Groove On

The Korg Plugkey gives you AUDIO OUT, MIDI DIN and lightning connection to iPad/iPhone in one device. Please note, 1. it needs a lighting port iPad/iPhone, and 2. you can't use MIDI over USB. https://www.korg.com/products/computergear/plugkey/ Some plus sides: - lightning port iPads are less expensive and usually have the headphone jack - you have the option to downsize it to an iPhone (PlugKey/Soft Drummer work on the iPhone) Warnings: There are some reports that the charging feature on the Plugkey doesn't always work.

That's a cool setup! The Yamaha reFace makes a nice compact wireless keytar (without the unnecessary handle). Imagine if manufacturers included BLE-MIDI in every product, you could do this with any digital instrument - and the world would be a much cleaner place! Yeah, Imagine. But the Quicco will do in the meantime.

1. You can plug iPads directly into a Mac/PC with the supplied USB charging/data cable. 2. If you wanna connect to 1x keyboard or 1x audio interface, you'll need to use an adapter: for iPads with lightning ports https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter for iPads with USB-C ports a simple USB-C to USB-A adapter or this Apple adapter https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUF82AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter 3. AUDIO OUT Some budget iPads still have a headphone out, otherwise you need the 3.5mm audio adapter or an audio interface 4. MULTIPLE DEVICES You need a powered USB Hub to connect to multiple devices (e.g. keyboard + audio interface)

- The Roland Go Piano is pricey, but I think the Bluetooth MIDI to iPhone/iPad is one of the cleanest travel setups. Big downside for me is the craptastic action. - I mentioned it in your other thread - the Alesis Recital 61 has semi-weighted keys for around US$200. - There"s also the IK Multimedia iRig (37) Keys controller with an audio interface. - completely blowing the budget - Korg Kross 61 is pretty travel friendly

1. For MIDI DIN to iPad Bluetooth, there are adapters that supply power like the Yamaha BT-01 (click here to see). 2. For USB MIDI to iPad Bluetooth, you could try using a MIDI Host like the one from Kenton (click here to see) and then plug the Yamaha BT-01 into the MIDI Host to control the iPad. This guy got a similar setup working. He's controlling a PSR-670 with a wireless Alesis keytar. [video:youtube]

I think Luis may have added this as the CONTROLS MIDI MAP? The CONTROL MIDI MAP let's you map NOTE, CC or PC data to the on-screen controls. It's been added to the Soft, Jazz, Rock and Funk Drummer apps. (see attached image) The older apps (Reggae, Afro Latin, Brazilian, Mid-East), let you map either NOTE or PC data to the on-screen controls, but only included the Live Pads and Stop/Start buttons - not the Fills, Songs or F/X.

The MIDI implementation in the Lumbeat Drum apps is solid. Almost all on-screen controls can be mapped to hardware and the on-screen controls will show what MIDI data they are mapped to. You can use Program Change, Note and Control Change data (like the XY slider or volume). Here is an Audiobus Press Release that lists the MIDI mappings (click here) - those same MIDI mappings are neatly listed inside the apps. Additionally, there"s a simplified a '4 board' mode for quickly connecting to pedal boards like the IK Multimedia Blueboard or Airturn. (Search for the online video demo of the Blueboard and the Rock Drummer app.) There are 2 modes worth mentioning: 1. Live Pads - for live jamming, random access to looped rhythms using the on-screen live pads, plus, options for intros/fills/endings. You can also randomly auto-populate the live pads if you just want to jump in and play. Works great with a pedal board. 2. Song Mode - set lists / linear playback of rhythms. Options for intros/fills/endings. You can jump to different parts of a song, but it plays through linearly.

Another Lumbeat drum app user. If you're looking for something you can set and go, the Lumbeat apps work real nice. Design seems to be performer oriented so features are easy to dial-in and start playing. - interface is very "non-standard" but simple - jam, swing and fill settings to randomly go "off-road" - "roll the dice" button which randomly changes the beats/grooves and drum sets - pad screen to change tracks on-the-fly and add fills/endings - a bass app - called iBassist that can play in time with the drums using Ableton Link Re: Hardware - compatible with old versions of iOS, so the older hardware can be put into service, (my 1st generation iPad happily runs these apps). - runs on iPhones, so very compact and a nice match for Korg Module (which also runs on iPhones) vs. Drum Perfect Pro I also bought Drum Perfect Pro - but I feel like the Lumbeat apps are more performer friendly. The Drum Perfect app seems more oriented to those who want to program their own beats. Even with the in-app purchases, I just didn't find it as easy to use "on-the-fly".

It's impossible to guess what future people / society will be listening to in 100 years. Look at Pachelbel's Canon in D, written in the 17th century, it was basically lost/forgotten until it was published in the early 20th century, and even then it didn't become popular until the late 20th century. Everybody in my circle knows it well - but I remember my grandma just thought is was a "nice song". Yes, this is the best part of all this. Live for today, love the ones you're with. It's such a waste to worry about what people are going to be doing 100 years from now, they won't care. It's not for us to wonder why, it's just for us to .... yup ... live for today. I think the 60s generation will be the last one to have a sense of a "single" voice/narrative in general culture. In reality, it wasn't even a "single" narrative, it was just an American narrative that the mainstream media regurgitated back to a small part of that generation, but so much more happened under the radar / outside of the 60s generation US media narrative. Today with billions of people going every which way, there are tons of things happening culturally that are under the radar of the increasingly irrelevant mono-face of the mainstream media. Look at the phenomenon of "League of Legends". To the older generation it's "just a game", but they're filling stadiums with Beatles/Rolling Stones level crowds - we're talking 50-80k people per event, with millions in sponsorships and prize money and NFL owners ponying up money to buy-in. - just to cheer on and watch people playing computer games?!?! And it's been going on for 10 years. If that had happened in the 60/70s it would have been the "next big fad" or "shaping culture". Today, those millions of people, barely make a blip in the narrative. Same for Heavy Metal J-Pop huge crowds, not a blip on the main stream radar. You don't even need to be separated by decades of time - all the under the radar cultural happenings have huge media gaps between the living people of different ages, cultures, interests and locations. I think that's what the future is going to be - more incredible things happening in this world than a single person or the monolithic culture face will ever be able to get their heads wrapped around. It's getting wilder and woolier out there than we can possibly imagine - we just can't see it because we keep trying to fit everything into the "traditional media" way of packaging everything.

Pianoteq - followed by Garritan CFX, though for different reasons. Re: Pianoteq models - my favorite Pianoteq model changes every week, so it's kinda hard to pick one (and I bought all of the them)

In-app purchases are really annoying all-around, but I'd also point a finger at Apple, they share a large part of the blame for the idea. There's no really good way for developers to give previous customers an "upgrade price" to a new version, they just get the new version as a free update. So it's either charge for in-app purchases, or old customers have to buy the new app all over again at full price. On the plus side for Key Stage 2: 1. Ali clearly states in his video tutorial which features are in-app purchases. So I don"t think he"s trying to get take advantage of anyone. 2. All in-app purchase are listed clearly in the app description (below). You just have to read through all the fine print to figure it out. From the Apple store:

1. If the snake goes to a mic-level input, you need to use a DI; it converts your mixer's line-level out to mic-level. 2. If the snake goes to a line-level input, connect your mixer directly to the snake. In this case, you don't need DI because it doesn't make any sense to convert your line-level to mic-level, and then plug it into a line-level input on the FOH mixer. *** The main reason to use a DI is to convert line-level signals to mic-level *** why? - so you can plug line and instrument level equipment into a mixer's mic-inputs (like guitars, keyboards and mixers). If you're connecting to a mixer's line-level input, don't use a DI - it doesn't make any sense for the exact same reason you don't plug mics into a line-level input. The only other bit of common sense I'd add - in any venue, make double-sure the tech actually knows which input they're using for your equipment. That's where the problems are, when people don't know the difference between line, instrument and mic-level. Don't depend on the connector (XLR, 1/4" etc.) to figure out if it's mic, line or instrument level, go to the mixer and make dang sure you know what that input is and what you need to plug into it.

Keyboards Almost all keyboards output line-level, so if the mixer has line-level inputs then you don't need a DI, you can plug the keyboard directly into the mixer's line-level inputs. But if the FOH mixer only offers you mic-level inputs, a DI will convert your keyboard's line-level to mic-level. This usually happens at live-music venues because they want all audio inputs to match levels with the microphones of the hosts, singers and other mic'd instruments (e.g. drums/sax etc.). Dropping all inputs to match mic-level is a better/easier than the reverse - bringing all the microphones up to line-level. Guitars DIs for guitars do the same thing, they drop the guitar output (instrument level / Hi-Z) to mic-level (Low-Z) - so you can plug the guitar into the mic-level inputs on the mixer. Once again if you've got live singers or live mic'd instruments, the DI lets you match levels with the microphones. But if the mixer has instrument-level / Hi-Z inputs then you don't need a DI, you can plug the guitar directly into the mixer's instrument level / Hi-Z inputs. Re: long runs, ground-lift, electrical protection, THRU monitoring If you want the benefits of using DI - but without changing your keyboard's output to mic-level - look for other devices to fill the gap. For example, unbalanced to balanced converters (-10dBV To +4dBu) and a ground-lift for long runs, some sort of line-isolating transformer for electrical protection and a line-mixer with a THRU for monitoring. A good line-level mixer like the Key Largo has all those electrical goodies plus the ability to output mic-level when needed. For reference: - In case you're wondering, line-level is the highest signal, followed by instrument level (Hi-Z) and finally the lowest signal, mic-level (Low-Z). - Keyboards like the Roland RD-2000 have both balanced XLR line-level outs and unbalanced 1/4 line-level outs. On keyboards like the FP-30 or FP-10, maxing the headphone-out volume basically gives you an unbalanced line-level signal. All these keyboard do not need a DI, they can be plugged directly into a mixer's line-level inputs.

Yes, in Key Stage a column contains multiple patches. You can recall all patches by selecting the column ... or a single patch by just selecting that patch in the column.

I"ll just start the list: AUM Audiobus Keystage Which one is best? Depends on your workflow. One of the challenges in iOS is the many different ways the same apps can interact with each other. Keystage is designed with keyboardists in mind and can do the splits and layers like that.

And it"s also 30% off for a limited time. [video:youtube]

Comparing Apples & iPads here I think? Or is there a version of KeyStage for MacOS? I re-created my Mainstage-MacOS setup in Keystage-iOS, so yeah, it"s a fair comparison, literally Apple to Apple.

What about the Roland VR-09 combo organ? It's 12 lbs and has well-rounded collection of sounds as backup if the MainStage computer goes down. You might even be able to ditch the laptop completely with a P45 + VR-09 setup. http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/05/13/v-combo-vr-09-made-for-live-playing/

I"ve been testing KeyStage Light (the free demo version) for the last two weeks.. I"m really liking it so far, one big pro is that it"s incredibly light weight compared to the resource hog of Mainstage. That"s a big plus in my book, it makes everything feel very stable. The biggest hurdle has been hardware and apps that don"t have a published list of instrument patch data. KeyStage does have an 'Instrument Patch Database" for some keyboards and apps, but it sorely needs to be updated. For example, all older Roland RDs were listed along with the VR-09 but anything newer wasn"t on the list. There"s a short list of iOS apps (e.g. Korg Module, Sunrizer, Model D, Galileo - around 8-10 in total). You can also import Cubase Patch Lists which makes loading instrument patches and banks very fast and it"s not too fussy about the text formatting! Roland FP-30 - I wasn"t able to program the main sounds from the FP-30. Roland doesn"t publish the program change data for the FP series, and my fiddling around and guessing at the patch MIDI data only seemed to enable the GS/GM MIDI sounds - not the Supernatural sounds I was looking for. So that"s still a work in progress. I messaged the guy who wrote an FP-30 MIDI app which does send program changes for the Supernatural sounds - so hopefully that pans out. Roland RD-88 - Roland does publish the instrument patch data for the RD-88 (PC MSB LSB). So it was easy to quickly input program changes for the RD-88. A bonus - I was also able to auto-load a small list of RD-88 patches and banks using a manually edited Cubase Patch list file Pianoteq VST I was able to control Pianoteq on the Mac using KeyStage and IDAM (Inter-device Audio +MIDI) - with the iPad connected via a powered USB hub. Just set the iPad to 'enabled" in the MacOS and it"s off and running, Pianoteq has a good MIDI implementation, but unfortunately you have to manually set it up by assigning each preset to a MIDI channel, and that"s pretty tedious. The good news is that Pianoteq also exposes a lot of other internal commands for use with MIDI (e.g. transport controls, reverb, equalizer etc.). iOS Apps Keystage auto-detects any AU apps already running, I had no trouble getting it working with Korg Module, Model D, Sunrizer and the Lumbeat Drum Machine apps. Of those, the Lumbeat Drum apps needing some manual setup, but the other 3 apps are already in the built-in instrument patch database. I also did basic audio routing with Audiobus while KeyStage handled the MIDI. They played very nicely with each other. Overall it"s a very encouraging setup. If I can I get through the learning curve, I"d be willing to replace Mainstage. I like that it"s more direct than Mainstage and works cleanly with lots of different MIDI software and hardware devices.

The VIVO S61 suffers from the same dingbat "side-panel" design. Keyboard designers who do this should be slapped silly with a halibut. The whole point of using less keys is to make the keyboard shorter; the side-panel just adds it all back again. As much as I like the S61, why wouldn't I just go with 73-keys ... it's the same length! Betcha that guy riding the bike is thinking the exact same thing. This: https://dexibell.com/prodotto/vivo-s1/?lang=en/ [video:youtube]

Have you considered the Kronos LS? It's a lighter version of the Kronos with all the same sounds. Kronos 88 24.1 kg / 53.13 lbs. Kronos LS 17.8 kg /39.24 lbs. The trade-off is the lighter semi-weighted synth action. The Roland FA-08 is even lighter 16.5 kg /36 lbs. 7 oz., and still has weighted keys. Even lighter the Roland RD-88 13.5 kg / 29 lbs 13 oz, also with weighted keys. Allows you download sounds into the keyboard and you could use MainStage or iPad app to fill in any gaps.

On the Korg Livestream for LP380U and L1, spokesman said L1 will be more affordable than the B2 digital piano, so under US$500. It competes with the Roland GO 88 in terms of budget and portability. Video timestamps: - 1:50 general player demo - 5:07 discussion of L1 - 11:27 discussion of LP380U [video:youtube]

yes, and it's polarized everyday civil conversation. I used to ignore it, but I cringe nowadays when politics comes up anywhere, it's not worth the condescending diatribes or passive-aggressive behavior. The worst part is that both sides seem to be in competition to see how far out of reality they can push it.

Cool interface, you can be inside your instrument / DAW / Synth. Imagine jamming online with other band members using this VR interface. (And yes it does look like a jock strap at the beginning) [video:youtube]

On my iPhone 7 Plus, the Forums list and Active Threads pages format correctly onto the screen, but when I view a thread page it resizes off the page, to the right.