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Markay

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Posts posted by Markay

    Billy Joel vs Elton John ... Who's a better player?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    4 hours ago, HammondDave said:


    Elton was a huge fan of Leon Russell’s playing. Yesterday I was listening to both “Burn Down the Mission” and “Amoreena” and could hear Russell’s style in Elton’s playing.  

    Agree. As is well documented Eltons collaboration later in life with Leon.

     

    https://youtu.be/quegy8vLUls?si=WQg1ulvQxbXQ17py

     

    EJ and BJ Speak speak to me through their songs. Who's the better guitar guitar player Vai or Maltsteem? Its all about the song.

     

     

     

     

    • Like 1
    • Love 1

    Your band life, your home life.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Interesting topic and one on which I have been reflecting  recently.

     

    My tentative conclusion is thar a lot comes down to our environment, primarily our relationship and workplace.

     

    For the last 20 years of a 40 year marriage I played in cover bands.  I was working in a relatively high pressure workplace and in a relationship which was supportive of my gigging, but not quite gushing with enthusiasm.

     

    Notwithstanding the late nights, the load out and the drive home, stone cold sober, I always felt a unique calm that lasted for 24 to 36 hours. A natural dopamine high I guess.

     

    Now I am married for the second time I no longer feel the need. I don't gig much and occasionally get together with an originals band, play and lay down some tracks. They have their own studio where some of my gear lives and my load out is a Macbook and controller. I still return home chilled and full of the joy that playing with others brings. However it means much less as I now have much more control over my workplace and I almost resent the time I am not spending with my wife.

    • Like 2

    Softsynth Advice

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Been down this rabbit hole so many times. Start with MainStage then fill in with other AU's if they sound better than what you can get out of Alchemy for synth. MainStage @ $30 comes with au's that cover every base. Gig Performer costs much more and comes with  nuttin.  Were I still on Windows Gig Performer would be my choice. I have VB and B5 but I  still use Vintage B3, included with MainStage at no extra cost,  for some patches. $30 or $3,000? Your choice on Mac OS. No choice on Windows.

    Sam Ash Closing 18 of 44 stores , including NYC and Hollywood, CA.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Although I don't live in the US but am/was a customer of Sam Ash, Rudy's, (NYC) Zzounds and Muscians corner, here is how the chain v independent music store battle played out here.

     

    The chains merged and at the time they were put into liquidation by their then owner, a vulture fund based in Rhode Island go figure, they had lost their market share to independents who had transitioned to an instore and online price match offer model. During Covid one these nearest to me opened an additional dedicated keyboard and synth showroom. We have amongst the worlds highest CBD rents and all the surviving independent's are in suburban strip shopping centres where rents are lower and its easy to park.

     

    I always prefer to try before I buy instore, then I own the decision about keyboard feel for example, and whatever compromise was involved, no returns.  Commodity items like pedals or tuners, best online price including delivery from a trusted supplier.

     

    The death of the chains has lead to greater choice instore because the independents don't play the "if you stock us (Y) we will give you better payment terms provided you don't stock N or R" game.

    • Like 2

    Yahoo E-mail problems.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    On 2/14/2024 at 10:15 AM, Doerfler said:

    Also, I. Daily usage  with no problems. Passwords not required anymore. If I'm not signed in, a prompt tells me to verify on my mobile device. I do, and I'm in.

    Easy peasy. As for the ads, like everywhere else, the choice is deal with ads or pay up. I pick and choose my battles on this topic. 

    Same here, however soon after the Yahoo  password hack some years ago, which didn't affect me, I set up a Protonmail account as backup. But Yahoo has been solid ever since and ads are a small price to pay for 30 years of having a free email service.

    • Like 1

    Stephen Stills Hammond Skills

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Steven Stills Mannasas elbum has somehow resonated with me, particulary on country drives, since the day it was released.  Not my country, and Johnny's garden is not my life experience. But nonetheless music that transports you to another place.  The most underrated creative influence in CSN. Makes Wooden ships look like dross.

     

     

    Saw Kraftwerk last night

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    On 12/8/2023 at 4:53 AM, ksoper said:

    I saw them in 3D in 2014 and was blown away. The 3D effect was stunning given that it was implemented via simple cardboard glasses. And to hear those songs through a gut-rumbling PA made the concert completely immersive. I'd go again in a heartbeat. 

    As did I at the Sydney Opera House. Each concert featured one of their albums. I chose The Mix, being the closest to a "best of" . Best sound eva,and an immersive 3D experience.

    • Like 1

    OT? Perfect pitch: Sorry, it ain't perfect

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    On 12/7/2023 at 1:55 PM, AnotherScott said:

    The reference to "absolute" pitch is to distinguish it from "relative." Relative pitch means you can figure out what a pitch is by hearing it relative to another known pitch, which presumably virtually every musician can do. Absolute rather than relative pitch recognition means you can identify the pitch by itself, without figuring it out relative to some other pitch, and that's typically what people mean by perfect pitch. "

     

    This nails it for me. I had a guitar teacher once who had perfect pitch. I have relative pitch. He could pick a  chord or key without a reference point. I  could pick the rest but always needed to know where I was starting from, mainly by trial and error.

     

    • Like 1

    Should MPN set up a rant sub forum?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Thanks to those who chose to respond. Interesting and sometimes humorous comments.

    To be clear I was not suggesting a sub forum to discuss previously banned topics.

    Simply drawing the distinction between  "ad hominem" attacks which are generally frowned on here, apart from those who enjoy flame ups and can't get enough of this from other social media.

    Based the the replies here the majority think "ad companydem" attacks are a good thing.

    And for those who get their rocks off posting or  reading these, the more the better.

    So it goes.

    • Like 1

    Should MPN set up a rant sub forum?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Reading the UB-XA thread and being none the wiser about the product, but reading a lot of the endless repetition of the Behringer business practise comments, leads me to ponder whether there should be a separate rant sub forum, where comment's about a business's practises are welcome, and banned from from discussion of the actual products that get released by companies that annoy people here.

    • Like 2

    Logic Update for the Apple Silicon crown - 10.8

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    This discussion has been going forever. I first got involved when I migrated from Windows/Cantabile to OS X/Mainstage in about 2012. My first Mac OS was Lion and today I remain several years behind the current Mac OS version.

     

    Apple make it easy to maintain legacy OS's if thats what works for you. Quote taken from from Apple support websiite just now

     

    "Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is available for older systems that are not compatible with the latest version of macOS and requires the following: 

    Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later or OS X Lion 10.7 already installed

    2GB of memory

    7GB of available space

    Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.

    Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.

     

    Any Mac that shipped with Mac OS X Mountain Lion or later will not be compatible with this installer"

     

    If Devs, can't or choose not to update, thats their problem. Personally I move on to AU's from Dev's who have a history of updating within a reasonable time of a new OS release. If the AU is mission critical then don't update the OS.

    • Like 3
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