Yanni (ok, ok, I know) Why 6 Tritons?

[coyote]

I think you're right about the envy.

Originally posted by niacin:

Jealous you are, that's all.

 

And don't tell me Rick Wakeman had Moog stacks just for the patch layout. They went with cape. What he really needed was a good hairdresser ...

But I also think you're wrong about the minimoog stacks. While they did indeed go with the cape, Wakeman was also using them constantly. Given the rigors of the road and the lack of presets, he probably needed all of 'em to ensure a performance went well.

[SoundMeister]

Originally posted by dementia13:

...he has interesting arrangements and is smart -and tasteful- enough to feature some deadly musicians as sidemen. You can rent "Live at the Acropolis" and see some killer performances.

Someone gave me some tickets when Yanni passed through on his last tour. His band was outstanding. The soloists were superb.

 

Regarding the Tritons, he'd have to play the two bottom ones with his feet. They are down too low. In concert, I don't recall him switching between the different Tritons. I think he may have used one of them at one point. Mostly he played piano.

 

Yanni doesn't need defending. He has sold more albums than most of us ever will.

 

~Peter Schouten

Pyramid Sound Productions

[danielbailey]

OK, at the risk of embarrassing myself here, I'll jump in...

 

My wife and I went to Yanni here in Colorado Springs, and I too thought, "Wow, really overkill in the keyboard department".

 

I looked a bit closer and 1 keyboard was a Peavey 88 key controller, covered up with wood or something, but yes there were 5, count em, five Triton ESs.

 

During the show, he only used the Peavey, and maybe 2 or 3 of the Tritons. The other keyboardist played all the other stuff...

 

Can you say "long MIDI cables" from the keyboardist? Actually, no, because he had a real B3 and a Triton, and one other thing I can't remember.

 

It was a good show because the other backup musicians are incredible performers.

 

As far as Yanni? Well, I guess long hair is good for something... ;-)

 

dB

 

http://danielbailey.blogspot.com/

[Dog Tales]

You wanna see an overblown Korg-fest? Check out Saga-All Areas Live in Bonn 2002 DVD. Jim Gilmour's rig puts Yanni's to shame, even had Korg apex stands for, what seems like, thousands of Korgs.

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Rabid:

Originally posted by Magpel:

Why 6 Tritons? Ask Dan South

 

.....

Darn it, you beat me. I wanted to say that.

 

It seems that Dan and Yanie have something in common.

Yeah, we're both handsome.

 

 

Here's my official multi-Triton defense:

 

I can't speak for the Yanster, but I find it convenient to start an arrangement by quickly pulling up one sound per instrument in program mode when the inspiration is fresh. Then later, if I need more tracks, I'll switch to sequence/multi mode and transfer over each program's insert effects.

 

Here's where things get tricky. The Triton allows you to copy the effects directly from a program to a multi/sequence setup. It's much better than the Roland architecture where you can kind of, sort of approximate the same setup but not get it exactly.

 

The drawback is that you are limited to five (5) insert effects per multi. Some programs use as many as three. So, even though a Triton multi can play sixteen different programs - voice limits apply, of course - I find that I can usually only get two or three per Triton if I want to keep the original insert effects. So, for an arrangement of 10 to 12 different Triton programs, I need four units (three racks and an original 61).

 

I like to develop complete arrangements in MIDI before I begin tracking. If you don't work this way, you won't need the same setup. Soft synths and samplers are replacing some of my Triton voices these days, but there's kind of a gutsy magic to the Triton sound that I can't replicate in most instances. Your mileage may vary.

 

Yanni makes a lot more $$$$ than I do. Six doesn't seem like a lot for a guy who boffs TV stars.

[RudyS]

Originally posted by Dan South:

Yanni makes a lot more $$$$ than I do. Six doesn't seem like a lot for a guy who boffs TV stars.

I think he makes a little extra with his rockband in the weekends

http://members.home.nl/harmadewit/log/fotosjop/67098lRTQ_w.jpg .

[Tusker]

Rick Wakeman's standard touring rig was two minimoogs. He often had them on different settings and needed both to pull off songs like Close to the Edge. They were absolutely necessary. There were other keyboards (B3, mellotrons, piano, RMI) and these were also necessary in a time when there was no patch memory.

 

Today Rick travels with 10 keyboards, and it is dificult to say that they are all necessary.

 

I don't know if necessity is the best question for an entertainer. Did Jimi have to light his guitar? Did Emerson have to stab his poor Hammond? Did Liberace need all the rhinestones? Did Elton John need the big glasses?

 

Jerry

[niacin]

I saw Wakeman playing with John Williams' band Sky about 1986. He was surrounded by racks of keyboards. Dunno what, but I do know he didn't play all of em.

It's probably understandable though, I mean he goes from being surrounded by furniture in the way of the B3, mellotron, RMI, piano, moogs, etc., and now he could just use one or two keyboards (not that they'd sound exactly the same of course), but he'd probably feel lonely and naked with just one keyboard.

[Angelo Clematide]

Hi YANNIHOLICS,

 

Dave Horne:---->I bet Korg supplies him with the keyboards.

Angelo:---->it's Linda who supplies bubi with keyboards. Isn't love a wonderful thing.

 

Dave Horne:---->Is it possible to look deep into that music?

Angelo:----->No, but one can look right through it!

 

It would be too easy to make a bunch of Yanni jokes in this space. The long hair, the Magnum P.I. mustache, the instrumental jams that inspired John Tesh to attack the musical sensibilities of a nation. They are all just begging for our mockery. But the fact is that Yanni is booked into the Hp Pavilion, which means that over 10,000 Yanniholics will be on hand to worship at the alter of their hippy idol. That is just too much peaceful karma in one place for us to take a cheap shot and not expect some sort of cosmic revenge. Go Yanni! - the wave magazine

[yannis D]

Hey Angelo, are you of greek decsendance? Your name has something greek to it.

Yannis (not THAT one)

[coyote]

***DING DING DING*** WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

Originally posted by Tusker:

I don't know if necessity is the best question for an entertainer. Did Jimi have to light his guitar? Did Emerson have to stab his poor Hammond? Did Liberace need all the rhinestones? Did Elton John need the big glasses?

Jerry

Folks.... If we're in the studio or in a small jazz club or playing a wedding or in an orchestra pit, we're musicians.

 

The minute we step onto a STAGE as featured players, we become entertainers!!! Too many of us try to ignore this fact. Musical neccessity and entertainment neccessity are overlapping but different things.

[Angelo Clematide]

yanni:---->Hey Angelo, are you of greek decsendance? Your name has something greek to it.

 

Yes, my ancestors are from Athen and moved to ROMA in 150 B.C.. Circa 58 B.C: my forefather stayed in Helvetia after the roman army returned home. In 1226 A.D. my ancestor knight Rudolf von Hagenwil went to the holy land with king Friedrich II. Luitpold of Bavaria daughter was sent to a school in Switzerland where she married Auguste Beauverd, a electricien, they had 9 children together, one was Irma my mother, and here I am.

 

By the way, i played a couple of times in that jazz club behind the acropolis in the plaka, so circa 1979, with me was guitarist Theo Kapilidis from Drama and Albert Landolt from Boston.

 

-

[Felix_dup1]

Why is it, that when there's a "Describe your Rig" thread, the guys with the longest lists of gear are met with envious replies, but when an artist has a self-indulgent rig on stage, they get scoffed at?

 

What's wrong with a cool-looking keyboard rig? Is that really any worse than a modest rig that's connected to a massive arsenal of synth gear that's hidden under the stage. Seems like the latter scenario is more of a crime than the first. Geoff Downes might have had quite the overkill of a live keyboard rig when he toured with Asia, but he actually used them (and don't many acts tour with equivalent synth horsepower nowadays - only it's in softsynths, racks, etc.)? So we roll our eyes at Geoff and Yanni - but drool at the understage keyboard rigs of Madonna and U2?

 

Maybe it's just funnier to talk about Yanni...

[Angelo Clematide]

felix:---->What's wrong with a cool-looking keyboard rig....

 

Angelo:--->nothing, i have circa 80 synths in the storage room...

[yannis D]

Hey Angelo - Theo Kapilidis is known as a good drummer here. This jazz club... do you remember the name? (Maybe "Half Note")

regards

Yannis

[coyote]

You've just nailed the essence of the thing by this association.

 

Many folks view the music produced by Yanni as somewhat vapid, even if it might be skillfully composed and executed. Now think of Asia... they brought a phenomenal talent level, along with truckloads of dazzling gear, to make mediocre pop dittys. Again the music was skillfully composed, and executed by some of the best in the business. And it had hooks that would make the Beatles proud. But it was music for the masses to use as sonic wallpaper and unashamed to be otherwise. Just like Yanni's music.

 

BTW - in the above I'm really not slagging the music of either Yanni or Downes. I happen to enjoy it from time to time.

Originally posted by felix:

Geoff Downes might have had quite the overkill of a live keyboard rig when he toured with Asia, but he actually used them (and don't many acts tour with equivalent synth horsepower nowadays - only it's in softsynths, racks, etc.)? So we roll our eyes at Geoff and Yanni - but drool at the understage keyboard rigs of Madonna and U2?

 

Maybe it's just funnier to talk about Yanni...

[The Magician]

Originally posted by Tusker:

Today Rick travels with 10 keyboards, and it is dificult to say that they are all necessary.

 

Jerry

To pull off Heart of the Sunrise, Close to the edge, Awaken and some of the Magnification pieces, Rick needs 10 seperate keyboards. He seems to play alot more keyboard than a split 88 will allow (Pipe Organ solo part alone on Awaken takes all 88.)

 

As far as Yanni goes he is not in my CD player regularly, but I do like the ambient background "syrup" I find very relaxing. As far as Kenny G goes, I dislike all Saxes except Bari and Bass, so its nothing personal. As far as Tesh goes, he is a far better compser/ Pianist than many if not most of you (I have heard the Keyboard Forum comp discs). When I get BETTER than him, I will still appreciate the challenge I have had learning his material and the Ideas it has spawned into mine.

 

Andy

The Magician (working magic on a Hammond E-112 at the moment)

[Angelo Clematide]

Originally posted by yannis D:

Hey Angelo - Theo Kapilidis is known as a good drummer here. This jazz club... do you remember the name? (Maybe "Half Note")

regards

Yannis

I know the Drummer Nickos Kapilidis, he is the brother of Theo Kapilidis our guitar player at

that time. The time i played in Greece, he was living in Saloniki with his wives and young childrens. We had a nice time togheter when my band "Jazz Machine" played in Greece. Theo told me that all his brothers, all musicians, are living now in Athen.

 

One morning on the way to the rehearsals at the club in Saloniki, we had a crash with a city bus, and my new car was totally destroyed, I had to finish the tour with a dislocated collar-bone. Circa four years later I received $2000.- from the greek insurance. Our tour was normally Saloniki, Kavala, Larisa, Athens, one week in each spot.

 

The name of the club in Plaka i don't remember, but he was just at the edge of a little park a little up the hill, and you could see the huge acropolis temple above, possibly the Erechtheion. One thing i remember very clearly, the club owner had a jazz record collection of 25'000 vinyl records. In the afternoon, i was listening to all those records i never heard before at his home.

[yannis D]

Angelo: the name of the drummer is Nikos as you said. I was talking about him, not his guitarist brother you played with.

Nikos Kapilidis has got a CD out this month. He's a good, kinda of "busy" player, and at the time he's working a lot on odd balcan-greek meters an rhythms. He's got a son, a talented multi instrumentalist, really good drummer and guitar player and a in demand session man.

I think the club owner's name was Barakos - a figure in the jazz scene here, passed away some years now.

Must have been nice to play on those days in Athens - you're lucky you got compensated from the bus driver!

regards

Yannis

[Angelo Clematide]

yannis D:-----lucky you got compensated from the bus driver!

 

Angelo:---->WHAT!!!! compensated?

 

Yes, Barakos. Wonder what happen to his fantastic jazz record collection.

 

The name of the other brother, the keyboard player, is Dimitris Kapilidis. I remember sitting in Dimitris Saloniki appartment in a upper floor, when a EARTHQUAKE shaked the house, and then running outside, a experience i never forget. The whole city was sleeping outside for months, what a picture.

 

Tell Nickos some lovely greeting from me!

I just looked at his website:

http://www.nickoskapilidis.gr/

 

I go and play a Zembekiko now...

[coyote]

It's all Greek to me.

[Angelo Clematide]

Yanni is greek