Justin Havu

Just received a pair of Alto TS212's. For the money, they really sound good to my ears. My boards (especially my Motif XS6) sound crystal clear through these.

Scored an Ensoniq VFX-SD for $180. Quite a warm sound for a digital synth, not to mention some of the most gorgeous pads I've ever heard. Also awaiting the arrival of a Keylab 88 for controlling Mainstage. Wanted something with a good variety of controls and better build quality than the M-Audio stuff.

Just ordered a Standtastic 3-tier stand. Needed something where I could adjust the angle and spacing of each tier, and also be comfortable to play standing up. I've read reviews and posts about it here on the forum (svengled a bit,) and it seems like it may be a better fit for me than the erector set that I'm hauling around (OnStage 2-tier Z stand with Universal 2nd tier for the 3rd board.)

Got a Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 for my mobile rig. Also needed a powered hotspot monitor, and pulled the trigger on a TC-Helicon FX150.

Just checked the liner notes of the vinyl release of Thriller. David Williams is credited for guitars on "Billie Jean." Luke isn't on this track.

Before my agoraphobia got really bad, I was doing between 3 and 4 miles, 3x a week, with one long run (between 6 and 8 miles) once a week, and only if it's above 50F degrees, as I cannot stand cold weather.

Just arrived today... http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/justinhavu/IMG_20170216_2319231.jpg

Got a Motif XS6 on the way, for just under $1200. Can't wait to integrate it into my Mainstage setup.

I could go either way. Mine happens to be a belt-drive, and I still get a little rumble, however that is easily taken care of by engaging the subsonic filter on my control center (I have a Marantz 500 series system with a separate control module and power amp.)

Not a purchase, but a friend of mine gave me a mid 2010 MacBook Pro. I just put Mainstage onto it, works great but a bit sluggish. I will be upgrading the MB Pro to 8GB of RAM, and swapping out the hard drive for a solid state drive.

Could also be that I was running it through Amplitube. lol. If one is not careful with that plugin, or anything like it (Guitar Rig, TH2, etc.), it can sound fake. I'm still wrapping my head around it.

The electric guitar is an actual electric guitar--a cheap Silvertone strat clone through Amplitube. I'm not much of a guitar player, so if I can't play what's in my head, I'll use Musiclab RealLPC through Amplitube. The synth solo is an Ensoniq ESQ-1 through a Lexicon MPX-110 with a short delay. This tune was a bit inspired by listening to Steve Porcaro's new album (especially the break before the synth solo); easy for the average listener to digest, but interesting enough for me so if I have to play it live, I don't get bored with it. lol. It started out with me improving with Ample Guitar T II for awhile until I came upon the opening progression.

Here's a rough mix of a new tune I finished a couple weeks ago. WILL YOU FOLLOW

Thanks, all! It's definitely a different feel for me, but I like the acoustic atmosphere it turned out to be. "Away From The World" kinda has the same vibe. Fretless bass and guitar solo are real. String pad is a K2000. Vocals were recorded with an MXL-990 mic with just a touch of compression via an Alesis 3630. Whole track was mixed on a Mackie SR32-4 board. VST's used: Ample Guitar M-II Addictive Keys Superior Drummer 2 Omnisphere Stylus RMX (Shaker and congas)

New acquisition--Ensoniq ESQ-1. Got it as a gift from a church that wasn't using it anymore. Nice warm sound to it. Now, to replace the internal battery... http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/justinhavu/IMG_20160902_163921.jpg

Got a couple of 5K races coming up. Working on getting back my sub-30 time from a couple years ago. It's hard to run outside for me due to my agoraphobia getting in the way.

Here's my ride, a Schwinn Voyageur GS. Very comfortable bike, however... I absolutely am uncomfortable with traffic, of any kind. No motor vehicle operator around here knows how to keep at least a 3-foot air cushion between them and the cyclist. It's just not safe to ride around here. Unfortunately, as I'm unable to drive due to a mental disability, the bike is my main mode of transportation. http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/justinhavu/IMG_20160623_0950581.jpg

Got the replacement battery for my QS6.2 today. Just finished installing it and now the keyboard, other than slider A which is still a bit finicky, works like a charm.

New track -- "Walk With Me" CLINK CLANK CLONK

Running season for me finally started up last week--it's finally warmed up to manageable temps here in NH. Did 5 miles last Friday, and 4 more today. Looking to go out for a nice long run either tomorrow or Thursday.

My office at an Iron Sharpens Iron conference in Portsmouth, NH http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/justinhavu/13083372_10209747704755616_1747012329600468088_n.jpg

New Esperanza Spalding. [video:youtube] [video:youtube]

As the worship leader of my church, I always try to make sure the songs I choose are singable by everyone in the congregation, not too high and not too low. I also like to mix older worship choruses with some newer material, as well as hymns, so there's something for everyone. I've recently been attracted to Keith Getty's material. He writes modern hymns--easy to sing, beautiful melodies, and they can easily be arranged for solo piano or with a full band.

Here's a good one. Doing this for Easter service. [video:youtube]

Kurzweil VA1--Didn't make it past the prototype stage, IIRC. http://www.sequencer.de/pix/kurzweil/kurzweil_va1.jpg