Stokely

Same here, I remember one in particular and even the keyboard I was oohing and aahing over--a Korg Polysix. I can picture the scene like it was yesterday. It was so far above what I had been using (some Casio thing with one speaker!) that it was indeed mystical. What's crazy is that I think it was more than $2000 (maybe a lot more) in 1981 or so...what is that in today's dollars? Did I end up getting that Polysix? Sadly, no...a Moog Rogue! Much cheaper, and much less capable...but I had tons of fun with it nonetheless!

The Modx is indeed pretty capable for such sounds, but until I got the Analog Xperience library and also started programming sounds from elements on up I didn't think so...the stock patches are almost all pretty awful for classic synth sounds IMO. Other than pads, the FM ones in particular are amazing.

I've been gigging with a single keyboard for a while now (though I'll be bringing my Modx as backup)....seamless transitions are an absolute requirement at this point, at least for a main keyboard. Whether it's switching in song mode or to another preset while holding (or sustaining) notes, I use this feature constantly.

Round screen is bizarre, but overall I like how it looks...I like white/cream keyboards. Sliders would have been nice, the one plus for that blank spot is a place to put a device like a mixer, or ipad for lyrics/mixing apps I'm still a person who has no desire to bring out a laptop--and I'm 100% invested in software at home. It's more about the logistics of where to put a laptop, and a bit of not trusting it (or an ipad) for primary sound generation. So I do have *some* interest for something like this. I have a lot of synths but nothing by Arturia, that dampens my enthusiasm a lot as I'm not invested already.

Took me a while to figure out that the only person who cares if I have a bunch of splits and layers or multiple keyboards--vs just one playing one sound at a time--is me. Granted we play classic rock that tends to be more guitar-focused, but we do a few keys-heavy tunes. I manage on the one decently enough. I've asked the band before: "Hey, you think I should bring this other keyboard along? it can do x and y!" Their answer is invariably "Seems like it would be easier to just bring that smaller one." I couldn't do a couple gigs and they found a sub, a GREAT player with killer gear, and all they could talk about later was how much room he took up on stage All that said, I have started realizing I'd feel more comfy with a 2nd keyboard along just in case for the more high-profile, corporate gigs at the least. Whether that means leaving it my car or bringing it in I haven't decided. Sure in some ways it's handy to have that 2nd one there even if it's "just" set to piano most of the time (which is my most-used sound). Or, use it to trigger one engine/panel from the nord stage 3 by default and don't even use its sounds unless there is some problem with the NS3...that way I don't need a mixer and all the programming and patch leveling is on one keyboard unless there is a disaster. Flip side, even if I'm the only one who cares about my rig, I matter a lot

Ah man, I didn't try Nord! More GAS!

Too light! Seriously, I've found that I need a bit more heft than something like my modx7, which weighs more than any of these Otherwise they feel like they'll come off the stand. However--good to have options for everyone! We know the heavy side is more than covered!

As an aside, not worthy of its own thread but Sam Ash related... If you google various keyboards, Sam Ash will often come up in the results with a nice discount using the "SMASH" coupon. I found that this coupon doesn't work for anything other than Yamaha. I called them on the chance it should but they said google is misleading, and that it won't work on everything. However, it's 20% with no apparent max limit, so that's a hell of a discount on an Montage M or Yamaha YC88 etc if you happen to be after one! Had it in my cart but it's still a bit more than I'm willing to spend without selling some gear Worked as of yesterday at least.

Public transport, and from what I could tell on my visits to NYC, a lot of older buildings with weird twisty/tight entrances and *dun dun dun* stairs and steps to deal with... I complain about a lot of things living down here, but load-ins are not generally one of them. That said, I ended up getting a cart because of those gigs where you can't get your car within a mile of where you need to be (like playing on the gambling 3-hour cruise ship out of Port Canaveral!)

Eh, it's most definitely "competition" even if you are friendly to those other "competitors". If you are trying to gig regularly that is. And to be clear, we try our best to have good relations with other bands--we've gotten gigs and subs out of knowing people. There are a few aholes in other bands that do like to sabotage other bands behind their backs, usually on "social" media or by talking to club owners, which is always fun when it comes back around to us We've been bumped by clubs a number of times when a more sought-after band (bigger following) became available. We don't have any gigs this quarter at one big resort (where we were gigging several times a month) presumably because their new crop of bands got some fresh talent in (they do auditions once a year to set their rotation). We had a great relationship with the sound engineers and by all indications were doing great there, so it's a bit of a mystery. I don't need the money personally as I have a day job, but several of our members rely at least partially on gig money, so that hurt. In our case, I think our biggest disadvantage isn't our avoidance of tracks, but our age. Hard to compete with better-looking people that are 20 or 30 or more years younger, especially when they are really good! But we are so far still managing it, and we try to be super professional and accommodating to help with this, no rock star attitudes... Edit: another disadvantage is that our lead singer/booking person is a woman. Frankly a fair number of the venue hiring contacts are misogynistic douchebags. But she works super hard to lead and book the band, and we just don't play certain places. I think the tracks thing will eventually hurt us, if it hasn't already. If it reaches the point where you can't gig without them I'll call it a day for live gigging but I'm likely the only one in my band that will draw that line. Which is fine, we all have our hills to die on. If playing in bands in the Olympics, then tracks are steroids. Good luck to those not hopped up on them

Eh who can say when it comes to markety babble. How many times has some big announcement (in the games world, or music or whatever) turned out to be some anti-climactic thing. It would be weird to me that something "controversial" (like being bought up) would have a countdown, I'd think that would just be an announcement as they'd have to know a lot of people wouldn't be happy about it. But I (thankfully) don't work at all in sales or marketing so I'm likely wrong re: rhodes and piano, didn't they revamp these instruments not long ago, piano at any rate? I've never tried them personally haven't never invested in their stuff as I am quite covered for software synths. A hardware platform for their stuff would be quite interesting on paper. They do also have a b3 organ plugin if memory serves.

Ironically, our guitarist used to have the worst shlep other than the drummer (not counting the PA, which he owns). Because of the PA and smaller stages, he has cut down over the years. He still has this heavy coffin-looking case for multiple guitars (one at least for backup) which makes his load-in tougher than mine. His rig when he joined was a big pedalboard with head and large cab, plus guitars and cable case. Speaking of rounded edges, I've got a bit of GAS for a 73 key SV2 (or a grandstage if I saw a deal on a good used 73 key model, but I prefer new). My biggest hesitation isn't the weight, which is fine...nor the limitations of the keyboard It's the cool-looking rounded chassis, which does look cool but looks like an accident waiting to happen.

One brief potential issue, that Mainstage could handle for you easily, not sure. I know Logic has a transpose midi plugin you can add to each channel...I've been in a couple bands that transpose down a half step, and when I was on windows (Ableton Live) this was a bit of a challenge. This was many years ago for what it's worth. I ended up using a different program that basically intercepted the midi before it got to Ableton and transposed notes down one. Otherwise I would have had to do it per track, or worse per patch. Of course, you may not need to ever transpose, in which case no worry!

Well--and I'm not in a solo/duo act myself so I'm taking this from our singer and guitarist's experience--it isn't all that widespread, yet. Just a couple joints. The manager told her that customers liked the "full sound" or something like that. As time goes on I expect more pressure on acts to conform to using tracks. Our guitarist does as Joni did, just him and a guitar with no tracks or harmonizers, no zany show and he does as many as 30 solo gigs a month, making way better tips than the full band does. He won't wow people with high tenor notes, he's got a good not great voice IMO. He's got a gift for connecting to audiences and unlike me is social with people off stage and that apparently counts for a lot.

I'd hope for the polybrute 12 voice with poly AT (which does seem to be coming) or a keylab 3 with poly AT. We'll see!

Yeah I've done a bit of original stuff, not with an actual band lately, but with a friend's material. On one hand, a producer making decisions is IMO probably required. I guess you can get lucky but 8 people all chiming in sounds like gridlock. On the other, he was making me nuts with (trying to) have me redo parts I was happy with....I played that game for a bit but it got old I can see why some bands split things up into "my song" vs "your song" as far as decisions but that usually also means you wrote and are singing it.... --- Not worthy of a thread, though we'll see in 3 days--Arturia has a 25th anniversary announcement scheduled for 3 days from now....one of those annoying "It's coming!" announcements letting you know that something is coming. it worked because here I am posting about it. I'm hoping it's news on the Polybrute 12 with poly AT, or possibly Keylap 3 with poly AT...but who knows.

Enjoying the last of the 3 months I can enjoy here The house has (mostly) been open though I've run AC for some stretches this winter. I like it 76 or below, once it hits that in the house on the AC goes. Soon I'll be back to grumbling and complaining for the next 9.

Were they up there pretending to sing and play it while that was running? That's the question.

Someone on another forum mentioned Hans Zimmer was touring, I thought that would be cool to see some soundtrack stuff done live (I've watched youtube versions). I asked and apparently it's all live, surprised me a bit because that would be super easy to run tracks to...the problem is that the cheapest seats are apparently over $300, yikes. My band is getting up there in age, with any luck we'll continue to get gigs until tracks are required. As mentioned above, they are expected in some cases, our singer's duo can't play in a couple spots already because they don't run them. If our bandleader says we are going to go to tracks, I'll retire to my studio or seek out another band if there are any left that actually try to pull off a show live. Re: fake amps Just my own 2c, but if you are playing a part I don't care if it's through an amp or a Kemper, or have a fake leslie and use a clonewheel. I don't give a flip, as long as you actually play and don't fly in your part from a laptop. I'm sure we all have our "hills of fakery" we are willing to die on My buddy WILL NOT gig without his amp, and that would rule him out of some of our gigs, which specify no amps.

Yeah as Po from Kung Fu Panda would agree....stairs are definitely a fearful enemy. Fortunately I live in flat Florida, land of the retirees, so the rare multi-story structure I have to gig in has always had elevators, and buildings are generally newer and are easy to navigate. I can't remember a single time in hundreds of gigs where I've had to bring gear up a flight of stairs. If I owned a van, and if some of our stages were not so small, my threshold for size and weight might stretch to that Montage M8x. Might

As an aside, if weight and size were not factors the two keyboards I'd have major GAS for are the Roland Fantom 8 and Montage M8x. Roland and Yamaha made the decision that these are studio keyboards I guess, because they are both humongous and around 63 pounds. With a decent protective case (not even a flight case) that is close to 90 pounds. Of course my buddy gigs his Fantom 8, he's both smaller/slighter and older than me, but he also has a van! Something that big would be a major hassle to get into and out of my car.

I say it every time, but "heavy" and "cumbersome" are different things. The latter is more important to me than the former, within reason. My less than 30 pound Moxf8 was cumbersome, my 42 pound Forte 7 is not. Cumbersome can mean it's hard to pickup (angles on chassis etc), and just large. The Moxf8 was in danger of being dropped every time I picked it up, and in danger of being whacked on something. Large means a larger case and difficulty getting it into my vehicle, which sadly is not a van. Some keyboards are more compact and are easy to grip.

Oh no doubt. I get all these bands have to keep up with the others and earn a living. Audiences largely don't care, or even demand the "full sound" of canned music. Fine, have at it, I'll save my bucks for bands that don't do it.

I haven't seen a big show in almost 15 years and tracks are the reason. If I want karaoke I'll go to the local pub where they aren't pretending to be "live". If I want puppets pretending to sing, I can go to Disney and watch the Country Bear jamboree or pull up some old Muppets shows. Gross. I can't change it, that battle was lost long ago but I can choose to save my money. If my current band can't compete with the "big album sound" that every other band is getting, fine I'll hang it up. Had a good run. At least you can still watch the '77 Eagles live show, which is ridiculously good.

Agreed, I don't use computers live but I'd try hard to make Alchemy work for any synth sounds I need before I bought anything else. I reckon it would--it's quite versatile. It used to sell for a couple hundred bucks when it was Camel Alchemy and I believe Apple has added to it. For simpler patches, Retro synth works well IMO. Iirc, by default Alchemy (like some u-he synths) defaults to second-best quality. I've found there's not a ton of difference between this and top quality, might be worth checking (value vs any performance hit). I will usually turn off reverb in plugins as well in favor of a send/return "global" reverb, but it would depend on whether the patch had modulation affecting reverb in some interesting way.