Jump to content
Please subscribe to MPN’s YouTube Channel!

ElmerJFudd

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    13,430

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by ElmerJFudd

    OT: new Mac Pro

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    These are Xeon based pro machines. For businesses and educational institutions that make money or for hobbyists that are making money elsewhere. I still wish Apple would put out an customizable/upgradeable tower based on Core i processors that start in the sub $2k area. Perfect for audio and video dabblers. But they dont. Thats what the Mini, Mac Book Pro and iMacs are for. So although Im well impressed with this new design. It wont getting pre-ordered.

     

     

    Its been 8 Months- has MODX met your plans/expectations ?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    The Montage sound banks in the MODX are excellent. The only thing to bitch about is the organs - and depending on the gig, theyd still get you by - a KSounds Organimation patch is still an option. The demo unit I played - the graded GHS was pretty decent. Theres some talk about clacking in a few actions that went out, Id send it back for another if they havent sorted that yet. Id choose the MODX over the Korg Grandstage if this was upgrade season. Its great bang for the buck, the CP-88 breaks $2k and although I like the UI shift - it could use more patches from the Montage - maybe coming yet in an update.

    Yamaha CP88 and 73 - Deserve their own thread

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Interface....jurys out on this. I don't like the Nord layout. I could just never gel with it...too many buttons. This seemed easier to navigate but it would need some time. Im not sure it would be great for multiple patch changes on say a musical gig.

    For instant preset recall, you've got the favorites buttons on the left. I'm curious as to which boards have a style of interface you prefer.

     

    The extra sounds are a bit of a let down...not in terms of quality but in terms of quantity.

    Yeah, they're surpringly limited, making it I think an unlikely option as a one-and-only gigging board unless someone is primarily playing pianos, and similarly putting extra demands on your choice for something to pair it with, if you're going that route.

     

    Im certain Yamaha has considered the conundrum of their customers in choosing CP88 or MODX8. You cant get everything the other has - choose or get both.

     

    Remember when the CP1 lacked all the ancillary AWM stuff from the CP5 and 50?

    Novation Hybrid Synth - Summit @ Superbooth

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Closer look at the build.

    31405_42.jpg

     

    Copy from Novation,

     

    With its multitimbral architecture and 16 voices of polyphony, Summit is like two Peaks in one instrument, enabling two completely independent patches to be split or layered across the keyboard, or switched between on the fly. But that's by no means the end of the story: the addition of dual filters, greatly extended front panel controls, audio input and, of course, the same premium-quality five-octave keyboard introduced with our SL MkIII MIDI controller, put Summit in a creative league of its own.

     

    At the heart of Summit is the digital New Oxford Oscillator, three of which are employed by every one of its 16 voices. Theyre hosted on the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chip, which not only helps to generate authentic analogue waveforms at incredibly high resolution (24MHz), but also facilitates FM and wavetable synthesis for rich, complex and highly textural raw tones.

     

    The FPGA feeds into a true stereo analogue signal path, comprising dual 12dB/octave filters (switchable between six paired combinations of low-pass, high-pass and band-pass modes), analogue VCAs and three stages of distortion (pre- and post-filter, and post-VCA). Its the union of flawless analogue-emulating oscillators with genuine analogue filtering and saturation that make Summit sound so fabulously warm and fat.

     

    Summit also boasts a wealth of modulation sources and assignment options, three stunning effects, audio input for routing external sources into those effects (while still using the other multitimbral part as a synth), and an auxiliary output. And the front panel expands greatly on Peaks layout with the addition of dedicated controls for FM, all LFOs, effects and more.

     

    Quite simply the best sounding, most versatile synth Novation has ever made, Summit gives the serious producer or performer everything they need to design and play stunning basses, leads, arps, pads, effects, soundbeds and beyond.

     

    Novation Hybrid Synth - Summit @ Superbooth

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    2200 EU

     

    16 voices digital/analog hybrid, bi-timbral modes, 60 wavetables, multimode filters, and then tons and tons of onboard controls four dedicated LFOs right on the front panel.

    3 oscillators per voice

    FM synthesis

    An arpeggiator with pattern and chord modes

    A 61-key keyboard with conventional pitch and mod wheels

    Stereo outputs (or 4x mono)

     

    Link to oversized photo:

    http://cdm.link/app/uploads/2019/05/novation_summit-1024x576.jpg

     

    http://cdm.link/2019/05/novations-super-synth-for-superbooth-leaks-16-voice-summit/

     

    https://www.gearnews.com/leak-novation-summit-16-voice-polyphonic-synthesizer-to-hit-superbooth-2019/

    Casio Privia PX-S1000 ($600) and S3000 ($800)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Would you have considered the S3000 instead to see if there are more serviceable sounds beyond the main acoustic piano sample set? Or was weight, price and the piano sound what the doctor ordered?

     

    I don't think there's any difference in weight between the two models, or if there is it's trivial. No, I just needed an instrument for solo piano jobs, whether cocktail stuff, accompanying a choir etc. Anything which takes me beyond that, and I already have the MODX8, which is more flexible anyway. Also I liked the slightly cleaner stylings of the 1000, and I saved a couple of hundred pounds in the process.

     

    Did you find, like I have, that the MODX8 is the best feeling GHS action Yamaha currently has? I found it felt very different from a P series or even the CP-40 (which I dont like very much at all for acoustic piano).

    Casio Privia PX-S1000 ($600) and S3000 ($800)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    My S1000 arrived today. I also have the three pedal unit (top tip: I find the cheapo sustain pedal that Casio ships with the piano makes an excellent rotor speed switch for your organ). Overall, I'm very impressed. Here are some bullet points:

     

    * The build quality and finish is really nice, even though it's basically shiny black plastic.

     

    * The music stand, for those of us who occasionally use one, is a big improvement.

     

    * The keybed is outstanding almost at any price, and certainly at this one. It feels wonderful under the hands and the keys have a crisp, assured bounce-back. If you had any doubts about the pivot point regarding the length of the keys, forget them. I specifically improvised for a while in flat keys to test this and even in Gb, no issues for me even towards the fallboard end. I would add, however, that I'm classically trained and play with hands well raised and curved fingers. If you're perhaps self-taught and use a flatter finger technique, I could _perhaps_ imagine this might be a _slight_ issue.

     

    * Though the piano sample is substantially improved on the PX-5S, you do still have that slight 'plinkiness' in the mid-range. However, I found this could be somewhat improved by turning on the 'surround sound' feature. This could well be just a positioning/monitoring issue, to be honest.

     

    * Perhaps of slightly more concern is that the decay of notes, particularly in the lower half, seems rather artificially long and too slow to drop off in volume.

     

    * I can't see myself using any of the other tones on the S1000 other than in a pinch, but the piano is what I bought it for.

     

    * The built-in speakers are fine for background cocktail piano in a small to medium-size room, though adding an external speaker naturally makes for a more enjoyable experience. If you're doing this, I would recommend a speaker which has some built-in EQ controls. My K10 is a bit bassy and I could really do with rolling some of that stuff off. Fortunately, Casio seem to have learned their lesson from the PX-150 I had back in the day, in that you can add and blend in an extra speaker without any shenanigans.

     

    * The SP-34 triple pedal unit is a must have. The pedals are shorter than you might expect and a little close together (if you have clodhopper feet like mine), but all work as you'd expect and this is a must-buy, in my opinion. The good news is that it's not too heavy to not take along all the time, and the generous amount of rubber on the bottom does a good job of stopping it from moving around.

     

    * I'm still waiting for the Casio carry case to be delivered, so will add my thoughts on that later.

     

    * As a gigging proposition for a travelling solo pianist, this is immense. 11kg, great action and a good tone that will more than pass muster I wouldn't hesitate. If you need anything else, I'd check out the S3000.

     

    Would you have considered the S3000 instead to see if there are more serviceable sounds beyond the main acoustic piano sample set? Or was weight, price and the piano sound what the doctor ordered?

    for the pros: what do you make a year?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Anyone who has figured out how to make a decent living playing music will automatically get my wholehearted admiration and respect.

     

    This is how I feel for anybody who makes a living at music, sport, arts or anything that falls more so into the hobby / passion arena.

     

    What actually shocks me is that there are people out there that go to music school or art school and think that there is more than a shot in the dark that they can make a sustainable living performing music or selling artwork.

     

    Yes you can make money teaching, but that falls more into the category of a job and it IS WORK teaching students. As others have stated, you can take on students, run a church program, maybe compose sound scores for film etc. But getting paid strictly for performing ones music that they love on their own terms. This indeed is the dream.

     

    I come from the competitive sports world and grew up with great summer jobs teaching tennis. But never in a million years did I think that competitive tennis could provide me a living. Yes teaching, running a sports program etc. might pay the bills. But not pure performance. Maybe it is the fact that you get a chance at a young age to go head to head with the best players in the country to realize just how few will make it. And yes I have beaten kids that did go on to become top 10 in the world, and still was very aware of the limited opportunity and extreme odds.

     

    Yet the volume of music school programs that cost 20k plus a year and pump out thousands of students is out of line with market needs. 99% of these students will never make enough from live performances to justify the time and expense. The fact that there are even music schools to begin with kind of flummoxes me. Great athletes with promising NBA and NFL careers go to college and study something and then play sports in addition to school and are required to maintain grades in other studies. It is unethical to allow a college athlete to skate by on just their athletic ability with out getting grades in some other discipline. But why is it OK to graduate with just a degree in fine arts or music?

     

    Last night I was watching Jacob Collier and truly astounded by his talent and musical understanding. There will obviously be a place for him in the music world. I don't think I could attain his level of talent even in 3 lifetimes.

     

    So I will restate my opening line. If you can make it in music (or any of the arts or sports) in the capacity of performing live for people, I salute, I honor and I respect your achievement. You have succeeded in a profession where the odds are against you.

     

    And yes it does suck that today's pay scale is a fraction of what it was in the 80's.

     

    P.S. - My income from music, less than the cost of equipment and lessons, ie - net negative. Not going pro anytime soon. :)

     

     

    I cant even imagine this dreary world where the pursuit of knowledge in the humanities is replaced by a system that puts out 1.8 million Bachelors degrees void of the arts. 778,000 Masters degrees in business? 177,000 doctorates in IT Management? There are students that are born to pursue degrees in areas that the market values monetarily more so than others. And there are those that are born to pursue the myriad of other wonderful and amazing things that humans endeavor to create and do.

     

    Lets put it this way - schools accept, teach and award degrees to thousands of writers each year. They wont all become best selling novelists with Hollywood knocking on the door. All the programmers out there wont get the chance to develop Instagram. The business people wont all score an IPO like Facebook. The vast majority will live and work and earn a living, hopefully find someone special and at times enjoy their lives, at least a few days of the year? Your health, your happiness, your relationships - these matter most of all. Money is important, but its not a replacement for a life well spent (and whatever that may mean to anyone of us).

    for the pros: what do you make a year?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

     

    A crowbar is a mean thing to do to a perfectly good macbook.

     

    you know what else is a mean thing to do? Call someone a troll who was only trying to generate an interesting discussion on a relevant topic.

     

    Thanks to everyone who answered candidly. For the record, I job all the same gigs that everyone here does. I got lucky and landed a full time position in a major touring act. Been going on ten plus years. That gig will go one day, and when it does, Ill have to figure out how to live off regular jobs/teaching.

     

    Grass is not always greener. The road cost me a marriage, and I already had a kid when I got the gig. Didint lose my marriage from banging groupies or becoming an addict, or any of those cliches. The one who had to stay at home just got fed up being alone. Day job and stable family life with a great hobby is a pretty amazing combo. Good on to those who have that combo going and appreciate how great it is. Dont ever lose sight of that.

     

    Outkaster- its not a dumb thread. Youve admitted you hate your day job and play music to survive it. Its easier to find a less hateful day job than it is to get the dream gig, and if my experience counts for anything, even if you land the dream gig, the dream comes at a very real cost.

     

    Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond in a constructive manner.

     

    p.s. with my support payments, my take home income is half of what I stated in my OP.

     

    Well that is the crux of it. When you don't have the big gig there's no way if you don't diversify. You'll need a corporate/wedding group that plays at minimum weekly (you'll do much better as a band leader), a regular Tuesday or Wednesday night gig at a restaurant, take on students after school every other day, a church gig on Thursday night and Sunday morning, and/or bite the bullet and go back to school for cert to direct a band or choir. Then you can live the lower middle class life, support a wife and maybe a kid (two if you are frugal). It's better if she works too, preferably the same hours as you... if you work opposite hours you'll never see each other.

    for the pros: what do you make a year?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I make $200,000 a year playing music. I'm 36 and I have a hot girlfriend ... no, 2 hot girlfriends ... yeah, that's it ... and, uh, a big house in the country... and, uh, a cool apartment in the city ... oh yeah, and my own recording studio where lots of famous musicians have recorded. Yeah, that's me

     

    [video:youtube]

×
×
  • Create New...