[Little Things: An Advice Thread]

@timwat You need a quotes thread!

 

Cheers, Mike.

[My next concert: rig selection question]

10 minutes ago, EB5AGV said:

The gig went pretty smoothly 

Good to hear.

 

You should reward yourself with a stand that's better suited to a single-board seated gig - that Spider looks too tall in context. It would save you some weight as well.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[My next concert: rig selection question]

5 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

I can see myself being very tempted to get the new 28.88 lb CK88

Please for a 25lb CK73 with the action from the P121/CP73/YC73?

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

 

[Best 61-key controllers in 200-300 range]

4 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I agree with you that transpose should be an easily-accessible function

Not "too" easily-accessible. I've accidentally hit the transpose button in an over-enthusiastic spot of organ smearing, and with imperfect monitoring it takes a few moments to realise why something sounds off...

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Little Things: An Advice Thread]

9 hours ago, timwat said:

Develop a professional work ethic.

 

Show up on time. Learn the tunes. Put in the effort up front. Even if everyone else in the band is a lazy half-wit, don't give in to the temptation to be "just good enough".

 

Developing a rep for being a pro on even the smallest gig will eventually precede you, and will open doors for you that you're not even aware of.

I cannot upvote this enough. I was talking about this to some bandmates, and saying how I always make sure I'm prepared for gigs - not in a bragging way, but to say "this is a minimum standard for professionalism".

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Little Things: An Advice Thread]

Great advice through this thread. Mine:

- Buy the in-house sound engineer a drink

- DC barrel connectors will break (I broke three in my early gigging days)

- Buy once, buy well

- Being a sub is often more fun than being a full-time member

10 hours ago, ProfD said:

Be able to play every song in the setlist as if the only KB avaliable was a piano.😎

This. Or Hammond Organ.

 

Cheers, Mike

[The Piano]

10 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

I also have a small baby grand, shorter than yours even.

Well if we're counting/measuring, mine's even smaller than both of yours. Srsly, I have a 4'3" baby grand. There's nothing like an acoustic piano with a gravity-return action, amazing instruments.

 

12 hours ago, zephonic said:

starter instrument

I can only dream about starting my piano journey on such a wonderful thing.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Weighted controller recommendations 73/76 or 88 key]

15 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

Certainly better than an SL88 Studio.

Sorry I'm late to the party (gig last night) but this x1000. The MP7 is much less portable than a Studiologic, but as a studio board/home it would make me very happy.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Nord Stage 4 Announced]

2 hours ago, ImproKeys said:

if you control a layer via external keyboard (DualKB/AuxKB) the NS4 ignores incoming Aftertouch and Wheels.

Does the externally-controller layer respond to aftertouch/wheels on the NS4 itself? 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Nord Stage 4 Announced]

I'm trying to tell myself that my Nord Stage 2 does all I ask, and I don't need the third synth engine and the more sophisticated capabilities in the 4. Keep reminding me I'm right, please...

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Best 61-key controllers in 200-300 range]

6 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

It's definitely not as springy as most synth actions and feels "heavier" and more solid, which is how I define a semi-weighted feel (regardless of whether there are actual weights under the keys or not, that's what the actual end feel results in).

This is the key sentence. "Semi-weighted" tends to mean: synth-style sprung action, but not crappy. 

 

Question to @Magpel, when you say

13 hours ago, Magpel said:

a few knobs and faders

Define "a few"? Do you need 9 faders to act as a drawbar controller, for example? Do you need expression pedal? Aftertouch? Etc. If you're going for a software rig, faders and expression pedal can be added "externally" and do not need to be built into the keyboard.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Weighted controller recommendations 73/76 or 88 key]

13 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

I can get if from Scan who have a 14 day return policy, but not sure if that includes actually opening and trying it out.

Scan are reputable, I've bought from them before. Check the return policy in detail, but I would expect that if it's in resaleable (i.e. perfect) condition they will accept the return.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Artists' songs: "love it, like it, hate it" song list]

Bob Dylan and Tom Waits:

Love: their songs covered by other artists

Hate: when they sing their own songs

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Artists' songs: "love it, like it, hate it" song list]

2 hours ago, o0Ampy0o said:

Michael Macdonald

Love: everything solo

Like: everything he did as a guest of other musicians

Hate: everything as a Doobie Brother

Interesting - I found McDonald-era Doobies very representative of McDonald solo. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Artists' songs: "love it, like it, hate it" song list]

15 hours ago, o0Ampy0o said:

Hate it: Sad Songs (Say So Much)

@o0Ampy0o  I hate the studio version - this is how it should sound:

 

Clapton and Knopfler on geetars, organ (Greg Phillinganes?) loud in the mix, alongside Elton's superb playing on the RD1000. Steve Ferrone, Nathan East, Ray Cooper, Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles... A real horn section would have been the cherry on the cake!

 

[Sidenote: Elton's playing on this very performance had a huge influence on my teenage-musician self]

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

[Weighted controller recommendations 73/76 or 88 key]

46 minutes ago, CyberGene said:

I owned the SL73 for a while and hated its keyboard action

I hated its keyboard action so didn't buy one. Shame because on paper the spec was perfect. Tastes vary - you may be one of those who's perfectly happy with it.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[RIP Bobby Caldwell]

14 hours ago, analogholic said:

I like this jazzy version a lot:

Nice - it could have gone totally cheese, but the Latin groove suits the horn riff to a T. 

 

Cheers, Mike

[Weighted controller recommendations 73/76 or 88 key]

5-pin MIDI narrows the field. Scott's list is (of course) comprehensive. 

 

If you want 73/76-key, that's more complicated. Yamaha P121 if you can cope with using a USB host (as @ElmerJFudd posted). Otherwise, StudioLogic's Numa X Piano 73, Yamaha CP73 are relatively lightweight hammer-action 73s, although more expensive.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Dig My Rig--Let's see your setup!]

Welcome to the forum @MontageMonkey. I suggest you start a new thread with your post, as it's not so much "Dig My Rig" as "Recommend an update/replacement to my rig"

 

Cheers, Mike.

[The last thing to finish my new (tiny) rack!]

So if I understand you correctly, you want a choice of:

1. JV1010 L+R straight into mixer

2. JV1010 L to FX loop and R ignored

One thought is to use an Art TPatch which is a stereo 6.35mm mini-patchbay. Each channel can be half- or full-normal using a switch on the device - if you wire it up carefully you can route the JV outputs one of two ways, depending on the state of the switch.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[My next concert: rig selection question]

2 hours ago, EB5AGV said:

Thanks for your input. I have some luggage carrying foldable cart, it could be the answer to my ailing arm 👍🏻

 

About a helping hand, it is unfortunate that both my daughter and son can't attend the concert next weekend, but will try to get some help from other people.

 

BTW I am going to have an RX on my arm today, let's see what it shows 💪🏻

 

Jose

 

Good luck Jose - the KC crowd will be cheering you on.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Yamaha CK61 and CK88]

That 61 demo that Scott posted was very nice indeed - lovely pianos, as you would expect form Yamaha. And yes, the 88 is an interesting alternative to Casio's PX5 as a "what controller can I use under my upper-tier Kronos/Kurzweil/Nord/whatever" - although a bit pricier.

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

 

[Casio CT-S1 vs CT-S400 for a kid (and myself)]

@Tom BearCould you stretch to the CT-S500? That has (if I remember correctly) the voices from the CT-S1, plus arranger features, PLUS (and this is the big one) pro-level features such as 1/4in audio outputs and an expression input. If your son ever wants forms his first band, the CT-S500 is ready to gig.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Yamaha CK61 and CK88]

3 hours ago, Docbop said:

 

Korg SV1

Very different. The SV1 competes (quite accurately) with the CP73/88 in Yamaha's portfolio. This CK range is Yamaha's take on the Roland VR09, Numa Compact 2 and similar.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Yamaha Montage successor incoming]

1 hour ago, jeffinpghpa said:

2 hours ago, EB5AGV said:

That way you have always access to mature technology

That way you have always access to discontinued technology.

 

There.  I fixed it for you.

Once again, it's worth stating that (unless and until keyboards go the way of other internet-connected devices such as home security) a keyboard provides exactly as much capability on the day before its successor is launched, as on the day after. 

 

Support for spare parts, repairs tends to last far beyond the date of discontinuation.

 

(Disclosure: my gigging rig consists of a board launched 18 years ago and one launched 10 years ago).

 

Cheers, Mike.