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CHICK

COREA

Keeping a Vigil on
Your Musical Voice

Ways To Play like

BENMONT TENCH
BOLD HARMONIC
MOTION For

Jazz Players

CLICK TRACK
WORKOUT For
russian Dragons
04.2014 | $5.99
A MUSIC PLAYER PUBLICATION

REVIEWS

ROLAND FA-06

Back in the Workstation Game

YAMAHA MOXF
Hard-Hitting Studio and
Gig Machine

SYNTHMASTER
Soft Synth Sleeper Hit

HK LUCAS NANO
Your PA for Small Gigs?

NEW!

With innovative new live features, advanced layering and synchronization options,
new filter simulations and powerful effects, the new Nord Lead 4 is a flexible synth
thats just as brilliant on stage as in your studio.
OSCILLATE! Nord Lead 4 is a virtual analog synthesizer with 2
oscillators per voice and 4 slots. New features include Wavetables with
formants, Hard/Soft Sync, Noise-generator with dedicated filter and a true
Unison-mode for meaty leads!

MODULATE! 2 LFOs and a Modulation Envelope can control

Nord Lead 4 - 49-key synth version

anything from filters to effects and even offer very flexible triggering options.

FILTER! Nord Lead 4 features 7 filter types including an extremely steep


48 dB low-pass filter, two amazing simulations of the legendary transistor
and diode ladder-filters and a powerful drive for distorting the sound
internally in the filter.

MUTILATE! Color your sounds with simulated tube amp distortion,


sample-rate reduction, comb-filtering, a talk box-effect and a compressor.

Nord Lead 4R - Rack mountable table-top version

Each slot also features a tweakable delay with analog-mode plus reverb.

SYNCHRONIZE! Arpeggiators, LFOs and delays can all be


synchronized to the internal Master Clock or an external sequencer.

IMPROVISE! The flexible Morph functionality offers unprecedented


control over your sound while playing. Change multiple parameters at once
- gradually with the mod wheel or velocity - or instantaneously with the
powerful new Impulse Morph buttons.

Listen to sound demos:


nordkeyboards.com/nordlead4
For more information contact
info@AmericanMusicAndSound.com

Handmade in Sweden by Clavia DMI AB

Follow us:
facebook.com/nordkeyboards

The MicroBrute is a pure analogue


synth, and it sounds like one. The
MicroBrute will become a signicant
success in its own right.
Sound on Sound, 02/2014

Looks tiny, sounds massive

MicroBrute is the tiny analog synth with


vast possibilities. The MicroBrute puts all the
essential building blocks of an analog classic
into a package thats pure hands-on fun. If
youre new to synths, youre looking at one
of the most unique sounding synthesizers we
think money can buy. And if youre a synth

veteran, MicroBrute is also a seriously capable


semi-modular sequence-able beast. Wait till
you hear how it sounds
Tiny in size, tiny in price, huge in sound, and
vast in potential. Weve had so much fun with
MicroBrute: Now its your turn.
www.arturia.com

Best service Ive received from ANY store!


Wyndell from Mckinney, TX

Knowledgeable Staff, Top Brands, and Competitive Prices


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CONTENTS

APRIL 2014

KNOW

TALK
10

Voices from the Keyboard community.

44

THE ART OF
SYNTH SOLOING
Two-handed techniques
inspired by Chick Corea.

46

BEYOND THE MANUAL


Music production wizard Craig
Anderton serves up advanced tips
and tricks for working with MIDI
tracks in part 2 of MIDI Reloaded.

48

DANCE
Create the square wave synth
bass predicted to be the dance floor
sound of 2014.

NEW GEAR
12

SPECIAL REPORT: THE LATEST FROM NAMM 2014


In our monster eight-page report, we go hands-on with the latest
and greatest gear to make its debut at the biggest musical
instrument and pro audio expo in the western hemisphere.

HEAR
22

26

30

32

LEGENDS
Jazz fusion and multi-keyboard pioneer Chick Corea
returns with new compositions and a new band, the
Vigil. Get his advice for keeping a vigil on your own
musical development in this candid interview.
SONG STORIES
Hear straight from songwriter Marc Cohn about the
transformative trip that busted his writers block and
led to the iconic hit Walking in Memphis.

WORKSTATION
Roland FA Series

54

WORKSTATION
Yamaha MOXF and KarmaLab KARMA Motif software

58

SOFT SYNTH
KV331 Audio SynthMaster

PLAYLIST
What were listening to this month.

62

PA
HK Audio Lucas Nano 300

64

APP
Master Record

34

LATIN
Five ways to play like Heartbreaker
Benmont Tench.

38

JAZZ
George Colligan on harmonic motion.
TECHNIQUE
Kimmel keysman Jeff Babko on playing to a click.

KEYBOARD (ISSN 0730-0158) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno,
CA 94066. All material published in KEYBOARD is copyrighted 2013 by NewBay Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in KEYBOARD is forbidden without permission. KEYBOARD is a registered trademark of NewBay Media. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Bruno, CA and at additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER:
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#40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

50

TALENT SCOUT
With a jazz-infused technique and fearless sense
of musical exploration, Ariadna Castellanos is
making flamenco hot again.

PLAY

40

REVIEW

Keyboard 04.2014

CODA
66

Five things in-demand sideman Henry Hey has


learned about Playing Soft Synths Live.

Online Now!
Web-only special: Great
pianists check out high-end
grand pianos at NAMM!
keyboardmag.com/april2014

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Magazine

Go to www.keyboardmag.com/ipad

Keyboard Magazine is
now available on the iPad!
Get the new and improved
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Youll have lessons penned by musics brightest
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Over the past 40 years,

Dave Smith has designed more groundbreaking synthesizers than anyone, ever.
Dave Smith Instruments has the largest
line of analog and digital/analog hybrid
s y n t h s i n t h e w o r l d . To p t o b o t t o m ,
Dave Sm it h Inst r u ments awa rdw i n n i ng , A mer ic a n-made produc t
l i n e i n c lu d e s a s y nt h e s i z e r for
e ve r y n e e d a n d bu d g e t , f r om
the f lagship Prophet 12 to the
affordable and ultra-portable
Mopho product family.

Designed and built in California

Dave Smith
Instrument Designer
Co-Creator of MIDI
Grammy Winner

Visit davesmithinstruments.com

VOL. 40, NO. 04 #456

APRIL 2014

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Molenda mmolenda@nbmedia.com


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Keyboard 04.2014

Follow us on

TALK

VO IC ES FRO M T HE KEYBOARD COMMUN ITY

Connect

Editors Note
Recently, a parenting blog piece called The High
Cost of Music showed up in my Facebook feed.
It wasnt terribly recent itself, but Ive seen many
forms of the complaint it expressed: $60 per
hourthe going rate in the authors affluent
suburb of Boston and places like itis too much
to pay for music lessons for kids.
The author quotes U.S. labor stats showing that
several ostensibly tougher jobs pay less. She then
argues that assuming roughly 40 hours per week, a
piano teacher makes $120,000 per year. Assuming
$60 per hour is an accurate median (debatable), the

Comment directly at
keyboardmag.com
twitter.com
keyboardmag

error here is that most music teachers dont book


anywhere near 40 hours of lessons each week. Why
not? Kids have school most of the year, making for
a brief late afternoon window for other activities.
Seriously, if youre pulling $120K a year teaching,
let me know and Ill hang out a shingle myself.
Not that you shouldnt be. Countless studies have shown that music education improves
academic performance and social skills, so Im
always indignant when folks who would never
haggle with a car mechanic or hairstylist have no
shame about doing so with a music professional.
At the time of this writing, the piece seems
to have been pulled from the host site, Parenting
Squad, so I dont want to throw mud. Kids have a
myriad of different needs, all of which must be budgeted for, and that aint easy. That said, I believe that
music is fundamentaland our kids are worth it.

facebook.com
KeyboardMagazine
SoundCloud.com
KeyboardMag
Keyboard Corner
forums.musicplayer.com
email
keyboard@musicplayer.com

Stephen Fortner
Editor

Key Secrets

Crop and Roll

The original Korg Kaossilator has a cool rhythmic quirk you can recreate with almost any sampler
or audio editor: If you record a loop on the Kaossilator and then increase the tempo, the instrument chops samples off the end of the loop to make it fit the shorter duration. (The typical way to
fit a loop to a faster tempo is to time-stretch it or raise its pitch.) By dialing in the right tempo on
the Kaossilator, you can chop off eighth-notes or entire beats, turning a 4/4 groove into 6/8, 3/4, or
other feels. You could also chop beats manually in your DAW for fresh variations. Hear an example
at keyboardmag.com/april2014. David Battino

THE

POLL

Q: IS

THE
NAMM SHOW
STILL A
RELEVANT
SOURCE OF
GEAR INFO
FOR YOU?

NO

16%

NAMM
10

Keyboard 04.2014

YES

THE WHAT?

6%

78%

Polls rotate every two weeks, and can be found at the bottom of our homepage.

+
30
YEARS
AGO
TODAY

Our April 1984 cover featured Joe Sample of the


Crusaders, who has recently been touring with Wayne Henderson
and Wilton Felder of the original Jazz Crusaders lineup. April has
long been our NAMM report issue, and keyboards spied at that
years expo included prototypes of the Kurzweil K250 and Rhodes
Mark V (with MIDI out), as well as Casios dual-manual monster,
the Symphonytron 8000. Also, Eddie Van Halen talked about playing synths on the album (wait for it) 1984.

NEXT TECH >>THE

ULTIMATE HYBRID?

The Emphase is a concept car synth under development at NonLinear Labs, the brainchild of Native Instruments Stefan Schmitt.
The concept? A custom keyboard sending high-resolution (not MIDI)
controller data to a DSP engine based on NI Reaktor. No computer
is required, and for gigging, the keyboard works detached from
the control panel; the latter accepts overlay labels for its myriad of
assignable buttons. Aesthetically, it reminds us of the Synclavier II, but
is sure to be far more powerful and not involve a second mortgage.
Follow the Emphases progress at nonlinear-labs.de

Synthesizer David Rosenthal


My First _______________.
I began playing piano when I was seven, recalls
reca multi-keyboard master and Billy Joel
music director David Rosenthal, but my rst experience with a synth came at age 15
when I went to music camp at Glassboro State College. While attending, Rosenthal
heard Isao Tomitas synth-fueled reinvention of Pictures at an Exhibition and was oored.
It gave me goose bumps, he recalls. Luckily, the camp had a Moog Modular on site
and Rosenthal jumped at the chance to dig in. The teachers gave me a little class
and I tried to gure out signal paths as I went, he says. Between that experience and
hearing the Tomita album, I knewthis is what I wanted to do, no question. So inspired,
Rosenthal worked two summers to earn enough cash for a Roland SH-1000, on which he
reproduced the sounds of his favorite Tomita records, and emulated the stylings of Yes,
ELP, and Chick Corea. I used that rst synth to help one of my high school bands win
the Garden State Arts Center talent show playing ELPs Hoedown, he says, laughing.
Today, I still have it in the original case. Keep up with David at davidrosenthal.com. | Michael Gallant

04.2014 Keyboard

11

NEW GEAR

12

Keyboard 04.2014

Our Favorites from


BY STEPHEN FORTNER, FRANCIS PRVE, AND THE KEYBOARD CONTRIBUTORS

NEW SYNTHS

MOO
MOOG
OG MUSIC SUB 37
The
T
he Sub 37 is the rst more-than-monophonic Moog
in
n 30
0 years, with a duo mode that squeezes out two
voices
v
oice
es of polyphony. Technically its paraphonic,
meaning
m
eaning that the oscillators feed a common lter and
amp,
a
mp
p, but paraphony would sound like were talking
about
a
bou
ut Milli Vanilli. Expanding on the Sub Phatty
with
more
presets,
loopable
envelopes
w
ith m
ith
mor
ore
e pr
pres
eset
ets,
s, lloo
oopa
pabl
ble
e en
enve
velo
lope
pess fo
forr lter
lte
l
terr an
and
d
volume,
v
olume, and an arpeggiator, it provides everything
Moog
Moo
g purists want while also taking off in a more
experiment-inspiring
e
xpe
eriment-inspiring direction. In fact, we think it has
features-to-price balance of any Moog
tthe
he sweetest
s
ssynthesizer
synt
y hesizer currently made.
$1,579
$1,57
79 list | $1,499 street | moogmusic.com

See even more gear in our monster


video report from NAMM 2014.

04.2014 Keyboard

13

CLAVIA NORD LEAD A1


With real analog having made such a huge comeback in
recent years, why go with a virtual analog hardware synth?
Polyphony for the price, signal routing exibility, and more
digital-sounding timbral options when you want em are three
reasons. Where the Nord Lead 4 (reviewed Dec. 13) was the
successor to the Wave, the Swedes intend the Lead A1 to
replace the Lead 2X in their more-affordable slot. Compared
to the 2X, you get more polyphony, more waveforms, MIDI
over USB (nally), an effects section including reverb, and
comprehensive sync-to-host-tempo options.
$2,099 list | $1,799 street | nordkeyboards.com
KORG MS-20 KIT
Not to be confused with last years MS-20 Mini, this limited
release is a full size analog replica of the original MS-20.
You assemble it yourself, but a soldering iron is thankfully
not among the tools required. Notably, Korg has included
both the earlier (aggressive and self-oscillating) and later
(creamier) lter designs from the originals, letting you switch
between the two. You still can get all the same sounds from
the MS-20 Mini, which also makes more sense if your other
analog gear uses 1/8 patch cables. But if youre a collector
and/or would prefer a 1/4 patch bay, snap one up, as Korg is
only making around 1,500 units.
$1,599 list | $1,399 street | korg.com
ELEKTRON ANALOG RYTM
Elektrons MachineDrum has become a favorite among
hardware-loving producers, thanks to its tweakable dedicated
synth engines for each percussion element. This new remix of
the MachineDrum formula boasts eight hybrid drum voices
with both sampling and analog tone generation options, with
a built-in analog compressor and distortion for good measure.
Add 12 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, throw in a
16-step sequencer, toss with some decidedly digital reverb
and delay, and youve got a drum machine that covers all
the bases and then some. The price point places it squarely
between Korgs Volca Beats and Smith and Linns Tempest.
$1,549 list | $1,499 street | elektron.se

Wave Your Hands in the Air . . .


The Theremin is a haunting, mesmerizing, and infamously difcult instrument. Moog Music aims to change
that with the Theremini, which we had to tear ourselves away
way from to see the rest of the NAMM Show. Its
based on the Animoog synth engine, and can give various forms of assistance including visual feedback
est possible
about your hand position, programmable lowest and highest
notes, even scaling that wont let you play a bad note. For
the $299 street price, anyone can rock more like Clara
and with the EDM crowd always looking for the next
rush, we bet it nds its way into a few DJ rigs.

14

Keyboard 04.2014

STAGE PIANOS
ROLAND
RD-800
Often, a
keyboards
specs dont
scream
anything special. Far less often, we play said keyboard and go,
Oh, there it is! Such a keyboard is the RD-800. SuperNatural
programming; four zones that you can quickly split, layer, and
mix on the y; lots of knobs for tweaking the sound in real time; a
Tone Color knob that macro-adjusts the sound (e.g., stereo spread
on a grand piano or tine-like quality on a Rhodes); high-end
weighted action; blah, blah, blah. Heres what that doesnt convey:
The RD-800 sounds so fantastic across the board, and its action
has such exquisite nger-to-music connection, that its getting
early raves from everyone who touched it at NAMMincluding us.
Forget everything you know about the RD seriesthis is different.
$2,999 list | $2,499 street | rolandus.com
STUDIOLOGIC NUMA CONCERT
Studiologic
is the inhouse brand
of worlddominating
keybed maker
Fatar, and the latest of their Numa stage pianos aims to
incorporate many of the features of higher-end offerings
from competitors, such as triple velocity sensors per key
and modeling of acoustic nuances including sympathetic
resonance. Upon rst play, we thought it indeed sounded
richer and fuller than previous Numa pianos. It certainly got
on our gotta-review-it radar, so stay tuned.
$2,199 list | $1,999 street | studiologic-music.com
KAWAI MP11
We actually
didnt see
the MP11 at
NAMM, as
it launched
February 17.
From what we do know, the MP11 ups the game from Kawais
former agship, the MP10 (reviewed Mar. 11) in the areas of
sampling, action, and a user interface that sports more giguseful tone adjustments. As on the MP10, three separate
panel areas cover sound selection and control: acoustic piano,
electric piano (which includes Clavs), and sub for everything
else (pads, strings, mallets, etc.). A small but big thing is that
the onboard XLR outs have a ground lift switch, or as we like
to say, the good kind of buzzkill.
$3,299 list | $2,800 street | kawaius.com

KEYTAR HEROES
A keytar is like a fedora: Donning one makes you either look bad-ass (e.g.,
Jordan Rudess, Polysics, or George Duke) or like a dorkus maximus (e.g.,
a certain magazine editor), with intentional irony as the only possible
middle ground. For those who dare, the fun factor is undeniable, and Korg
and Alesis ramped it up this year.
KORG RK-100S
Billed as a redux of their
RK-100 from the 80s, the
RK-100S is in fact much
nicer. The hardwood
body has to be seen and
held to be appreciated,
with a t and nish you
might expect from some
far smaller companys
boutique instrument.
The three-quarter size
keys are surprisingly
comfortable for soloing,
c
and you get one ribbon
a
controller on the neck
c
and another running the
length of the keyboard.
Inside is a MicroKorg XL+ engine, which can do virtual analog
synthesis, intentionally digital tones, and vocoder effects (via
an optional headset mic). Battery power and a programmable
arpeggiator round out the feature set.
$899.99 list | $699.99 street | korg.com
ALESIS VORTEX WIRELESS
Last year, the Alesis Vortex controller turned
heads for bringing aftertouch, velocity sensitive
e
pads, and a MIDI-mappable tilt sensor to almost
st
an impulse-buy price. Because it could run
on four AA batteries, the big question was,
But does it do wireless MIDI? The Vortex
Wireless does, via a built-in transmitter and
USB receiver dongle you plug into your sound
source. A custom soft synth from Sonivox is
included, featuring patches programmed for
the Vortexs control capabilities.
$299 list | $199 street | alesis.com
Well be reviewing both the RK-100S and Vortex Wireless in depth, but our initial feeling is that while the
Korgs craftsmanship and built-in synth make it highly
desirable, its price point puts it in the because you
can file whereas the Alesis is more because how can
you not?

04.2014 Keyboard

15

AIRA 51
Rolands Aira (pronounced eye-rah) series was the stuff of speculation at NAMM
time, and not exhibited on the show oor. Common to all the Airae is a technology
Roland calls Analog Circuit Behavior. Their engineers studied vintage TR-808 and
909 drum machines, the TB-303 Bassline, SH-101, Jupiter, Juno, and System 100 and
700 modular synths, and VP-330 vocoder, paying careful attention to how all the
original components actually interact. We got to play with them at a secret, inviteonly hotel suite. Our rst impression is that they sound great and are wickedly fun
to use. Roland has also taken a chicken in every pot stance with the pricing.

TR-8 Rhythm Performer

TB-3 Touch Bassline

Roland bills the System-1 as a plug-out synth, because it can run emulations of
classic analog synths that you program patches for on your computer, then pipe
into the System-1, take to the gig, and play using the standalone hardware. The
rst such emulation is the SH-101. It also has a native two-oscillator subtractive
architecture. Currently, the hardware is in two-octave form only, but we hope for
a System-61 with a full keyboard and maybe even more knobs and sliders. The
version we played was a very early prototypethe rest of the Aira line being much
more fully baked as of NAMMbut the sound was in-your-face yet lush, not unlike a
Jupiter-8. Design features include a video-style jog wheel for pitch-bend, which can
also do glitchy breadkdown effects Roland calls Scatter. Street price: $599.
The TR-8 Rhythm Performer is whats generating the big buzz. Note the contrast
with Rolands historic term for a drum machine, rhythm composer, and hence the
implication of live use. It emulates the sounds of the TR-808 and 909 perfectly, and
simultaneously recaptures and improves upon the experience of entering drum hits
as the sequence runs via volume faders and tone-sculpting knobs for such things as
tuning and decay. The Scatter function is on hand as well. Street Price: $499 at the
end.
The TB-3 Touch Bassline is a bass synth and sequencer in the style of the TB-303,
the most obvious cue that its from the future being its backlit touch membrane in
place of the originals piano-key buttons. It emulates all the sounds of the TB-303,
adds new bass, lead, and FX patches, and the touchpad can act as a keyboard or
X/Y controller for playing with continuous pitch or creating modulation. Street
price: $299.

VT-3 Vocal Transformer


16

Keyboard 04.2014

The thing about the VT-3 Vocal Transformer is that you get a great sounding Darth
Punk machine for $199. We think weve seen some of these vocoder chops before,
such as in the Vocal Designer mode on the V-Synth XT, but never has the price of
admission been this low.

INNOVATIVE MIDI CONTROLLERS


ANALOG OUTFITTERS
ORGANIC
We reported on these
in Februarys New Gear
column, but having
played them at NAMM,
mention bears repeating.
Theyre MIDI controllers
for playing software
clonewheel organs, and
the feel is impeccablewe didnt think a tactile experience
could make an emulation sound more real, but now were not
so sure. Contact the manufacturer for pricing on the dualmanual, single-manual, and 44-key Mini models.
analogouttters.com
ARTURIA BEATSTEP
This has to be the
runaway bang-forbuck hit of NAMM
2014. Cleverly
disguised as just a
pad controller, its also
a hardware sequencer that can drive software instruments
via USB, hardware via MIDI (a ve-pin adaptor is included),
or analog synths via its CV/gate outs. We saw one awlessly
playing a vintage Oberheim SEM. The pads are both pressure
and velocity sensitive. So whether you need drum machinestyle groove entry or a primary sequencer for your modular
synth rig, youre covered. For peanuts.
$129 list | $99 street | arturia.com
GER PRO
M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER
Speaking of drum pads
and step sequencers,
M-Audio has revived
their Trigger Finger
controller with a Pro
version that really lives up
p
to its name. Housed in a sexy
aluminum case with multicolored
icolored
backlit pads, a gorgeous four-line
LCD display, hardware step sequencer,
and transport controls, the Trigger Finger
Pro is a huge leap beyond the original. It also
includes its own plug-in host environment, Arsenal, that can
itself be hosted as a plug-in or operate standalone. Throw in
samples and loops from Toolroom Records, plus AIR Drums
and the Hybrid 3 soft synth (remember when that was a
Digidesign thing?), and you have all the makings of your
next dance oor hit. Of all of the portable controllers we saw
at NAMM, the TFP seems most poised to nd its way into
countless gig bags, and the price is certainly right.
$449 list | $399 street | m-audio.com

18

Keyboard 04.2014

BEHRINGER
MOTR 61
We havent seen
motorized faders
on a MIDI controller keyboard since CMEs VX series back in
2007. The Behringers faders are also touch-sensitive. For both
ergonomic and space-use reasons, it could make a lot of sense
to combine your black n whites and DAW control surface into
one slab that occupies that prime desk real estate between
your monitor speakers. The rest of the feature setendless
rotaries, velocity-sensitive drum pads, and Mackie Control
protocolis robust, the price is hard to argue with, and theres
no extra charge for the umlaut.
$449.99 list | $299.99 street | behringer.com
KORG TRITON TAKTILE
TILE
Billed as a controllerr
augmented by
classic sounds
from the Triton
workstation,
the Triton Taktile
comes in 25 or 49 keys, and focuses on lots of tactile (get it?)
control: A Kaoss-style X/Y touchpad that can play riffs in a
user-specied scale, a ribbon that doubles as an increment/
decrement clicker just below that, and velocity-sensitive pads.
The 49er has eight knobs and twice the pads. There are also
soundless siblings answering simply to Taktile, but for an extra
100 bucks, one might as well have the patches onboard.
25 keys: $490 list | $249 street
49 keys: $679 list | $499 street
korg.com
ko

Though MIDI controllers arent the rst thing most


folks think of when they think of Samson, we love their
Graphite line because the keys feel good and it offers a
lot of controls for the price of dinner for two at a trendy
gastropub. For the space challenged, theyve now released
25- and 32-note mini-keys versions. In an interesting design
choice, the 25-key model (shown, $79.99 street) actually
packs in more controls (eight knobs and four drum pads)
whereas the 32 ($69.99 street) is for those who need just
keys. Find out more at samsontech.com.

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS AND PLUG-INS


KORG GADGET
Korgs Gadget iOS app will
change the way groovemakers think of their iPads.
Gadget delivers 15 soft
synths (including three drum
machines,) each specializing
in a different EDM avor.
Then, Korg took it further
by adding full-featured
sequencing thats actually usable in
iOS with few compromises. They added essential effects like
reverb and a limiterand a track freeze function so you can
actually nish a project. Since this is an iPad app, Korg baked
in all kinds of modern compatibility tools like CoreMIDI and
WIST, as well as in-app sharing via SoundCloud, Dropbox,
Facebook, and Twitter. While weve seen quite a few iOS
DAWs, Gadget is the rst single app that can go toe-to-toe
with laptops when it comes to electronic music production.
$28.99 at iTunes App Store | korg.com

IZOTOPE BREAKTWEAKER
Co-designed by one of
the most inuential EDM
artists of the past decade,
BT, BreakTweaker puts
Brian Transeaus nano-scale
approach to groove editing
within reach of mere mortals. BreakTweaker keeps the process
straightforward with six instrument tracks, each offering a
wide array of synthesis tools including sampling, wavetable,
additive, FM, and AMalong with a boatload of ltering,
processing and modulation amenities for zeroing in on really
detailed percussion sounds. From there, iZotope incorporated
micro-editing tools that facilitate BTs trademark production
techniques, much like their previous collaboration, StutterEdit,
but on a per-track, per-event basis. Thirty-second-note
lls that collapse into audio-rate buzzes? No sweat. Tuned
micro-ams? Got it. Morphing drums that go from massive to
miniscule over the course of a few events? Nailed.
$249 list | $199 street | izotope.com

VIR2 ACOU6TICS
Vir2s Electri6ity instrument took
electric guitar emulation to a level of
authenticity that gave real guitarists
yet another reason to be mad at
keyboard players. Acou6tics does
the same for the acoustic guitar. Six
guitars are covered including steel,
nylon, and 12-strings, and with some
practice triggering the articulations,
you can get all Michael Hedges or
Richard Thompson pretty quickly.
Seriously, its pretty sick.
$399 list | $299 street | vir2.com

EDM BUNDLE FOR OMNISPHERE


Comprising all three electronica-oriented
patch collections for Spectrasonics
Omnisphere soft synthAscension, EDM
Ignition, and EDM Firethis caught our
attention for rising above the buttonpushing loop-jockey stereotype that
trained keyboardists might associate
with electronic dance music. It does all
the expected affectations and much
more, but in a way thats eminently
playable and musical. If you dont make EDM, youre still
sure to nd inspiration for lm/TV work and synth-driven
songwriting.
$59.97 list | $49 street | ilio.com

VI LABS RAVENSCROFT PIANO


The Ravenscroft is a boutique
concert grand piano handmade
in Arizona. How does it compare
to well-known marques? If a
Ferrari or Porsche is too ordinary
for you, its the McLaren. The
makers of TrueKeys are now
virtualizing it. At press time, it was still under development,
but we do know that it has exhaustive sampling to capture
things like key release, repetition strikes, and four stereo mic
positionsrequiring a total of 38GB of disk space. This should
be a doozy.
$199.99 street | vilabsaudio.com

WAVES METAFILTER
Though Waves is best known
for high-end audio processing
plug-ins for engineers and
record producers, MetaFilter
is best thought of as a virtual
version of a synth lter that
you just had to have for
your Eurorack modular rig
because it was made by some
mad scientist in a garage. Its
cutoff, resonance, and delay
can be modulated by three sources: an LFO, an envelope
follower, and the onboard 16-step sequencer. Its also fully
MIDI-controllable.
$200 | $99 introductory price | waves.com

04.2014 Keyboard

19

STUDIO AND LIVE ESSENTIALS

MOTU 828X
FireWire has left the buildingand PCIe cards wont be far
behind if Apple gets their way. Now, its all about Thunderbolt
if you have it and USB2/3 if you dont. Thats why MOTU
chose their most popular box, the 828 series, to inaugurate
whats sure to become a trend in computer audio interfaces:
both types of connectivity. On the USB side, theyve opted
for USB2 over 3 for maximum compatibility, as USB2 devices
work ne on USB3 ports but not the other way around.
Otherwise, its the 828 Mk. 3 we all know and love.
$999 list | $849 street | motu.com
UNIVERSAL AUDIO APOLLO TWIN
This 192kHz beauty packs the benets of
UAs Key Buy-winning Apollo interface
into a desktop wedge. As in that piece,
powered plug-ins (which include many
excellent emulations of classic recording
gear) run on their own DSP, and because
the DSP lives in the audio interface,
you can opt to track through plug-ins as though they were
hardware. This is especially relevant given UAs new Unison
mic preamp modeling, which is frankly the best technology
of its kind weve yet seen. Single- and dual-DSP versions are
available, and an optical port lets you hook up an eight-channel
lightpipe preamp to expand the inputs. The price is right, too,
but since the Apollo Twin is Thunderbolt-only and Mac-only,
youll need a pretty recent Mac to use it.
Solo: $879.99 list | $699 street
Duo: $1,129.99 list | $899 street | uaudio.com
MANLEY CORE
Manley? Isnt their stuff
for A-list engineers
and producers who
can throw thousands
at their recording front end? Maybe, but the Core puts much
of what those A-listers love into an all-in-one channel strip, at
a price targeted at committed home studio dwellers. You get a
transformer-matched tube preamp that can take mic, line, and
guitar-level signals; ELOP compressor with xed 3:1 ratio; threeband EQ with sweepable mids; and brick-wall limiter. Uniquely,
the compressor operates upstream of the mic pre, making
clipping all but impossible. If youre ready and able to add that
one deadly serious channel strip to your recording rig, this is it.
$2,250 list | $2,000 street | manleylabs.com
FOCUSRITE ITRACK DOCK
This very nice iPad dock and
audio/MIDI interface is, for
starters, the one to get if
your iPad is of the Lightning
variety. Its Lightning
connector slides into one
20

Keyboard 04.2014

of two positions so that either an iPad Air/fourth-gen or a


Mini can sit centered and snugly. You get two of the superclean mic preamps Focusrite is known for, and a USB type A
port as a MIDI input, letting you piggyback a keyboard or pad
controller to play your iOS soft synths.
$249.99 list | $199 street | focusrite.com
QSC TOUCHMIX
QSC matures the concept of
touchscreen live mixing in a way
thats easy for musicians who
run their own sound to grasp, yet
familiar to engineers accustomed
to reaching for a fader. Versions
exist with eight or 16 preamps on
XLR inputs, each with two stereo line-level pairs in addition.
What was most striking to us was that you get everything
youd expect from a larger digital console in terms of I/O,
routing, and effects, in the footprint of a drum machine. Itll
record multitrack mixes directly to an attached hard drive
(letting you turn that great gig into the bands demo), has
a lot of wizards to help novices get set up and sounding
good quickly, and has an advanced mode for more seasoned
soundfolk who want to get their hands on every parameter.
TouchMix 8: $1,199.99 list | $899.99 street
TouchMix 16: $1,799.99 list | $1,299.99 street
qscaudio.com
MACKIE VLZ4
The original MS-1202 put Mackie
on the map because it sounded
decent, was tiny, and had enough
inputs to be the live or studio
trafc cop for multi-keyboard
rigs in the late 80s and early
90s. Coming in all sizes from
the tiny 402 to a 32-channel
console, the VLZ4 generation
adds Mackies Onyx mic preamps to all XLR-equipped input
channels, lower noise and higher headroom all around, and
bright color-coding for easy operation in the dark.
Prices vary based on size | mackie.com
SOFTUBE CONSOLE 1
Until now, weve associated Softube with guitar amp and
cabinet modelingof the extremely excellent variety. Console 1
applies those coding chops to mixing, combining emulations
of channel strips from coveted
large-format recording
ng consoles
with a dedicated hardware
dware control
surface. The inaugural
al channel to
be modeled is from the SSL 4000E.
$1,149 (est.) |
softube.com

GAVIN DEGRAW
SPARKING KEYS TO CREATIVITY
Though Grammy-nominated and multi-platinumselling Gavin DeGraw was raised in a prison town
two hours north of New York City, and had seen
harsh reality from an early age, the hippie vibe
of nearby Woodstock lingered in the air, offering
a feeling of limitless possibility and freedom.
Music was definitely part of our family culture. My
granddad played music. My granddads brothers
played music. They were basically like a bunch of farm
kids who played music, DeGraw says. My dad plays
guitar and hes a great singer. He wasnt a piano player,
but he could figure it out and say, Here, check this out.
DeGraw says his exposure to live music at an early
age helped him build a passion for learning to play.

His brother already had a three-year jump on playing


guitar, so DeGraw gravitated toward the piano.
My family was unusually supportive about playing
music because they just loved music. So when I told
them I wanted to play rock and roll, they were like,
Cool, yeah, go do that. Good idea. It was weird
how there was no way to be rebellious about it.
DeGraws songwriting reflects that freedom,
incorporating aspects of several different popular
music genres into one album, from stripped-down
Americana and analog synthesizer sounds to hi-tech
electronic dance sounds.

Read the entire interview and see the keys to


Gavins sounds at guitarcenter.com/gavin-degraw

YAMAHA ARIUS DIGITAL


PIANO IN POLISHED EB0NY
(VDPC71PE)
LIST: $2499.00

1499.99

NEW ALBUM
MAKE A MOVE
Available on iTunes
GAVINDEGRAW.COM

HEAR

LEGENDS S ON G STOR IES TA LEN T SCOUT PLAYLIST

CHICK COREA

KEEpIng A VIgIl

Arne rostAd

I wAntEd tO gIVE A nAmE tO tHIs bAnd tHAt HAd A spECIAlnEss tO It,


legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea says of his nimble new group, the Vigil.
I havent had my own band where I write the music, hire the musicians, and oversee
the project, for over ten years. I missed the sense of musical community that happens in a bandthe kind of environment where things are constantly growing.

BY JON REGEN

Continuous growth has been a mainstay of Coreas career since its inception. From
early landmark outings like Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, to his work alongside
Miles Davis, to his acoustic and electronic explorations with Return to Forever and
the Elektric Band, the only thing you can predict about Chick Corea is that you just
dont know where hes headed next.
On The Vigil, he returns with a captivating set of compositions and a ferocious band
with which to bring them to life. Galaxy 32 Star 4 brims with ensemble interplay
and electric piano prestidigitation. Planet Chia pits Coreas signature Spanishtinged piano work against shifting harmonic and rhythmic tides. On Portals to Forever, Coreas revered Rhodes soundcustom-sampled into his Yamaha Motif XF
anchors a trance-inducing stew of guitar, horns, and percussion. At 72 years young,
Corea has never sounded more energized on record. He took time to speak to us
about the project, and about keeping a vigil on your own musical identity.

22

Keyboard 04.2014

learned more about the music of the world, I connected with Spanish-speaking communities: South
American music, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Those are
my personal, musical roots and communities by
choice. So I want to keep a vigil on that.
Its also about how there are always invitations from presenters of music such as record
companies and promoters. The businessmans
idea of how to make something a success is by
observing what kind of music brings people out
and then doing more of the same. I understand
that way of thinkingits business sense. But
its an invitation to an artist to compromise. So another part of the Vigil was to not make that compromise, which Ive never really done, but it gets
harder and harder to
avoid. For example,
we stretch out and
play rhythms that
are grooving to me,
but sometimes the
audience doesnt
pick up on them
because theyre so
subtle. These are
almost the exact
opposite of the elements that make
music easily reachable by audiences,
like vocals and nice
steady rhythms.
But I want to keep
that sense of adventure in music. Otherwise Im gonna die! I
need unknowns in the music Im playing with my
friendsenough improvisation and spontaneity
to keep me interested.

music to play, and they give me their time and


their devotion to come on the road and stay in
the band. Thats how I found [guitarist] Charles
Altura, whos an amazing musician and quite a
sensitive concert pianist as well. Stanley Clarke
recommended him to me.
Ive known [drummer] Marcus Gilmore since
he was a kid, because hes Roy Haynes grandson.
Roy brought him by the Blue Note when he was 14
and told me, Listen to my grandson play. Marcus
got up and we played my tune Windows, and he
just knocked me out. I thought, Thank God theres
a guy that age who can play with that rhythm feel.
Carlitos del Puerto on bass was also recommended
to me by Stanley Clarke. Hes having a blast.
Were you thinking of
this band in particular
when you wrote the
music for the album?
It would be a fairy story
to say I wrote all of this
music for this project,
because the practical
side was that when I
made the decision to put
the new band together, I
didnt want to take two
years to make it happen.
I wanted us to go out on
tour the next season.
In order to do that, I
needed to make a record
quickly. So I pulled compositions that I had been writing. I had written
Galaxy 32 Star 4 for the 2011 Return to Forever
reunion, but we never got around to playing new
music, so I had that composition sitting there.
Planet Chia I wrote for an experiment that
Stanley Clarke and I did at the Blue Note in early
2012. Portals to Forever was actually the only
piece I wrote specifically for this band.

"When you play


that phrase or
write that song,
how are you
going to know
when its good?
When someone
else tells you?
Wrong."

What was the impetus to put this new band


together?
In this day and age with the nature of live work,
I cant expect even a young, upcoming musician
to hang with me if Im going to take a break. He
or she has got to do other gigs. So I thought that
this time, Id put together a band where the concept will continue to be the same thing. I gave it
a moniker, the Vigil, and then whoevers going to
be in it will be in it. And so far, everybody from
the first group I put together is still here, except
that the bass position has changed a little bit.
The name Vigil is about me wanting to stay
connected to the music I grew up with and love
the lineage of Black American jazz music. As I

How did you choose the particular members


of the band?
I knew I needed to get musicians who were young
enough in their musical careers that the gig
would be good for them. Theres a point where
musicians need to start forming their own bands
and doing their own thing. For instance, I worked
with [bassist] Christian McBride and [drummer] Brian Blade, who are two of my favorites.
Christian had agreed to do the first summer tour
with this band. But he couldnt do the recording
because our schedules conflicted. With young
musicians, the exchange between what they give
me and what I can give back to them is nice and
even. I give them gigs and some adventurous

What about the song Royalty? That one


has a great piano intro. . . .
Roy Haynes invited me to play on his recording about a year and a half ago. I admire Roy so
much and weve been friends for so long that I
wanted to write a song and dedicate it to him. So
I wrote a song in 3/4 time and called it Roy-LT.
I brought it to the date, but it didnt fit. He liked
it, but he wanted to do more of an improvisation
with piano and drums on a couple of tracks. We
didnt use it, so I had the song.
04.2014 Keyboard

23

Youre also using the Minimoog Voyager on


this project?
Yeah. It has a sound that sails over the ensemble.
What piano are you playing on the road
these days?
Yamaha has a new concert grand called the CFX,
which is my favorite piano of all time. That same
technology is also used in their seven-foot grand,
the CF6, which I wanted so that I could fit the
percussionist on the stage. Im enjoying playing
that piano so much. Ive played Yamaha pianos
since the 1960s.
Why Yamaha over other pianos?
Theyre nice people! [Laughs.] Really, they are.
What happened, though, was that each new iteration of their concert grand became better and
better. By the early 1980s, I actually preferred the
Yamaha concert grand to the Steinway. Now with
the CFX, its absolutely my favorite. Plus, Yamahas
R&D department is quite active and intelligent.
Theyre always improving their instruments. The
Motif XF is beautiful. Id like to get deeper into the
sonics and synth engine inside of it.

SAKURAI TOSHI

You didnt announce any song titles when you


played at the Blue Note. Was that intentional?
When we first started touring, for months I was
announcing every tune. I was trying to make
it entertaining, and everybody in the band announced different tunes so that the audience
got a touch of their personalities. It seemed like
it was going over well, but it became a strain to
keep switching hats, from making the music to
being an announcer. So recently on the Asian
tour, I thought, They can find out the name of
the song anyway, so Ill just play and keep things
seamless. The musical flow just kept going that
way, and it allowed almost a rest period in between tunes where Id play a little soliloquy.
Theres a goal I have that I think everybody in
the band shares as well, which is that we all want
to get across to an audience. We want to please
them in some kind of way. We dont want to pander to them, but we want to include them. Theres
no rote way to do that. You dont have to smile
and bow all the time, or tell a joke or announce
song titles. Or, you can if you feel like it. But if
the intention is there to include the audience,
thats the most important thing.

When I heard you play your own Rhodes


sound on the Yamaha Motif XF8, I felt like I
was sitting in front of an actual Rhodes.
Thats a sample I did of my vintage, beautiful,
tweaked-over-decades Rhodes Mark V. Every time
Id come back from a tour, my technician Brian
Alexander out in Los Angeles would tweak it up
and improve things on it. By the time we sampled
it around five years ago, it was really in beautiful
shape. Later Yamaha figured out a way to take
these huge samples wed created, and allow them
to be placed in Flash memory and played on the
Motif XF. Its a good illusion. It works for me, plus
I dont have to repair my Rhodes every time it
spends ten hours bouncing around in a truck on
the way to the gig.
24

Keyboard 04.2014

When I saw you live at the Blue Note, there


was an almost continuous evolution to each
song. How do you stay so seemingly excited
at every turn?
Well, if Im not interested in what Im doing,
how can I get anyone else interested? Its just a
matter of pulling elements together. Life keeps
changing, the world changes, promoters change,
audiences change. For an artist, the changes that
are happening in our society arent always in an
up direction. But I consider the challenges part
of the adventure. For example, just to travel and
be on tour these days is really hard, compared to
ten or 20 years ago. Now its stressful, so I have to
tell myself, If Im gonna play music and present
it to audiences, I have to travel. It gets back to

the idea of the Vigilto have that hour or two


onstage thats unencumbered and problem-free
enough that we can get into the matter at hand,
which is just making music.
What words of advice do you have for aspiring
artists who hope to have a career like yours?
All of the musicians that I know and admire
had one simple intention: They wanted to lead
a creative life and create something they really
loved. It gives me great pleasure to see others,
especially young guys and girls who are coming
up, want to make music. I know they might need
some encouragement, because they might not
be getting it in their homes. Their parents or
their teachers might be saying to them, Hey, you
should do something more predictable, or, You
need to have something to fall back on. But I like
to encourage others into the arts, and one of the
things I tell them is that its a great life. The reason why is because youve found something that
you love to do. Then, in addition to that, you not
only get to enjoy the feeling of doing what you
love to do, but you also get to see someone else
receive pleasure from it. So its a good life, and its
something that people everywhere really need.
Its what keeps us alive.
If I were to offer one concept or piece of advice,
it would be this: Think for yourself. Because what
happens when you study music is that all of this
information is coming in at you. You read books,
your teachers tell you things, you look at YouTube,
you see musicians play live, and so on. Its like a flow
that comes into you, but in order to be a musician,
you now have to do something that directs that flow
outward. You have to play your instrument. So when
you play that phrase or write that song, how are
you going to know when its good? When someone
else tells you? Wrong. Youre going to know its good
when you know its good. You have to be your own
judge. Theres a kind of integrity and ethics about it.
You have to take on the responsibility of your own
tastes and say, No, that wasnt as good as I wanted
it to be. So if you say that, you must have some
concept of how you want it to be. Thats good. So
now make it how you want it to be! Think for yourself. Thats my whole philosophy.

Chick Corea and the


Vigil live in 2013.
Sampling Chicks
Rhodes for the
Yamaha Motif
keyboardmag.com/april2014

HEAR

LEGENDS
L
E GE NDS SON
S ONG
G STOR IES TA LEN T SCO
SCOUT
U T PLAYLIST

ERIK VALIND

MYRIAM SANTOS KAYDA

Walking in

BY MARC COHN, AS TOLD TO JON REGEN

I FIRST WENT TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE IN 1985. I ALWAYS KNEW IT WAS A


place I had to visit because so much of my favorite music came from there. From
Al Green, Ann Peebles, and everything on Hi Records, to Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes,
David Porter, and the Stax catalog, an almost endless stream of brilliance and soul
came out of Memphis. I was aware early on that just like Detroit and the music of
Motown, there was something going on in Memphis that was utterly inexplicable. It
was part of what me want to be a musician in the rst place.

The Songwriters Predicament


Around that same time, I was reading an interview
with James Taylor. The interviewer asked James
what his antidote for writers block was. James
responded, I do a geographic, meaning that hed
attempt to reawaken his sensibilities just by being
someplace unfamiliar. He said, Ill take my guitar
and put it in the trunk of my car, or Ill get on a plane
and go somewhere Ive never been, hoping to find
some idea I wouldnt get just by sitting at home. I
thought Id try that as well. Memphis was the first
place I decided to go in my search for inspiration.
Beyond just trying to cure writers block, the
trip was also about finding my songwriting voice.
26

Keyboard 04.2014

By that time Id already been a songwriter for many


years. Id struggled in Los Angeles, playing all the
clubs, but had never been signed. Later when I came
to New York City, I started having success as a session singer, but I still didnt get a record deal. One
night while listening to all of my demos, I came to
the realization that I shouldnt be signed, because I
didnt have any great songs yet. My voice was good
and the demos were interesting, but the songs were
only just okay. I was 28 years old and not in love
with my songs. James Taylor had written Fire and
Rain when he was 18, and Jackson Browne wrote
These Days when he was only 17. I thought, Im
already ten years older than these geniuses. Its

never going to happen for me. So it was a pretty


desperate time, and I went to Memphis with that
struggle at the forefront of my mind.
I did all the touristy things youre supposed to
do. I went to Graceland, and I saw Elvis Presleys
tomb and his airplanes. I also went to the Rendezvous restaurant for ribs. But a friend told me there
were two things in particular that I had to do, things
that would forever change me. They would later
become the centerpieces of Walking in Memphis.

Transcendent Experiences
The first thing was go to the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church on a Sunday morning to hear the Reverend Al Green preach. Ill admit that I didnt go
for religious purposesI went to hear one of my
favorite singers sing. But it didnt take long until
I had chills running up and down my spine. The
service was so deeply moving that I found myself
with sweat running down my face and tears in my
eyes, totally enveloped by everything I was seeing and hearing. There was something incredibly

Fig. 2. The legal pad


on which Marc Cohn
rst started working
out the lyrics.

Fig. 3. Cohn with


the Muriel of the
song, pianist Muriel
Davis Wilkins.

Memphis

MARC COHN ON THE GENESIS OF HIS 1991 PIANO HIT

Fig. 1. The rst line of the lyrics to Walking in Memphis over its signature
opening piano arpeggio.

powerful about Al Greens voice in that context.


Even after three hours of continuous singing,
his voice only got stronger and his band only got
better. I sat there crying in the church, aware of
the irony of how I used to cry in Synagogue in
Cleveland as a kidbut because I wanted to get
the heck out of there! Al Greens service was one
of the great experiences of my life.

The second thing was to go to the Hollywood


Caf in Robinsonville, Mississippi, about 40 minutes
outside of Memphis, and hear Muriel Davis Wilkins
sing. Id never heard of Muriel before, but I took my
friends advice and went anyway. The Hollywood
Caf had supposedly once been a slave commissary,
but it was now a lovely little restaurant that served
fried pickles and catfish. Muriel was a schoolteacher

who on weekends made extra money playing music. When I arrived, Muriel, who at the time was in
her 60s, was onstage playing a beat-up old upright
piano and singing Gospel standards like The Glory
of Love and Nearer My God to Thee. I felt an immediate connection to her voice, her spirit, her face,
and her smile. I was totally transfixed by her music.
While many of the patrons were busy eating
and not paying close attention to Muriel, I couldnt
take my eyes off her. During her breaks, the two
of us would talk. Muriel asked me why I was there,
and I told her I was a songwriter trying to find inspiration. I also told her a little bit about my childhoodhow when I was two and a half years old,
my mom had passed away very unexpectedly, and
about ten years later, my dad had passed away and
Id been raised by a stepmother. My mothers death
was a central event in my life, and Id been writing
a lot about it over the years, both in songs and in
journals. I think a part of me felt stuck in time,
like Id never quite been able to work through that
loss. Muriel was as sweet as could be, and she was
04.2014 Keyboard

27

really funny, too. I remember that she asked how I


spelled my last name. When I told her, she replied,
You mean, like corn? We had a lot of laughs.
By midnight, the Hollywood was still packed,
and Muriel asked me to join her onstage. We soon
realized that there wasnt a song in the universe that
both of us knew in common. A quick thinker, Muriel
started feeding me lyrics to Gospel songs so that I
could catch up in time to sing somewhat in rhythm
with her and make up my own version of the melody.
Some songs I was vaguely familiar with, and some I
didnt know at all. The very last song we sang together that night was Amazing Grace. After we finished
and people were applauding, Muriel leaned over and
whispered in my ear, Child, you can let go now. It
was an incredibly maternal thing for her to say to me.
Just like sitting in Reverend Al Greens church, I was
again transformed. It was almost as if my mother was
whispering in my ear. From the time I left Memphis
and went back home to New York City, I knew I had a
song in me about my experience there.

final lyrics yet (see Figure 2 on page 27). I was still


working on the ghosts of Elvis verse, and there
were still some things that werent in place yet.
When I finished the song, I felt like I had completed a jigsaw puzzle. I wasnt sure if it was a hit,
because I was still years away from being signed
to Atlantic Records. Six months later, after I wrote
many of the songs that would later comprise my
album Marc Cohn, I went back to the Hollywood
Caf to play them all for Muriel (see Figure 3 on
page 27). After I finished, Muriel said to me, You
know the one where you mention me at the end?
Thats the best one you got!
Later in 1986, my engineer and co-producer Ben
Wisch and I made a piano/vocal demo of Walking in
Memphis in a studio in New York City. At that point,
I wasnt thinking about how my songs would work
with a band or on record. I wasnt thinking about a
groove or what a guitar player might play. I was sim-

ply trying to write songs that sounded complete with


just me and a piano, and Id record them with a little
Sony Walkman. Years later, after I signed with Atlantic and it came time to turn that demo into something they thought would work on the radio, I barely
knew where to start. After many different versions of
it with just as many different musicians, I went to Peter Koepke, the guy who signed me, and said, Maybe
this just needs to be a piano/vocal track. Or maybe it
shouldnt be on the record at all. He replied, If its
not on the record, Im not sure were going to make a
record! So you better go figure this out, because we
think this just may get on the radio. Later, I went
back to the label and said, Id like a shot at producing
this record with Ben Wisch, who I made the demos
with in the first place. He got a great sound on my
voice and on the piano, and thats at least half of what
this is all about. Atlantic ultimately agreed, and the
rest, I guess, is history.

Pen on Paper
There have been countless songs about Memphis,
so I knew if I was going to go down that road, it
needed to be deeply personal. Within a few days of
coming home, I began to write the song on guitar.
I think I already had the opening line, Put on my
blue suede shoes and I boarded the plane. I started playing an arpeggiated figure that I liked, but
it didnt take long for me to realize that I couldnt
play it very well on guitar. So I went to the piano,
where that kind of rolling rhythm was easier for
me to play. Then I added that first line to the piano
riff (see Figure 1 on page 27) and I was off to the
races.
The music for Walking in Memphis, except for
the bridge, is really just the same thing over and over
again. Its an attempt to keep things simple so that
the narrative is what the listener focuses on. The
story keeps changing; it goes from one scenario to
another, all following the thread of my elation, described in the lyric Walking with my feet ten feet off
of Beale. Whats being expressed is my love of music
and the spiritual transformation Ive always felt
through it. The line, Tell me are you a Christian child,
and I said Maam I am tonight . . . even in the moment I wrote it down, I knew I was getting closer to
finding my songwriting voice. To this day, people still
ask me if I am a Christian. While I have to admit that
I enjoy the confusion the lyric brings, the thing that
makes that line work is the fact that Im a Jew. So
many great artists over the years needed to hide the
fact that they were Jewish to protect themselves and
their families from anti-Semitism, so Im proud of the
fact that I could come right out and practically announce my religion on the first song I ever released.
I kept writing and rewriting the lyrics. Even
in some of the later drafts, I still didnt have the
28

Keyboard 04.2014

BEN WISCH

ON RECORDING

WALKING IN
MEMPHIS

Marc was basically signed to Atlantic Records because of Walking in


Memphis, co-producer Ben Wisch says. We probably recorded it ve
different times in different congurations. On one version, we actually had
Steve Gadd playing drums in the studio. It was after midnight and we were
all frustrated because the recording wasnt going well. And Steve said, Lets
all switch instruments! That version didnt work out, but Ill never forget
Steves devotion to getting the song right. Eventually, we settled on a band
that featured John Leventhal on bass, Denny McDermott on drums, and Chris
Palmaro on Hammond organ. Everything was based around Marcs singing and
piano playing. We recorded live to 24-track tape at Quad Recording Studios in
New York, with any editing done between entire takes of the song. The piano
sound is very in-your-face, not unlike Bruce Hornsbys sound of a few years
prior. We used the old Steinway grand at Quad Studios, and I miked it with a
pair of AKG C451 condensers. Those are bright mics, and I put a fair amount of
compression on them. For vocals, Marc sang through a vintage Neumann U67
tube condenser microphone through a Teletronix LA-2A compressor and then
into an SSL console with outboard API EQ.

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HEAR

LEGENDS S O NG STO R IES TALENT SCOUT PLAYLIST

Ariadna

Castellanos

BY JON REGEN

FLAMENCO-MEETS-JAZZ PIANIST AND COMPOSER ARIADNA CASTELLANOS


has been wowing audiences around the globe with what has been called a brutal
technique and a wild intuition on the piano. Find out more at ariadnacastellanos.com.
MUSICAL TRAINING: I studied classical piano
at the Guildhall School of Music in London, as
well as the Berklee College of Music in Boston. But
flamenco music is really learned from people in the
streetfrom guitarists and singers in Spainand
from many, many records.

HOMETOWN: Madrid, Spain.


INSTRUMENTS PLAYED: Piano, violin,
harp, and drums.
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND: Flamenco music mixed with a classical background, plus jazz
harmonies and improvisation.
30

Keyboard 04.2014

FIRST GIGS: Classical concert halls when I


was six years old. My first flamenco shows were
in Spanish tablaos in Madrid. [Tablaos are cafs,
nightclubs, and less formal venues where flamenco
is performed. Ed.]

MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Paco de Lucia,


Tomatito, Jerez, Debussy, Ravel, and Calle 13.

FAVORITE KEYBOARDS: Im a fan of


acoustic pianos, especially Bsendorfer.
WHAT IM LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW:
Silence. I use music to change my state of mind,
so when Im feeling down, I play energetic music. When I feel sad I play aggressive music to
give me strength, and when Im extremely happy
I allow myself a soft, romantic song.

BIG BREAK: Meeting Javier Limn, the eighttime Grammy award winner who has recorded
many famous flamenco, jazz, and modern artists
such as Paco de Lucia, Alejandro Sanz, Wynton
Marsalis, and Bebo Valds. He recorded my first
album Flamenco en Black and White. This year he
was nominated for the Latin Grammy as Producer
of the Year for my album. Another big break would
be winning the Presidential Scholarship at Berklee,
as Im the only Spanish musician to ever receive it.
Ill always be extremely thankful to them for allowing me to come to the United States and open my
mind and music up to a whole new world.
WHATS NEXT: Ill tour Spain in March
2014. Im also recording a new album entitled
Flamencool with producer Javier Limn.
ADVICE: Always be
humble, yet never let
anybody pull you down.
Nobody knows everything,
yet were all special. Also,
always love the music more
than yourself onstage.

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HEAR

LE GENDS S O NG STO RIES TA LEN T SCOUT PLAY LIST

BY JON REGEN
BENMONT TENCH
You Should Be So Lucky
Long regarded as the pinnacle of rock keyboard tastefulness, Benmont Tench delivers a
knockout punch with his debut as a bandleader, on the Blue Note label. Four over four
decades, Tench has anchored Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with his signature swirl of
Hammond, Wurlitzer, and piano. But on his first solo outing, Tench surprises with a captivating
collection of original songs. Recorded entirely to tape by legendary producer Glyn Johns
(Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, the Who), the album features cameos by Petty, Ringo Starr, and
alt-country crooner Ryan Adams. But the real star here is Tench, whose songs sear with
heartbreak (Today I Took Your Picture Down), humor (Blonde Girl, Blue Dress), and piano
perfection (Wobbles). We all knew he could kill on the keyboards, but YSBSL proves that
Tench is a devastatingly great singer and songwriter. Key track: Hannah. | bluenote.com
HERBIE HANCOCK
The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988
This 34-CD compendium celebrates the legendary keyboardist and composers recorded output for the
storied label, including eight albums never before released in the United States. Covering everything from
his electrified outings like Sextant and Head Hunters, to acoustic works like his V.S.O.P quartet/quintet and
his soundtrack to the film Round Midnight, the collection is further proof of Hancocks enduring artistic
legacy. Key track: 4 AM. | herbiehancock.com
MARC CARY FOCUS TRIO
Four Directions
Jazzer Marc Cary has been crafting an alluring vision since anchoring the piano chair in vocalist Abbey
Lincolns band. Carys latest offers a myriad of keyboard sonorities, from the synth-laden, Indian
explorations of Todi Blues to the backbeat-infused acoustic adventures of Tanktified. (Cary also shines
on Rhodes electric piano on a number of cuts.) With nods to everything from R&B to smoldering straightahead jazz, Four Corners is worth a spin. Key track: Spectrum. | marccary.com
STACEY KENT
The Changing Lights
While vocalist Stacey Kent has been a veritable institution in Europe for the last decade plus, its only
recently that her well-deserved acclaim has migrated stateside. Her new album The Changing Lights
should help speed up the process, with a near perfect blend of bossa nova-tinged soul and buoyant band
interplay. Kudos to pianist Graham Harvey for framing Kents vocals with artful accompaniment. Key track:
This Happy Madness. | staceykent.com
KOREL TUNADOR
The Early Mournings EP
Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Korel Tunador (Katy Perry, Goo Goo Dolls) surprises on his sophomore
solo release The Early Mourning EP, which marries sonic tricks with killer song licks. From the synth
shimmer of You Dropped a Bomb, to the funk strut of Bringing You Back Down, Tunador proves he isnt
afraid to take center stage and tell his own side of the story. Key track: My, My, My. | koreltunador.com

HELEN SUNG
Anthem for a New Day
Jazz pianist and composer Helen Sungs Anthem for a New Day is a hard grooving aural affair. From postBop burners like her original Brother Thelonious, to a classically-cadenced take on Duke Ellingtons
It Dont Mean a Thing, Sung soars alongside bandmates Reuben Rogers on bass and Obed Calvaire
on drums. When clarinet master Paquito DRivera guests on her rendition of Chick Coreas Armandos
Rhumba, Sung proves shes more than up to the task. Key track: Chaos Theory. | helensung.com

32

Keyboard 04.2014

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POP/R OCK JA ZZ TECHN IQUE

5 Ways To Play lIke

Benmont
Tench
BY MATT BECk
In The lexIcon of rock keyBoardIsTs,
one doesnt go far before coming across the one
and only Benmont Tench. Known primarily as the
ever-so-tasty keyboardist for Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers, Benmont is a consummate song
player. Every note he plays is for the betterment
of the song. He can often be found playing an
affecting Hammond B-3 organ solo, or finding a
keyboard part that blends so perfectly in a song
that it would literally cease to be the same song
without it. There is no way that anyone could distill Benmonts taste, feel, sounds, and parts into
only five elements, but well give it our best shot!

ex. 1.

Piano
Piano
Piano
B3
B3
B3

& 44
&
& 44
4
&4
&
& 44

>
>
& >
&
&

>
>>

G
G
G

A min/D
A min/D
A min/D

&
&
&

34

>
>>

>
>>

J
JJ

> >
& >> >>
&
& j
j
j

&
&
&
C6
C6
C6

Keyboard 04.2014

>
>>

>
>>

j
# j
# j
#




j
j
j

>
>>

>
>>

j
j
j

G
G
G

F maj7
F maj7
F maj7

A min/D
A min/D
A min/D

>
>>

>
>>

j
## jj
#

>
>>

j
j
j

F maj7
F maj7
F maj7

j
j

>
>>

C6
C6
C6

>
>>

>>
>

j
jj

> >
>> >>

b n

bb n

n

3
3
G
G
G

1. Blending Tones
Finding the right part is always
important, but picking what
sounds you use can be just as
vital. Some big staples of Benmonts sound are the Hammond
B-3 organ, acoustic piano, and
Wurlitzer electric piano. Benmont
even finds ways to blend these
sounds into a tasteful combination of their own. Ex. 1 demonstrates this, starting with piano
only and then adding in an unforgettable B-3 riff that announces
the song in the best way possible.
Benmont played a part similar
to this on the Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers song Dont Do Me
Like That.

4
& 44
&4

Ex. 2.

A7

w
w

w
w

w
w

w
w

j
#
j
#

A7

G7

A7

w
w

w
w

w
w

w
w

j
#
j
#

D7

.
.

.
.

G7

j
#
j
#

?
?

A7

G7

j
#
j
#

?4
? 44
4
&
&

G7

D7

n #
n #

D7

.
.

.
.

D7

Just because a song has a defined


musical style doesnt mean you cant
infuse different sections with other
alluring sounds. Take Ex. 2, a honkytonk piano part dropped smack into
the bridge of an otherwise driving
rock tune. Thats the genius of Benmont Tenchhes always crafting
parts that serve the music and make
it soar. This example is in the style
of a part Benmont played with the
Heartbreakers on the classic song
American Girl.

3. T Is for Taste

Ex. 3.

# #
4 #
&4
#
R 3
? 44 w
w

#
#
A

w
w

#
# # #

R 3
w
w

#
#
A

w
w

Ex. 4.

4
&4

A min9

A min


& 44
A min9

&

2. Breaking Stylistic
Boundaries


&

D min9


A min

D min


D min9

D min

G sus

G 2 G sus


G sus

G 2 G sus

How do you define taste? The answer


is, you just know it when you hear
it. Benmont is revered among fellow
musicians for his ability to make the
music shine without ever showboating. Ex. 3 illustrates a typical
Benmont piano part in the chorus of
a song. Notice how he delineates the
chord changes by creating an infectious piano melody out of them in
octaves. Listen to his playing on the
Tom Petty tune Here Comes My Girl
for further examples of his sympathetic sonics.

4. Unexpected
Instruments
Benmont is always open to finding
unexpected sound sources to lift a
song higher. While primarily known
as a master of acoustic and electromechanical instruments like piano,
electric piano, and Hammond organ,
Benmont often works wonders on
synths as well, even though they
might seem unlikely in a rock context
such as the Heartbreakers. Ex. 4
shows how he might weave his magic
on an analog synth patch.

Gintys Favorite Organ Compers


Tom PeTTy and The
hearTbreakers
Damn the Torpedoes

ryan adams
Ashes & Fire

benmonT TenCh
You Should Be
So Lucky

04.2014 Keyboard

35

Ex. 5.

#
4
&4

F #min

# # n
#
J

F #min

G #min

#
n. # # J
J
E

n
J

?4
4
& j # # n r # #

G #min

# # #

Matt Beck plays keyboards and guitar with


Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas, and Rod
Stewart. He also recently joined the musical cast
of Beautiful, the new Broadway musical about
legendary singer-songwriter Carole King. Becks
most recent solo outing is Anything Which Gives You
Pleasure. Follow him on Twitter @mattymay.

5. Benmont = B-3
When it comes to rock organ, you
cant do better than Benmont Tench.
He has such control of all the nuances of the instrument, making
constant adjustments to the drawbars, and enhancing phrasing via the
speed of the Leslie speaker. This is
illustrated in Ex. 5, where he builds
a hooky solo out of a songs chord
progression, referencing its melody
along the way. He does this often on
his new solo release You Should Be So
Lucky.

Benmont Tench jams with


author Matt Beck and
editor-at-large Jon Regen.
Hear audio examples from
this lesson online.
keyboardmag.com/april2014

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Keyboard 04.2014

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P o P/ ro C K JA ZZ TeCH n iQU e

harmonic motion
For The moDern JaZZ PIanIsT

1. chord scales

by GeorGe ColliGan

French comPoser clauDe Debussy was


quoted as saying, There is no theory. There is
only sound. In many ways, he was right. The
rules of musical harmony are a wonderful thing
indeed, but music is a place where it can be safe
to break rules. I believe that a combination of
foundation and experimentation is the best
approach when it comes to musical creativity.
Jazz pianists often learn typical chord progressions that can be used to play standards, compose tunes, and learn how to improvise. But
how do we get beyond these typical progressions to create new sounds of our own?

ex. 1.
D min7

w
4
& 4 ww
? 44

Dorian Mode

ex. 2.
D min7

G7

& 44

C maj7

? 44

D min+7 G 7b 9sus4 C maj7#5


& # b n

?
38

Keyboard 04.2014

D min7b 5

A b7

G7

ww
w

F maj7#11

G 7b 9

ww
w

C min+7

D b7

C maj7

b b n b n n
b

A min7b 6

ww
w

E min7b 9

B min7b 5

ww
w

ww
w
w

D 7sus11 G 7sus11 C 7sus11

A bmaj7#5 D bmaj7#11 C min7b 6

b n b b b
b

Ex. 1 looks at chord-scale relationships. Which came first, the chord


or the scale? Well, early Greek and
Medieval music was based on scales.
(The Greeks called them modes). Harmony occurred only as a byproduct
of contrapuntal melodies. It wasnt
until the 17th century that the idea
of tonal harmony or chords began
to develop. From Bach to Mozart to
Beethoven to Debussy and then to
jazz, we can look at harmony as a
vertical structure. However, bebop
(e.g., Charlie Parker) is often analyzed
more horizontally, that is, in terms
of its scalar melodies. So essentially, a
chord is a scale . . . is a chord. You can
use the same chord scale with different bass notes. For example, take the
D Dorian mode (the minor scale with
a natural sixth and flat seventh). If
you put D in the bass, your chord is
a Dmin7 (voiced with the flat third,
sixth, and ninth). But when you put
a G in the bass, you get a G7 (or the
G Mixolydian mode). If you put an
F in the bass, you get an Fmaj7#11
(or the F Lydian mode). With an A in
the bass, you get an Amin7b6 (or the
A Aeolian mode). And so on. So one
scale can lead you in many different
directions, depending on which bass
note you choose.

2. Disguised Progressions
Jazz education spends a lot of time
dissecting progressions like the ubiquitous ii-V-I. But we can alter these standard chord movements in many ways
by using disguised progressions, like
those seen in Ex. 2. Try making the
progression minor (Dmin7b5, G7b9,
then Cmin maj7). Make it suspended
(D7sus11, G7sus11, C7sus11). Combine the two (Dmin maj7, G7sus4b9,
Cmaj7#5). Use tri-tone substitutions
(Ab7, Db7, Cmaj7). Now mix and match
all those! There are endless possibilities within even the known harmonic
universe.

3. Non-Functional
Harmony

Ex. 3.
C min7 B bmin7 A bmin7 G bmin7 A bmaj7#11 B maj7#11 D maj7#11 F maj7#11

& 44 b b b b b b
n n

b b # # # n n n
b n

?4
4

b b
#

C 7#9 E 7#9 A b7#9 C 7#9

b b
bb # n
b

Want to go even farther into the great


unknown? The first step is to get
away from standard motion like the
cycle of fourths, chromatic chordal
movements, ii-V-I, or common chord
substitutions, and try employing nonfunctional harmony like that illustrated
in Ex. 3. Try using whole-steps, minor
thirds, or major thirds in your progressions. Here, harmony is more about
color than function.

4. More with Bass Notes

Ex. 4.
D b/F

& 44 b b www
w
?4
4

A maj7/E

#w
# n www

B maj7/D #

G maj7/D

D bmaj7

# # # # wwww

n # wwww

n b b wwww

#w

nw

bw

A maj7

#w
# n www

B maj7

G maj7

# # # # wwww

n # wwww

On my latest album The Endless Mysteries, the tune entitled Her Majesty
begins with the chords Db/F, Amaj7/E,
B/D#, and Gmaj7/D. The bass motion
is chromatic, but the chords on top are
non-functional, as seen in Ex. 4. You
can almost think of these chords as
inversions. Note how different the progression sounds when played in a more
traditional manner: Dbmaj7, Amaj7,
Bmaj7, Gmaj7.

5. Density and
Polytonality

Ex. 5.
D min7

4
&4

C maj7

? 44

F min7

bU
b

B maj7

# # #

E min7

B bmaj7

n n bn

B maj7#11

E maj7

C min+7

n # # #

# #

b n n

# # ##

nn

#
n n

F #69

B7

B bmin9

# n

n b b

n
b b

#
#

Eb

F #min

A sought-after sideman on the international


jazz scene for over two decades, George
Colligan currently leads his own groups
and tours with renowned drummer
Jack DeJohnette. He is also Jazz Area
Coordinator at Portland State University
in Oregon. Colligans latest album The
Endless Mysteries is out now. Find out more
at georgecolligan.com

Before the piano was invented, counterpoint and then harmony was a
product of multiple voices or instruments playing different melodic lines.
These days, we have incredible access
to sounds that our musical ancestors
couldnt have dreamed of. So why not
explore them? As long as youre consistent in the types of sounds you use,
you cant go wrong. Many 20th-century
European classical composers have
also used bitonality or polytonality in
their work, illustrated in Ex. 5. (Note:
In jazz, polytonality is sometimes confused with slash chords. However,
theres a big difference between simply
using a different bass note and truly
using two keys at once).

Hear George play audio


examples from this
lesson online.
keyboardmag.com/april2014

04.2014 Keyboard

39

PLAY

P O P/RO C K JA ZZ TECHNIQUE

Your DAW
as Practice
Partner

Stick to the
Click!
BY JEFF LORBER

VINCE MAGGIO, MY JAZZ PIANO INSTRUCTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL


of Music (and mentor to Bruce Hornsby), always stressed the importance of locking in
with a drummers ride cymbal. Vinces lesson still resonates with me every time I record,
where one always must lock to a click, drummer, or rhythm section. Truth be told, time
feel is one element that truly separates the pros from the amateurs.
As pianists, we frequently have trouble laying back, and often end up on top of the
beat, rushing. Ive attributed this part of this tendency to the fact that unlike other band
members, pianists often spend years playing by themselves. When playing solo, the pianist
provides his own internal clock, which often (especially in classical music), wavers a bit.
Most bass players and drummers have played with other musicians since early on in their
musical development, and have therefore learned to lock in from the very beginning. Here
are some exercises that may seem simple at rst, but will soon show the level of discipline it
takes to stick to the click and even play even a little bit behind itthe importance of leaning
on the back end of the beat cant be emphasized enough.

Ex. 1.

40

Keyboard 04.2014

In all of these examples,


try recording on the
grid to a click track
in Pro Tools, Logic, or
your software of choice,
without quantizing. (Also,
recording actual audio,
not just MIDI). Then check
yourself, both visually on
the grid and by listening.
Then, mute your DAWs
click and listen to see if
your piano performance
alone feels good, says
Jeff Babko. Best known
for his longtime spot in
the house band on Jimmy
Kimmel Live, he has also
recorded with Jason Mraz,
Sheryl Crow, and Alanis
Morrissette. Babkos
latest album Crux is out
now. Find out more at
jeffbabko.com.

1. Modern Pop/Rock
Ballad
Ex. 1 is a typical piano part for a
modern pop/rock ballad. This may
seem simple at first, but in a song
like this, the pianos eighth-notes are
often the clock of the song.
So as the keyboardist, youre
actually the songs metronome, but
you still need to sound human and
expressive while providing an even
pulse. As this is a ballad, you need to
exercise control both dynamically and
intensity-wise. When playing parts
like this, Ive found that the biggest
trick is not to rush beat 1 of bar 1 on
the repeat, as ones tendency is usually to rush the downbeat.

Ex. 2.

2. Pop Ballad

Ex. 3.

Ex. 2 illustrates a moving piano part


for a pop ballad. Here again, youre
providing a pulse, but this time with
a line instead of repeated eighth
notes. This may seem like beginner
piano music, but even I realized while
playing it that its tough to not rush
the anticipation as well as the lefthand part that answers it in bar 4.
(Alas, another lesson in Zen and the
art of ballad piano playing!)

3. Steely Victor
Oh, the late, great Victor Feldman
and his legendary pocket! One of
the most revered, unsung session
keyboardists of all time, Feldman
was also a session percussionist,
which perhaps explains his relentless groove. Ex. 3 is in the style of a
celebrated Steely Dan track on which
Victor was both swinging hard and
laying way on the backside of the
beat. Pulling off such a sexy and relaxed feel takes a lot of discipline. If
this is rushed even slightly, it loses
all its vibe.

Ex. 4.

4. Mid-Tempo Rock
Ex. 4 is another exercise in pulsing eighth-notes, where the piano
provides the drive of the song. Its
difficult here to accent the anticipations without rushing them. Also, on
a more rocking song, the piano will
most likely be played at a louder volume, and the tendency can be to rush
or push when playing harder. So lay
back, even while laying into it!

Ex. 5.

5. Sixteenth-Note Ballad
In Ex. 5, each sixteenth-note must
hopefully breathe in feel while still
maintaining metronomic time. The
pianist should sound relaxed, but I
assure you when the red recording
light is on and the spotlight is on
you, relaxing and sounding balladlike isnt that easy.

Jeff provides audio examples of leaning behind the beat.

keyboardmag.com/april2014
04.2014 Keyboard

41

KNOW

SYNTH S OLOING B EYON D THE MA N UA L DA N CE

THE ART OF SYNTH SOLOING

More Two-Handed
Soloing Ideas
BY JERRY KOVARSKY

LETS cONTINuE ExpLORING TwO-HANdEd SOLOING TEcHNIquES FROM


last months column. The inspiration for this technique comes from Chick Corea:
you can see him employ it in almost any video you call up. Its become a natural
part of his playing style, on all forms of keyboard.

Repeated tones

by such great players as Brian Auger and Keith Emerson, and it astounds me how fast they can do it.
But thats not for us here. As a start I want you to
alternate between the two hands, using the thumb
of each hand, as shown in Ex. 1. One hand has to be
up higher along the key, with the other closer to the
front edge, so youre not getting in your own way.
Some players like to use the index finger, as they can
drum faster and easier. Try each rhythm, playing
slowly at first, and then speeding up the tempo as
you get comfortable. Practice starting with the right

Taking some inspiration from the organ technique


commonly called the machine gunwhere you
repeat the same note over and over by drumming
multiple fingers on the keylets explore ways to
build up some excitement in your solos.
On organ and piano, you would alternate fingers on the same key; many musicians commonly
use 3-2-1 or 4-3-2-1, although most of the famous
organists actually do it with only two fingers: 3-1
or sometimes 2-1. Ive been shown the technique

3
3
4

j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j j j

& 4



? 4 J J J J J J J J J J
4

r r r r r r r r


R R R R R R R R

Ex. 1a.

RH first

Ex. 1a

4
& 4 j j j j

? 44 J J J J
LH first

Ex. 1b

Ex. 1b.

4
& 4 j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j


? 44 J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J
LH first

Ex. 2

44

Keyboard 04.2014

Ex. 2.

r r r r r r r r


R R R R R R R R

j j j j j j


J J J J J J
1

hand, and then starting with your left hand. Thats


just to warm upnow lets make it interesting.
Add one other note to your pattern, as shown
in Ex. 2. Im starting with the left hand, so it will
always be on the downbeats/main pulses of the
beat, while the right hand is playing on the weaker
off-beats. It can be the same note, repeated at different timings, or different notes. Ex. 3 shows the
same concept starting with the right hand, and
using different notes. As you try to speed them
up, think of your hands as if they were alternating
drumsticks, as I discussed last month. There are so
many possible variations of this idea: playing the
note groupings as eighths, triplets, sixteenths; using
different variations of notes etc. so experiment and
make it your own.

Ex. 3.

j j j j j j j j



J J J J J J J J

j
4
& 4 j j j j j j j

? 44 J J J J J J J J
RH first

Ex. 4.
3

&

? J J J J
3

Ex. 4

3
3
3
3
3
3
b




J J J J J J J J

b


J J J J
4

Ex. 5.

4 3 3 3 3
& 4 j j j j

? 44
1

Ex. 5

j j j j j j j j


b b n


2

j j j j j j j j





1

Ex. 6.
2 1

2 1

2 1

2 1

2 1

4
& 4

? 4
4
2

3 1

3 1

5 1

2 1

5 1

2 1

3 1

Ex. 6

Ex. 7.

4
& 4

? 44

Ex. 7

Ex. 8.
5

4
b #
& 4

#
? 44 b

Ex. 8

Two and One


Now lets mix it up and play two notes with one
hand followed by a single note with the other,
still centered on the repeated note concept.
Ex. 4 shows some ideas leading with the right
hand, while Ex. 5 starts with the left. Ive written
them as triplets so they line up with the downbeats and bar lines, but they get really interesting
if you play the figures as sixteenths, so the phrases
arent so symmetrical with the time.
Move on to groupings of two and two, as shown

in Ex. 6. At first let one hand remain constant


while you vary the other. Then move on to the
ideas in Ex. 7 where both hands are varying. Ex. 8
shows a technique where each hand is using the
same tones, and can be used to sound like the
hammering technique shredding guitar players use
to play melodic figures in a very flamboyant way.

create a high point in what should be an otherwise melodic and tasteful solo. Having said that,
a little bit of flash and chops flaunting can be fun,
and should get a good reaction out of your audience. Enjoy!
Original audio
examples.

Musical Perspective
These techniques can quickly get wanky and unmusical if overdone. So use them sparingly, to

keyboardmag.com/april2014
04.2014 Keyboard

45

KNOW

SYNTH S O LO ING B EYOND THE MANUAL DA N CE

Fig. 1. Sony Acid


allows inserting
markers that change
tempo, but you can
also specify the type
of transition between
tempo change
markers.

MIDI reloaded
pArt 2: MuSt-Know tecHnIqueS
BY CRAIG ANDERTON

LASt MontH, pArt 1 oF tHIS coLuMn re-AcquAInteD uS wItH tHe bASIcS


and benefits of MIDI, such as being able to edit notes, transpose, and change
instrumentation in a song without having to re-record digital audio. This month,
well investigate various more advanced techniques that demonstrate some of
MIDIs power.
Humanize with individual timing
tweaks. Ignore any menu item called humanization, because this usually just adds randomnessthats not what makes timing human
(unless the human in question had too much
to drink). Instead, alter note timings manually
or use a slide editing function; note that any
snap function needs to be turned off, and
these changes should be subtle. For example:
Jazz drummers often hit a ride cymbals
bell ahead of the beat (earlier) to push a song.
Rock drummers frequently hit the snare
behind the beat (later) for a big sound.
For electronic dance music, move doubletime percussion parts (shaker, tambourine, etc.)
slightly ahead of the beat for a faster feel.
With tom fills, delay each subsequent note
of the fill a tiny bit more. This can make a tom
fill sound gigantic.
If two percussion sounds or staccato harmony lines often hit on the same beat, try sliding one part ahead of or behind the beat to keep
46

Keyboard 04.2014

the parts from interfering with each other.


Move a crash cymbal ahead of the beat to
highlight it, or behind the beat to have it mesh
more with the track.
If a bass note and kick hit on the same
beat, delay the bass slightly to emphasize the
drum (hence the rhythm), or advance the bass
to emphasize melody.
Also, try tempo tweaks. Most DAWs have
tempo tracks, or the ability to place markers that
change tempo at specific places (see Figure 1).
If youre in the compositional phase and using
MIDI (as suggested last month), add moderate
tempo tweaks to push the tempo or lay back a
bit. This can do wonders for expressiveness; play
to these changes when you overdub electric or
acoustic instruments.
Gain a wheel. Break free from using the modulation wheel to bring in a pitch LFO for vibrato.
Instead, use pitch bend for vibratoif guitar

players can add vibrato manually, so can you!


That frees up the modulation wheel to do tricks
like changing filter cutoff, altering detuning,
and the like, many of which have been explored
in Jerry Kovarksys series The Art of Synth
Soloing in this magazine. Also, dont forget the
footpedal jack or aftertouchthe more sources
of human control, the better.
MIDI data-based compression and
limiting. Most DAWs can edit MIDI velocity
data, which opens up the possibility of MIDIbased dynamics control. For limiting, add a
constant to all velocities and then subtract
the same amount to restore the non-limited
values. For example suppose a MIDI tracks
note velocities range from 70 to 127, and you
want a maximum velocity of 95. Add 32 (127
minus 95, the highest desired velocity) to all
velocities, and now velocities will range from
102 to 159. However, velocities cant exceed
127, so any velocities that were 95 or above will
now have velocities of 127. Next, subtract 32; all
velocities that were at 127 will now be 95, while
any velocities that were originally under 95 will
revert to their original values.
You can also compress data. Divide the MIDI
data by a constant, which is like a compressors

Fig. 2: Ableton Live has several different types of MIDI


effects; the Velocity effect can provide compression as
well as other types of dynamics control.

Fig. 3. Cakewalk Sonars


Groove Quantize
function applies to audio
or MIDI files. The sliders
edit how closely time,
duration, and velocity
match the groove.

Fig. 4. The loop on the


left, in Propellerhead
Reason, shows the
original MIDI notes that
trigger the REX file audio
slices. The MIDI notes
(orange) in the loop
to the right have been
edited to trigger some
audio slices at different
times.

ratio control. Then add a constant to provide


make-up gain. For example, suppose a tracks
note velocities range from 50 to 120 and you
want to compress velocity by a ratio of two to
one. Divide the note velocities by two; the values now range from 25 to 60. Add 60 to bring
the maximum value back to 120, and the values
range from 85 to 120. Some programs include
MIDI plug-ins for dynamics control (see Figure 2),
which simplifies this process.
Groove templates and timing.
Quantizing MIDI notes to precise rhythmic
values can sound mechanical, which is
good for some types of music but not others.
Groove templates (see Figure 3) also quantize,
but to preset rhythm patterns (or patterns
you create)shuffles, swing, humanized

percussive grooves, grooves that lay back or


push, and so on.
Why you need more octaves. Many
virtual instruments (FXpansion Geist, Native
Instruments Kontakt, EastWests Play engine,
and many more) use MIDI keys not only to play
specific notes but also to trigger articulations or
variations on a basic sound. If your main USB
MIDI controller doesnt have enough notes, no
worriesadd a second USB MIDI controller.
Assuming your DAW can select more than one
MIDI device per track, it should respond to the
outputs from both controllers.
MIDI and REX files. REX files chop digital
audio into slices, each of which can then be
triggered individually by a MIDI note. Slices

can trigger at a faster or slower rate as you speed


up or slow down a MIDI sequence, but you can
also re-arrange the MIDI notes to trigger slices
at times other than their original timings (see
Figure 4). This is particularly effective with drum
loops, as each slice tends to have a single hit consisting of one or more drumsmove these hits
around to create a totally different drum pattern.
The beauty of soft synth MIDI outs. More
and more virtual instruments (especially drum
instruments with built-in beats) include a MIDI
output option, so you can use whatever MIDI
data it generates as another instruments MIDI
input. One of my favorite applications is loading
up Zildjians Digital Vault (hosted by FXpansion BFD Eco) with a kit that contains only its
wonderful cymbal sounds, but whose grooves
can drive other drums as wellthen using the
MIDI out to drive the drum sounds in a different drum instrument, like XLN Audio Addictive
Drums or Native Instruments Battery.
The local control gotcha. If your MIDI
controller is a synth with a built-in sound generator, the keyboard usually feeds data to the
internal sounds (called local control) as well
to the synths MIDI out, at the same time. If
your DAW echoes the interfaces MIDI in to the
interfaces MIDI out, then the MIDI data will
re-enter your synths MIDI in and cause double
triggering because both the keyboard and the
interfaces MIDI out trigger the same notes. To
prevent this, disable the synths local control
(typically a synth setup or preference option).
Or, create a track in your DAW that transmits
a value of zero on continuous controller 122,
which turns off the synths local control. Also
note that some DAWs default to sending local
control off to prevent double triggering. To play
your synth, turn on input echo for the MIDI
channel your synth feeds.
How-to guru Craig Anderton is considered one of the founders of the very
concept of music technology journalism.
His latest adventure involves wearing
the mantle of Chief Magic Officer at
Gibson Brands.
04.2014 Keyboard

47

KNOW

SYNTH S O LO ING BEYON D THE MA N UA L DANCE

Hip To Be Square
THE BASS SOUND OF 2014
BY FRANCIS PRVE

ITS OFTEN THE CASE THAT PRODUCERS AND KEYBOARDISTS PICK UP ON A SOUND ONLY AFTER NUMEROUS HIT
tracks have popularized it. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, as it has helped spawn genres like dubstep and drum n bass
not to mention sell thousands of copies of Native Instruments amazing soft synth, Massive.
That said, its way more fun to get in on the ground oor of a fashionable sound, especially if that sound crosses multiple
dance music genres from deep house to techno to progressive. Well, this month, weve got that sound, and its actually a
classic. Starting in the second half of 2013, square-wave bass started creeping into cutting edge tracks in a huge range of
styles, and I fully expect it to spread like dandelions by the end of 2014. Best of all, almost any synth can make this sound.
Granted, each has its own distinct avor, but the essence is the same. Heres how.

Step 1
To avoid phase issuesespecially on analog synthsthis bass sound works best as a singleoscillator patch. So pick a synth, mute all but one oscillator, and select the square wave. In
the upper ranges, it has that classic chip tune vibe. In the lower ranges, its surprisingly full.
Here, Native Instruments additive synth, Razor, generates an ultra-pristine square wave.

Step 2
The real thickening happens when we shave off many of the upper harmonics with a lowpass
filter. Again, with this sound there are many options, so try different roll-off slopes and, in
the case of full-featured digital synths, filter models. The only thing that counts is that its
a lowpass filter set at around 50 percent with absolutely zero resonance (otherwise it starts
to get TB-303-ish). Arturias MiniBrute and MicroBrute analog synths have a unique sound,
thanks to their Steiner-Parker filter.

Step 3
The finishing touch comes from applying envelope modulation to the
cutoff frequency to give this bass sound some bite. Keep it subtle,
though. If you apply too much modulation, it gets too snappy. Too
little, and its just a muted square wave. The basic settings are simple:
immediate attack, medium-short decay, no sustain, and a quick
release. Theres some room for tinkering, but use these values as a
starting point. Abletons Operator has extremely quick envelopes that
can be visually edited, making this part, er, a snap.

As for playing, this sound works best with a funky, sparse, staccato playing style. Thats not a hard and
fast rule, though. As this sound and the contexts in which its used evolve over the course of the year,
expect to see lots of variations because its so versatile. Who knows? Maybe those variations will come
from you. Have fun!

48

Keyboard 04.2014

Audio examples.

keyboardmag.com/april2014

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REVIEW

WOR KSTATION WOR KSTATION SOFT SYN TH PA A PP

Snap Judgment

ROLAND

FA Series
BY DAVID BRYCE

SINCE THE IDEA OF THE ALL-IN-ONE SYNTH/PRODUCTION WORKSTATION CAME


into its own decades ago, Roland has cranked out all sorts of formidable, great sounding instruments used for composition, recording and performance by musicians in just
about every genre. The Fantom series has been around in a few different incarnations
for quite a few years now, and has become a staple in many project and professional
studios as well as being an integral part of countless live rigs. Their new FA series is
a departure from older Fantom designs, yet the FA part of the name alludes that
at least some of the lineage has been preserved. What new technological and sonic
goodness can be found in Rolands latest workstation offering? Lets take it for a drive.

Panel Tour
At 12.6 pounds, our FA-06 review unit is maybe
the lightest full-function workstation weve
come across. Its keyboard is an unweighted 6150

Keyboard 04.2014

key synth action with velocity sensitivity, but


(like many other more affordable keyboards
these days) no aftertouch. The action is surprisingly solid and responsive, but may not be the

PROS Excellent sounds in


every category. Informative,
easy-to-read display with
bright, crisp graphics. User
interface is not intimidating
for novices. Compatible with
Roland Axial library. Included
4GB SD card. Deep onboard
sequencer can render
multitrack audio stems for
further work in your DAW.
CONS Display is not a
touchscreen. Sampler pads
arent velocity sensitive.
Keys dont sense aftertouch.
Sequencer tracks can't drive
external devices. External
power supply.

404: FOUND
The right side of the FA-06 (and
FA-08) is populated with whats
essentially a Roland SP-404SX
phrase sampler. Four banks of 16
sounds each are available for instant
playback, with no load time. You
can roll your own samples using the
onboard sounds or external audio
inputs, or import AIFF, WAV, or MP3
les from your computer. Mono or
stereo, one-shot or tightly looped
full featured high-resolution sample
editing is easy on the big display.
The downside? The pads arent
velocity-sensitive, so while theyre
suitable for triggering loops and
samples, theyre less so for playing
in your own drum grooves.

04.2014 Keyboard

51

best choice if youre planning on playing a lot


of piano. If youre in that category, Roland does
makes a weighted 88-key version, the FA-08.
Editor Stephen Fortner spent some time with the
FA-08 at NAMM and said of its action, Its fast
for a weighted keyboard, and feels like it would be
non-fatiguing on a four-set gig where both piano
and organ/synth type playing is required.
On the surface, the FAs interface appears more
spartan than most of Rolands previous workstations, but dont be fooledtheres a ton of power
under the hood if you really dig in. Access to deeper
editing functions can be achieved by holding down
the Shift key and pushing another button, including the soft keys under the display to navigate the
menus, many of which sport very cool and informative graphics. The main program section sports a
large color LCD, which is navigated using parent/
peer buttons to its right side, with values changed
using a large edit dial or increment/decrement buttons. There are ten category selection buttons under
the display, six of which (27) do dual duty as soft
keys in many of the editing modes. While using all
the buttons to navigate the display isnt complicated, it sometimes can take more than a few button
presses to get around, and the FA would certainly be
a lot easier to navigate if it had a touchscreenbut
that, of course, would increase the price.
To the left of the display, six Sound Modify
knobs handle four rows of commonly tweaked
settings via a Select button that changes their assignment (more below), and an additional row of
Keyboard Mode buttons cover transposition, octave shift, and quick split and dual modes. Plus the
Split and Dual buttons simultaneously, and you
activate what Roland calls a Studio Set, wherein

any combination of the 16 available parts that are


set to the same channel can be played simultaneously from the keys. The DAW Control button
allows the FA to act as a control surface for Logic
Pro, Sonar, and Cubase, which in conjunction with
its USB audio/MIDI interface capabilities, could
make it suitable as the nerve center of your studio.
Rolands D-Beam is also onboard, with individual
buttons that toggle it between dedicated volume
control, a handful of assignable parameters, and a
fun Solo Synth mode that generates noise bursts
reminiscent of Keith Emerson roaming the stage
with his ribbon controller.
On the other side of the display, another small
array of buttons engage the arpeggio and chord
memory (which can be used at the same time),
and select the rhythm pattern control screen,
with a small numeric display that indicates the
current arpeggio/rhythm tempokudos to Roland for providing both a dedicated tempo knob
and a tap tempo button here. The remainder of
the right side is taken up by the sequencer transport controls, and the backlit pads that provide
access to the phrase sampler (see 404: Found
on page 51) as well as being able to handle other
tasks such as muting and soloing sequencer
tracks and doing numeric keypad-like data entry.

Sound Engine
Under the hood is a 128-note polyphonic synth engine with full 16-channel multitimbral capability.
The onboard sound library is culled directly from
Rolands flagship Integra-7 module, and made up
of the complete sound set of the XV-5080, all of
the SuperNatural synth sounds, and a carefully
chosen assortment of the SuperNatural acoustic

and drum sounds, all organized into over 2,000


Tones (Rolands term for a single-sound patch). A
Preview button lets you hear a phrase played with
each Tone that indicates the way the programmer
intended the sound to be used. This can be really
interesting to check out, especially after youve
explored a sound on your own for a while.
PCM-based programs can use up to four partials, and SuperNatural synth sounds allow up
to three oscillators per voice. Single-cycle waveforms feature a couple of different variations, and
the sawtooth wave has Rolands signature Super
Saw detune option on tap. A choice of two filterstwo-pole (12dB per octave) and four-pole
(24dB per octave)are available, each with multiple lowpass, highpass, and bandpass options.
ADSR envelopes for the Filter and Amp sections
(Pitch has a simple attack-decay envelope) and
two LFOs round out the modulators.
The Tones are broken down into 20 categories,
which can be accessed using the row of ten buttons under the display. Each of these house two
categories (e.g., A. Piano and E. Piano share
a button, as do Bass and Synth bass, Strings and
Orchestra, Synth and Pad, and so on), and the
first category is the default when the button is
pushed. Organ sounds include SuperNatural
patches with individual drawbar control (via the
screen and/or Sound Modify knobs) and a very
respectable Leslie simulation, after the fashion of
Rolands VK and VR series keyboards.
As previously mentioned, the FA-06 organizes
its Tones into Studio Sets, which can be comprised
of up to 16 parts made up of onboard Tones or external sounds. These can be split and layered across
the keys in any combination, and each of the 16

FA ConnECtivity
The rear panel houses the SDHC card slot, which comes pre-loaded with a 4GB card and can be used to export sequencer
tracks as audio (more on this later). A pair of balanced 1/4 outputs are supplemented by a third balanced out (marked Sub
Out), which can be used to send a click track or individual part that you dont want in the main mix outs. The Sub Out is
unaffected by the main volume slider. An 1/8 input allows monitoring of a stereo playback device, and an unbalanced 1/4
in can route a guitar, bass, or mic through the FA for monitoring, sampling, or direct routing to a DAW via USB. A dedicated
Hold jack is provided for a sustain pedal, and two other jacks can be configured to operate with either a switch or a
continuous pedal. A USB2 port allows direct connection to a computer, while a second USB port is available for hooking up a
thumb drive for updating the instruments operating system or adding a WiFi dongle for enabling iPad control.

52

Keyboard 04.2014

parts can be set to any MIDI channel, so its possible to play as many as you want at one time. The
FA-06 does support Favorites: Ten banks of ten
Favorite sounds each can be stored for easy recall
using the Category buttons. Tones, Splits, Duals or
entire Studio Sets can be saved as Favorites.

Sound Modiers and Effects


These six knob can do all sorts of things, depending on the setting of the Select button, which
toggles them between four different rows. The
first row sets the knobs to control Cutoff, Resonance, Attack (amp), Release (amp), Pan, and
Level for each sound. The second sets each knob
to cut or boost different EQ bands. The third row
is assignable. The fourth row is all about effects.
The first knob adds compression, the second
knob modifies the overall EQ curve of the instrumentturning left boosts the mids (better for
playing in a band) while turning it right boosts
the lows and highs (more desirable in solo applications)knobs 3 and 4 handle system chorus
and reverb amounts. Knob 5 selects which Total
Effect (TFX) is used, while knob 5 controls a preset parameter of the current TFX.
Speaking of effects, each of the parts in a
Studio set can have its own multi-effect (MFX),
chosen from a list of 67 effects (44 individual and
23 combinations such as Overdrive into Chorus
or Distortion into Delay). Vocoder functionality
is also available if a mic is plugged in to the rear
panel. Six Comp+EQ effects are onboard for leveling and tweaking drum sounds to taste. In addition, there are global Chorus and Reverb effects, a
Master EQ and total effects (TFX), which include
things like DJFX and BPM Loopers, Bit Crush,
Slicer, Vinyl Sim and Radio Tuning, and process
the entire signal (including all other effects).
Theres even a dedicated input reverb that can be
used while routing an external signal thrugh the
FA-06 when tracking or performing.

Sequencer
Looking at the front panel, it doesnt appear that
the sequencer is terribly flexible . . . but in fact
its very much so. The onbord 16-track sequencer
offers real time non-stop looping (with the ability to switch tracks while recording), linear and
step-time recording options, track selection via
the sampler pads, and full-featured editingright
down to the ability to see events graphically or in
an edit list (called Microscope). A mixer page provides convenient access to pan, volume, reverb and
chorus sends, as well as mute and solo functions.
The killer app here, though, is that sequences

can be rendered to an inserted SD memory card


not just as stereo mixes or Standard MIDI data
(though these options are available, as is the case
on many workstations and arranger keyboards),
but as full-bandwidth individual tracks in WAV
format. This lets you bang out sketches or cues
using the FAs keyboard, knobs, and sampler pads,
and then bring all the tracks into your DAW for
multitrack mixing and processingwithout having to re-record audio or find appropriate soft
synths for MIDI tracks to drive.

to another, you hear an audible burpand more


often than not, the effects do change. This, however, can be avoided in Sequencer or Studio Set
mode. In either case, you can scroll up or back
to a different part seamlessly. Even the sustain
pedal can be used, sustaining the held sound and
not affecting the new sound at all until the previous sound is released. Patch remain is not supported when switching Studio Sets, thoughthe
previous sound is cut off entirely.

Conclusions
In Use
While my deep inner synth geek does enjoy poking around under the hood, most of the time I get
with keyboard instruments is spent playing them.
I think thats the heart and soul of what makes an
instrument greatwhether the sounds in it excite, intrigue, and stimulate. A nice keybed feel and
an intuitive interface layout are helpful, of course,
but if the sounds are there, most keyboard players
will overlook just about any other shortcoming. In
that respect, the FA-06 truly does shine, so much
so that its hard to call out standout programs
without churning out a really long list. Its an exceptional sounding instrument in just about every
category, and many of the sounds really do get extra life from the largely velocity-induced nuances
of the SuperNatural programming.
Extra kudos are extended for essentially always being in Studio Set mode. Its a lot of fun
to be able to play some of the giant stacked and
textured sounds, many of which may not be ideal
for a particular track, but provide inspiration and
a clear path to modifying a Studio Set to taste
easily. The fact that Roland only made 64 presets
and left 512 blank slots for Studio Sets is a good
indicator thats what they intended.
Once it becomes clear that holding the Shift
button is the key to unlocking pretty much any section of the FA, it becomes a breeze to move around,
with sharp graphics and sub-menus that show up
in conjunction with the soft buttons indicating a
very well laid out and logical work flow. It should
also be pointed out thatunlike some other currently available workstationsrealtime edits such
as tweaking the cutoff and resonance knobs do not
produce any audible stair-stepping effects.
The instrument does support patch remain
(being able to change to another program while
sustaining the previous sound without notes cutting off), but only under certain circimstances.
You can change from program to program without having the previous program cut off in Single
mode, but if the effects change from one program

While more and more keyboard players are doing


the bulk of their recording and mixing on their
computers or iOS devices, the need to be able to
quickly grab and arrange an idea the moment
inspiration hits means that there will always be a
place on the market for synth workstations. The
FA series takes the best of a bunch of Rolands engines and libraries, rolls them together with a new
ergonomic interface, and wraps it up in a solidly
built, attractive package thats even easy to transport. If youre mainly recording using a DAW, it
can even become an integral part of that workflow
with the touch of a button. The FA is clearly one of
Rolands finest workstations to date, and is worth
serious consideration by anyone looking to pick up
a state-of-the-art all-in-one instrument.

Bottom Line
A ton of power and sonic exibility
packed into an affordable, easy to
operate, lightweight instrument.
FA-06: $1,399 list | $1,199 street
FA-08: $2,099 list | $1,899 street
www.rolandus.com

See It Now!
Video: First look at the Roland
FA series.
Join the Conversation!
Dicsuss the FA-06 and FA-08
with Keyboard Magazines
online forum community
keyboardmag.com/april2014
04.2014 Keyboard

53

REVIEW

WO RKSTATIO N WO R KSTATION SOFT SYN TH PA A PP

YAMAHA

MOXF
BY BY ERIC LAWSON

THE TREND IN KEYBOARDS IS TO CREATE A FLAGSHIP PRODUCT AND THEN


trickle down the features into more affordable iterations. This inevitably requires
some tradeoffs, but Yamahas new MOXF series cuts surprisingly few corners in its
achievement of a studio and gig workstation that, size for size, comes in at almost
exactly half the price of the top-end Motif XF. How does the MOXF measure up to
its heavier and more expensive ancestor? Lets nd out.

Overview
Ive been a longtime user of Yamaha performance
and workstation keyboards, dating back to the
original S90 and then the Motif XS. So I was immediately familiar with the basic interface and
overall workflow of my MOXF8 review unit, as
Yamaha has kept the UI very similar. The MOXF8
has a great-feeling graded action that rivals
nearly any dedicated stage piano Ive played. Even
so, its surprisingly portable for an 88-noter (just
shy of 33 pounds) and has a smaller footprint
than many other keyboards in its class, due to the
clever placement of the pitch-bend and modulation wheels on the top left of the front panel
above the keyboard, rather than to the left of the
keys. Keyboard players have a longstanding de54

Keyboard 04.2014

bate about which placement is more intuitive, but


seeing as I play a lot of gigs, Ill take the smaller
dimensions any day.
The MOXF chassis is plastic, which is what
makes it so light. Perhaps the steel of the fullblown Motifs is more durable, but the rigid
construction of the MOXF8 seems plenty robust
enough for the weekend barroom or church musicianI transported it in a soft gig bag and it held
up just fine. A minor tradeoff is the use of a wallwart power supply, which helps keep the weight
and cost lower. Need to go even lighter still? The
61-key MOXF6 is electronically and sonically
identical, and weighs in at 15.6 pounds.
While I was getting the MOXF8 ready for gigs,
I was pleasantly surprised to find the entire fac-

Snap Judgment
PROS Exceptionally diverse
and professional sound
set. Light weight and small
footprintespecially the
88-note weighted version.
Durable. Huge library of
inspiring musical phrases
and loops onboard.
Dedicated transpose and
octave shift buttons. Loads
user and third party samples
into optional Flash memory.
Acts as USB audio interface.
CONS Interface takes awhile
to understand if youre new
to the Motif series. Pitch
wheel is sluggish to return
to center. Keys dont sense
aftertouch. Stereo main outs
onlyno sub outs.

Bottom Line
The MOXF serves up the majority
of Motif XF features for a far lower
price. For live use, the light weight
may even make it the better choice.
MOXF6: $1,499 list | $1,199 street
MOXF8: $1,999 list | $1,699 street
yamaha.com

tory ROM sound set of the Motif XF on board


(plus some extra sounds) for a total of 741MB
off wave d
data.
ata. Th
Tha
Thats
ts
se
serious
rious
i
h
horsepower.
orsepower. Yamaha
Yamah
ha
also kept the 128-voice polyphony as well as the
eight-way VCM (Virtual Circuit Modeling) eff
fects, so like on the Motif XF, you can layer up to
eight parts with independent insert effects for
each. Verdict: Compared to the flagship Motif XF,
theres really nothing lost here in terms of sound
capability.
The Motif XF does have user sampling, which
is not possible on the MOXFthough it can
play back audio samples loaded from USB to an
optional Flash memory board. Also, the MOXF
has one Flash slot instead of the Motif XFs two,
halving the maximum memory to 1GB. Regardless, the vast breadth of onboard sounds should
keep most anyone happy for a very long time.
Beyond this, you can load the Flash memory with
third-party wave data and programs from an impressive pantheon of sound designers. Its a nod
to the earlier Motifs PLG expansion boards and a
great way to keep the instrument fresh.

Phrases and Sequencer


Sound, Inspiration, Integration is Yamahas
catchphrase for the MOXF. Ive already mentioned the great sounds, but let me touch on the
inspiration and integration aspects. The Motif

series is known for having an extensive set of


onboard arpeggios that go way beyond the retro
up/d
/down affairs
aff
ffairs
i that
th
hat Ni
ckk R
Rh
hod
des made
mad
de famous
f
up/down
Nick
Rhodes
in Duran Duran (though the MOXF can certainly
do those). MOXF (and Motif) arpeggios are
rhythmic and/or melodic patterns and phrases
that turn the instrument into an instant jam session.
Close to 8,000 unique arpeggios range from
funky 70s grooves lifted right out of a Headhunters session, to modern EDM and Euro-disco, to
more acoustic- and guitar-driven phrases that
form good background for folk and blues tunes.
These motifs do indeed provide inspiration, and
if youre loath to use factory patterns, changing
them up a bit still makes for great song starters.
Ive played the MOXF8 for hours on end and I
still have yet to explore all of the patterns.
Sitting on top of all of this is a deep 16-track
sequencer. Weve covered the Motif series song
creation workflow in previous reviews, but this
much bears repeating: Its seamless to start with
an inspiring pattern, incorporate this into a multitrack sequence, rinse and repeat, and come up
with a lot of material quickly before reaching for
your computer.
Once you do, the MOXF boasts very useful
computer connectivity. It can function as a USB
audio interface, routing both its own sounds

and audio from its stereo inputs into your computerand even the Motif XF doesnt have its
d
edi
dicated
d fader
fad
der and
d LE
LED
D llevel
evell meter ffor
or DA
DAW
W
dedicated
playback. Like its predecessors, its knobs and buttons can act as a DAW control surface for Cubase,
Digital Performer, Logic, and Sonar. Given that
Yamaha owns Steinberg, integration is tightest
with Cubase AI.

In Use
I set up the MOXF8 for a few bar gigs with my
eclectic cover band, Flat Elvis. I needed to be able
to handle the usual piano, Rhodes, and Wurly
required for covering classic Tom Petty, Hall and
Oates, and Bruce Springsteen; while also nailing many 80s sounds for Loverboy, U2, Modern
English, and the Cars; plus a healthy smattering

See It Now!
MOXF video demo from NAMM.
Read our reviews of previous
MO and Motif keyboards.
keyboardmag.com/april2014
04.2014 Keyboard

55

of 90s material such as Cake and Coldplay. The


MOXF8 did not disappoint, with many variations
of each sound and a Favorites feature to easily
find sounds Id flagged when prepping for the gig.
Id be remiss if I failed to mention the amazing
Sweet Flute, a highly realistic flute that perfectly
nailed our cover of Men At Works Down Under.
Throughout my gig, the MOXF8 performed like
a champ, with its authentic acoustic and electric
pianos and soaring, fat synth sounds. I did have

an issue or two navigating the plethora of buttons,


particularly on a dark stage. If, like me, you have a
diverse set that requires lots of splits and layers, I
recommend getting set up offline and rehearsing
sound changes no matter what keyboard you use.
If youre using a smaller sound set, the category
and favorite functions makes playing a basic gig a
no-brainer.
I noticed that the pitch wheel was a bit sluggish
to spring back to center position. Another thing to

look out for: Having dedicated octave and transpose buttons rocks, but theyre very close to the
keys (just above C3), so wild playing runs the risk
of accidentally hitting one. Also, for mixing layered
sounds, Id prefer a set of faders in place of one of
the two rows of four knobs, but given the price of
the MOXF, Im not complaining. While bigger is
better when it comes to a keyboards display, I was
perfectly comfortable with the MOXF8s compact
monochrome screen, as it organizes information

Good Karma
The uninitiated may wonder, What the heck is KARMA? Kay Algorithmic Realtime Music Architecture (so named for
developer Stephen Kay) is a unique engine that generates realtime MIDI data to create evolving, percolating patterns
and musical effects. It first appeared in the Korg KARMA workstation in 2001 and has since been used in multiple Korg
keyboards including the OASYS and M3. The Motif version of KARMA uses a connected Mac or PC to drive Yamaha Motif
XS/XF, MOX, and MOXF series instruments. (The Motif classic, ES, and MO are not currently supported.)
Given that these synths are already packed with patterns and phrases, what does KARMA add? In a nutshell, greater
depth than what can be done within the confines of the stock MOXFnot to mention an inspiring but manageable degree
of unpredictability. KARMA offers an eight-track design: two layers of music are playable from zones on the keyboard.
Then, six modules can apply phrases, arpeggios, strumming, and other musical effects (GE or Generated Effect in
KARMA parlance) to internal sounds. Its like auto-accompaniment with a mind of its own . . . on steroids.
Within these performance modules are eight programmable scenes, much like different parts of a song. Each
scene has a huge amount of user-controllable variation. The swing, complexity, accents, pattern, and time signature (to
name a few things) can be dialed in to taste and saved at the scene level. One can get very far away from the original
Performance, arriving at something entirely new.
After downloading and authorizing the software via an emailed code, I uploaded a data file via USB into the MOXF. My
review unit also required a firmware upgrade to version 1.03, but then I was off to the races.
Functionally, KARMA Motif is a marriage between the KARMA Performance and the Yamahas Song mode. Anything
related to MIDI notes and controller data, you edit in the KARMA Motif software. Anything related to the sounds being
played, you edit in the keyboard. I found that the MOXFs DAW control mode worked very well with many aspects of
KARMA Motif. Once I created performances I liked I could seamlessly record them into the MOXFs sequencer.
I made my way through the vast landscape of KARMA Performances and found material appropriate for pretty
much every musical genre. It would
take hours to explore and tweak
each Performance, but theres truly
inspiring material here. A few of
my favorites were the mellow R&B
groove Divas Delight, Trev &
Seal, paying homage to a great
90s era pop duo, and 1985,
which brings back everything that
was great in movie soundtracks of
that era.
KARMA Motif is a great addition
to the MOXF and is well-suited
for film and TV work as well as
experimental songwritingnot to
mention a very fun way to create
mesmerizing solo performances. Its
transformative, addictive to use, and
adds major firepower to supported
Yamaha workstations.
You can download KARMA Motif
for $199 from karma-lab.com
56

Keyboard 04.2014

Conclusions

This bay can


accept an optional
512MB or 1GB card.
Though the MOXF
doesnt support
user sampling,
you can load
third party Voices
(programs) and
Performances and
their associated
samplesdesigned
for the flagship
Motif XF.

very similarly to the Motif ES and my S90 performance synth.


I occasionally do a gig where the drummer
needs to take a couple of breaks. When this happens, Ive routed programmed drums from my
Motif XS to a separate front-of-house line so that

the engineer can mix them separately. Because


the MOXF has only a single pair of main outs, I
wouldnt be able to do this, nor send a drummer a
click thats not heard in the house. Most keyboard
players wont miss this, though, so if it kept the
cost low, Yamaha made the right call.

The MOXF8 succeeds on many levels as a


performing and recording instrument. It
includes every single one of the killer sounds
and most of the workstation features from
the Motif XF in a lightweight, compact, and
affordable form. The previous Motif lite
keyboards were the MOX and MO, and the
MOXF supersedes these instruments across
every major dimension while still being offered
at an excellent price. Speaking from a semiprofessional keyboardists point of view, none of
the design choices Yamaha made to hit this price
are deal-breakers.
The MOXFs computer integration features
make it an outstanding entry into studio
workstations, and unless you really need
multiple outputs onstage, its light weight makes
a case for choosing it over the Motif XF or XS as
the do-it-all gig machine you throw in the car.
Stage and studio use alike are bolstered by the
128-voice polyphony, all the waveform ROM,
sound programming, and phrases from the Motif
XF, the ecosystem of third-party sounds for the
optional Flash memory, and (on the MOXF8) the
expressive weighted action. Put it all together,
and the MOXF hits a very sweet spot, earning
our Key Buy Award in the bargain.

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04.2014 Keyboard

57

REVIEW

WO RKSTATIO N WOR KSTATION SOFT SY NTH PA A PP

Fig. 1. Signal
routing (upper
left), an oscillator
in the currently
selected layer
(lower left), a
filter (upper
center), and an
envelope or lFO
(lower right). the
buttons at the
top of each pane
make it display
different items.

kv331 aUdiO

SynthMaster
BY JIM AIKIN

Only twO kindS OF peOple are likely tO lOve SynthMaSter: intrepid


sound designers who enjoy crafting their own patches, and musicians who just
want to grab a great-sounding factory preset and play some music. If youre not in
either of those categories . . . well, Im guessing you are. SynthMaster is not the best
known soft synth, but for sheer power, it belongs near the top of any list of great
music software.

Overview and Factory Sounds


At the highest level, a SynthMaster preset has
two layers, though most sounds need only one. In
each layer are two main oscillators, four modulator oscillators, two resonant multimode filters,
eight envelopes, a couple of LFOs, four programmable key scaling curves, an arpeggiator, and five
insert effects. Five more effects, four more LFOs,
and 12 user-definable easy controls are available at the instrument level. Many of the sections
have their own Save buttons, allowing you to
store and recall often-used configurations.
SynthMasters three versions differ only in the
size of the included preset library. The Everything
58

Keyboard 04.2014

bundle isnt cheap, but the developers have enlisted some great sound designers, so if you can
afford it, you wont be disappointed. The preset
browser uses a database approach. As a result,
many of the presets are found in multiple folders (such as Organ and Keys). You can filter the
display using attributes (such as Arpeggiated
or Legato), musical style, or author.
The preset library is far too large to describe
in detail. Reasonable electric pianos and Clavinets are supplied, a few drawbar-type organs,
lots of synth basses and pads, leads, drums,
arpeggiator and step sequencer patterns, choirs,
FX, and so on. Because I reviewed the Every-

thing bundle, some of my favorites may not be


in the version you buy.

Oscillators
Four oscillator types are available, and theyre
all waveform monsters. SynthMaster supplies
several hundred single-cycle waveforms, many of
them sampled from vintage instruments. These
waves can be used for both the carrier and modulator oscillators in the basic, additive, wavescan,
and vector modes. (A fifth oscillator mode,
Audio In, is also in the menu, but its usefulness will depend on how your DAW is set up. As
an audio processor, SynthMaster 2.6.9 was not
compatible with Image-Line FL Studio 11 on my
Windows 7 PC, but it worked fine in Steinberg
Cubase 7.0.5.)
More than 100 longer wave samples are also
provided in SFZ format, and you can load your
own WAV or AIFF files. However, SynthMaster
doesnt qualify as a full-featured soft sampler:

Fig. 2. Arpeggiate mode.


The area along the top
is for editing velocities;
at zero velocity the note
becomes a rest. +1 means
play the next note in the
chord Im holding. If a step
is set to something other
than +1, the arpeggiator will
look at the nominal lowto-high note order, choose
some other note, and then
proceed from there.

Fig. 3. The browser (top)


and Easy modulation knobs
(along the bottom). The
knobs can either add to or
multiply the base value of
the parameter.

It has no facility for mapping multiple samples


across the keyboard and no loop editing features.
The four modulators can be applied to the two
carriers in whatever combination you may need,
and can do FM, PM, and AM (frequency, phase,
and amplitude modulation). FM and PM only
work with the single-cycle carrier waves, but AM
works fine even with long samples. The frequencies of both carriers and modulators can track
the keyboard fractionally, which is useful for
setting up attack transients and equal-tempered
microtonal scales. (SynthMaster also loads Scala
tuning files.) FM is implemented in an odd way:
The DC Offset knob in the modulator has to be
cranked up for it to work.
The basic oscillator mode plays your chosen
waveform. In additive mode each oscillator is
actually eight separate oscillators, each with its
own waveform, tuning, loudness, and panning
all of which can be modulated from an LFO, envelope, or MIDI.
In wavescan mode you can choose up to 16
different waveforms, and the oscillator will scan
from one to another, crossfading smoothly. By
using a stepped LFO shape to sweep the table,

you can easily produce PPG-style wave motion.


In vector mode, you can choose four waves,
again giving each its own tuning. Two modulation inputs can be used for two-dimensional
sweeping among the four waves, and you can set
their balance graphically with the mouse.
You can dial in a slight amount of pitch drift
to simulate a real analog synth. This drift is continuous rather than being a fixed random value
thats different for each note, as in some other
digital instruments. SynthMasters drift is more
realistic, in my opinion.
Each oscillator has its own pan knob, so a
two-layer sound can have four oscillators panned
to different positions for a big stereo spread.
The filters are stereo, too: Two oscillators with
different panning can be processed by what is
nominally a single filter, and their pan positions
will be retained.

Filters
Each layer has two filters, and the layer can be
configured with the filters in series, parallel,
or split (meaning each oscillator has its own
filter). Two filter models are provided: digital

and analog. Each model has a choice of modes:


lowpass, highpass, bandpass, band-reject, low or
high shelving, peak, dual, or multi. In the latter
two modes, a single filter turns into two filters
in series or parallel. The digital filter also has a
comb filter mode.

Snap Judgment
PROS Great presets. Lots
of sound design tools,
including oscillator types,
lter modes, multi-segment
envelopes, modulation
routings, and arpeggiator
tricks.
CONS Some user interface
oddities. Some presets
not tuned to standard
pitch (though this is easily
changed).

04.2014 Keyboard

59

Pre-gain, drive, and waveshaping curves can


add overdrive to a filter, and can be positioned
either before, after, or within the filter. Oddly,
the drive knob is active even when this section is
switched off; possibly this is a bug. Adding pregain can easily boost the output into clipping
territory. The digital filter model has a handy
limiter to keep the level in check, thus reducing
the chance of clipping. The limiter isnt active
with the analog filter, but a layer can be routed
through a compressor in the effects section,
which will accomplish much the same thing.
With a bit of drive, the analog filter can get quite
rambunctious, and thats a good thing. The comb
filter can also output some tasty nastiness when
its damping knob is combined with the feedback
and overdrive controls.

in fact it once crashed Cubase while I was playing with it. I reported a related bug in this area
to the manufacturer, so hopefully you wont
encounter the problem.
Each layer also has four key scaling tables. A
table can have up to 16 mouse-editable steps,
and covers the entire 128-note MIDI keyboard
range. These tables are ideal for things like
shaping the amount of FM across the keyboard
range so as to craft a more playable instrument.
The modulation matrix display can be filtered to show only the routings from a specific
source or to a specific destination. Doubleclicking on an amount knob resets it to zero,
which is highly useful, as the knobs in SynthMaster are sensitive to small changes. Modulation amounts are bidirectional.

Modulation

Effects

Just about the only hardwired modulation


routings in SynthMaster are the key tracking
of the oscillators and filters. For everything
else, including amplitude and filter envelopes,
youll need to use the modulation matrix. Fortunately, there are 64 routings. Theres no provision for modulating the depth of one routing
from another, but this is no problem because
the important modules (oscillators, LFOs, and
envelopes) have their own output level knobs,
which can be modulated from the matrix.
The LFOs dont have access to the long list
of waveforms; they just do sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, and stepped. A stepped LFO
can have up to 32 steps, and each step can either glide to the next step or decay to zero with
a mouse-editable curve. The LFOs will sync
to host clock, so its easy to set up complex
rhythms without even touching the arpeggiator (which well get to shortly).
The four ADSR envelopes arent fancy, but
they have two features you dont see every day.
A bit depth knob reduces the output anywhere
from 24 bits (smooth) to two bits. The sync
button gives the envelope display a beat grid
overlay, making it easier to program rhythmically precise sweeps. When sync is active,
changing the tempo will also change the envelope lengths.
Then, the multi-segment envelopes can
have up to 16 stages, and can loop. The loop
start and end can be set to any step, and the
number of loop repetitions can be up to 32, or
infinite. The editing of step lengths is entirely
graphic, which makes it a bit fiddly. Even so,
these envelopes are nicely implemented. The
two-dimensional envelopes are similar, but
have separate outputs for the X and Y axes. The
graphic editing of the 2D envelopes is difficult
with envelopes that have a lot of segments, and

The effects routing scheme is one of the more


confusing facets of SynthMaster. By default,
each layer has five insert effects: distortion (a
waveshaper), lo-fi (a bit-crusher), ensemble
chorus, phaser, and parametric EQ. These are
found in the Layer edit area. In addition, each
Layer can be routed into two effect buses in
any amount, and also to the dry output. The
bus effects modules are two compressors, chorus, tremolo, echo, reverb, and a vocoder, and
these are found on a different edit page. Any of
the 17 effects modules can be inserted in either
layer or on either bus, up to a maximum of five
inserts per layer and per bus. So, for example,
if you need to use both phasers on one layer,
you can.
The effects are generously endowed with
parameters. The lo-fi has its own resonant
lowpass filter, for instance, with which you can
take the edge off a grungy tone. The reverb has
ten knobs and also separate EQ for the early
and late portions of the reverb image. The compressor has a sidechain input, so you can do
tricks like duck a synth sound on Layer 1 from
a drum loop on Layer 2.
The tremolo is actually a stereo panner; I
couldnt get it to do surf-guitar mono tremolo.
The stereo echo has its own distortion/overdrive, which is applied to the wet output but
not to the signal entering the feedback path;
this has the odd effect of making repeating
echoes get cleaner as they die away.

for each step. If the layer is set to monophonic


legato, a slide switch in the arpeggiator can
activate the glide programmed into the voice.
Speaking of which, each layer has both its own
arpeggiator and its own mono/poly switch, so
complex patterns are possible.
In Sequencer mode, the arpeggiator is a
monophonic step sequencer. The arpeggiator
can load a MIDI file and step through it. The
MIDI file can combine chords and single notes,
and SynthMaster will follow it faithfully, playing the chords and rhythms. In addition to the
expected up, down, up/down, as played, and
block chord modes, theres a mode called Arpeggiate that can do some exotic things with
note order (see Figure 2 on page 59).

Conclusions

60

Keyboard 04.2014

SynthMaster is so good its scary. If youre new


to synth programming, youll probably want to
stick with playing the presets for a while, both
because there are a lot of voicing parameters to
wrestle with and because some of them interact
in odd ways or are hidden in odd places. But
playing the presets wont disappoint, because
theyre excellent. Experienced sound designers will find a great deal here to dig into, from
the multimode filters and oscillator modes
to the big toolbox of modulation sources and
destinations. Once youve scoped out the editing, customizing the factory sound set is both
simple and fun. To paraphrase Frank Zappa,
Just what the world needsanother great
synthesizer.

Bottom Line
A real sleeper of exibility and
power when it comes to analogstyle synthesis.
Basic: $99 street |
Standard: $129 street |
Everything: $329 street
www.synthmaster.com

Hear It Now!

Arpeggiator
SynthMaster features a hybrid arpeggiator/
sequencer. For each of up to 32 steps, you can
define the velocity and number of rhythm
steps (such as eighth-notes) that a given step
will occupy. Theres a global note duration setting, which can be overridden by a hold button

Twelve instances
of SynthMaster
doing an 80s-style
tribute in Cubase 7.
keyboardmag.com/april2014

Now supports 5 YAMAHA instruments,


including the powerful new MOXF!
Since 2001, KARMA has been powering Korg keyboards such as
the Kronos, OASYS, M3 and Karma, delivering unrivaled interactive
phrase-generation, backing tracks and algorithmic arpeggiation
effects. Now, KARMA Developer Stephen Kay has released an even
more powerful third-generation KARMA system for a number of
Motif-based Yamaha instruments - in software form.
KARMA Motif software gives your Yamaha XF, XS, MOXF, MOX or
Rack-XS extensive new interactive groove generation, arpeggiation
and arranger-like capabilities. Interweaving cascades of notes,
techno arpeggios, chopping and slicing gated effects, drum
grooves, dense melodic textures, natural-sounding glissandos,
intricate fingerpicking and guitar strumming, stuttering and
retriggering and much more! The possibilities are truly infinite.

...real-time pattern-generating
and MIDI-processing muscle
that dazzles nearly everyone...
Electronic Musician
...one of the deepest and
most complex MIDI processing
systems ever devised...
Keyboard Magazine

KARMA (Kay Algorithmic Realtime Music Architecture) and the KARMA Logo are
registered trademarks of Stephen Kay, www.karma-lab.com. 2014 by Karma-Lab LLC
- All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

REVIEW

WO RKSTATIO N WOR KSTATION SOFT SYN TH PA A PP

HK AUDIO

Lucas Nano 300


BY TOM BRISLIN

FOR THE KEYBOARDIST WHOSE GIGS FREQUENT THE SOLO, DUO, OR TYPICAL
small venue setting, its exciting when a new portable sound system arrives on the
scene. The HK Audio Lucas Nano 300 promises to be an attractive ultra-portable
solution, but does it have the power, frequency range, and clarity to get the job
done? Lets take it to some gigs.
The Lucas Nano 300 is a subwoofer-plus-satellites
powered speaker system. The subwoofer base contains the amplifier, mixer, and a locking carry-cradle
to store the satellites for transport. Pop it in the optional roller bag, and youve got the whole system in
one package that weighs less than 25 pounds. Were
off to a great start as far as portability goes.
Out of the box, you can set up the Lucas Nano
in its stock mono configuration, where the satel-

Snap Judgment
PROS Exceptional
portability. Powerful amp.
Multiple setups. Expandable.
Onboard mixer for mic, line,
and stereo inputs.
CONS Can get pricey with
add-on package. No master
volume control.

Bottom Line
Delivers smart design and clear,
powerful sound in a super-compact
package, but we recommend
budgeting for the add-on package
to get the best results.
$1,100 list | $700 street | Add-on
Package One (speaker poles and
cables in soft carry bag):
$175 list | $130 street
hkaudio.com

62

Keyboard 04.2014

lites are fastened to the top of the subwoofer via


mechanical couplers that also transmit audio. Its
a clever feature that saves on cables, clutter, and
time. For an alternate mono configuration, attach
the satellites to a speaker pole (mounted in the
subwoofer) and connect the bottom speaker to
the subwoofer via a cable.
Speaker poles and cables come in the Addon Package One, which was supplied with our
review unit. This lets you set up the Nano in
stereo, which is how I ran it on my first gig test.
The venue sat around 200 people, on a stage with
a modest front-of-house P.A. I used the Nano as
my sole monitor system, and my setup included
stereo digital piano and synths, plus a vocal mic
and some miked acoustic hand percussion. The
system really comes alive in stereowith
each side about four feet away,
slightly behind my piano bench,
I could easily set the satellites to
ear level. I was never at a loss for
low end, and got clean, clear sound without
pushing the levels over the halfway point.
The second gig test employed the Nano
as a keyboard monitor with a mediumvolume full band, in a same sized venue. Using
the stock mono setup (and placing the entire system
on a tabletop close to ear level), monitoring was again
clean and clear, if not as warm and pleasing as the
stereo setup. Note the that Nano has no master volume control, though there is a subwoofer level control. Instead, each input has its own level control and
a mysterious contour knob (labeled with an eighthnote). For line-level signals, turning this knob up will
boost high and low frequencies while reducing midrange. When input 1 is set to mic input, the contour
knob adjusts an integrated filter for speech. Thats a
bit vague, but any tone tweakability is welcome.

The Nano could very well pull off being your


sole amplification system in a small venue, depending on how much you need to put through it.
The stereo setup is where its at, so consider that
when budgeting for the add-on package. While
we didnt have a second system to test, we were
intruiged by the Nanos ability to link a second
set of satellites to the subwoofer. There may be
more powerful stage monitors out there for the
money, but few can match the portability and gigfriendliness of the Lucas Nano 300.

REVIEW

WO RKSTATIO N WOR KSTATION SOFT SYN TH PA APP

Snap Judgment
PROS Legit sounding
tape emulation. Detailed
control over saturation,
utter and noise. Realtime
recording and processing
of audio. Ofine processing
of les makes it useful for
adding warmth and vintage
character to mixed material.
CONS Full Audiobus
performance requires an
iPad 2 or newer.

Bottom Line

Master Record
BY FRANCIS PRVE

TAPE EMULATION IS ONE OF THE COOLER MASTERING TRICKS IN AN ENGINEERS


arsenal. With the right tools, good monitors, and an ear for detail, producers can really
sweeten a nal mix by adding judicious amounts of saturation and, if theyre feeling bold,
a touch of hiss. The caveat here is that tape emulation software can be on the expensive
side. A producer buddy of mine tipped me off to Master Record a while back, and after
tinkering with it for a couple of months, I have to say Im pretty darn impressed with it.
Master Record is a nifty little app that delivers
customizable tape effects with a no-nonsense
interface that makes it incredibly easy to use.
There are several ways to approach the app, both
realtime and offline, which makes it quite a bargain for a mere ten bucks.
For starters, you can use Master Record to
simply record audio, either via the iPads standard
inputs or via an iOS compatible interface, so at
the very least its an awesome field recorder with
a bunch of handy bells and whistles. Because of
its tape-centric approach, editing recorded audio
is a wee bit fiddly, with tape transport style functions like fade in/out tools, though it does sport a
nice view of the overall recorded waveform.
If youre using Master Record in an Audiobus
environment, it can be used in either effect" or
output configuration for processing audio on
the fly, though youll need a newer iPad (generation 2 or later) for that functionality. Even so, it
works quite nicely as a recorder or offline proces64

Keyboard 04.2014

sor, even on the original iPad.


In my experiments, I found Master Record
to be a super-sweet companion to my normal
studio workflow by using it for offline processing
of pre-recorded audio. It handily offers compatibility with WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, and even CAF
or FLAC audio file formats, making it a real team
player for a variety of applications.
Customizing the processing is a breeze, although the terminology of tape may be a tad arcane for the digital generation. Simply put, youve
got control over the type and amount of saturation/drive, two-band shelving EQ, frequency
response options for emulating several types of
tape speed and bias, and even flutter controls if
you want to mess up your signal a bit. Speaking
of messing with your recordings, Master Record
allows you to add a touch of hiss to your output
with five options that include cassette, reel, tube,
vinyl crackles, and even the subtle drone of an
old-school recording console. Finally, theres a

Seriously cool tape effects for


ten bucks.
$9.99
audio-mastering-studio.blogspot.com

brick wall limiter at the end of the chain, which


can be used either subtly or dramatically.
My approach to integrating Master Record
into my tracks was simply to select an audio file
in WAV format and sync it up to my iPad. From
there, I applied the tape effects (its great for
nasty, old-school hip-hop overdrive, incidentally)
and then hit the dubbing" button. This bounces
the audio, keeping the original file and creating a
newly processed file with a different name. From
there, I re-imported the audio into my DAW and
kept going. I have to admit, this app sounds so
good that Im sorely tempted to take a finished
master and apply a touch of emulated tape
warmth to the final files before releasing it on my
label or shopping it. Well see. . . .
As for moving files around, in addition to
iTunes syncing and Audiobus, there are in-app
upload tools for Dropbox, SoundCloud, audio
clipboard, and some more exotic WiFi options, so
those bases are covered too.
All in all, Master Record is a terrific sounding app for a mere ten dollars, and can impart a
lot of warmth and even crunchy dirt to audio of
all typeswhether live or as a post-production
process. Even if you simply use it for field recording on your iPad, its worth the cash. This one is
definitely staying on my iPad.

S P E C I A LT Y A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

Product Spotlight

Blue II

Rob Papen
Available Now

Ultra Analog VA-2 - Analog Synthesizer


Applied Acoustics Systems
Available Now

Ultra Analog VA-2 is a straightforward synthesizer


that is powerful, fast, easy, and remarkably versatile.
The superb preset library brings you the finest in
analog sound and represents a sensational journey
through all the colours of the analog spectrum from
vintage to modern synthesizers.
SRP: $199

www.applied-acoustics.com
888-441-8277

BLUE II takes the XY-pad features from its popular virtual sibling BLADE, and combines FM and subtractive
synthesis for a cutting-edge additive synthesis powerhouse. Using an intuitive, simple interface - perfect
for time-based sound movements and vector padtype sounds, BLUE II takes wave shaping synthesis
into a highly creative mix of crossfusion synthesis.
Featuring (6) oscillators, (27) filter types, an enormous range of processing and modulation options,
(4) top-quality FX processors, each offering (35) FX
types, sequencer, and incredibly powerful arpeggiator
makes BLUE II one of the most powerful and musically
versatile virtual instruments available.
MSRP: $179.00
BLUE --> BLUE-II upgrade: $49
eXplorer Bundle II --> eXplorer III upgrade
(includes BLUE II): $49

www.robpapen.com

M-Series Professional Monitor


Headphones
Audio-Technica
Available Now

Audio-Technica introduces the next-generation


M-Series headphone line, delivering exceptionally
accurate audio and outstanding comfort. New models include the ATH-M20x, ATH-M30x, ATH-M40x,
ATH-M50x, ATH-M50xWH (white) and ATH-M50xBL
(limited edition blue).
MSRP $69-$259

www.audio-technica.com
pro@atus.com

Classifieds
Categories
Acoustic Products & Services

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and combined them with a wealth of insight to create
this landmark book. Features 20 interviews with noted
players and producers like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis,
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Buying or selling instruments through our Classified Ads


offers you convenience, a big marketplace, and a wide
range of instruments and prices. However, buying mailorder does have its drawbacks, too. Keyboard Magazine
suggests the following guidelines to help the buyer and
the seller in these transactions: 1) Get a written description
of the instrument, which should include the serial number.
2) Get front and back photos of the instrument. 3) Get
a written purchase agreement, with a 24-hour approval
clause allowing the buyer to return the instrument for a
full refund if it does not meet reasonable expectations.

Acoustic Products & Services

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10/17/11 2:24 PM

www.acousticsfirst.com
Keyboard 04.2014

65

CODA

5
Playing Soft
THINGS
T
HINGS
IIVE
VE
LEARNED
L
EARNED
ABOUT
A
BOUT

Synths Live
BY HENRY HEY
I LOVE KEYBOARDS! WHILE I STARTED PLAYING PIANO AT A VERY YOUNG AGE,
my fascination with synths began in my teens and has only increased over the years.
This is a good thing, as Im often called upon to create sounds that shape recordings.
If I had my way, Id have every classic keyboard on every gig and recording session. Of
course, that just isnt a reality. The good news is that software rigs have really come
into their own, and I now use them nearly exclusively for many live gigs. Considering
doing the same? Here are ve things you need to know.

1.

Harness Softwares
Flexibility

I started using an all-software rig with my band


Rudder because I was looking for the most sonic
flexibility and the easiest physical setup. I wanted
to be able to switch between drastically different
sounds with mapped effects in an instant, and a
software rig allows this. However, you wont get
this sort of flexibility without spending some
time building your mapping in the computer. Try
to imagine the sort of textures youd like to create
if equipment were no object. Chances are you
can create a lot of these sounds in software with
creative stacking and effects routing.

2.

Customize Your Control


Surfaces

I wanted a software rig that could replace not only


the keyboards I wanted to hear, but my stompboxes
as well. I checked out as many USB control surfaces
as I could find, and experimented with audio inter66

Keyboard 04.2014

faces and keyboards. Apple MainStage has no problem working with multiple controllers. To replace my
slew of stompboxes, I opted for the ubiquitous Korg
NanoKontrol. It was easy to map buttons to on
and off switches on my virtual pedal rig, and to set
up sliders as parameter changes for those effects.

3.

Test Your Rig Before


the Gig

Ive had an interest in using software instruments


live since 2000. I started adding software to a hardware setup where I knew that Id have other keyboards to fall back on if my software failed. Little by
little, I learned more about what worked best for the
machines and software. In addition, machines have
gotten so fast that the ceiling has really been lifted.
However, software rigs can and will fail if they are
not tended to. Before I headed out on the road with
a software-only rig in 2009, I experimented with my
computer for several months. I stress-tested my rig
over and over and learned what was working and

Henry Hey has


worked with
David Bowie,
George Michael,
Empire of the
Sun, Dionne
Warwick, and
Mika, as well
as producers
Phil R
Ramone, T
Tony Vi
Visconti, and Eddie
Kramer. Hes also the musical director,
conductor, and pianist for George
Michaels Symphonica project. Find out
more at henryhey.com.

what wasnt. Which plug-ins are the processor hogs?


Which ones play best with others? Finding all this
out is crucial work.

4.

Invest in a Good Computer

5.

Make It Musical

Youll need a recent machine to run


recent software. Youll also need plenty of RAM
and a fast hard drivepreferably a solid-state
drive. Ive seen disastrous results because people
came to their gigs with barely enough memory
to load their sounds.There are wonderful sounds
out there from folks like Rob Papen, iZotope,
Spectrasonics, Native Instruments, and others,
but they arent intended to run on skeleton
systems. If your machine is modest in power,
then dont overdo it.

I like my software rig because it feels


like an instrument. Musicality should always
apply, whether youre playing the most elaborate
multitimbral sound stack or an acoustic upright
piano. Just because you can perform nearinhuman feats with software doesnt mean that
you should (although once in a while its a nice
thing). If musicality is foremost, youll always get
the best results.

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