Professional Documents
Culture Documents
COREA
Keeping a Vigil on
Your Musical Voice
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
YAMAHA MOXF
Hard-Hitting Studio and
Gig Machine
SYNTHMASTER
Soft Synth Sleeper Hit
HK LUCAS NANO
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CONTENTS
APRIL 2014
KNOW
TALK
10
44
THE ART OF
SYNTH SOLOING
Two-handed techniques
inspired by Chick Corea.
46
48
DANCE
Create the square wave synth
bass predicted to be the dance floor
sound of 2014.
NEW GEAR
12
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:
Send address changes to KEYBOARD P.O. Box 9158, Lowell, MA 01853. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement
#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
Online Now!
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pianists check out high-end
grand pianos at NAMM!
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fingertips. Keyboard is the only place to learn which
notes to play and which knobs to turnempowering
musicians of all styles and skill levels to use music
technology the way they want to.
Dave Smith has designed more groundbreaking synthesizers than anyone, ever.
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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.
Dave Smith
Instrument Designer
Co-Creator of MIDI
Grammy Winner
Visit davesmithinstruments.com
APRIL 2014
Keyboard 04.2014
Follow us on
TALK
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
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Keyboard Corner
forums.musicplayer.com
email
keyboard@musicplayer.com
Stephen Fortner
Editor
Key Secrets
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
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
04.2014 Keyboard
11
NEW GEAR
12
Keyboard 04.2014
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
04.2014 Keyboard
13
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
1499.99
NEW ALBUM
MAKE A MOVE
Available on iTunes
GAVINDEGRAW.COM
HEAR
CHICK COREA
KEEpIng A VIgIl
Arne rostAd
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.
23
SAKURAI TOSHI
Keyboard 04.2014
HEAR
LEGENDS
L
E GE NDS SON
S ONG
G STOR IES TA LEN T SCO
SCOUT
U T PLAYLIST
ERIK VALIND
Walking in
Keyboard 04.2014
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
Memphis
Fig. 1. The rst line of the lyrics to Walking in Memphis over its signature
opening piano arpeggio.
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
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
KORG.COM/SP280
HEAR
Ariadna
Castellanos
BY JON REGEN
Keyboard 04.2014
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.
65,000+ Products.
Free Shipping, No Minimum.
45-Day Returns.
Lowest Price Guarantee.
Call 800-217-5207
| musiciansfriend.com
HEAR
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
SamAsh.com
1-800-472-6274
PLAY
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
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
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.
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
# # #
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.
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36
Keyboard 04.2014
PLAY
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
ex. 1.
D min7
w
4
& 4 ww
? 44
Dorian Mode
ex. 2.
D min7
G7
& 44
C maj7
? 44
& # 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
b n b b b
b
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
#
b b
bb # n
b
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
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).
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
Ex. 1.
40
Keyboard 04.2014
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.
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.
keyboardmag.com/april2014
04.2014 Keyboard
41
KNOW
More Two-Handed
Soloing Ideas
BY JERRY KOVARSKY
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
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
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
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
MIDI reloaded
pArt 2: MuSt-Know tecHnIqueS
BY CRAIG ANDERTON
Keyboard 04.2014
47
KNOW
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
Snap Judgment
ROLAND
FA Series
BY DAVID BRYCE
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
YAMAHA
MOXF
BY BY ERIC LAWSON
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
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
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
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
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04.2014 Keyboard
57
REVIEW
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
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-
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:
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
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
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
Conclusions
60
Keyboard 04.2014
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
...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
HK AUDIO
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
REVIEW
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
Keyboard 04.2014
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
www.applied-acoustics.com
888-441-8277
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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
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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
2.
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.
4.
5.
Make It Musical