SamuelBLupowitz

Back to the deep well of this thread! Every now and then I come across Craigslist deals on the SpaceStation v3, as well as the old Groove Tubes-branded Mk II model. I know there were some changes made in the speakers when the v3 came out. Is there anything I should be wary of if I were thinking about grabbing a used Mark II? I'd be looking at it specifically for my solo and duo gigs, running stereo keys (mostly acoustic and electric piano) as well as vocals out of Mainstage. My little travel PA has seen better days, and it occurred to me that this might be an efficient replacement for the small bars, restaurants, and other low-volume settings we play in.

I think the new versions of the AirTurn pedals can be configured to send MIDI messages, so you could conceivably have it send a control change for sustain. That could only work with a hardware keyboard if it received MIDI over Bluetooth and could be configured to accept that MIDI message, but if you were using a software instrument, it seems feasible. I'm only speaking theoretically, though. For years, I've wished for/joked about wanting my whole rig to connect wirelessly, but using MIDI over Bluetooth with my Seaboard makes me think this technology might be accessible in my lifetime. A boy can dream...

One of my concerns with KeyStage is that identifying what MIDI cc applies to which parameter on an instrument seems time consuming, since the only way I can see to load up parameter names in a preset is through a Cubase patch script. You can't really experiment with it in the trial version, so I'm not sure how tricky it is. How has your experience been on that front?

Just bumping this thread up. Now that I'm integrating iOS into my rig to use my Seaboard, I'm trying to scout out the best option to organize my virtual instruments and navigate through patches quickly (with appropriate volume and octave shifts mapped to each), plus integrate charts/sheet music when necessary. Trying to keep it as simple as possible, but give myself room to grow. Keystage, Camelot, and iMIDIpatchbay seem to be the three best options. Seems like a lot of feature overlap with some give-and-take as far as customization/ease of use. Camelot is the easiest on the eyes of the three, and seems very versatile, but Keystage seems to have a lot of options to customize the default display for each scene (an XY pad for realtime modulation on the verse, then a chord chart for the chorus, for instance). I haven't seen that demoed in the other apps. There are fewer comparisons and tutorials online than I expected, so it's nice to have the forum discussions to check in on!

That is a thing of true beauty.

Still not my original stuff, but since it's the holidays, I wanted to share this performance of a, um, traditional spiritual, courtesy of a trio I put together for a benefit last weekend. Hope you enjoy... [video:youtube]01wSPCNL4Wg

My cats don't have a particular response to me playing keyboards in the house, but they certainly love to jump up on them (and perform really hip, out-there "paw sonatas"). My wife is an excellent singer, but one of our cats gets mad and tries to bite her whenever she sings in the house.

I use Final Cut; if you're familiar with iMovie, it's a similar interface, just with more tools. One of the fun tricks is the option to create a "sync clip" that lines up the audio for multiple videos (and optional master audio track); you can cut between multiple clips in real time but keep the same audio track running underneath them all. I haven't used the competition from Adobe or Microsoft, so I can't offer a comparison to the others.

That is some of the filthiest Rhodes playing I've ever heard. Never knew it was in there. Love it!

So gooooood. Not a keyboard-related comment, but I'm always fascinated by the combination of performance, mic placement, and processing that work together to achieve those big fat drum tones in these tiny studio spaces (live in the room with other players, no less).

Thanks for sharing that very fun read. I had read the term "mondegreen" in the book of collected misheard lyrics "When a Man Loves a Walnut," but I had never read the essay from which the term sprang.

Man, that is a sweet-sounding a slick-looking rig. Love the performance, too -- reminds me a bit of Jon Cleary!

I remember hearing Springsteen's "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" on the radio when I was in middle school, and having to ask my dad what Bruce song had that chorus that sounded like "Ted Devil in the free line" or something. The thing is, the correct answer didn't make any more sense to me.

Brilliant. So much to learn from the simplicity of setup/teardown and cable management. I think setting up some sort of pedalboard with ready-to-go cabling needs to be my next rig-related project. I just need to figure out a way to make it suitably customizable for the various iterations of my rig (depending on venue size or band I'm playing in).

Thank you! Yes, we're lucky to play music with a lot of great players who are also excellent human beings. I charted out the form and the vocal splits, but everyone did their homework and we had it ready to go in one rehearsal. The saxophonist wrote the horn arrangement (with that very cool lick he lifted from one of Stevie's live versions). You can't hear the background vocal blend all that well in the video, but the singers fell into pretty tight three-part harmony pretty much on their own. In addition to being a lot of fun, it felt like a great way to contextualize our marriage as something that's part of our community, in addition to being something between the two of us.

Finally dipping my toe into the water here, but I'm not posting any original music just yet... Instead, here's a video of one of the highlights from my wedding last weekend. My wife and I decided that rather than do the traditional First Dance (which felt a little awkward for us) we would gather our bandmates from our various projects and perform a First Song. We chose Stevie Wonder's "As." It was really special for me -- hopefully y'all enjoy. [video:youtube]e5RJDbT6p2E Side note, since this is, after all, a keyboard forum: that's not my keyboard setup. The reception band let us use their gear to make our lives easier. Solid Roland though!

I forgot that those videos of Jack's old band existed. They were super cool. Apparently one of the reasons Jack started a smaller band is because he realized nobody in his giant band had any interest in trying to make a living doing it. I think the first actual Vulfpeck session the article is referencing, though, is this: [video:youtube]KQRV0c1KXYc

Probably a mix of the two. When I play funky rhythmic clav, it's a combination of chordal stabs in the right hand, left hand octaves or fifths (with occasional passing notes), and muted ghost note clusters which may or may not be shaped like the chords. Working the wah pedal hard gives it that "Shaft" effect.

I think that's a common criticism these guys receive. I think often it's true, and I don't mind that, honestly, but I understand, and most of my real favorite tunes of theirs are the ones with vocalists. Their drummer/guitarist is a great singer in his own right, and there are also recurring guests like and . Some of the instrumentals are a little more melodic, like the bass feature " ," which audiences have started trying to sing along to. When I saw Vulfpeck in Brooklyn last month, the crowd was not as on their game as . Hopefully that wasn't too evangelical a response on my part!

Man I know theres plenty of space in the mix on Soft Parade, but I still marvel at the punch they can get out of my one but TWO Wurlis in a track. I wonder if its convenience or stubbornness that makes Jack use that MIDI controller for Clav, even though they almost always have a real one onstage. Back when they made Funky Duck, they werent as famous.

I literally sing that line over the real one in Feel It Still. Good, I thought it was just me. Ive been suspicious that the reference is deliberate.

I've watched the Seaboard with interest since I first heard about it, though it hasn't quite crept into "next purchase" area yet. Has anyone used it for left-hand bass? I do a fair amount of multi-keyboard work where I'm covering basslines with one hand while comping with the other, or padding organ while taking a synth solo. The thing that intrigues me the most about the Seaboard and its ilk is the ability to trigger expression/modulation and/or bend pitch with your playing hand, so you don't have to lose a limb to an expression pedal or mod wheel. I'm not sure how practical a vision that is for using the instrument.

That is slick. I have much to learn about simplicity, cleanliness, and consistency when it comes to my cables and pedals.

I hope you had some friendly bandmates to help you carry that rig. I see you're based in Lancaster -- is that where you used to haul that setup around? I grew up in the Reading area, and I have a few old friends who are playing regularly in a blues band based out of Lancaster now.

That's one of my favorite things that I've ever seen.