Griswold

I didn't see anyone mention this yet. I was just wondering the other day if there would be any new Hydrasynth developments and 'Poof' here it is! We are happy to announce the new 2.0 firmware for the full Hydrasynth line of products. New features include: Expanded memory to 8 banks (49, Desktop, Explorer only); NEW modulation source, VOICE MODULATOR; OSC Bit reducer; LFO quantizer; ENV quantizer; LFO Step Advance; Global FX bypass; Increased Vibrato resolution; New Sustain pedal options including Sostenuto; more LED options; Glissando in glide options; Arp Range goes to 6 octaves; Arp Step Offset parameter; more Rand/Init shortcuts (all STEP LFO steps, Wavescan waves, Voice mod offsets), Local On/Off saved, and more. This is a free update for all Hydrasynth owners.

I love to hear about great experiences like this! Who is in the picture on the wall?

That drummer is named Tito and the guitarist is Hank. I’m very good friends with both of them and we’ve played together many times. Hank is in my current Steely Dan cover band. AnotherScott we might be neighbors.

Man can i relate to that! I grew up taking lessons on the famliy Lowrey organ and my mother would come in to the living room and dance whenever I played either one of those tunes! Fond memories, simpler days...

"Humidity would often cause keys to stick, trapped against the key slip (the part of the case in front of the keys). The lip made it easier to lift free the stuck key." I loved this rationale! I do recall some sub-par uprights I have encountered through the years:)

Thank you for responding and the video! I appreciate his sound tagging/ database approach to aid in organizing Kontakt libraries. I learned some tricks there. I currently have my Kontakt libraries organized in quick load but that method too has it’s shortcomings. In general the ability to tag & search sounds is something I’ve been trying to get a handle on. This is in fact why I became interested in the Komplete program. That software scanned all of my plugins and organized the NKS compatible ones in a hierarchy that made sense and allows for searching and auditioning. I was surprised that the scan even found some programs I had forgotten about. However this Komplete scan only worked for plugins that are NKS compatible. I am still trying to figure out how to include my non-NKS plugins in Komplete. I found some helpful tutorials on this so maybe I’ll get it figured out. As always, if anyone here has any guidance on this, I’d appreciate learning from your experience.

Hey all I just wanted to get some info/ advice relating to the implementation of NKS compatible VSTs. Full disclosure I didn’t even know about NKS until recently but it looks fascinating. Anyway, I am grateful to have a plethora of software plugins (synths, effects & processors) but honestly I run out of time and lose focus on what I’m trying to accomplish musically when I start down the path of finding & editing the right sound. I loaded up Komplete Kontrol in my NI 13 and was impressed with the architecture to search & audition sounds. After further research (mainly on this forum) I ordered the Komplete S61 keyboard. My DAW is Studio One 6 and I see how the S61 may be a big time saver in that area as well. I see that a bunch of my soft synths (Arturia, NI etc) are NKS compatible so I’m excited about the immediacy of sound design & selection. I was bummed that my Cherry Audio, Gforce and a bunch of other plugins are not NKS compatible but I was turned onto a software developer that transforms these into NKS plugins. I haven’t tried any of these third-party conversions yet but the thought of gaining more immediate control over these excellent synths makes me all kinds of happy. So, I figured I’d ask for any experience you guys have with NKS plugins. Good/ bad/ is it reliable? Do you use the pre-mapping of controls? Any other related bits of wisdom you care to pass along? I hope this S61 keyboard turns out to be a keeper! BTW, playing live with my various bands I mainly play organ, AP, EP, horns and strings. I am happy with my PC4 sounds/ setups and I use an older Novation controller primarily to play B3 apps on my iPad. I only mention this because my newest foray into this S61/ Komplete control, and my hopeful integration of it, will be just for studio use. We’ll see what happens. Thanks all, Larry

Thank you for posting this. I ordered the collector set plus I alerted my friends in CA to try and get some new ones for me. I’ll be up North there connecting with my peeps in a few weeks and really looking forward to the beautiful site we have on the water. Anyway thanks again. Larry

Thanks for sharing the sale info. I picked up a few items at a great price!

So cool. For someone with the time, knowledge and funds that restoration project could be a labor of love.

Interesting! Do you think the Monitor control is for separate outputs or a level adjust for an audio input?

You’re welcome Josh. If I can help even one fellow musician out it’s been a good day😊

Hey guys, I just came across this half price sale for Ravenscroft 275 piano VST if anyone is interested. https://vstbuzz.com/deals/50-off-ravenscroft-275-by-vi-labs/ Cheers, Larry

Dave I learned years ago from Kurzweil support about the need to use a USB drive for large backups. Seems counterproductive but I haven’t had any problems with backups since. I might suggest making sure the thumb drive is formatted in FAT 32. I thought I read that somewhere ages ago. Also try performing a partial backup of just a few user objects so you don’t have to wait for hours to determine if the procedure is working. Good luck man. The Forte is a killer keyboard but obviously only if it works! Larry

Hey BluMunk - I too suffer from some lower back issues. For years I played mainly B3 with pedals so I used the organ bench. When I branched out into more portable, multi keyboard setups I experimented with many throne/ bench designs. They all seem to eventually wear out or I get tired of them. However about 5 years ago I tried a DW Airlift throne with back support and the was the sturdiest most comfortable solution I've come across. The hydraulic is very sturdy & a small up/ down adjust helps alleviate pain during a long gig. I also opted for the motorcycle seat design (which I was skeptical of) but it turns out this helps prevent leg fatigue. It was somewhere around $300 I believe but it is still going strong. Anyway good luck! Larry

Steve I really enjoyed everything about this tune! I'm so glad you finished it. BTW is the vibes sound played on keys? Cheers, Larry

Yeah that's some 80s late-night driving home after a gig with one eye open kind of radio vibe! Thanks for sharing this Dave, I never knew this side of old Neil. Larry

Hey Stokely congrats on the Forte & I hope you love it. Before you do anything with modifying the B3 programs be sure & contact Dave Weiser to get his updated Forte patches. He has fine tuned the B3, painos, Rhodes & a bunch of other programs specifically for the Forte. He is very accomadating & will send these to you for free. Yeah it's to bad the stock Forte B3 programs do not represent the capabilities of this keyboard very well. Good luck, Larry

Peace, health, and creativity to everyone. Larry

I got a custom Mooradion soft case made for my Forte several years ago & it is beautiful. Unfortunately, I believe the company is no longer in business. Larry

Yeah, I wouldn't give up on the PC4 until you installed the Dave Weiser magic - huge difference! Don't be shy about asking for Dave's help, he is very approachable. Cheers, Larry

I am a believer that one of the greatest things we can do in life to feel fulfilled is to help others. By taking the time to post your story you have indeed done that, maybe more than you are aware. Thanks for your honesty and for expressing your vulnerability. Keep moving and if you must fail, fail forward.

I just dropped in to see what was happening and I've got to say that made me smile!!! Thanks for sharing this.

I can't imagine the heartache. Time & prayers will hopefully help heal you & your family.

Aaaahhhh nice man. Glad my frustrating experience turned out to help someone else.