What happened to the Motif synth tricks in KEYBOARD?

[Darcity]

I remember all of the big boyz (Fantom, Triton, and Motif)having tips for all three. What happened to the Motif? Two issues, no tips/tricks?

 

What gives?

[Ken Hughes]

At the moment Synth Workshop has re-entered "work-in-progress" status. A couple of reasons for the temporary dropout of Yamaha: I had been writing the Motif tips myself, since I was working on a Motif book for our books division, Backbeat Books. I gave up that project at around the same time as there was a staff shuffle at Yamaha, and I've had trouble ascertaining who I should be working with there to take over the writing of the tips.

 

Otherwise, Roland and Korg were absolutely fabulous about getting me stuff for S.W., but we had almost exhausted the supply of tips that would fit into the "6-steps-or-less" format. Then there were the manufacturers who didn't really want to participate - I'l publicly out Clavia in particular. Jason Stanfield at Armadillo (the US distributor) was excited about it but too overloaded to produce the tips himself, and the folks at Clavia HQ in Sweden apparently failed to see any value for themselves in a regularly-scheduled half page of free ink in Keyboard. Go figure.

 

The idea behind SW was to offer tips that would help the largest number of readers, so we targeted the top-selling keyboards: Fantom, Motif, and Triton. We had always planned that the fourth quarter of the feature would rotate between less-popular but still common synths like the Nords, the Alesis Ion and Micron, the Access stuff, and like that.

 

Confession time: I've been unable as of yet to get this thing up and walking on its own. And until today there had been zero feedback about it. Nobody saying "I love this!" or "What a waste of space!" Nobody said boo, actually. So it was unclear whether we should continue Synth Workshop or sink it.

 

Ironically, just after the feature won a design award for "Best How-To Section" and beat some big mags for it, we're playing with the format, trying to make sure it serves you guys and offers the manufacturers adequate space to present tips for months to come.

 

So starting with the October issue, the two pages are devoted to walking you through a more involved process on a single synth. The format's the same, with pics showing you exactly what to do and what the screen should look like if you're in the right place, etc. Roland is kicking off the new format with a Fantom X tip, and the others will follow on a rotating basis.

 

Sound off! Is SW helpful, or is it two useless pages?

[daBowsa]

Originally posted by Ken Hughes:

I'l publicly out Clavia in particular. Jason Stanfield at Armadillo (the US distributor) was excited about it but too overloaded to produce the tips himself, and the folks at Clavia HQ in Sweden apparently failed to see any value for themselves in a regularly-scheduled half page of free ink in Keyboard. Go figure.

Clavia pays to advertise in your magazine, right? Don't know why you'd want to bad mouth them because they're too busy or uninterested in free space as long as they keep paying their bill.

 

Of course Roland and Korg will get you tips, they're HUGE. I, of course, know nothing about the "ins" of the industry, but it appears that Clavia doesn't have the resources of the "big three." Maybe instead of writing Yamaha tips, you should let Yamaha submit tips for Yamaha and you should write the tips for the smaller guys.

 

Again, I have no idea what I'm talking about but it seems weird that you'd volunteer such a "public outing" without even being pressed for it. Is there something else going on here?

[Ken Hughes]

This is a switch. Usually we're accused of treating the advertisers too favorably, and here's an objection to my bad mouthing one. Which I didn't really intend, by the way. "Outing" them was a poor choice of words, motivated by frustration, and for that I apologize. They have their reasons, and Jason seems as baffled as I am about it. No, there's nothing else going on.

 

Roland isn't as big as you might think. Same goes for Korg and Yamaha. There are golf-club manufacturers who employ more people and turn over more money. Our industry is shockingly small compared to other "specialty" businesses.

 

If I can persuade Clavia, Access, Alesis, Dave Smith, and Moog Music (and every other "little guy" I'm forgetting at the moment) to loan us units indefinitely so I can both use them enough to bring you meaty tips and have them in house for the accompanying photos, I'll absolutely consider writing up the non-Big-Three tips myself.

 

I'm still hoping for feedback on whether or not Synth Workshop helps out a lot of people. Anyone? Bueller . . . Bueller?

[b3keys]

Ken,

I really like the Synth Workshop series. So much, that it was one of the items that led to my purchase of a Fantom X7.

[Darcity]

WOW!!!!!!! I wasn't expecting an answer like that, but thanks Ken for the honest response! Even though I lurk on Motifator.com, I look forward to the SW section tips as well. I can't wait until you put the new concept in place!

[clusterchord]

i think its a great series of articles , and truth be told, i was thinking even before that you should widen the selection beyond the standard ROMpler "hell" a bit. Nord Lead, Virus, Andromeda, etc - there are many synths that sell perhaps less than big three but are still very popular and used by many, esp in recordings.

 

besides, i dont have to own any peticular synth covered in order to be interested in the article - it usually provides me with additional info, that may or may not influence future purchase. that's why i always read motif stuff even tho i never had one.. so now, moog, dsi, se electronics.. bring it on !!

 

 

 

sml note on alleged "bad mouthing" - this is a public forum, not a mag, so imo you're entitled to express your feelings and opinions just like anybody else here. so even tho you didnt mean it, i dont see a problem in stating things like that even if you did. PC crap wears me out. go for it ..

[daBowsa]

I guess I was just a little taken aback after the whole Coakley incident. I was under the impression that this wasn't the place for manufacturers and reps and editors to "rip" other companies.

 

I'm not saying what you did was wrong or bad or anything I disagree with, it just seemed out of character, that's all.

[MikeT156]

Ken:

 

The Tips and Tricks section in KB MAG is something I look for in every issue and I give it a

 

A book on the Motif ES would be a welcome addition to my library. Although the Motif ES owner's manual does provide some good information, it's a reference manual. There are some step by step instructions, but often times it doesn't take you far enough.

 

The Motif ES has a lot of capability, and the screens you need to get at have to be accessed by using function and control keys in a certain sequence or you don't find what you're looking for.

 

A step by step book on each section of the Motif ES would be extrememly helpful and save time. The video training is also very good, but I don't have a TV in my music room and usually refer to manuals to look things up. When you can't find what you're after in the Yamaha owner's manual, you can waste a lot of time.

 

 

Mike T.

[eric]

I have skimmed the SW pages and not found them very useful, though I do have an S90 which shares basic architecture with the Motif.

 

What I think would be better is to devote this page or pages to a "broad strokes" article that is not focused on a brand or particular machine. One month, it could be the "Live Gig Workshop" and provide tips on live logistics. Next month, it could be about home studio and feature a story about how one can do the most with the least amount of gear, etc.

 

As for the brand-specific, model-specific articles, they are definitely GOOD. But I don't think they warrant a monthly column. I would look back to the way it was done in the past, when you had one issue that had a longer, in-depth article on programming the Roland JX series or an M1 Clinic.

 

Though the Motif, Fantom and Triton are proven big box commodities akin to WalMart, I don't find much interest in reading little tips about them every month. I would love to see an article like, "How to get the most out of your Motif ES" or "Secrets hidden within the Fantom" or whatever. Extra points for featuring the less ubiquitous instruments (e.g. PEK, Electro, Virus, etc.)

 

Regards,

Eric

[Ernie Rideout]

Thanks for all your suggestions, folks. As Ken said, we're in the process of tweaking SW, and we'll make it as useful as possible for everyone.

 

Anyone interested in tips for synths that were hugely popular but are no longer made? I'm thinking Kurzweil K2500/2600 in particular.

[Tonysounds]

While I haven't used the tips myself, I find myself reading them a lot and saving the articles for a later need. (I own a Motif and FantomX, so I know I'll need some of those tips at some point.) I say keep it up. It's short, and frankly, compared to a lot of stuff in the magazine, is more relate-able for me than software talk. But bring back more of the in-depth interviews with players' players and their rigs (even the Jordan interview was pretty short). How about a follow-up on some of the greats like Eddie Jobson (even though he's a jingle king now and not a progrocker)? Or real interviews with guys like Tomas Bodin, Ryo Okumoto, Neal Morse, the guy in Cairo, the guys in Glass Hammer, etc. Or even Doug Johnson of Loverboy (you know he went from carrying a CS80 to a Novation Supernova2 and a Karma!).

 

Oops...did I go too far?

[Moon Zero Two]

Personnally I do not find the tips helpful. I would drop the whole thing.

 

I would have loved the Lyle Mays interview to go on for a few more pages.

 

PS the hank jones transcription was fun. Next month transcribe Jan Hammer's solo on Quadrant IV. : )

[kad]

Originally posted by Ernie Rideout:

Anyone interested in tips for synths that were hugely popular but are no longer made? I'm thinking Kurzweil K2500/2600 in particular.

As far as I know, the K2600 is still in production. Kurzweil has certainly had its share of challenges over the past few years, but word is that they are making positive strides towards getting back on their feet. I can't think of a better candidate for a SW spot than the K2600!

 

Kirk

[Ken Hughes]

Clusterchord, it was always the plan to include synths other than the ROMplers. I failed to anticipate the difficulty I'd have in getting those tips written by the manufacturers - they're just as overloaded as we are at the magazine.

 

Here's a thought - This is early days still, so no promises, but what if we opened it up to you guys too? Would $25 and your name printed in the mag be enough enticement to get you to submit your discoveries and tips? We'd have to be very specific about the format requirements, of course, and anything that didn't fit the format would be rejected, but what do you think? Is a little Democracy called for here? Cause I'll be honest with you, If I'm gonna take over writing all the non-ROMpler tips, it's gonna take some time to convince the manufacturers to send me their synths for indefinite loan, and then collect them all once they are convinced. I can't do SW at all unless we have the synths here. It's my fingers in the frame and on the camera's shutter button, too.

 

Related - What non-ROMpler synths should appear most regularly? We can get a list of the top-selling keyboards from the Music Trades, but I'm interested in your opinions too.

[Ken Hughes]

Bump.

 

Your opinions please. . . .

[eric]

Ken - I would be glad to contribute to this. I could do something on the Electro, possibly the S90 or PEK and I could always dig out my JX8P or do something on Hammonds and Leslies...perhaps something more generic like how to optimize a weekend warrior gearhead rig.

 

Regards,

Eric

[clusterchord]

Ken i think thats a great idea.

 

fwiw, i'd love to contribute something on vintages like JX10,JP8,OBXA, or the rompler i know very well, JD990.

 

there are guys here who know Andromeda very well, like Mike Peake, Pim, dB and a bunch of tallented indiv on a6@code404. Mike has even issued a tips n tricks document, that users have significantly updated over time. fantastic resource. it might be a great idea to print some of the "greatest hits" from that document, but you should contact mr. Peake about it..

 

 

btw, having one's name appear in kbd is more than enough, as far as money you mentioned - its not really needed imho.

[mike g]

I think having my name published in Keyboard mag would be really cool. Sadly it's not for my keyboard playing...uuugggg.

 

I do like Eric's idea on giving up some of our "tricks of the trade" for gigging, recording or a business tip like how to get gigs, start a band, talk to agents, work a crowd, yada yada.

[RABid]

I think it is a good idea and money is probably not an issue, though we could consider the $25 as a free subscription. I tend to read all of the tips, even if I do not own the instrument. It lets me know what other instruments are capable of, and what I might be missing in my own setup.

 

Some instruments are going really cheap right now. It might be nice to do some tips on those and to mention that they are nice budget synths. Things like the Karma, origional Fantom 76, Emu Command stations, Yamaha EX5, etc...

 

As for non-romplers, the Nord Lead 2, Alesis Ion, Novation KS 4/5/R, Roland JP8000, Korg MS2000 and Access Virus B/Classic all get a lot of talk on the forums. Also, a lot of people have been picking up the small Nord Micro Modular as a cheap way to discover the wonders of modular programming.

 

And speaking of, you might even consider software. I thought it was great to see the article that used a RP Albino when giving directions on how to program a particular patch.

 

Robert

[Erlic]

Quoted by Ernie Rideout

Anyone interested in tips for synths that were hugely popular but are no longer made? I'm thinking Kurzweil K2500/2600 in particular.

I personally would love to see tips on the Kurzweil K2500. That would be great. I realize that nothing is better than actually experimenting with your own synth, but hell, every little bit helps.

[Ken Hughes]

Excellent suggestions, Rabid. Now you mention it, the possibility of the (small) fee being looked at as your subscription paid for didn't occur to me. I just came up with a number that wouldn't take too big a bite out of our already meager contribs budget. If we could hook it up with the subs department to reliably add a year to the end of your paid sub if your tip gets published rather than pay ya cash, would that be an attractive offer? No promises other than that I'll stroll over to the circ manager's office and pitch the idea. I'm not aware of another magazine that makes such an offer, so who knows if it's easy or complicated to do.

 

Re: Software coverage, our current thinking is to limit Synth Workshop to hardware synths. Softsynths get a lot of tips-y coverage in Vintage Sounds, Studio Sense, and other features. When we looked at our content mix during the redesign, we realized we needed something to show the hardware people - both owners and makers - that we still supported them. There's an awful lot of hardware still sold, and we thought both sides of each of those sales deserved our ongoing support.

 

That said, there are even more softsynth users out there (legal and otherwise) than there are hardware synth owners. So it's a situation we're tracking and we're ready to move as soon as it makes sense to do so.