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Shocking KEYTAR news


Bobby Simons

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When you strap on a keytar, what normally happens is that the crowd goes wild and groupies immediately want to have sex with you. If that doesn't happen, you're doing something wrong and you should take it off, go back and do some serious self reflection and soul searching.

Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands

Tommy Rude Soundcloud

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When you strap on a keytar, what normally happens is that the crowd goes wild and groupies immediately want to have sex with you. If that doesn't happen, you're doing something wrong and you should take it off, go back and do some serious self reflection and soul searching.

 

I think there is some confusion. I will try to clarify.

 

When we get behind the keyboard on stage, what normally happens is that the crowd goes wild and groupies immediately want to have sex with you.

 

When you strap on a key- tar, that doesn't happen. Which causes us to go back and do some serious self reflection and soul searching.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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Yeah, people can make fun all they want, but I'm having fun AND the audiences love it when I bring out one of mine. . . .

 

Yep. I play piano, B3, Motif XF, Nord - All the audience remembers is if I play my AX7 or AX1. My musician friends including almost all of my keyboardist friends HATE it, but audiences Love it. I play it for the audience and take the slight hit on my musical reputation :cool:

Pop/Rock - Motif XF, Motif ES

Blues/Jazz - Nord Electro 2-73, Nord Electro 2 Rack

Integrating into new rig: Yamaha Montage

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I own a Roland Lucina. It's a keytar that Roland discontinued after it failed to sell. I think it was targeted at the teen market. I paid $200 for it new. I think the original list price was $800, maybe much more. A music store owner told me that Roland sold him some for $150 each. I just searched and see it being sold for as much as $850 on reverb or ebay.

 

It's battery operated and fun to play with some good Roland sounds in it. I gigged with it a few times and took it to my regular jam a few times. It's difficult to play strapped onto my shoulder so most of the time I had it on a stand.

 

https://www.roland.com/us/products/lucina_ax-09/

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Yeah, the Lucina was discontinued along with the AX-Synth. :( I think the AX-Synth may have sold better if Roland had not hamstrung its feature set. 128 note polyphony, but no layers or splits. (Hell, even my dead-and-gone AX-1 could do layers and splits as a controller.)

 

The pressure bar is hardwired to mod wheel function -- and the mod wheel is hardwired to aftertouch. Oh, and there's no aftertouch on the keyboard. I believe Roland intentionally made it so it could not be used as a serious synthesizer, even though the synth engine has enough power to do so.

 

I got mine mint condition used for about $500 US; Ebay scalpers are currently seeking about $2000 for those. But hey, the E-bags are currently asking $1000 for a 20-year old AX-1.

 

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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The pressure bar is hardwired to mod wheel function -- and the mod wheel is hardwired to aftertouch. Oh, and there's no aftertouch on the keyboard. I believe Roland intentionally made it so it could not be used as a serious synthesizer, even though the synth engine has enough power to do so.

 

 

I owned an AX for a while, I got rid of it for the limitations you mention.

 

I love the Vortex, my original one, and especially the new Vortex Wireless II. Every button, pad, slider, wheel, etc.. is programmable thru the software. The keyboard has aftertouch, and feels great. All for under $300.

 

I am not sure why Roland wouldn't give the AX a full feature set of controls, even if just controlling the onboard sounds.

David

Gig Rig:Depends on the day :thu:

 

 

 

 

 

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Topically, the universe saw fit to grant my Instagram feed with the following picture this morning:

 

tumblr_pd2nu3iCOR1ual3guo1_400.jpg

 

It was not posted with humorous intent as far as I can tell. The caption (in Spanish) was "starting the week with attitude".

 

Unfortunately the hashtags below of #girlpower; #actitud etc. are somewhat undermined by the image...

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I got my Lucina for some ridiculous price, $299 I think, when they were discontinued and on close out at the sweet place. Loads of fun and handy. Wish I had more opportunity to use it. Got a used Shure wireless pack for it.

Kawai KG-2C, Nord Stage 3 73, Electro 4D, 5D and Lead 2x, Moog Voyager and Little Phatty Stage II, Slim Phatty, Roland Lucina AX-09, Hohner Piano Melodica, Spacestation V3, pair of QSC 8.2s.

 

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I got my Lucina for some ridiculous price, $299 I think, when they were discontinued and on close out at the sweet place. Loads of fun and handy. Wish I had more opportunity to use it. Got a used Shure wireless pack for it.
Yeah, if there was a good stereo wireless setup, I can see breaking out the Lucina again. Stalking the stage, going out into the crowd ... But stereo is really important to me. I really liked the acoustic piano in the Lucina but it's so much richer going through my 2 QSC K8's.
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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After owning an AX1 and an AX7 and evaluating the Ax-Synth and the Lucina. I think the AX-7 is the best controller of the Roland line (notwithstanding perhaps the AXIS which I have not been able to get my hands on). The only thing I miss is the octave button on my AX-1.

 

The AX-Synth hardwired issues are problematic but for me the bigger issues are the midi implementation. It apparently sends neither volume change over MIDI (!) nor bank changes. This makes it unusable for my purposes.

 

The Lucina (Ax-09) keybed just felt awkward to play due to the angle I think and plus, it just doesnt look as "ketarishly cool" as the others. :D

 

I do like the Vortex tho and if I can get one to work with my setup it will likely by my AX-7's replacement.

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I do like the Vortex tho and if I can get one to work with my setup it will likely by my AX-7's replacement.

 

Mikey,

 

I have both an original Vortex, and the latest Vortex Wireless 2 (which is much better than the original.)

 

If you have any specific setup questions to get it to work with your stuff, let me know (shoot me a PM). I have used and use both of mine with Mainstage, hardware synths, etc...

David

Gig Rig:Depends on the day :thu:

 

 

 

 

 

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I have a Vortex (version 1.5 with wireless, original didn't have wireless). FANTASTIC little board, I play it every night. Not going to pretend that keytars are cool, or that I'm cool, but crowds easily tire of cool. They're fun as hell, I get to do goofy choreography with the rest of guys on stage (bass, guitar, and me, singer is at the bar getting drunk). I even do some break dancing* during a Talking Heads song. Crowd definitely loves it. Not cool, definitely "rad".

 

*more like "broken dancing"

Puck Funk! :)

 

Equipment: Laptop running lots of nerdy software, some keyboards, noise makersâ¦yada yada yadaâ¦maybe a cat?

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I have [...] the latest Vortex Wireless 2 (which is much better than the original.)

How's the new Vortex's keyboard action? I bought one of the original wired ones, and took it back the same day because it felt like a toy in comparison to the action of my AX-Synth.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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I have [...] the latest Vortex Wireless 2 (which is much better than the original.)

How's the new Vortex's keyboard action? I bought one of the original wired ones, and took it back the same day because it felt like a toy in comparison to the action of my AX-Synth.

 

Hey Tom,

 

I'm the wrong one to ask, as I adapt very easily to pretty much any keyboard action.

It woks fine for me. I like the "full sized" keys and I find the aftertouch implementation just right.

 

No, it doesn't feel like the AX-Synth, which I owned for a while. For me, it' easier to wheel around the stage when I do use it.

 

The wireless is robust. I have yet to have dropouts or stuck notes. Also, with the new version 2... those knobs have been replaced by sliders that stay in place, and MUCH better than those knobs on the last generation of Vortex. plus, they added an accelerometer on/off switch in an ergonomic position, so you don't have to go menu diving.

David

Gig Rig:Depends on the day :thu:

 

 

 

 

 

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I bought my AX Synth around the same price, 790 CAN$ but I still have to find a mid wireless Kit used and a guitar wireless kit to make it worth...
Stage 2, C2, NL2X+TC Pedals, P08+Tetra+H9, P12+TC Chorus D50+PG1000, 2 Matrix 1K, Proteus 2K, TX802, Streichfett, Drumbrute. Guitars:G&L Legacy, Asat X2, Ibanez Artstar AS153.Bass: L2000, SR1200&2605.
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