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I am 59 years old and am involved in 3 musical projects. One in MN called US which is a cover band doing 1960s and early 70s tunes. That band has 3 female backup vocalists (the USettes) so we utilize them for tunes like Joe Cocker's version of A Little Help from My Friends etc. Originally the US band played together when we were all teenagers (mid-1960s) and we reunited in 2004. The USettes are the daughters of our lead singer. Nice long-time, friendly band. Another musical project is Anonymous Inventions which is my solo recording project - no live shows since it's only me playing. It's jazz fusion. To listen go to http://www.anonymousinventions.com/music/lighterthanair/lighterthanair.html The last musical project is a band in FL called Mojo Sandwich. It's a live, loud bar band which does mostly cover tunes, fairly funky, of all different types. We fired the guitarist some months back and are searching for a new one. I play keyboards, drums and bass, but play keys in the groups and sometimes drums with US.

Anonymous Inventions

http://www.anonymousinventions.com

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi!

 

My name is Tobias and I'm a keyboard addict...

As some of you probably noticed I've been lurking around here for +4 years... so it's probably about time I introduce myself... :)

 

Born and raised in the somewhere slightly south of the middle of Sweden. About 33 yrs old, been playing the piano for the last 20 years. From the start, classical trained, but then the rock n roll demon got a hold of me - and ever since my brother first let me played his electronic keyboards I was hooked, or addicted, if you will! :)

 

Attended music schools for five yrs in my late teens/early twenties - mostly playing European folk music, blues and 70's soul - and for the final two yrs mostly jazz and fusion.

Then something else got a hold of me... and I decided to become an electronics engineer instead...

 

So here I am about ten yrs later. During daylight I work as a research engineer at a hearing research lab, and at night I play music most of the time... when I'm not searching the web to feed my GAS... :)

 

Currently I'm in two bands - one 50's style jump blues, called BlueStompers, and a 70's funk band (a la the Meters, Sly Stone, Rufus Thomas etc) - Funked Up Beyond All Recognition, or simply F.U.B.A.R

When I'm not playing amplified music I occasionally play guitar by the camp fire or playing sentimental Swedish folk music on my beautiful fiddle, cheap soprano sax, but most of the time on my Suzuki melodica, of course!

 

Nowadays I'm mostly into clonewheels, and electronic keyboards with lots of knobs and big screens. Being a Swede, I'm of course a big fan of r-e-d and also a often into vocoding! ;) To ridicule myself further - yes I do have own keytar as well! :D

Too much stuff, too little time, too few gigs, should spend more time practicing...!  🙄

main instruments: Nord Stage 3 compact, Yamaha CP88, Kurzweil PC4, Viscount KeyB Legend Live

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  • 4 weeks later...

New to the forum. I started out as a Hammond player (model H-100). Played for church for years (still do). Did various organ competitions and the like, mainly on Yamaha Electones. The last 15 years I've focused more on digital piano with a little acoustic piano thrown in. I'm still a Hammond player at heart - right hand playing lead, left hand comping and feet playing bass. Of late, I've been getting into the arranger keyboard stuff but feel most comfortable playing an acoustic or electric piano patch and playing what moves me. I don't enjoy playing Hammond patches on keyboards so much. I rather prefer sitting at the organ. Otherwise, it just doesn't feel like a Hammond. Music preferences: Gospel, jazz, jazz, gospel - any pop songs, provided they have a jazz or gospel feel; some blues and just barely enough classical to "play something classical" if I'm asked to.

Great forum you've got here. I look forward to participating.

Cloner

Yamaha DX7S, Ensoniq ESQ-1, Yamaha HX-3, Clavinova CLP-300, PSR-740

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I am new to this board and new to keys as well.

 

I am primarily a songwriter/lyricist first, musician second and vocalist third.

 

I love the industrial groove.

 

I've been using a E-MU XL-7 Command Station for producing beats, rhythms, and such. I also use a digital interface and record to my PC using Cubase.

 

I've collaborated with other musicians in the past but have found that if I really want to write songs, I need to become more of a musician myself. So that is what I've been working on for the past half dozen years or so.

 

In the mean time, I've acquired a Yamaha EX7 synth and am now very much interested in getting the EX7 to talk with and/or control the XL-7. Which is the reason for posting on this site. I'm looking for help with technology as well as keyboard playing tips, lessons/ideas and such.

 

I must say this site is loaded with good information. Thank you in advance.

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Hi folks - I'm Alan Nelson, 53 years old, Scottish, and a professional rock keyboardist. I left university (studying medicine) towards the end of the 70's to become a rock and roll star. My parents still haven't forgiven me. I started the Eighties as one of the "founding fathers" of the NWOBHM. The what? Failing miserably to become a rock star, I became a gun for hire doing touring work for various hard and commercial rock bands, and also did some songwriting. I'm particularly proud of having written two singles for the rock guitarist Michael Schenker, and (bizarrely) playing keyboards for W.A.S.P. during their 1989 "Headless Children" tour, walking in the shoes of the mighty Ken Hensley. During the Nineties, as the touring work dried up due to the rise of (keyboard-less) grunge rock and the death of the MTV rock in which I'd specialised , I concentrated more on studio engineering, running a small demo recording studio and later doing some tape-oping and junior engineering for producers and artistes far better than I. Eventually I wised up and returned to my first love, live work. For the last ten years or so, I have worked in various rock-orientated cover and tribute bands.

 

Gear-wise, I have been lucky enough during the years to have played many of the synths and keyboards now considered to be classics, you all know the stuff I mean - Mellotron, Hammond, Clavinet, Prophet, CS80, OB8, Minimoog, Memorymoog, Odyssey, Jupiter 8 and countless others, even the rare single keyboard version of the Prophet 10. Some deserve their hallowed status. Others, not so much.

 

My current gear, well last year I finally traded in my rack modules, including an MKS70 and a TX802, for my Dream Team - a Nord Stage 88 and Triton Extreme 76 with MOSS board. Now all my sound problems are fixed forever! Yeah, right....

 

These are run through a Behringer RX1602 line mixer, and in a couple of weeks I'm upgrading from my Mackie SRM450s to EV ZXA1s. Yeah two of them. Ya wanna make sumpin' of it...?

 

I still have a D50 which I can't really justify taking to gigs, but I just can't quite bring myself to get rid of it, it's just too much fun. Also a dark brown Minimoog, which sadly languishes in a cupboard, badly in need of some TLC.

 

Well, that's me...

 

Lang may yer lums reek.

 

Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. - W. C. Fields

 

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Welcome to the forum, Alan! We have a few members from the UK, such as Aidan, jpscoey, and some others. I think some of them get together sometimes, especially to check out gear.

 

I'm looking forward to your posts here.

 

Lang may yer lums reek.
Um, what? :D

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Hi Joe

 

Thanks for your kind words. I'm looking forward to contributing here in due course. If I can get a word in edgeways....

 

PS it's a Scottish saying. You should be able to Google it.

 

Cheers!

Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. - W. C. Fields

 

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Hi Joe

 

Thanks for your kind words. I'm looking forward to contributing here in due course. If I can get a word in edgeways....

 

PS it's a Scottish saying. You should be able to Google it.

 

Cheers!

 

Hey! Mukker! Welcome.

 

"Guid gear comes in sma' bulk"

 

(and...thats the end of my googling abilities.. :D )

Steve Force,

Durham, North Carolina

--------

My Professional Websites

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And of course the classic: You luking at ma bird, Jimmy?

 

Is that followed by the traditional 'Glaswegian Kiss'? :D !

 

(to our US friends - that's a headbutt !)

 

A very warm welcome to the forum Alan - looks like, with your experiences, you'll have a lot to contribute.

John.

 

some stuff on myspace

 

Nord: StageEX-88, Electro2-73, Hammond: XK-1, Yamaha: XS7

Korg: M3-73 EXpanded, M50-88, X50, Roland: Juno D, Kurzweil: K2000vp.

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Welcome, Alan. I live in Robbie Williams territory here in Stoke but count myself as an honorary Scot, having spent a good few of my early years in Ayr - I've long since lost the accent, though. As I was at school with Moira Anderson's nephew, here's a little something to make you feel at home...

 

[video:youtube]

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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Hi to you both, John and Aiden, and thanks for your welcome.

 

Andy Stewart brings back memories. (Runs shrieking from the room)I find it incredible now that as children we watched hours and hours of this s...tuff and thought nothing of it. Now..? Oh, the pain, the pain...

Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. - W. C. Fields

 

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Who needs trousers when you have dignity...?

Unfortunately, I don't have any dignity left these days.....

 

but I do have several pairs of trousers !!! :thu:

John.

 

some stuff on myspace

 

Nord: StageEX-88, Electro2-73, Hammond: XK-1, Yamaha: XS7

Korg: M3-73 EXpanded, M50-88, X50, Roland: Juno D, Kurzweil: K2000vp.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Happy July 2011, everyone. I'm a longtime Keyboard reader, player... decided that connecting with some other folks through this forum would be fun.

 

My name is Paul Joseph. I currently live in Dalton, GA but I'm relocating back to the Atlanta area soon because that's where most of my work is.

 

Quick bio - been playing keys, singing, and writing for over 37 years. I toured from 1985 to 1990 playing keys for a Christian rock band called Broken Heart, nominated for two Grammys with them, and won a Grammy in 1987. Had lots of "real" jobs, and currently I'm back doing music full-time, playing piano bar, writing, and whatever pick-up gigs I can get.

 

My current rig is a 88 key Korg SV-1, running through a Bose L1 model II system. I also use a TC-Helicon Harmony M, and a MacBook Pro running some custom-made tracks on both GarageBand and Logic Express.

I have a few other odds and ends keyboard-wise, including a Korg MicroStation, Roland D-70, Korg Poly800 MkII, Yamaha KX-1 keytar, and a Yamaha CS01 mkII.

 

Looking forward to contributing to the conversation and meeting y'all...

Korg SV-1 88, Korg MicroStation, Roland D-70, Korg Poly800, Yamaha CS01, Casio SK1, Yamaha KX-1
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  • 3 weeks later...
Hello folks, My name is Paul Kallestad. I've been playing keys since I was too young to work the bellows pedals of the pump organ in my Grandparents house. The distinct tones and harmonics of the M3 owned by other relatives forged the synaptic connection resulting in my lifelong addiction to Hammonds. I've steadfastly refused to seek 12 Step program or medical treatment for this affliction, choosing instead, to cart heavy objects weighing up to 3 times my mass, about the countryside. Although the years have been mostly kind, (God has truly blessed me), "The Weight", of even my self designed chopped Hammonds, became a "Burdon" that was no longer physically tolerable. So in 2007 I 'downsized' to a Hammond XK3 and a Nord Electro 73. I still run through a 147 or 145 Leslie... "There's Nothing Like the Real Thing" as far as that set of physics applies. Over the years I have been fortunate to play with great friends, who are also exceptionally talented musicians. In the early years my "Journey" began in the Northern Plains, then traveled briefly to Long Island, and returned to Fargo. Traveling West, I spent 23 years living and playing in various locales in Southern California before returning to ND in 2005. I toured and recorded with Blues artist Walter Trout from 1998 through 2000. Currently I am playing in "Little Donnie & the GrooveTones" with my bother Jerry, a great guitarist. I have been lurking here for a while, and I really enjoy the contributions of the members who post insightful, articulate and humorous, (occasionally in the same post), content. I look forward to making some new friends and positive contributions.

Synthesizers??? I don't need no stinkin' synthesizers!

XK3; Nord E2-73; Leslie 147; 2 Leslie 145s; '53 Chopped C2; '54 C2; '60 A101... etc

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Hay y'all.

 

Longtime keyboard player (and Keyboard reader - I have almost all issues going back to 1990!) just joining the conversation.

 

Gear List:

Korg Wavestation A/D

Kurzweil K250

Kurzweil K1000PX

Kurzweil K1000GX

Kurzweil K1200 Pro II

Peavey Spectrum Bass II

Roland R8

Voce V3 + MIDI Drawbar 2.0

Yamaha DX7II

Yamaha FS1r

Yamaha P50-m

Yamaha QY700

Yamaha VL70m

 

Wish List:

Yamaha Motif XS8

Roland SPD-30

Korg SV-1

Dual-manual cloneweheel

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi folks!

 

Long time lurker here, hope to start posting a bit more and joining in the fun....

 

My name is Rob Poyton, late 40s (how did that happen!). Started playing piano as a kid, jopined my first band at 18 - playing a Godwin organ and Roland string machine!

 

Currently working pretty much full-time in music, dividing my time between a Deep Purple tribute, various function / soul bands and an originals surf / garage outift as well as a goth rock outfit 13 Candles! Also planning on writing / recording an album later this year (purely self indulgent)

 

Love all things Hammond - the usual heros, Jimmy Smith, Jon Lord, etc. Have had the pleasure of meeting Brian Auger and Don Airey recently, both outstanding players and true gentlemen!

 

Still have my old chopped T200 that I gigged with in the 80s and recently sold a chopped H100 (too heavy to gig!).

 

Most times now I go out with an XK1 and a Solton Turbo rotary amp, use Roland / Korg synths for strings, piano, etc

 

cheers!

 

Rob

Remember - you can make a record without an organ on it, but it won't be as good

 

www.robpoyton.co.uk

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Welcome to KC, Rob. You will definitely find some Hammond (and various clones) lovers here. You got to the late 40's the same way I'm almost to 70 - ya keep on gittin' older till ya stop.

 

Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's

HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jim

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Hello, Im Chris and I have been following your forum for over two years now. I would have joined a long time ago, but I have a chronic dry eye condition that severely limits my time on the net. I finally decided to join the KC since I think you are a great group of folks who seem to have a strong sense of camaraderie here, and I have learned a lot from the advice/tips/stories I have read here.

 

I have been involved with keyboards since the early 1980s and I have had no formal training in music, so I classify myself as a hobby studio musician.

 

My first synth was a Yamaha SK-20 polyphonic ensemble I bought in 1983 (it had a good Hammond sound but I sold it in the early 90s for peanuts as it was falling apart internally). Prior to that, I owned an old and cranky red Farfisa single manual organ which used to get hot and sound out of tune occasionally. I then bought a Roland D-70 in 1990, although I played and wanted a JX-10 (the salesman said the D-70 was way better and convinced me to wait a few months until it debuted). I love the D-70 for its sound and controller functions (IMO it was ahead of its time, while its poor reliability gives me a frequent headache). Since then I have acquired a few more boards including a cool Technics SX-U90P organ. In the past I have had the chance to play the Yamaha CS-70M, Memorymoog and Prophet 5. Throughout the early 80s-90s, I would hang out at the local music stores on weekends to try out their fancy gear, so I was never bored.

 

I enjoy programming my own sounds and understand the basics of Midi but my DAW experience consists of using Sonar LE for a few hours in the past, although I would be a DAW fanatic if my eyes were better. I currently use my onboard sequencers along with my older reliable MC-50Mk2.

 

My musical influences are Saga, Genesis, Marillion (with Fish), Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, Amin Bhatia (Interstellar Suite) and Michael Stearns, just to name a few. I also enjoy all of the pop/rock bands of the past as well as some of the current dream pop such as M83. I was fortunate to grow up listening to classic jazz as my Dad was always playing something from that era, so piano greats such as Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck and the like were always playing in the background.

 

The first album that got me into synths was Pink Floyds Animals, that I got as a birthday gift in 1977. I wore that record out in no time and recall one of your members here was also taken back by this album.

 

My first Keyboard mag I purchased and read cover to cover was an old issue featuring Patrick Moraz and his Oberheims on the cover.

 

As for my professional life, I used to implement and maintain quality systems for small to medium sized high-tech manufacturing firms.

 

Cheers.

My world: www.chriselkins.ca

 

 

Roland D-70/SC-55, Kawai K5000s, Korg Triton Extreme 88, Yamaha MO8, Yamaha SY-99, Technics SX-U90P 'Pro90'

 

"I've heard a lot worse!"

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Welcome, Chris! I had to look up the town Squamish to be sure it was a real place. :)

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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  • 2 weeks later...

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