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ABECK

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    Arturia Astrolab

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    On 4/23/2024 at 11:53 AM, CrossRhodes said:

    First review from the field that I've seen.

     

     

     

     

    This was a well done review from a gigging perspective.  Nothing we haven't heard or read already, but it was a good honest overview of the capabilities and limitations.  If you prep everything in advance, it can be a great tool from a gigging perspective.  If you need to go beyond a pre-planned set and change things on the fly, you may run into frustrations.  For $999, this would be great (considering the potential additional spend on software).

    • Like 1

    Kurzweil K2700 sounds demo

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Forum member Dave Weiser offers Kurzweil programming lessons as a service.  His site is:  https://www.weisersound.com/

    He used to work for Kurzweil and knows his stuff.  Also, if you are on Facebook, the following group is pretty useful:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/kurzweilk2700group/

     

    Your approach to the above scenario sounds correct.  Start with the samples.  Load them in (8 or 16 bit), create a keymap, assign the samples, create a program using the keymap.

    Using Verb and other FX(maybe)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I echo (pun intended) a lot of what others have said.  For live, the wrong amount of verb or delay can suck the impact and presence out of a sound.  I lean on the drier side live, but like to have programs setup where I can increase reverb or delay if necessary with a pre-mapped slider or knob.  I get frustrated when sooo many presets on modern boards come with buckets of wet effects applied.  I almost always strip away the non-modulation fx and start from there.  

    2 hours ago, Stokely said:

    Someone else mentioned it, but live vs in a studio are very different things. 

     

    At home I will usually to take reverb and delay off the synth patches in favor of sends/returns using a DAW reverb (Cinematic Rooms, Valhalla Delay, Tai Chi, etc).  That way you get less different reverb sounds all mingling together and the tracks can sort of share a space. 

    !00% Agree on this one.  I'd prefer to add spatial FX when everything in the mix is in context - Unless there is a program that has a real defining/signature effect that I want to capture on "tape."

    Also, when recording, I add an EQ to the reverb return to cut below 200Hz and above 8-10K, as well as apply a bit of compression.  Helps reduce the mud.

    • Like 2

    Rick Beato goes ballistic thinking the public can't detect relative pitch errors.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

     

    I'm sure your assumption is correct. Imagine that, a musician using the avenues available to him or her to try and make a living doing what they enjoy. To some people (not you ABECK, I'm speaking in general terms!), this is somehow a bad thing? More power to him.

     

    Anyone who can make a buck, no less a living, publishing web content, more power to them is right.  It's the wild west out there and people have to figure out what will work (unless you are a hot chick...then the money just falls in your lap - only half kidding).  Rick has done some great videos, from interviews to song analysis and so forth.  I like his stuff. 

    As a consumer, I don't want to go to multiple channels for essentially the same content.  But if it works for him, then kudos to being savvy.  No love lost.  I'll still click on his vids that catch my attention.  

    To digress back to the OT - Since I picked up guitar 4 some odd years ago, I am now much better at hearing when certain strings aren't properly in-tune.  Before I would see guitarists make small adjustments to their tuners when playing and would think - what are they hearing!!??    Now I can hear it.

    • Like 1

    Rick Beato goes ballistic thinking the public can't detect relative pitch errors.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, HammondDave said:


    The way you make it sound is like he is just using this to create “clicks”. How about sticking to the subject at hand instead of suggesting some nefarious motive from Rick?

     

    Nefarious?  No - an honest question.  Why have a second channel?  My assumption is more clicks for more revenue.  Rick himself has talked openly about how to turn content creation into a viable business model. 

    8 minutes ago, HammondDave said:

     

    There is a group of people on Keyboard Corner who seem to live in negativity instead of contributing to intellectual discussion about music and its affect on us and our culture. I believe that they enjoy being instigators and for some strange reason enjoy when people like me have to pipe in to defend our colleagues and friends.  Many long time members of KC have left this forum precisely due to this. Expect more to leave if this keeps up. 

     

    I'm assuming somehow you include me in that "group", as you have tacked it onto my quoted post.  As a 20+ year member of this forum, I strongly disagree and will let my past interactions speak for themselves.  

    Rick Beato goes ballistic thinking the public can't detect relative pitch errors.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, HammondDave said:


    Let it go, man… some of you cats are so lost in your darkness that you have completely lost your sense of humor.  Don’t you realize that this is a humorous video that Rick intentionally made (tongue in cheek) that relates to how we are conditioned to hear?  My god!

     

    Why tear down good people? I know Rick. He is a good man. He is an educator.
     

    So what if he is successful? Let’s rejoice in a musician who is doing good work and getting information out to young musicians… along with securing interesting interviews with our major musical influencers that you and I could never dream of getting.
     

    Some of us make it, and some of us don’t. No reason to be so negative. . 

    What would you like me to let go of?  I simply made an observation about a second channel, which I assumed was a technique to generate more clicks.  In previous comments in this thread, I've indicated that I typically like Beato's content.  And I do.  

     

     

    • Like 1

    Rick Beato goes ballistic thinking the public can't detect relative pitch errors.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Docbop said:

     RB's strength is he's mastered YouTube marketing and monetization in what he creates for his target audience,   he's even mentored others on how to build up their YouTube channels.  

    I noticed recently he's got a second Youtube channel.  Rick Beato 2 (creative).  Now when I go to watch a new vid, I get greeted with an advertisement to go to the other channel.  Why Rick?  I'm here.  Why would I go there?  (It plays like an overt trick to gather more clicks.)

    • Like 1

    Rick Beato goes ballistic thinking the public can't detect relative pitch errors.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I usually like Beato.  He has some good insights and some opinions I agree with.  But I honestly bailed half way through the vid (I think I got the gist).  Dylan was practicing his guitar and Dylan was listening to a record and Dylan was playing in a show and Dylan was talking to Layla and Layla was listening to Dylan.....OK we get it!  Let's agree my kids aren't very interesting to you and your kids aren't very interesting to anyone else.

     

    But more to the point.

    1. I think most people can tell when an instrument is out of tune with itself (the degree of tuning drift will def determine the number of people who will notice it).
    2. Many people, including myself and MANY musicians I know would not notice an entire track that is a semi-tone sharp or flat, UNTIL they pick up an instrument and try to play along.  (Or if they have heard said song 800,000 times and it is burned in their DNA.)  
    3. Some people....a minority....simply can't tell from 2 notes a 3rd apart which one is higher and which is lower.  I've only met one or two people like this.  It's scary.  I think they are called drummers.

     

    • Like 1

    Wow. It is really hard to choose a modern poly (VA) synth with all of these choices.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    23 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

    The Trigon is great. 

    The PolyBrute is the best analog poly of the last 20 years, imo.

    Funny you bring this up.  I had kind of forgotten about the Polybrute since it's initial splash.  Off the bat, it didn't seem to have the fatness of the UDO Gemini or the Novation Summit.  But just last night I was watching some PB videos and was really surprised by the possibilities.  Maybe it just took some time for folks to really dig in and learn the beast.  Alas, I have no need for another board, but damn I sure can picture this in my rig.

    I'm really digging what I'm hearing here:

     

     

    OT: Is this a generational thing? Gig songs provided in playlists only.

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I've had some playlist sent to me this way.  I don't mind so much....Allows me to easily review the tunes in the car.  I still get some playlists that are google drives with .mp3 files, but I can appreciate that is a hassle to maintain.  I've also had just a list of songs sent in a text, which basically means find em on youtube yourself.  I'm just happy that I don't get mailed packets with charts and a CD.  That seems so wasteful now.

    Arturia Astrolab

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Interesting observation about the angle of the black keys.  I suppose it's tough to rate feel from a pic, but I can see where a pivot so close to the back of the key might not feel great - especially if you are playing something like a funky clav in Eb.

    Arturia Astrolab

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    10 hours ago, niacin said:

    Reminds me of GSI's Gemini: 2 timbres, do your editing on the software.  With a keyboard attached, but no poly aftertouch is disappointing given it's become a thing again just lately, and I'm not a fan of wheels above the keyboard on a 61.  I think you'd have to be already heavily invested in Arturia's software for it to be attractive.  

    My first thought too.  I like doing my editing on the PC or a tablet for my Gemini, then saving on the hardware to take to the gig.  Also reminds me of what Nord did with the Micro-Modular 20+ years ago.  

    2 hours ago, J.F.N. said:

    the packaging here with AstroLab feels like a total hit and miss for their intended target group.

     

    I can see this as a great noodling machine for a home studio and for inspiration when composing or when starting to sketch on an arrangement for a pop song, but that's it!

     

     

    This!  A stage keyboard that has all the controls on the right has me scratching my head.  My first thought was...great for the 1 finger noodlers at home, but reaching across the keyboard to adjust parameters while playing with your right hand is just not ideal.  Same with with display.  VERY cool, but for live playing, there seems to be many layers of navigation and it is small for stage use, where you ideally need to be able to see where you are with only a quick glance.  

     

    Pros - I love the wood looking end caps that wrap around the back.  Soundwise, I really like the quality and breadth of sounds Arturia has.

     

    gigging with a heavy keyboard- your thoughts?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    25 minutes ago, RABid said:

    I don't know how keyboardists in big cities do it. I started in a rural area, driving a pickup with a cover on the back, hauling a huge keyboard rig and an 18" 3-way EV cabinet. No problem for a country boy in a pickup. Even when I moved to Louisville, what I consider a small city, I was able to take my truck. But if you are in NY and using public transportation, that has to change everything.

    My most portable rig was an Electro 3-73 in the backpack case, an X stand in my left hand and a Bose L1 Compact in my right.  I could easily hump that rig many city blocks without a sweat.  If I had to do that again, I'd have to find something more cost effective.  The current Electro is like 3 grand.  That's crazy!  I'm out.

    • Like 1

    gigging with a heavy keyboard- your thoughts?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    2 hours ago, LeesKeys said:

    So you're using a soft case. Does it have wheels, are you carrying it with a strap over your shoulder, or using a cart to move the keyboard?

    I just have a soft case with handles -no strap.  I can carry it ok by my side, but any heavier and I'd want something with wheels.  It's a double edge sword, though.  Robust cases with wheels can add a lot of weight, which becomes a factor when using stairs and loading in and out of a vehicle.

    • Like 2

    gigging with a heavy keyboard- your thoughts?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    10 hours ago, LeesKeys said:

    the 2700 would be my choice, except for one issue- the weight. At 52 lbs, this would be a bear for me to transport, especially considering that some of my gigs are solo.  

    While on the heavy side, it's surprisingly easy to carry and setup.  It's fairly narrow, balanced and there are good edges to hold on to.  I use a soft case, as I typically don't have to lug it down city blocks or anything.  But a rigid case with wheels would take care of that.  For me, the extra features like the Audio Interface are key, so it was a better buy than the PC4.

    • Like 1
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