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SteveCoscia

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  1. SteveCoscia
    My first impression of a first listen. I liked it until about 1:10. The simplicity of John's vocal and the piano conjured up an emotional response. Once the other instruments came in the vibe changed for the worse. Regarding the song; it has that mid-1970s style reminiscent of Eric Carmen's All by Myself and Harry Nilsson's Without You.
  2. SteveCoscia
    These years, I have settled on a weighted 88 (Casio PX-560M), a synth 61 (Casio MZ-X500) and a synth 37 (Behringer Poly D). The PX-560M is the best weighted action keyboard I've ever had. The second best was an ARP 4 Voice piano from 1980. The ARP's wooden keys were a dream and the piano sound was warm. Mine had the updated membrane switches. This forum is critical of the APR's noisy output for good reason. But all things considered, it was a decent keyboard for the time.
  3. SteveCoscia
    Volunteer piano playing in senior living and hospice facilities delivers a double win. Audiences enjoy Gershwin tunes and I feel great being there. It definitely scratches my itch. An organization called Compassus handles the scheduling and logistics. I bring a Casio PX-560M with me. Interestingly, the audience is only 10 or 15 years older than me. I'll be 70 in February. Can't call them old folks as I am one.
  4. SteveCoscia
    Listened to Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters album today.
  5. SteveCoscia
    I listened to Head Hunters album again today - haven't played it in a while. Still sounds great. One thing that stood out about the Chameleon Rhodes solo is how much it sounded like Max Middleton's playing on JB's Blow By Blow album, which came out two years later. I wondered about whether Herbie inspired and influenced Max Middleton's playing during that time. Some of the phrasing and accents sounded similar.
  6. SteveCoscia
    Sad news. RIP. Ray Shulman was the a great prog keyboardist. The Free Hand album is still a favorite. Shulman's 1970 keyboard rig was insane and his rhythm sensibilities and technical playing were outstanding. So many memories.
  7. SteveCoscia
    Fun video - nice 1970s road trip. Having played both the Rhodes and Wurly back in the day, thought I'd ace the test but got two wrong. For my taste, the Rhodes sound delivered a more visceral performance when digging in. Plus, I did the Rhodes tine modification which exaggerated it's versatility. In 1969, my High School bought a dozen Wurlys for a new piano lab. It was heaven. I cut every study hall to go to the lab. Spent hours practicing and improvising. Those were the days when school districts invested in the arts.
  8. SteveCoscia
    This video appeared in my YT feed tonight and it is awesome. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did. CLICK HERE
  9. SteveCoscia
    Thank Jim, for sharing this video. This is so good to see and hear. Tony Banks was a great inspiration back the 1970s. Nice to see anything about Tony Banks featured in this forum. The permanent, scratched-in split point on the plastic housing is precious.
  10. SteveCoscia
    ...and not one Ensoniq mention. The ESQ-1 could have been a contender. Or maybe I'm just a bit biased.
  11. SteveCoscia
    This thread veers off into so many directions... and now the PolyD. I bought the PolyD in May 2020 from Sweetwater. I was hooked when Behringer first featured the photo - all that knob potential. It is a solid and good-sounding synth with a boatload of sonic capabilities. It's my only Behringer synth and I would buy another when the mood strikes. I'm not feeling a need for the UBX..... not yet anyway.
  12. SteveCoscia
    GW had a good rock resume and was a big part of the 1970s sound. RIP.
  13. SteveCoscia
    Erroll Garner - Concert By The Sea. Pure genius. His left hand rhythm and accents are a huge part of his signature style.
  14. SteveCoscia
    Exactly.
  15. SteveCoscia
    This is an interesting thread, to say the least. And in all due respect the opinions therein.... the marketplace will decide Behringer's fate. That being said doesn't make this thread superfluous because opinions matter and this is what forums are for. I guess I'm just trying to state the obvious.
  16. SteveCoscia
    In 1979, I wanted a quality synth and couldn't afford a Mini-Moog or Odyssey - both were more than $1,000. Thankfully, Moog released the Prodigy and I think it was just under $400 (from Ted Veneman) and it sounded great. Affordable price and great sound is what sells - then and now. Behringer will attract new customers and grow (regardless of what folks think) if they stick to this business model.
  17. SteveCoscia
    Tom, your experience is inspiring. Congratulations. My 29 year old son urged me to get Reaper three years ago. I recorded a few minimal music composition projects and then got distracted with other life activities. Reaper was easy enough to use and I need to get back to it.
  18. SteveCoscia
    The Dance On A Volcano keyboard parts are subtle, but vital. The various textures TB plays among the Hammond, Mellotron and Pro-Soloist are very tasty. If they weren't there that tune would fall flat. The value of TB's playing is knowing where and when to add the texture.
  19. SteveCoscia
    Thank you, JamPro, for the Bach recommendation. Your remark inspired me to find an old G. Schirmer, Bach Concerto (in the Italian style). The 3rd movement is a left hand workout and there's a pleasant sense of achievement with incremental improvement. Yes, Bach is the man.
  20. SteveCoscia
    Having invested years alongside Jerry Kovarksy at Ensoniq, I made the time to watch this interview. Loved it. It is an insightful journey through the 1970s, 1980s and beyond. Many of us shared similar experiences during this timeframe. I recommend viewing the interview. The link is below. Enjoy! Watch It Here
  21. SteveCoscia
    Based on last year's Akai MPC 61 Keyboard splash, it is likely 2023 will bring scaled-up and scaled-down versions to expand this product category. Not a prediction, but a hope that the Behringer UB-Xa will be in abundance this year.
  22. SteveCoscia
    The new John Waite documentary, The Hard Way, is worthwhile. He is candid, open and approachable. As artists go, his lyrics and music are among the best IMHO. The documentary is on Amazon Prime, other outlets and on DVD. Website link below. https://www.johnwaitefilm.com/
  23. SteveCoscia
    Such a lovely voice and a terrific songwriter. McVie's tune, Only Over You showcases her wistful vocal style. RIP
  24. SteveCoscia
    These are now featured on Sweetwater during the last day or two. Just bought mine.
  25. SteveCoscia
    Glad it worked out.
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