What synths do you use in your live rig?

[J.F.N.]

I get a feeling that many of us here are having a base in Piano, Rhodes/Wurly, Organ, and among things, for this use different workstations (Kronos/Nautilus, Motif/ModX/Montage, Nord, Fantom, Kurzweil etc.) and clonewheels , but for those of you who carry synths, what synth(s) do you carry and why (genre, usage, etc.) ?

[jeffincltnc]

80's New Wave tribute with a Korg Nautilus 73 on the bottom board and a Nord Wave 2 on top for hands on knob twisting.  Not much piano, organ or rhodes/wurly/clav for this band, it's over 95% synth.

[mauriziodececco]

In an electro/jazz/ambience projet, a NW2 too.

 

Maurizio

[Stokely]

We are slooooooowwwwwwly adding more 80s synth stuff--our typical audiences that used to be "grew up in the 70s" have now shifted.   The few we do, like Don't You Forget About Me, get a fantastic reaction.

In the 12 years since my gigging revival, I've done synths (70s/80s exclusively, nothing more modern needed) on these.  There are a few clonewheels I'm not including even though in a pinch they could do some synth sounds. In order, and with notes:

Motif - eh...was ok.
Virus b - kicked all kinds of butt.  I should not have sold it.

Kurzweil pc361 - i'm not great with Vast, the sounds are good but it was tedious programming.

Modx - better than the Motif, partly because the FM but also just sounded better IMO.  I got a library named "Analog Xperience" that was nice.

Kurzweil Forte - see above...this one is now a controller in my home office, not sure what I'm going to do with it.  It seems to be over the booting problem it had, still has a pitch wheel issue so I disabled it (my pc361 does as well).   I would trust it at a gig at this point if it wasn't my only board so it's possible that it could start coming out with me again.  I love the form factor and action, don't like programming it.
Novation Summit - yeah, kicks butt.  I've heard it described as a "hi-fi Virus" and that seems accurate.
Nord Stage 3 - this is currently my only keyboard at almost every gig.  I find the A1 Lead engine excellent.  It is the fastest synth I've owned as far as me dialing up sounds, the basic bread and butter ones I use anyway.  I generally don't need a complex mod matrix etc.  Last night in fact I made a patch for Time after Time and a couple other synth-heavy tunes...done in minutes.  

I like having a single keyboard and my intention is to add guitar to my "arsenal" so having just one keyboard would keep the gear amount down if I do.  Otherwise I'd bring the Summit or my Sk pro out--but as it is, the Nord covers the same ground (albeit maybe not quite as good in the areas where those specialize) and I don't feel like I'm missing much.  The only real compromise to me is having to play everything on one keyboard, but patch remain/song mode with footswitch/splits etc on the Stage make it pretty easy to have multiple things going.   I don't even mind playing piano on the compact action, which really surprised me!  If we got much more synth-heavy I'd definitely bring the Summit out.  I'm probably going to sell the Sk Pro, even though I really like it...

 

[CEB]

As far as I’m concerned … the strength of the Kronos are the synth engines.   
 

I have quite a bit of gear.  The rig depends on the gig.   I’m a fan of the Rev2 but I can usually cover everything I need with a F06 and Kronos 2.  

[D. Gauss]

Sorry, can't help. Only Piano, Whurly, B3/farfisa/vox, (and the rare zydeco accordion) here.

[Delaware Dave]

For the most part I hate 80's hair band music. Use prophet 5 and Moog sounds from my Kurz and Gemini module for 70's retro music.

[ABECK]

Mine varies based on the gig, but whenever I can bring my Gemini/DMC122, I am happy.  Over 10 years use and it's just as useful now as ever.  

If I have more than a couple piano tunes, I like to have an 88 key board (currently the K2700).  Piano on the DMC is NO fun. I've tried introducing VI approaches to my rig (Macbook, and 2 different iPads).  I keep coming to the same conclusion - for live gigs, I am a hardware guy.   I just don't like working with a computer/tablet to facilitate my playing.  Next, I'd like to add a dedicated monosynth like the PolyD, or something simliar.

 

[DJkeys]

I play mostly 80s and Top 40, so I use a Nord Stage 3 and Nord Wave 2.  Covers the few piano/organ parts effectively and gives me essentially 6 synths.  Just Dance by Lady Gaga has 6 synth sounds and I can cover them all with this setup-

 

-dj

[eric]

My regular gigging band is primarily '80s covers with some classic and arena rock thrown in for fun, plus a bit of more modern stuff. So far, I've handled all of the duties needed with just a Nord Stage 3. This includes some pretty deep synth and sample work. I picked up a Roland XV-3080 rack that I'm planning to slowly integrate into the rig, simply to give me a bit more horsepower for synth/rompler duties. Those two panels of NS3 synth can get maxed out at times.

 

I also use the NS3 for a few other bands, including my original ska/reggae/pop band reunion shows, which is 80% organ/piano/CP80 and a bit of synth. NS3 works well in my Clash tribute band and a few other smaller pickup gigs.

 

I got a Prophet 6 pre-COVID and had intended to work it into my live rig. It is still hanging out in the home studio and may not make it to the live rig. I've been happy with pushing the limits of a single keyboard rig now for many years.

[J.F.N.]

28 minutes ago, eric said:

My regular gigging band is primarily '80s covers with some classic and arena rock thrown in for fun, plus a bit of more modern stuff. So far, I've handled all of the duties needed with just a Nord Stage 3. This includes some pretty deep synth and sample work. I picked up a Roland XV-3080 rack that I'm planning to slowly integrate into the rig, simply to give me a bit more horsepower for synth/rompler duties. Those two panels of NS3 synth can get maxed out at times.

 

I also use the NS3 for a few other bands, including my original ska/reggae/pop band reunion shows, which is 80% organ/piano/CP80 and a bit of synth. NS3 works well in my Clash tribute band and a few other smaller pickup gigs.

 

I got a Prophet 6 pre-COVID and had intended to work it into my live rig. It is still hanging out in the home studio and may not make it to the live rig. I've been happy with pushing the limits of a single keyboard rig now for many years.

 

Cool thing that the NS3 is delivering big time for you there!!

 

[Stokely]

Sounds like I'm doing similar to Eric.  I finally decided to push the NS3 forward a bit and use the of the features I haven't been...not doing that much with samples (other than the intro of Too Much Time on my hands) but I decided to start using an expression pedal to change various things and also a 2-button switch for either Song mode or program mode so I can be more hands-free.  Bought a small Hotone ampero switch for less than $20 and it works like an absolute champ.  I was looking at a much larger Boss pedal that needed a battery or power, this one is unpowered.

Edit: and also doing more with the effects live.  Having tap tempo on a button is great, since we thankfully don't run to a click.  tap-tap-tap and my delay is now in time, and the wet/dry mix is right there too.

I definitely see getting maxed out with the two panels.  For a song like the Cars' Drive, which we may add, I can't do all those layers.  Some of that we can shift to guitar, and I use an instrument from the piano engine for the high melody in the intro and bridge...sounds like a bell synth when added to the main pad(s) from the two synth engines   So yeah you have to get creative...but that's nothing new.  I remember programming 8 zones across my Motif and Virus to try to handle Relax and I still felt like I needed more (and what a nightmare to try to remember those splits...)

Just happy as a clam and somewhat surprised at how good the synth in the Ns3 is, for more basic stuff I need at least.  Programmed a "Styx lead" for a couple of their tunes and it just rips!  (Tried that on the Modx, and "rips" would not have been my description....).   

None of this to say I've lost interest in synths, whether they be ones I have or ones I'd like to have!   That rumored Arturia for example.  

[Dave Number Four]

I've got a Sequential Take 5 on top of my YC88 for a jam band, some fusion gigs, and increasingly some regular cover band gigs.

 

I usually just bring the YC88 to rehearsals, and approximate the synth stuff with the (pretty limited) YC88 synth samples. 

 

But as I get a little better at tweaking the Take 5, I find that I miss it more at rehearsals.

 

Does this mean I need to buy a nord stage to have a decent VA synth at my rehearsals? I'll go ahead and break the news to my wife.

[J.F.N.]

5 minutes ago, Dave Number Four said:

I've got a Sequential Take 5 on top of my YC88 for a jam band, some fusion gigs, and increasingly some regular cover band gigs.

 

I usually just bring the YC88 to rehearsals, and approximate the synth stuff with the (pretty limited) YC88 synth samples. 

 

But as I get a little better at tweaking the Take 5, I find that I miss it more at rehearsals.

 

Does this mean I need to buy a nord stage to have a decent VA synth at my rehearsals? I'll go ahead and break the news to my wife.

 

hehehe, she will LOVE the idea..

 

How do you experience the keyboard, Take 4 only, and not 5 (octaves) ?

[The Real MC]

My webpage has the details, it will be updated as my stage system is currently going through a change.  The diagram below shows the new system.

 

My Andromeda is starting to show its age by crashing in the middle of a song so I am replacing it.  Anyone who knows the Andromeda knows this is a tall order, and I refuse to use a laptop or mobile on stage.  That's the change I am going through now.

 

I played a lot of genres over the years so I decided to divide strategic components into separate racks:

• Base analog rack
• Kurzweil rack
• Minimoog rack
• Polysynth rack
• Polysynth Effects rack

This creates a modular system such that I only carry the components I need for the genre.  IE if I'm playing blues or R&B, I don't need the synth racks.  It also keeps the weight of the racks reasonable.  This also minimizes the keyboards I use onstage (I'm down to two keyboards and a set of bass pedals).  Another goal was to minimize cabling so with the exception of the Hammond all cabling between keyboards and racks is MIDI.  The cabling is 25ft so I can set the racks offstage (I do not need to access the racks while playing).  I built this in 2016, it has worked so well that I wish I had built it a long time ago.

A convention is my stage system is my Universal Effects System

Anyway, the synths:

• Moog Voyager RME.  Used for classic rock or prog synth solos.  Minimoog is hard to beat for solos.  This is the closest thing in a Minimoog with MIDI in a rack format.  I also use it for sound FX.  The RME has its own Universal Effects system.
• Moog Minitaur.  I've used Moog Taurus bass pedals with some bands.  Until the Minitaur, I had never been able to get the Taurus growl and solid low end out of any other synth.  I worked with a sound guy who loved to pump the Minitaur through his sub woofers to shake the room.  I retrofitted a set of Taurus II controller bass pedals (no synth engine, controller only) with MIDI so I can play the Minitaur (or other MIDI gear) with my feet.  No effects needed, the Minitaur sounds so huge.
• Many of the Andromeda patches I used onstage were 70s/80s analog and bread-n-butter sounds.  I noticed that the typical layer/split I used on the Andromeda consisted of 2 or 3 Oberheim based patches and 1 Moog based patch. So to replace the Andromeda, I selected two Oberheim OB-X8 and one Sequential Trigon-6 all in desktop module formats.  The desktop modules are too wide for standard 19" rack mounting so I am ordering a rack case to accommodate the modules which will be mounted on drawers.
• The Andromeda only has a single digital effect, other patches often needed other effects.  I used to route separate splits to the AUX outputs of the Andromeda then to two sets of my Universal Effects System - that was a powerful and flexible polysynth.  To duplicate this convention, I configured one OB-X8 as stereo eight voice, the other is configured as split with each split routed to separate L/R outputs then to the dual Universal Effects System.  The Trigon-6 does the Moog polyphonic patches and already has internal digital effects.  While the OB-X8 in eight voice mode doesn't use any effects, the random stereo panning creates a nice stereo effect.
• That's how I replaced my Andromeda.  The solution isn't smaller but a modern hardware clone of the Andromeda is not likely today.  The solution doesn't have the deep feature set of the Andromeda for patches, but I covered 90% of what I used on stage.
• Other non-synth sound modules:
• Kurzweil 1000PX and 1000AX ROMplers.  Great samples of bread-n-butter sounds that aren't possible on the polysynths.  Each ROMpler has their own digital reverb.
• Alesis DMPro drum ROMpler.  Besides the excellent drum library, it includes a very good effects system and has four AUX outputs.  If I need to, I can configure six separate outputs for kick, snare, cymbals, percussion, then stereo pair for effects and everything else.

All this is controlled from my master MIDI controller.  For every song, my Kurzweil MIDIBoard has MIDI configurations for patch, volume, etc of each MIDI device and split/layer of its keyboard.  I have yet to find a MIDI controller with the features of the MIDIBoard.  The Hammond has a dual role, I can use it to play organ (also configured via the MIDIBoard), or with CANCEL preset selected the Hammond becomes a MIDI controller for the polysynths.

I used to play in an 80s top40 band (Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, etc) using a drum machine and I played bass synth with my left hand.  I wanted to plan for that genre so I included an Alesis Datadisk to play back MIDI drum/bass sequences to the drum module and Minitaur.  I may be exploiting that in the near future.

 

 

[AWkeys]

For the majority of my local gigs, I still get away with my Nord Stage 2 EX Compact. Pedal board under my feet, L to R: Ventilator extension pedal, FC-7 expression pedal plugged into Nord expression input and used for organ and volume morphing, sustain pedal. Nord outputs 1 (and 2 if stereo) into Key Largo input 1  that sits on another pedal board either to left or right of keyboard stand depending on stage location/room. Organ section routed mostly to output 3 which then goes into a Holy Grail Nano reverb, Lounsberry Tall & Fat, finally Neo Ventilator (all on the second pedal board). Output of Vent whether mono or stereo to input 2 of KL. 

 

I also use a NS3 Compact for gigs where there is more of a set list (Song Mode very useful!) and it is wired in the same way.

 

I augment either NS2 or NS3 rig with a Korg Kronos 2 for when I need the additional fire power, like the Paul McCartney tribute and David Bowie tributes I am involved in. That also gets routed to the Key Largo.

 

Some gigs I play acoustic or electric guitar - output of acoustic works just fine through the KL. For electric guitar I built a small pedal board with a tuner, a multi-effects and a Joyo AC guitar amp pedal. I don't play lead, just rhythm on a few songs here and there so I don't feel like my tone is so important that I need to bring a separate amp. The beautiy is that it too goes right into the Key Largo, so I am in control of my mix and can send just a L/R to FOH.

 

A little trick you can do with the Key Largo  if you need more than the 3 inputs is to use the effects loop as a separate input. I've done this when I'm using the Nord into inputs 1 and 2 (organ), Kronos in 3 and guitar in effects loop. I don't use outboard effects for these gigs, so no problem.

 

KL Largo monitor out to usually just one QSC monitor that sits by my side. Lately I've been doing more in-ears, and the little Behringer wired pack I use takes two inputs, so I take a feed from the KL monitor out and another from FOH. Yeah, it's keys on one side and FOH mix on the other, so not the greatest but works in a pinch. If I trust the FOH, I'll just get a stereo feed directly from them.

[CHarrell]

It's been a while since I've gigged with a synth, but before COVID, after trying several synths, I went with the Minilogue XD. It was small, had built-in effects, and the interface was excellent for live tweaks. I've been tempted to use an iPad with Korg Gadget and small controller to take care of synth needs, but if I had the budget I'd probably use the upcoming KingKorg Neo.

[Stokely]

Took at the KingKorg Neo, primarily because it has a vocoder.  I wish more of the synths had one.  Is it fluff?  Sure.  Would I overuse it and probably cause the band to say "no vocoders" by doing stuff like vocoding "No parking on the dance floor" in the middle of other songs?  Certainly!   I'd already have a hydrasynth if it had one that worked well.  I never could get my Modx vocoder to work worth a darn.

[Dave Keys]

For gigs it’s the YC73 on the bottom, and the Swiss Army knife of boards, the Kronos 2 61 on top. I’ve got vintage synths too, and for my TV writing, shedloads of soft synths, but there’s little or no time for tweaking these days. 

[David Emm]

12 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Took at the KingKorg Neo, primarily because it has a vocoder.  I wish more of the synths had one.  Is it fluff?  Sure.  Would I overuse it and probably cause the band to say "no vocoders" by doing stuff like vocoding "No parking on the dance floor" in the middle of other songs?  Certainly!   I'd already have a hydrasynth if it had one that worked well.  I never could get my Modx vocoder to work worth a darn.

 

I've heard some great vocoder work over the years, although its been the more delicate uses that sounded the best to me. Wendy Carlos and Laurie Anderson both made it work like gangbusters. The trick is not to make it shamelessly yell VOCODER! I got a cramp in my nose from wrinkling it too hard during the disco era, where the effect was overused until it had an odor. Death to that robot voice!  

 

[CHarrell]

46 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Took at the KingKorg Neo, primarily because it has a vocoder.  I wish more of the synths had one.  Is it fluff?  Sure.  Would I overuse it and probably cause the band to say "no vocoders" by doing stuff like vocoding "No parking on the dance floor" in the middle of other songs?  Certainly!   I'd already have a hydrasynth if it had one that worked well.  I never could get my Modx vocoder to work worth a darn.

 

I saw Herbie play here last fall, and at one point during the show he did a whole monologue using the Kronos vocoder, and it was awesome.

[Stokely]

You guys are doing little to help rein me in.  I wasn't playing during the disco era.  It's like me telling my kids about the excessive things I did and what a mistake it all was--their brains go "See, dad did it, now I'm really going to have fun!"     

I do have a vocoder pedal that I bought used haven't even gigged yet--and it has midi--not super impressed with the sound in testing and I'm a bit worried about how it might affect my vocal.  That said, it would be a real bonus if I can simply use my normal vocal mic and have it work as normal with the pedal in bypass, so I'll give it a whirl.

I've seen some pretty great deals on Kronos 2 61 and 73 from time to time, my concern with that is the touch screen and other parts.   At least the 2 would be newer. 

Saw a vid comparing a Prophet 6 to one of these babies:  GS E7 tabletop.   That thing sounded amazing.  7 voices and 4-part multitimbral (!)  And it doesn't break the bank.   I like the blue color one  

https://www.gsmusic.com/synth-store

 

[JoJoB3]

All corpy/wedding/etc gigs get one VR09.  It's that good 'enough' with bread and butter and 90% of pop synths to get it done. Feel and look is out the window because ...12lbs. Great gig, have a good one!!

All other shows full Hammond B3 rig w pedals + any number of analog or digi synth add-aboves - or controller with Spectrasonics above Hammy.
Fave is an ARP 2700 w a couple outboard above Ham.

[J.F.N.]

15 hours ago, Stokely said:

Took at the KingKorg Neo, primarily because it has a vocoder.  I wish more of the synths had one.  Is it fluff?  Sure.  Would I overuse it and probably cause the band to say "no vocoders" by doing stuff like vocoding "No parking on the dance floor" in the middle of other songs?  Certainly!   I'd already have a hydrasynth if it had one that worked well.  I never could get my Modx vocoder to work worth a darn.

 

I have the original KingKORG, the vocoder is really good imho, definitely seriosuly useful!

 

[allan_evett]

I've simplified a lot since the early 2000s, especially with regard to synth hardware. It's been a while since I had interchageable racks - a slightly more modest version of what The Real MC  has listed above (And I thought my 1992 rig was elaborate 😄). Though I did cover the chair for a regional Pink Floyd tribute in 2015, gigging has steered back toward my musical roots of classic/alt rock, country and newer rock... So for local, minimum-stage-space gigs my Stage 4 Compact does an entire evening quite easily.  Other than a couple nearby jobs, I've been out of the scene for a few months; but now that I'm driving again there are plans to ramp up playing out. For better paying/larger stage jobs I'd take out my CK88 with the Stage 4 73 up top.  Having the weighted 88 is a big plus, when doable.

 

If heavier-duty synth work is needed the Stage 4 can do a lot; plus I have a Fantom-7 and a couple other options. The Fantom-7 can be configured to imitate a multi-module 'phone booth-style' synth rack of yore, though I suspect the sounds would still have a somewhat characterist Roland 'vibe'.  But I can now create a virtual rack in my 2020 MBP; have done some experimenting there, and want to explore more. I've messed a little with MainStage in the past, and am thinking it's time to dig in again - especially with the more powerful and lightweight laptop. 

[ABECK]

3 hours ago, allan_evett said:

I've messed a little with MainStage in the past, and am thinking it's time to dig in again - especially with the more powerful and lightweight laptop. 

Just curious (cause I see a lot of players on youtube with Nord Stage keyboards that are primarily being used as controllers for Mainstage) - Are you leaning towards digging  into Mainstage again because there are shortcomings with the Nord Stage?  I often wonder if people are leaving a lot of horsepower and functionality on the table when they incorporate virtual instruments into rigs with already robust hardware.  (I realize I may have opened a can of worms here.)

 

 

[NewImprov]

On 3/28/2024 at 9:47 AM, Dave Number Four said:

I've got a Sequential Take 5 on top of my YC88 for a jam band, some fusion gigs, and increasingly some regular cover band gigs.

 

I'm also bringing my Take 5 to gigs lately. My core setup is Rhodes Stage 73 (or Korg Grandstage 73 for smaller gigs) and an Arturia Keylab 61 controlling MainStage on top, and in an L-config to my right, a Crumar Mojo with the Take 5 on the 2nd tier. Before the T5, I did all my synth stuff from MainStage, along with clav, Mellotron, etc. My main band is a funk/Afro-beat/Hip-Hop/Reggae band, so it's heavy on the Rhodes/Hammond/Clav sounds, but there's a decent amount of synth leads and pads in what we do. I love the T5, it's become one of my favorite synth solo instruments, I have a collection of highly tweaked mono lead patches I'm really digging. the short keyboard doesn't bother me that much, usually I am only playing it with one hand, and don't need the extra real estate. When I do, the front-panel octave/2 octave split feature helps, though I do wish it had programmable split-points. The T5 really sounds incredible, and has been really inspiring to program.

 

The only downside I've found with the T5 live is that its tuning can drift. I try to remember to let it run a bit before the start of the gig, and run the tuning routine a few minutes before the start of the gig. 

[Pianoman JC]

Yamaha CP4 for AP and EP. Korg Triton Classic for everything else.

 

 

 

JC

[Justin Havu]

MODX-7 is my main workhorse, but the rest of my rig will change depending on the band, and which sounds I need, or want, access to, as I don't like to change patches mid-song.

 

For the classic rork project, MODX handles AP, EP, along with some layers; Korg Karma takes care of soft pads and mellotron sounds; iPad running VB3m controlled by a Keylab 61 MkII for organ.

 

For one of the Christian bands where I handle left-hand bass, I'll truck the MODX, plus an SY77 for additional pads and big brass sounds, then a DX7 MIDI'd to a Behri Model D or a 2600 for bass parts.

 

The other Christian band requires my big rig:  MODX, SY77, then a Deepmind-12 for anything analog, iPad organ setup, and the Karma for soft pads and Mellotrons.  If I want some monosynth action, I'll MIDI the Keylab to my 2600 on a different MIDI channel.

[Dave Number Four]

4 hours ago, NewImprov said:

 

The only downside I've found with the T5 live is that its tuning can drift. I try to remember to let it run a bit before the start of the gig, and run the tuning routine a few minutes before the start of the gig. 

Interesting. I haven't noticed any tuning issues with mine since the first week I had it (when I ran the pitch calibration function several times as instructed).