How many Keyboards do yo need?

[DSGB21aol.com]

Me and a couple friends are putting together a good quality home studio and I have noticed alot of studio's have about three main keyboards that are used in my forms of music Rap/R&B/Pop. Why? What is the need for that many. We plan on getting a Roland G1000 workstation and an Roland XP-30. What more do we possibly need.

[Max Ventura]

You'll find that the G-1000 is more oriented to the one-man-band business than straight studio use, however it's still a capable tone generator-sequencer. Its sounds are somewhat short-sighted, though, and the XP-30 should provide the bulk of the classic/pop/rock/mild electronic sound you'll need 75% of the times. Or forget the XP-30 as a keyboard and get a sound module that'll do the same: a Roland JV-1080, for example, which is a VERY famous module with great sounds and I think in on special offer right now.

For the electronic side, take a Yamaha CS6X which will provide a lot of options for your tracks with no need to buy dedicated virtual-analog synths, but if you are of a mind you COULD get a virtual-analog machine, such as Roland JP8080, Novation Nova, or Korg MS-2000 R. Once you do this, you should have all the sounds you'll ever need, ever, but you might wanna add a sampler, and I suggest both a phrase sampler which will handle loops and sequences, and a classic rack sampler, which will handle sound libraries.

Theoretically, both types of samplers should do both jobs, but you'll find that in practice Akai rack samplers handle well sound libraries but are very awkward and uninspiring with loops, whereas Yamaha' Su 700 Loop Factory is a marvellous loop sequencer with 40 tracks and timestretching in real time.

If you need a drum module, check out Novation Drumstation for the electronic sounds, or Alesis DM-5 or DM-PRO for a general overview.

Cheers

Max.

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by DSGB21@aol.com:

Me and a couple friends are putting together a good quality home studio and I have noticed alot of studio's have about three main keyboards that are used in my forms of music Rap/R&B/Pop. Why? What is the need for that many. We plan on getting a Roland G1000 workstation and an Roland XP-30. What more do we possibly need.

 

Several things are issues when it comes to owning and using multiple units. There are obvious advantages such as additional polyphony and lots of dedicated outputs, but the big one for me has got to be tonal variation. Consequently, I might be inclined to advise against two units by the same manufacturer.

 

There are lots of great combinations - mostly dependant on what it is that your ear wants to hear. If you don't want to do your recording on a computer, consider a workstation like the Triton along with an inexpensive tone module, such as a JV1010 or one of the Emu modules. Max's suggestions of a JV-1080 coupled with a Yamaha Cs6x would make a pretty killer setup as well.

 

If you're going to use your computer as a recorder, your possibilties become exponentially greater...then you just have to find products where the main determinant is that the sound set knocks you out...and how much $$$ you wanna spend, of course...

 

dB

[Max Ventura]

However, one last thought:

I think the choice of a module or a keyboard in the year 2001 cannot be based on sounds alone, as today most major manufacturers have achieved more or less the same quality and degree of technology, therefore their products tend to have similar sounds throughout. If you look for out-of-the ordinary sounds the European productions are very interesting (German, British and Swedish synths ahead, then Italian and Swiss).

But a piece of advice that I want you to follow is this:

whatever you get, GET SOMETHING THAT HAS ENOUGH REALTIME CONTROLS OVER THE MAIN FEATURES OF SOUND EDITING. As a general rule, THE MORE KNOBS & SLIDERS YOU SEE, THE BETTER.

You will soon discover that no matter how good a module sounds, if you're not capable of working your way into it fast enough to get results, it's as good as a slab of stone.

[Steven Denike]

Say, I was reading about the Alesis Andromeda . . . it has 16-voice multiphony, and thus 16 aux OUTPUTS!

I think that's a great idea, but does anyone have an idea about where to find 16 INputs?

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by Steven Denike:

Say, I was reading about the Alesis Andromeda . . . it has 16-voice multiphony, and thus 16 aux OUTPUTS!

 

Andromeda actually has 20 outputs: two main, two auxiliary, and 16 additional individual outputs (8 TRS jacks).

 

dB

[Steven Denike]

Yes, but if you're using the jacks for each voice separately (not the main outs), where are you going to send them? If you want to use one, will you have to use them all? How are the outputs patched internally?

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by Steven Denike:

Yes, but if you're using the jacks for each voice separately (not the main outs), where are you going to send them? If you want to use one, will you have to use them all? How are the outputs patched internally?

 

If you want to isolate the voices/channels individually, you use the separate outs. If you'd like to isolate more than one from the mains and only use one jack, assign them to the aux outs.

 

Assigning one voice to an individual output does not mean that you then need to use all of them - you can use the separate outs in conjunction with the main outs and the aux outs.

 

dB

[Steven Denike]

Is this a new way of doing things, or the 'analog' version of MIDI?

 

I'm excited by the chance to treat voices differently . . . I guess that's why that feature of the Andromeda grabbed my attention.

 

What particular applications do you see for the individual outs - anything supercreative, especially for 'live' performances (does anybody play live anymore?)

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by Steven Denike:

What particular applications do you see for the individual outs - anything supercreative, especially for 'live' performances (does anybody play live anymore?)

 

The idea behind Andromeda's output jack field is to allow you to be able to individually treat, process, or mix any individual voice or voices that you wish to in any combination that you can think of - a separate channel for your bass voice(s), being able to run a lead through a series of stomp boxes...literally pretty much anything is possible.

 

dB

[bannedmac]

I'm a wanker that felt it necessary to resurrect a bunch of threads so I could get to the minimum amount of posts to sell something in the Classifieds sub forum.

[cphollis]

I can't keep from LMAO!! Too funny. But, then again, what is old is new again. The questions don't change, only the answers do.

[DulceLabs.com]

This thread is so sold the OP has an AOL email address.

[MathOfInsects]

This thread is so sold the OP has an AOL email address.

 

This thread is so old the OP's social security number is 1.

 

This thread is so old that Moses signed OP's yearbook.

 

Thread is so old that OP's license plate is written in Roman numerals.

[ChiefDanG]

This thread is so old, nobody replied "Nord Lead".

[David Emm]

This topic reeks of zombie, of course, but its still amusing. When I was first being dazzled by ELP's "Trilogy," I thought I 'needed' twelve instruments, didn't you? After a few years, I amassed six whose variety and associated MIDI Spaghetti became *plenty*. It dwindled to four and now, its one beloved Korg and two Xkeys, because Logic is far larger than even my early dreams of being a one-man Hawkwind or some other ignorant jackassery. In this case, less isn't more; its *far* more.

[Doerfler]

This thread is so sold the OP has an AOL email address.

 

This thread is so old the OP's social security number is 1.

 

This thread is so old that Moses signed OP's yearbook.

 

Thread is so old that OP's license plate is written in Roman numerals.

 

Guys,(and girls ) this is a "Be Back", it's not a coincidence. SMDH

[Ed A.]

One USB MIDI controller plugged into a Mac.

[Al Quinn]

Two: one with weighted action and one with waterfall action

[Michael Wright]

Just one more.

[Six-string-man]

Just one more.

 

 

 

LOL

[GRollins]

Or, to put it more rigorously:

 

N = D(C + 1)

 

Where,

N = the desired number of keyboards

D = the amount of money available

C = the current number of keyboards

 

When the amount of money on hand is depleted (that is, D approaches 0), it lowers the ability to purchase a new keyboard. As D recovers, it increases both the desire and ability to buy a keyboard. Once acquisition occurs, N increases by one to become the new C, and D once more approaches 0.

 

Note that this produces an irregular oscillatory effect which, when amplified, produces a whining sound. There is a corresponding, but opposite polarity, whining sound created by the owner's significant other. Whereas the musician's whining peaks just before purchase, the significant other's whining peaks just after the increase in N. This phenomenon can, and frequently does, produce dissonance in the relationship.

 

Note that N is also known as "GAS," but as this is a vulgar term, we prefer the more formal expression: N.

 

Grey

[Bobadohshe]

I'm a wanker that felt it necessary to resurrect a bunch of threads so I could get to the minimum amount of posts to sell something in the Classifieds sub forum.

 

Holy $___ please don't.

[Song80s]

This thread is so sold the OP has an AOL email address.

 

And Nobody says " yo " anymore.

 

Since that is so old, WTH is 'yo ' inquiring minds are not asking:

 

1) How's yo momma?

2) Hey, yo! What's up, yo?

3) Yo! What the hell do you think you are doing?! Yo, just do your job! YO!

 

 

[Chris Link]

Reminds me of a story from an old friend.

 

His wife asks Jim, how many guitars do you need?

 

Mistaking the tone of her question and thinking she has taken a welcome, albeit unusual, interest in his musical hobby he replies, Well, a guy oughta have a Strat and a Les Paul of course and a nice acoustic like a Martin or a Taylor. Maybe a Telecaster. A semi-hollow body Gibson would be really nice...

 

A guy oughta have has been a running joke with us for years.

[hurricane hugo]

[font:Comic Sans MS]depends...how many you got?[/font]

[jeffincltnc]

One. Million. Keyboards.

 

So I can MIDI them all together at once.

 

And play Gary Numan "Cars".

 

#bucketlist

[Doc Tonewheel]

One. Million. Keyboards.

 

So I can MIDI them all together at once.

 

And play Gary Numan "Cars".

 

#bucketlist

 

:-) The Vox Humana Patch of Death!

[The Real MC]

Or, to put it more rigorously:

 

N = D(C + 1)

 

Where,

N = the desired number of keyboards

D = the amount of money available

C = the current number of keyboards

 

When the amount of money on hand is depleted (that is, D approaches 0), it lowers the ability to purchase a new keyboard. As D recovers, it increases both the desire and ability to buy a keyboard. Once acquisition occurs, N increases by one to become the new C, and D once more approaches 0.

 

Note that this produces an irregular oscillatory effect which, when amplified, produces a whining sound. There is a corresponding, but opposite polarity, whining sound created by the owner's significant other. Whereas the musician's whining peaks just before purchase, the significant other's whining peaks just after the increase in N. This phenomenon can, and frequently does, produce dissonance in the relationship.

 

Note that N is also known as "GAS," but as this is a vulgar term, we prefer the more formal expression: N.

 

Grey

 

You left out a term. Amended formula:

 

N = D(C + 1)(1 - G)

 

Where "G" is number of SOs. Any value of G greater than zero forces the result N to zero or a negative number.

 

[GRollins]

For causal clarity, you should probably put (1-G) closer to the D--representing Dollars--that being the term that is depleted by the SOs.

 

Am I correct in thinking that G represents Girlfriend(s)? If so, we may need to express Wife as W, a separate term, with some potential interaction between G and W, (presumed, but not necessarily, negative, depending on the details of the relationships in question).

 

I suppose that we should also allow for the SO to be a Husband (H) or Boyfriend (B).

 

This formula could conceivably get quite complicated.

 

Grey