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nadroj

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About nadroj

  • Birthday 07/18/1991

Converted

  • hobbies
    Trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about.
  • Location
    Scotland

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  1. Wil Blades (killer Hammond organist) said in his patreon that he does scales/warm up stuff three times a week. He doesn’t do them every day. I’ve taken that approach and I must say it’s been revolutionary. I used to feel I couldn’t practice until I’d “warmed up”, but then 30 precious minutes would have passed and I wouldn’t have actually played any music. So if I’m not on a scales/technique day, I’ll just start with whatever’s in my head, get it out of my system (or build on it) then start working on whatever I want to work on.
  2. Cory Henry has a new album, CHURCH, out. 23 songs. It’s like his gospel organ albums made love to his funk apostles records and created this. An amalgamation of everything he’s done so far imo. I’m a few songs in and so far there hasn’t been a dull moment. So much going on in the background, it’s a gospel fan’s wet dream.
  3. I'm sure we all remember the "Jordan Rudess hears Alicia Keys for the First Time" thread. Well, they're back with a new one. This time it's Justin Stanton (of Snarky Puppy) hears Dua Lipa for the first time. As you might expect, it's...very different to the Rudess one. In fact, if you know Justin and Snarky Puppy, it's about exactly what you'd expect. In order to foster a broader discussion, I'll refrain from posting my opinion for now. Suffice to say I think it's super interesting hearing first hand what both musicians hear in their heads, and seeing how they put it into practice (and in both cases, how similar the end result is to their wider work). Let me know your thoughts!
  4. Isn’t it apple and oranges? The CK61 has diving board keys and the Numa has piano style keys, no?
  5. Forte7 was the perfect balance between size and power. I’d love if there was a 7 model with the same action.
  6. If it hits the same price point I’d be tempted. Good bread and butter board, and the audio/USB interface is just the icing on the cake. It makes such a difference when playing at home.
  7. I generally like the “virtuoso hears *popular song* for the first time” videos. Larnell Lewis’s ones are outstanding, for example. This one just felt unnecessary to me. He played a thousand more notes, and it was a thousand times less musical than the original. They should have chosen a track by a songwriter who isn’t actually good at piano - unfortunately for Rudess in this video, Alicia Keys is actually good. The “pop music bad” jokes at the beginning were edgy internet teen levels of cringe. This could (or should) have been done with anyone else, and it would have been better. Someone who would play something with purpose, rather than someone who’s there to wank over a keyboard to make the girl behind the glass blush.
  8. A couple of band mates and I have been doing a little bit of session work in a studio we rehearse and record at. Usually just to put basic tracks down for amateur singer/songwriters without a band of their own. It’s a nice side gig that pays okay for what it is. We got offered a job to record some 80s covers for a chap we’d recorded some originals with before. I’d never met him, but he seemed switched on. The night before recording we met with the guy to run through structures and make sure he was happy before we went to record without him the next day. We’d done our homework and all went well. Towards the end of the rehearsal he turned to me and said “so obviously I want those orchestral parts in; I’ll do a guitar solo over those once you’ve recorded them.” I was a bit taken aback. The songs were keys heavy anyways without the orchestral parts. I’d learnt the main keys parts plus the extra motifs and runs, but hadn’t orchestrated it all - these were 80s/90s ballads, with French Horns, oboes, trumpets, trombones, orchestrated string sections, etc - far more than your usual brass patch or string part you’d play in a live setting. What had been communicated to us was that he wanted us to do the tracks, and then “put our own spin on them”. That didn’t end up happening - turns out he wanted us to do the tracks almost identical to the originals, with an extra drum track or two added in. Anyways, we recorded the next day and all went well. Three tracks, with keys and several overdubbed parts - but not the orchestral stuff. I said I’d add them in later using software at home if the producer wanted and he said fine, but then he said that if if the client really wants the brass parts as they are he should hire in a brass section - those parts shouldn’t be on me. The next day I sent a couple of extra overdubs I’d been asked to do, then when I asked about all of the orchestral parts the producer said “I have everything I need - don’t worry about the rest. Great job.” It’s thus far worked out fine, but the drummer joked “I’ll be pissed if he holds off payment because he can’t hear an oboe”. I don’t think he will - the producer is good at seeing us get paid, and is very much on our side as the buffer between us and the client. I’m used to being expected to cover subsidised orchestral parts in a covers band, but am now not sure what’s expected of me in a studio setting. Is that stuff usually on the keyboard player? Again, this is a nice novelty gig for us that we’re getting better at - I’m still learning the ins and outs of working as a hired gun in a studio setting. I think communication is key here. Next time should I just ask well in advance “I noticed there are some orchestral parts in your demo/source track - what do you want done with them?”
  9. As of March my ska/reggae/funk band are out almost every week until the end of the year, and I want to try something different for my solos this time around. I’ve been on a bit of a reggae kick recently and have been enjoying the melodic wah clav work in some of Marley’s songs - particularly some of the more melodic solos. Want to incorporate some of that in our set if and when I get thrown a solo. Switch it up from the usual organ. Thankfully the SKX actually has some pretty nice wah clav patches in it, with decent edit-ability. Needing inspiration though - can anyone suggest some good wah clav solos/tunes where wah clav plays a prominent role? Doesn’t have to be reggae! Note: NOT whammy clav please, as I can’t pitch bend on the SKX 😅
  10. If Korg updated their organs, maybe them. Otherwise Yamaha or Nord. But since I can’t do cool, stylish jazz fusion wankery videos it probably wouldn’t be Nord since that’s all that they seem to promote with their endorsers. If they did, though: - Stage 4 (76) - Stage 4 (SW73) - Wave 2 If Yamaha: -YC 61 OR 73 - Montage M6 - An Upright of some kind. I’d have to do a month of research/playtesting to decide.
  11. Bright Grand (small) from the Nord sample library when I used the Nord. Cut through better (while also sounding fuller)!than any other “good” piano I’ve had. Nowadays: the standard piano in the Hammond SKX. Not detailed but cuts through as well as the above Nord. I use detailed pianos for recording, but for cutting over 3 brass and electric instruments the simplest, brightest works the best.
  12. For me it’s a given that I’m not going to hear myself or even have a good playing experience at festival gigs. Unless it’s a big festival with monitors out the ears and a dedicated monitor tech at the side of the stage, that is. Those gigs are less sucky. With festival gigs we just put on a smile, get on stage and embrace the chaos. It is what it is. Can’t hear yourself? Cool, neither can anyone else. Hands freezing? Hah, me too. Crowd too far away/dead/can’t hear? Not my problem. Pain in the arse load in? Standard. (Unless you land one of those festivals where they give you a bus from the trailer to the stage 😄). Sound man grumpy and unsympathetic? I would be too. He’s had a way worse day than me. I’ll cut him whatever slack he needs. There’s no room for divas or even basic standards at festival/street party gigs in my experience. That’s part of what makes them fun. Waiting around 4 hours sucks. $50 sucks. But both of those things are part and parcel of festival gigs. Those things are both part of the experience. Setting up and tearing down your gear twice isn’t unusual. Nor is leaving it backstage for 4 hours if you have the luxury of doing that. I’ve done huge events where I had to soundcheck in the morning, drive home and then come back 12 hours later to play. That was a big enough gig for it to warrant the extra time, but I would hate to do it somewhere too far to drive home. Anyways, your band mates didn’t sound like they were the nicest or most sympathetic bunch. At the same time though, part of me thinks you should have just sucked up the setting up - especially if it was a single board rig. Not that that warrants your bandmate saying that about your gear (try telling a guitarist you don’t care about HIS gear…). The thing that would have thrown me is the 4 hour wait and the crappy pay, and I can understand your frustrations there. Given that info beforehand, I would point blank refuse the gig - unless it was big enough for them to give me booze and a bus!
  13. Semi-weighted is my favourite for live work (particularly waterfall) though I'll practice on both weighted and semi-weighted at home. There are some tunes I play live where I'd love a weighted board, but it's not worth the extra schelp for me just now. If my hammond dies I'd be looking at a weighted/semi-weighted live setup. I grew up playing a mini-piano that essentially had semi-weighted keys. First time I touched a real grand piano with real, heavy weighted keys I almost shit myself. I struggled doing piano exams on them at college. I can play nice notes, but I struggle to get nuance out of a real piano. So I'm in this weird place where I'm not really a pianist, and also not an organist, but not a synth player either.
  14. I’ve got a good Dracula GIF lined up but it will only make sense if people know my original avatar…
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