' and though I'm no big Marvel-head, the time-travel aspect of 'Loki' on Disney+ got me hooked. For all time always! As for music, Time keeps flowin' like a river, time it won't give me time 'cos time makes lovers feel, time after time. WHAT TIME IS IT?!?! I got too much time on my hands.