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BEMcCut

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Everything posted by BEMcCut

  1. I get calls to fill in because musicians in my area call because I have the reputation of being able to learn a bunch of songs quickly and sing harmony on the fly. My last call was for New Years Eve to double on keys and guitar. The bands keyboard player quit a week before. I did one 2 hour practice with the guitar player. I used chord charts on my iPad but I only needed it for a few songs. To complicate things I was doing a solo acoustic guitar gig in the afternoon.
  2. I'm 71 so I played in the days of Rhodes, CP70's and Hammonds. Back then we thought they were portable. My current rig consists on a MODX7 and a Roland VR-09. Both lightweight and easy to move. I have been doubling on guitar so that adds to the roadie part. I stay in pretty good shape for an old guy by walking 2 to 3 miles a day and weight training. I have been asked to audition for a 6 piece band as a lead vocalist and 2nd keyboardist. I am considering it because it would be less work and I could get by with one keyboard and no guitar rig.
  3. My iPad cover is rubber and has a flap that covers the screen and flips open when you use the pad. My MODX7 sits flat. I lay the iPad on the MODX7 and let the flap hang over the back. It never moves and I can see the screen perfectly. ProCase for iPad.
  4. Position of my hand on the keyboard doesn't necessary mean I am playing bass notes. I use lots of splits to cover classic rock tunes. For example for Too Much Time by Styx I have the intro sounds that drop in pitch in the lowest octave notes A, G and F. Above that I have the sweeping sound that plays with the guitar when the synth bass comes. The synth bass is actually in the middle of the keyboard. That being said, I mostly stay away from what the bass is doing by simplifying my left hand doing single notes or waving to people in the crowd with it.
  5. A friend just bought a CK61. He is a great player but super low tech. I have benn doing his programming for cover bands for 30 years. He also has a Yamaha MO 6 and he is trying to midi them together. He is having a problem with tuning. He current band tunes down one half step and the two keyboards aren't working together. It sounds like he is playing an F and F# when layered. I suspect the problem is that he is actually turning the MO down and transposing the CK61. Hopefully it will be an easy fix
  6. A few years ago I asked our sound guy to record our show. I had a Zoom recorder and we used the xls inputs direct from the FOA board plus the external mics. The next day I replayed the recording you could hear all vocals, guitar, drums bass. Everything but the keyboards. I made copies for everyone including the the soundman. Everyone said where are the keys? The sound guy said he could hear them all night.
  7. Here is a link to a video from 2011 Austin City Limits performance. Live with Joseph Wooten on keyboards. If I remember correctly he covered bass for all songs but Fly Like An Eagle. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=533374921785124
  8. It is the movement of gear that is making me think the end is near. I am currently playing keyboards and guitar with my current band. That means rigs for both. Two guitars, pedalboard, powered speaker cab for the guitar. Two keyboards, stand, pedalboard plus all the peripheral things. Twice the time and effort. I use a Helix for the amp models and effects so I eliminated a guitar amp and the EV ZLX works for both keyboard and guitar monitor. I am in good shape for 71 but it is becoming too much.
  9. I bought a grill cover just for that reason. Worked great for me.
  10. I have never had Sweetwater send me a refurbished piece of gear to replace faulty new gear. I have had the opposite happen. I purchased a demo Line 6 Helix Guitar pedal. It locked up when powered up and I called Sweetwater support. They walked me through a possible fix and when it didn't work they overnighted me a brand new one with no added cost and paid for the return shipping for the demo. Above and beyond as always.
  11. I currently drive 40 minutes away for the band I play with now. I don't mind because there are no ego's and everyone is supportive of each other. Fun with no drama.
  12. I have a Behringer Micromix MX400 Line Mixer in my gig bag as a backup. Not on par with the Key Largo but better than nothing if you get stuck.
  13. I have had nothing but great experience with Sweetwater customer service. They overnighted a power supply to me at no extra charge for shipping when mine broke. Just last month my Line 6 Firehawk effects Led screen burnt out due to low power at an outdoor gig. They replaced the parts and fixed it at zero charge even though the warranty had expired. They have always gone above and beyond for me.
  14. The band I played with in the 80's and 90's is playing a reunion tour that has 5 outdoor park jobs. The first was on a covered stage but I was in the sun with high 90's temperature the entire time. I got hit with heat exhaustion at the end of that one. The next bands drummer ended up in the hospital with it. The second one a strong downpour hit about an hour before we were supposed to play. We were under cover in a gazebo but the sound company's PA was exposed. I always carry tarps on outdoor jobs and since we were under a roof I gave my tarps to the sound guy. The third was perfect. Cooler temperatures, sunny and no rain. Hoping for two more of those days for the last jobs.
  15. My current set-up is a Yamaha MODX7 and Roland VR-09. Covers everything I need for the classic rock bands I play with. Very lightweight easy to move around.
  16. I have been in the role of keyboard/guitar player for a long time. The ability to cover both has gotten me lots of work over the years. One less person in the band meant more money for everyone. Some harmonica and being to sing harmony and lead vocals makes me marketable. Despite the fact I do all of this on mediocre level usually doesn't seem to deter bands from hiring me.
  17. This always reminds me if the time I was a judge for a battle of the bands contest. It was when Gun's and Rose's first hit it big. One band came out and had the look. Leather, flannel shirts and bandana's with lots of swagger. It was the first time they ever played outside of the garage and could actually hear themselves. They started their first song and the music was pretty good for a bunch of high school age kids. Then the singer came in and immediately realized he was singing everything an octave too low. He got the deer in the headlights look and tried to go up to right pitch but was unable too. They crashed and burned quickly.
  18. My older cousin Harold Snyder moved to Canada to study with Glenn Gould around 1960. I have no idea what ever became of him. Harold was the real musician in my family.
  19. I recommend Adam Gussow and Tomlin Leckie on YouTube for lessons. Great for beginners to advanced.
  20. The ability to double on keys and guitar has kept me busy for years. I can also play bass, harmonica, mandolin and a smidge of banjo. Basically the proverbial jack of all trades and master of none.
  21. One of my all time favorite singers John Cowen is the bass player. He was the lead vocalist in New Grass Revival and currently in the Doobies. It didn't look like he sang on the song.
  22. Sorry to hear this Dan. I hope you find a better job quickly.
  23. I was 12 when the Beatles exploded. Some friends went out and bought guitars, bass guitars, and drums from the local music store. Some friends started a band but no one could sing. I got drafted. I sang in several other bands over the year and learned to play guitar and bass. Quit high school and ran off to be a singer in a rock band. Travelled the tri-state area for a few years then decided to get a "real job". I saw an ad for a Rhodes for sale and bought it. I had it for a month or so and was learning to play by strumming a guitar chord and finding the notes. Some friends that I had played with as kids had a great southern rock band. They called and wanted to add my vocals to the band. The bass player was a good friend and knew about the Rhodes. They said bring your piano. I laughed and said sure. The rhythm guitar was a good singer but weak on guitar and wasn't allowed to turn up his amp. so I played mostly chords and they said that will work. We were played 4 times a week and practiced twice. The bass player, rhythm player and I all sang and we had the best harmonies of any band I have ever been in. I improved quickly playing 6 nights a week.
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