Keyboard November 2013 PDF [PDF]

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Keyboard Magazine

HALL OF FAME | MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE | KORG MS-20 MINI | STUDIOLOGIC SLEDGE | APOGEE SYMPHONY I/O | THOR FOR IPAD

e

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THE FOUNDERS OF MIDI ON ITS GRAMMY AND 30TH ANNIVERSARY

125 YEARS OF YAMAHA | 50 YEARS OF KORG | THE RETURN OF TOM OBERHEIM | THE MELLOTRON DON AIREY - MASTER OF METAL | ROGER LINN ON A LIFETIME OF INNOVATION

NOVEMBER 2013

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE 11.2013 | $5.99 A MUSIC PLAYER PUBLICATION

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Ways to Play Like Marian McPartland and Cedar Walton

The Best and Brightest Remember GEORGE DUKE

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2013

TALK 10

KNOW

Voices from the Keyboard community.

NEW GEAR 12

Our monthly wrap-up of exciting new product releases from keyboard, recording, pro audio, and music software makers.

HEAR

SPECIAL SECTION:

36

THE ART OF SYNTH SOLOING Deeper inside the Jordan Rudess synth lead sound

38

DANCE Creating explosive transition sounds

40

BACKTRACK More secrets of using backing tracks in live gigs

42

ROUNDUP The Right Staff Everything you need to know to pick the music notation software that’s right for your musical needs.

50

ANALOG SYNTH Korg MS-20 Mini

The Keyboard Hall of Fame 2013 Artists and Technologists Who Made a Difference in How the World Makes Music 14

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30 Years of MIDI Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi and synth designer Dave Smith on coming up with the technology that forms the basis of every modern musical instrument—and getting a whole industry to adopt it. MELLOTRON A brief history of the instrument that can rightly be called the original sampler, and its forbear, the Chamberlin.

REVIEW

18

AIREY Don Airey, master of heavy metal and hard rock keyboards.

54

SYNTHESIZER Studiologic Sledge

20

LINN Roger Linn, father of the modern drum machine.

56

AUDIO INTERFACE Apogee Symphony I/O

21

OBERHEIM Analog synth designer Tom Oberheim on early inspirations and new instruments.

58

SOFT SYNTH AIR Music Technology Loom

62 22

YAMAHA Groundbreaking instruments from 125 years of Yamaha.

APP Propellerhead Thor for iPad

22

KORG Milestone synths and gear from 50 years of Korg.

24

DUKE Top musicians remember the late, great keyboardist George Duke.

CODA 66

PLAY 26

30

32

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HALL OF FAME 5 Ways To Play Like Marian McPartland COLD FUSION Jeff Lorber on ii-V soloing techniques HALL OF FAME 5 Ways To Play Like Cedar Walton

Keyboard 11.2013

Five things Chris Gillespe has learned about Being a Nightclub Entertainer

Online Now! Extended interviews and multimedia from our Hall of Fame special! keyboardmag.com/november2013

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 offices. 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.

The all new Prophet 12 from Dave Smith Instruments. The legacy continues.

Visit davesmithinstruments.com for details.

VOL. 39, NO. 11 #452

NOVEMBER 2013

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Molenda [email protected] EDITOR IN CHIEF: Stephen Fortner [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR: Debbie Greenberg [email protected] EDITOR AT LARGE: Jon Regen SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS: Jim Aikin, Craig Anderton, David Battino, Tom Brislin, Michael Gallant, Robbie Gennet, Scott Healy, Ken Hughes, Peter Kirn, John Krogh, Richard Leiter, Mike McKnight, Tony Orant, Francis Preve, Mitchell Sigman EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Grace Larkin ART DIRECTOR: Damien Castaneda [email protected] MUSIC COPYIST: Matt Beck PRODUCTION MANAGER: Amy Santana PUBLISHER: Joe Perry [email protected], 212.378.0464 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, NORTHWEST, MIDWEST, & NEW BUSINESS DEV.: Greg Sutton [email protected], 925.425.9967 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, SOUTHWEST & ASIA: Mari Deetz [email protected], 650.238.0344 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, EAST COAST & EUROPE: Jeff Donnenwerth [email protected], 770.643.1425 SPECIALTY SALES ASSOCIATE: Michelle Eigan [email protected], 650.238.0325

THE NEWBAY MUSIC GROUP VICE PRESIDENT PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Bill Amstutz GROUP PUBLISHER: Bob Ziltz EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Brad Tolinski SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST: Bob Jenkins PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT MANAGER: Beatrice Kim DIRECTOR OF MARKETING: Josh Bernstein MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER: Tim Tsuruda SYSTEMS ENGINEER: Bill Brooks CONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR: Meg Estevez CONSUMER MARKETING COORDINATOR: Dominique Rennell FULFILLMENT COORDINATOR: Ulises Cabrera OFFICES SERVICES COORDINATOR: Mara Hampson

NEWBAY MEDIA CORPORATE PRESIDENT & CEO: Steve Palm CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Paul Mastronardi CONTROLLER: Jack Liedke VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MEDIA: Robert Ames VICE PRESIDENT, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT: Denise Robbins VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT & MARKETING: Anthony Savona IT DIRECTOR: Anthony Verbanic VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES: Ray Vollmer LIST RENTAL 914.925.2449 [email protected] REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS For article reprints please contact our reprint coordinator at Wright’s Reprints: 877.652.5295 SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS? 800-289-9919 (in the U.S. only) 978-667-0364 keyboardmag@computerfulfi llment.com Keyboard Magazine, Box 9158, Lowell, MA 01853 Find a back issue 800-289-9919 or 978-667-0364 [email protected] Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork.

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Keyboard 11.2013

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TALK

VO IC ES FRO M T HE KEYBOA RD COMM UN ITY

Connect Comment directly at keyboardmag.com

Editor’s Note Welcome to our second annual Hall of Fame issue. The Keyboard Hall of Fame is an ever-expanding pantheon of artists and technologists who have made a difference in how we all play. In some cases, this is through instruments they’ve designed, such as Roger Linn’s drum machines, Tom Oberheim’s SEM and the polyphonic synths it begat, or even MIDI itself, which is owed for the most part to a collaboration between Dave Smith of Prophet fame and Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi. (Readers may remember that Dave was in the Hall of Fame last year, but since then, he and Kakehashi-sama won a Technical Grammy for MIDI. Enough said.) In other cases, it’s about the instruments themselves. Yamaha celebrates their 125th anniversary in 2013, Korg marks their 50th, and what keyboardist hasn’t had a synth from one company or both in their studio or gig rig? We have pictorial timelines of seminal products from both manufacturers. Plus, the original sampler—the Mello-

Key Secrets

twitter.com keyboardmag

tron—is 50 years young. The other thing that gets you into the Hall of Fame isn’t simply “rock star” status—it’s inspiring others to pursue a rock star (or jazz star, or classical star, or insert genre here) level of ability. We’re delighted to have an interview with Don Airey— second only to Jon Lord in proving that keyboards have an important role in hard rock—not to mention “play like” lessons honoring the recently departed Marian McPartland (Can the jazz piano world ever hope for another evangelist, educator, and explainer of her caliber?) and Cedar Walton. Last but not least, that we managed a cover story on George Duke in our September issue still gives me chills, given how soon he left us thereafter. In this issue, many of the brightest stars in the keyboard universe recall how he influenced and inspired them. To keep up with who’s in our Hall of Fame and why, please visit keyboardmag.com/halloffame. I

facebook.com KeyboardMagazine SoundCloud.com KeyboardMag Keyboard Corner forums.musicplayer.com email [email protected]

hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed making it.

Stephen Fortner Editor

Rise and Shine

Want to bring some excitement to your next production? Take a tip from DJs and add a pitch riser. These long tones or textures (typically two to eight bars) start low and slowly swoop up to a transition point in the song, creating enormous tension and release. Sound designer Jason Donnelly (DJPuzzle.com) shared this easy recipe for making risers in Sony Sound Forge: Navigate to Tools > Synthesis > Simple, then generate a square wave with 16-second duration, 70Hz Start Frequency, and 1,000Hz End Frequency. Adjust the duration to taste. Donnelly also creates risers by running white noise through a slowly sweeping filter or ring modulator. Download a free pitch riser from DJ Puzzle’s Pro Dance FX sample set at keyboardmag.com/november2013. David Battino

THE Q: WHAT

AUDIO RESOLUTION DO YOU USUALLY RECORD AT? Polls rotate every two weeks, and can be found at the bottom of our homepage.

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Keyboard 11.2013

POLL 24 BITS, 48KHZ

75%

24 BITS, 96KHZ 4% 16 BITS, 44.1KHZ 24 BITS, 44.1KHZ

16 BITS, 48KHZ 1% 24 BITS, 88.2KHZ

6%

1%

24 BITS, 192KHZ 1%

11% 1-BIT DSD

1%

Dept. of Corrections

In last month’s review of the Hammond SK1-73 organ-slash-stage keyboard, we lamented the lack of bass guitar sounds among the non-organ “Extra Voices,” and said we hoped they’d be part of an update. Ask and ye shall receive. A library of seven electric bass sounds, newly sampled by Hammond’s R&D team in Japan, is now available for free download at hammondorganco.com/support/downloads/voice-libraries/.

Big Break Justin Lassen My First ____________. Electronic music maestro Justin Lassen remixes A-list artists such as Madonna, Garbage, Linkin Park, and Nine Inch Nails. His entry into the remix game began with a humble cold call a decade and a half ago. “This was before social media and easy Internet connectivity to artists—the days when we used to burn CD-Rs and send them out. I’d sent some electronic and classical demos to various labels around the world that year,” says Lassen. A few weeks after one trip to the post office, Lassen came home to a momentous message on his answering machine: “‘This is Natalie from Robert Miles’ office in London and we’d love to have you work on a remix,’” he describes, referring to the DJ and producer who would quickly become a great friend and mentor. “It was a life-changing call for me, and helped me get on the path to being an in-demand remixer.” Using the master files Miles sent him, as well as tracks from the London Session Orchestra, Lassen set to work. “I put my heart and soul into that remix for him, and it paid off,” says Lassen. “I’ll always respect Robert not only for being an amazing musician and producer, but also for taking a chance on an unknown kid making music in his bedroom.” Keep up with Justin at justinlassen.com. | Michael Gallant

11.2013 Keyboard

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NEW GEAR BY STEPHEN FORTNER

ROLAND F-20 WHAT A “my first digital piano” with high-end sound quality. WITH Roland’s best “SuperNatural” piano sounds. Ivory Feel G keyboard with simulated escapement for proper practice feel. Onboard rhythms. Works with Roland’s educational iPad apps. WHY Provides a good balance of sound, features, and price for parents pursing progeny piano potential—or adult learners. $1,049 | rolandus.com KORG KR-MINI WHAT Tiny rhythm machine. WITH Total of 60 factory rhythms, plus ability to step-record your own. Built-in speaker for practicing. Footswitch start/stop. Song mode lets you chain patterns to create longer arrangements. WHY Because you need an accompanist for solo gigs and practice. Besides, it’s just so cute! $79.99 street | korg.com

NOVATION LAUNCHKEY MINI WHAT Ultra-compact keyboard controller with pads. WITH Velocitysensitive pads. Compatibility with major DAWs via Novation InControl protocol. Can be powered from an iPad. Includes V-Station and Bass Station soft synth apps plus Ableton Live Lite. WHY It’s possibly the ideal balance of features in a laptop-bag-sized controller for contemporary electronic producers. $124.99 | novationmusic.com

UVI MELLO WHAT Free virtual Mellotron instrument. WITH 1.7GB library sampled from three original instruments. Original or extended key range. Stereo mode. Mixable mechanical noises. WHY All you need is an iLok account, and you’re up and running with a pristine emulation of the original sampler. Free download | uvi.net

All prices are manufacturer’s suggested retail (list) unless otherwise noted. Follow keyboardmag.com/news and @keyboardmag on Twitter for up-to-the-minute gear news. 12

Keyboard 11.2013

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HEAR

30

HA LL OF FAM E » MI DI

L INN

OB E RH E I M

YAMAH A

KORG

DU KE

PART 1: ROLAND FOUNDER IKUTARO KAKEHASHI

Why did you want to make electronic organs? I found the sound of the organ in the church fascinating. In my church, an organ kit called the Lowrey Organo was attached to a Japanese reed organ. One day, the organ had trouble. Since I was a retail dealer of electric products then, they asked me to repair it. Through that experience, I saw how an organ is basically built and learned its circuits, then started thinking that I was capable of building them.

Keyboard 11.2013

AI RE Y

YEARS OF MIDI

Before Roland was established, your precursor company Ace Electronic Industries produced rhythm machines such as the Rhythm Ace FR-1. Why drum machines? To tell you the truth, I wanted to make electronic organs. Ace was started to make that dream of mine come true. In 1964, however, when we first exhibited at the NAMM show, electronic organs in general were too big to transport to the U.S. Therefore, we ended up bringing a smaller organ, the Canary S-2, and our drum machine, the Rhythm Ace, to the show. Even in Japan, it was difficult to sell big instruments to wholesalers; small items sold much better at the time. So, we had no choice but to adapt to the market.

14

MEL LOTRO N

MIDI IS THREE DECADES OLD THIS YEAR. TODAY, WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT any synth in our studio can talk to and be layered with any other, that our DAWs and iPad apps can sequence our hardware synths, and that barriers between hardware and software, between this company’s instrument and that one’s, are virtually non-existent. It’s all owed to the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, whose specification is still unchanged and going strong these last 30 years. In turn, we owe MIDI chiefly to two Keyboard Hall of Fame members: Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi and synth designer Dave Smith of Prophet-5 fame. This year, they co-won a Technical Grammy Award for their achievement. In this two-part interview, we speak first to Mr. Kakehashi, then to Mr. Smith, about the once unthinkable agreement between competitors that forever changed the way we make music.

You’re known for a lifelong fascination with pipe, theatre, and church organs. What is the source of that? At the time, organs were the king of all musical instruments. In addition to their physical size, just one organ could accompany a whole movie from beginning to end. Every major pipe organ manufacturer made theatre organs because of that—Wurlitzer was one of the most popular marques. My initial goal was to make a popular theater organ like theirs. I converted that enthusiasm into Roland’s home organs. The very first Roland synthesizer was the SH-1000, which had organ-like stop tabs. What was its design concept? Our basic concept for the SH-1000 was that you could set it on top of an organ to play. Because it was what an organist would be accustomed to, placing tabs on the front was crucial. Back then, organs were polyphonic while synthesizers were monophonic, so it was unique to be able to have this synth play melody lines while you could accompany on the organ. On top of this, most organ manufacturers weren’t good at making smaller synthesizers. We, however, discovered

the potential there. In fact, I met Bob Moog at Frankfurt Musikmesse before the SH-1000 was born, and we talked about developing small synths together, but the project didn’t happen for various reasons. But that same idea led to the SH-1000. You and Dave Smith co-won a Technical Grammy for MIDI this year, but Roland products could talk to each other before the advent of MIDI in 1983. . . . Yes, and that interface was called DCB. This name came from the 25-pin socket. This interface was too high in cost, though, because we anticipated that synthesizers would be low-cost in the near future. So we developed a five-pin DIN plug to simplify it. It was a European standard that hadn’t been popular in Japan or the U.S. yet. How did you come up with the idea of interconnecting different gear in the first place? The beginning was trying to figure out how to connect synthesizers and sequencers. We had already developed the MC line of sequencers and many musicians liked them very much. Without

BY YOSHIHIKO KAWAI | TRANSLATED BY MIKI NAKAYAMA

the MC-8, I think it would’ve been very difficult for me to take a leadership role to set MIDI as the standard. What was biggest challenge for you in taking that role? Nearly all synthesizers at the time had analog oscillators and filters. The main problem there was unstable musical pitch. On the other hand, it wasn’t a big problem if the filter behaved imprecisely to some extent. Roland’s Jupiter-8 had the unstable pitch problem, though some people thought it made the sound thicker and that made it popular. It was, however, difficult to control this unstable pitch with digital interfaces. So we came up with a more stable DCO [digitallycontrolled oscillator], which was first successfully deployed in the Juno-6. What did the market think of MIDI at first? Well, almost everyone disagreed. One response at the time was written in Joel Chadabe’s book Electric Sound. On page 196, it says, “I think that MIDI has been brought on because of market pressure, not because the de facto standard is technically exquisite.” In that same part of the book, the president of one of the U.S. manufacturers is quoted as saying, “The only thing I won’t give in on is this stupid five-pin DIN plug thing. I can’t stand it. To force people to go out and buy

a piece-of-shit connector that they can’t use for anything else in their whole rig is insane.” Their words show that MIDI was absolutely misunderstood. The only person that tuned into my idea was Dave Smith. As he said in the book also, “We knew from the start that interface had to be a compromise.” The name “MIDI” was born during discussions in Dave’s workshop. I explained the result to the Japanese manufacturers: “MIDI allows us to exchange signals between different instruments from different manufacturers with no sweat.” One major reason it became accepted was probably the fact that we were determined to have the standard open for anyone with no patents. It would’ve been very different if we’d taken a patent. We [Dave Smith and I] developed the very first MIDI synthesizers, the Roland Jupiter-6 [and Sequential Prophet-600]. For the first ten years or so after MIDI was born, I didn’t say anything about Roland’s being the propounder of MIDI to anyone. I was strongly determined that we must make it the universal standard and have it last as long as possible. MIDI celebrates its 30th birthday this year and has become thoroughly entrenched in the music industry. But what happened behind the scenes is the story I’ve just told you. What more can you tell us about working with Dave Smith on MIDI?

Fig. 1. The 2013 NAMM show featured the same now-vintage synths that were first connected and layered at NAMM 1983 to demonstrate the potential of MIDI: the Sequential Circuits Prophet-600 (top) and Roland Jupiter-6 (bottom).

I had a very good impression of him from the beginning because he was always very open. I remember seeing Dave’s company Sequential Circuits launch the Prophet-5 at the same NAMM show at which Roland exhibited the Jupiter-4. The Prophet was designed for playing rock music, as all of its knobs were on the top panel, whereas the Jupiter-4 was still designed for setting on top of an organ. That told me the standard in the synth industry was moving in another direction. But we were steps behind in that aspect, and the Prophet-5 opened our eyes, so we went back to the drawing board. The fruit of those labors was the SH-101. It was like a rebirth of Roland’s synth development, and became a big hit. In terms of the first MIDI experiment, we connected the Jupiter-6 and JX-3P to Sequential’s Prophet-600. I had such profound feelings, but none of us there had the slightest idea that it would still be a big deal in 30 years! When did you first realize that MIDI had become the universal standard? Well, maybe when we received the Grammy award this year. It came when least expected. But I really want to express my gratitude to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for voting for MIDI. It is truly gratifying for Dave Smith and me to receive this wonderful prize while we’re still around.

11.2013 Keyboard

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HEAR

HALL OF FAM E » MI DI MELLOTRO N

AIREY

ParT 2: DaVe smiTh

a BrieF hisTOry OF

The mellotron

Before you worked on MIDI, what led up to you designing your most iconic classic synth, the Prophet-5? It started with my purchase of a Minimoog in 1972. Synthesizers were a perfect combination of my technical and musical backgrounds. While my day job was working with microprocessors in Silicon Valley, I started making accessories for my Minimoog. In 1974, I started the company Sequential Circuits to sell them. First was an analog sequencer, then a digital sequencer, then a synth programmer with memory. In 1977 I finally quit my job and started working on the Prophet-5 design. I’d discovered a new chipset that implemented the main synth blocks: VCO, filter, VCAs, and envelopes. I knew that it would be easy to combine this with a microprocessor to build a polyphonic and completely programmable synth. We started shipping [the Prophet] in early 1978, and instantly knew we had a great instrument and an industry gamechanger.

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BY StEpHEN fORtNER

What led you from the Prophet-5 to developing MIDI? In the next few years after the Prophet-5 was released, other companies of course followed with similar designs. During this time, some of us also had an obvious thought: Having a microprocessor in the instruments made it very easy for them to communicate digitally with one another. Roland had the DCB bus; we at Sequential had a four-pin serial interface that was ten times faster than MIDI. There were a couple others around, but of course the problem was that different companies’ products couldn’t work together; customers were forced to stay with a single manufacturer. How did MIDI get designed between you and your Grammy co-winner, Mr. Kakehashi? A few of us had the same obvious observation: the need for a standard. I decided to make it happen. The first step was a paper I delivered at the AES convention in October 1981, presenting what was called USI—Universal Synthesizer Interface. While

it did define an actual interface, the main point I made was that USI was just a starting point; the important part was to get agreement in the industry. For the next step, I set up a meeting at the January 1982 NAMM show, inviting all companies who made synths and keyboards. From what I remember, pretty much everyone came. My message was the same: Here’s USI, it’s a starting point, so who wants to get involved? It was clear that many companies for many reasons did not want to join in an effort to make a standard. So, we had a second meeting in Roland’s booth at the same show, with representatives from Sequential, Roland, Korg, Yamaha, and Kawai. It was then that we all decided to work together in the much-needed spirit of compromise to develop the standard. What happened next? Over the next year we jointly worked on the specification. The actual implementation turned out closest to Roland’s interface, which was fine.

BY MARKUS RESCH

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Mellotron. In 1963, the first home organ-styled Mellotrons were based on an idea by Harry Chamberlin, who more than ten years earlier had come out with the first commercial keyboard to play real sounds from tape. Let’s take a look at some milestones in the history of the instrument that can rightly claim to be the first “sampler,” earning its way into this year’s Keyboard Hall of Fame.

Keyboard 11.2013

Harry Chamberlin’s model 200 had a single manual and 1/4" tape with a total of eight sounds. Some were twoin-one, such as a mandolin that would start with a strike and then continue with a tremulant note. You could position the tape to start either at the strike or the tremolo. Chamberlin wanted to go for the home market, so around 1959 he made the first Music Master 500, which was built into a large cabinet with a power amp and two speakers. It had two 35-key manuals set end-to-end, three-track tapes, and 18 sounds per manual. The left manual’s sounds included rhythms and accompaniments, some of which even stayed in sync during the first few bars!

One of Harry’s salesmen was dissatisfied with Harry’s production methods, and took two Music Masters to the U.K. and found a company willing to manufacture them. This became the Mellotron Mk. I. In 1964 the Mellotron was upgraded to the Mk. II (shown), with minor mechanical improvements. About 70 percent of the sounds were also new. In the Mk. II the famous three-violin sound was introduced, which came from the Chamberlin Music Master, albeit with altered EQ. Due to the high maintenance and learning curve, the Mk. II failed to appeal to the well heeled households and ballrooms it targeted, but rebounded thanks to the era’s hipsters: Around 1967, the avant-garde musicians of London discovered the Mk. II, and it became used by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, King Crimson, the Moody Blues, and many others.

Even though ours was much faster, we were most interested in getting agreement. There were a number of features we made sure were included, such as modes for multi-timbral operation, which we were already planning. During a meeting at Sequential in 1982, Mr. Kakehashi suggested a new name for the interface: UMII (pronounced “you-me”) or Universal Musical Instrument Interface. While I liked widening the scope from synths to all [electronic] musical instruments, it didn’t have the right ring to me, so I suggested Musical Instrument Digital Interface— MIDI—which everyone seemed to like. In December 1982, Sequential shipped the Prophet-600, the first MIDI instrument. In January 1983 was the famous connection of the Prophet-600 and Roland Jupiter-6 in the Sequential booth at the NAMM show [see Figure 1 on page 15]. The Yamaha DX7 came out in the spring, soon after the MIDI 1.0 specification was released. How was MIDI received initially? I think the stories are well documented; there was a lot of confusion, “NIH” (not invented here) attitudes, and the like. But the musicians loved it, and there was enough critical mass from the five core companies that the others really had no choice but to join in. We made MIDI free, simple to implement, and

In 1971, we saw the birth of the most identifiable classic Mellotron, the M400. This was also when the company had realized that their real customers were professional musicians. The M400 had tape frames that could be changed in minutes, so musicians could choose their sounds or even transfer custom sounds to Mellotron tape. King Crimson, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Genesis, and Black Sabbath were among the artists to tour with the M400. In 1975, the Mk. V essentially comprised two M400s in one cabinet.

inexpensive, so it could be included in all products. It wasn’t designed to do everything, but by going this route it enjoyed 100 percent implementation from that point onward. If it was more complicated, it may not have turned out that way. I’m quite happy when a solution can cover 98 percent of possible uses! What’s next for MIDI? Three decades of MIDI going strong at version 1.0 makes a pretty strong statement! Everything made in those 30 years can be interconnected and it will just work. At NAMM 2013, the MIDI Manufacturers Association exhibited a Commodore 64 computer sequencing the Animoog soft synth on an iPad [see Figure 2]. That just about says it all! While there have been some proposed protocols that could be seen as “MIDI 2.0” solutions, none have caught on yet. Part of the problem is that most musicians are quite happy with MIDI’s current capabilities. Another problem is the increased amount of effort and cost to implement some of the new designs, and in some cases the proprietary aspects of certain designs. My guess is that if the right five or six companies once again decided to get together and develop a new, backward-compatible solution, it just might work—if, like we set out to do with MIDI—it’s free, simple to implement, and inexpensive.

Harry Chamberlin also presented his own attempt to give pros a portable instrument, the M1. It had 35 keys and a newly developed tape return mechanism, and could sit on a table top. It was used by Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, among others, but because it ran on U.S. voltage, the only notable use outside the U.S. during the ’70s was on David Bowie’s Heroes and Low. The end of the ’70s saw many changes in makers of Mellotron and competing tape-based instruments, and by around 1982 all were defunct. In 1990, David Kean and I resurrected the Mellotron company, collected original tape libraries, and started to make tapes, tape frames, and spare parts for Mellotrons and Chamberlins. At that time, there was little commercial interest, and preserving the Mellotron was mostly a labor of love.

Fig. 2. Also at NAMM 2013, an ancient Commodore 64 sequences Animoog on on iPad, showing MIDI’s decadesspanning compatibility.

In 1999, an interest in retro sounds rebooted the Mellotron’s popularity, and the Mk. VI came out. It’s tapebased like the classic M400, but improves on it via modern parts and manufacturing. As of 2013, over 100 Mk. VI units have been made, making it the longest-running Mellotron in production.

In 2005 the dual-manual Mk. VII—essentially two Mk. VI units in once cabinet—was released.

• Playlist of must-hear Mellotron tracks. • Our review of the all-digital M4000D! keyboardmag.com/november2013 11.2013 Keyboard

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HALL OF FAM E » MIDI

MELLOTRON

AI REY

L INN

OB E RH E IM

YAMAH A

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Don Airey MASTER OF METAL

BY SKYLAR THOMAS equation. That’s not always the best way when you’re dealing with something as fundamental as hard rock.

MOST ROck FAnS ARE FAMiLiAR wiTh ThE bAROquE, SynTh-MEETSpipe-organ intro to Ozzy Osbourne’s classic song “Mr. Crowley,” but few know the master keyboard craftsman behind the magic. Throughout a career spanning over four decades, Don Airey has all but owned the very idea of keyboards in hard rock and heavy metal, gracing acts such as Ozzy, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, and Judas Priest. Most recently, Don can be heard on the reformed Deep Purple’s latest, Now What ?!, released this past May, which also features guitarist Steve Morse of pioneering fusion rockers the Dregs. Here are some key excerpts from my extended interview with Don, which can be read at keyboardmag.com/november2013.

What was it like to step into the shoes of Jon Lord? It was very difficult to follow Jon into Deep Purple. He was an iconic figure, and it was his band—he’d formed it back in 1968 so it was a difficult situation to say the least. When Jon left and I joined, back in 2002, the band and crew were in a state of shock so I just got on the best I could. The big secret was not trying consciously to be like Jon, but just being myself and realizing the circumstance that I had put myself in—which was into a top-notch band. You don’t have much time to think, “Am I doing alright?” I met Jon occasionally. He was quite something—rock’s answer to Oscar Wilde. 18

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What particular challenges face the hard rock or metal keyboardist? The main challenge is a guitarist with his 100watt amp and two 4 x 12 cabinets pointing straight at you! But seriously, keyboard players as a breed tend to be educated—we can read and write music, do arranging, play rock and jazz and classical, and talk of diminished minors, plagal cadences, and so on. Whereas many rock musicians left school early due to their rebellious natures. That doesn’t stop them from being amazing musicians. Quite the opposite—they often have a facility to get straight to the heart of the musical matter that’s denied to someone like myself, who can faff around forever, seeing all sides of the

Let’s talk about road gear. I use a real Hammond A100, customized by John Harburay out of Connecticut. My favorite Hammonds have always been A100s over the years; they seem to have something of a purer tone than a B-3. Live, the Hammond goes into two hot-rodded 122 Leslies and a Hughes and Kettner Puretone 100-watt amp driving a 4 x 12 cabinet. I use two effects on the organ: a Vermona spring reverb and a Moogerfooger ring modulator. I just acquired a Kurzweil PC3K8——beautiful action and fantastic piano sounds! It also has improved MIDI facilities, which drive a Kurzweil K2661, on through to a rack containing a Roland Fantom, Korg TR-4, and an old Emulator, which we’re about to replace with a digital Mellotron. There’s a two-tier stand at right angles to the Hammond. The PC3K8 goes on the bottom and a Moog Voyager goes on top. Who are your main influences? Classical is huge. In my teenage years I was crazy about Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt; these days Bach, Mozart, and Stravinsky hold sway. I’m also a devotee of a small group of jazz players such as Miles, Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Chet Baker, and keyboard-wise there are no greater gods here than Bill Evans and Jimmy Smith. Rock players like Keith Emerson when he was with the Nice pretty much said it all, as did Jon Lord’s early work on the first three Deep Purple albums. Jan Hammer’s playing with the Mahavishnu Orchestra also had a huge impact on me. What advice would you give to new players who aspire to be like you? First of all, be yourself. Find out who you are, not who I am. That’s a problem with the industry today, you know, like with all of these “reality” talent shows. People are striving to be someone else and that’s not what it’s about. Secondly, practice, practice, practice!

Simply the Best The CP4 is simply the best stage piano Yamaha has ever made. The CP4

Stage features sounds from Yamaha’s Premium Collection of hand crafted grand pianos including the CFX, CFIII and the S6. Vintage electric pianos

complete with Virtual Circuit Modeling stomp box effects and a variety of bass, Clav, organ, strings and pad sounds from our flagship Motif round out the sound

set, so you’re ready for any musical situation. Our Graded Hammer Wooden Key action with Synthetic Ivory Keytops gives you the perfect piano touch and response. The CP4 Stage’s slim, lightweight design (38.5 lbs.) combines portability with elegant style. Most importantly, an easy-to-understand interface

with large lighted buttons for splits and layers gives you all the controls you need right at your fingertips, and the easy-to-read, ultra-bright fluorescent display makes the CP easy to use even on the darkest stage.

“I can't wait to get this instrument on the stage and play live. Whether it's with The Stones or if it's with my band. I just can't wait!” –– Chuck Leavell

• 45 Premium grand pianos including the CFX, CFIII and the S6 • 47 Vintage electric pianos (tine, reed, DX and original CP80) • 341 Voices including bass, Clavs, organs, strings and pads based on our flagship Motif • 62 Virtual Circuit Modeling effects, reverb, chorus, master 5-band EQ and compressor • Easy splits and layers with large lighted buttons • 88-note graded hammer wooden key action with Synthetic Ivory Keytops • Slim, elegant, lightweight (38.5 lbs.) design for portability • FC3 foot pedal for half-damper and sound board resonance included Visit www.4wrd.it/chuckkey2 or scan this QR code to see Chuck Leavell and the CP4 Stage

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HA LL OF FAM E » MIDI

MELLOTRON

AIREY

L I NN

Roger Linn

O BERH EI M

YAMAH A

KORG

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BY STEPHEN FORTNER

FROM THE DRUM MACHINE TO BEYOND THE BLACK 'N' WHITES unusual guitar tones, tape loops, backwards recordings, and so on. At age 12, while my family lived in Europe during 1968, my father—a composer—took me to see a performance of Stockhausen’s Mikrophonie in Rome. It was wonderfully weird. Shortly afterward I got to play with a Moog 3P and forevermore was smitten.  What first made you want to design a drum machine? I worked with Leon Russell in 1975. Leon often made tracks entirely by overdubbing, and would record one of the simple rhythm machines of the day as more or less a metronome. He’d actually had conversations with Ikutaro Kakehashi of Roland about a programmable drum machine because he was tired of fixed beats. So it was Leon who planted the seed in my head.  FROM 1980’S COVETED LM-1 Drum Computer to the holy grail of hip-hop, the Akai MPC60, Roger Linn’s designs have made him the father of the modern drum machine, not to mention proof that— when well-programmed—that bumper sticker about them having no soul is nonsense. Today, he seeks to infuse new soul into synth performance through his advocacy of controllers that claim more finger-sensing sophistication than the traditional keyboard.

What came first for you, engineering or music?  Music and technology were both strong interests from an early age. I was a kid in the ’60s when “the future” was considered cool, and everyone was talking about how we’d all have computers, robots, and rocket packs. My father’s musical influence was important, but it was also hard to grow up in the ’60s and not become interested in music. It was a big part of how we learned about the world, social movements, and ideas.  What was your point of entry into combining music and technology? I loved how the Beatles used electronics, through 20

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Prince hails your LM-1 as having timing unlike any other drum machine. It’s probably my introduction of Shuffle on the LM-1, now called swing, that made the biggest contribution to good grooves. Also, Timing Correct (quantization), because it cleaned up your realtime errors so nicely. I wrote the software so that the timing was very tight, and used tightly trimmed samples for the same reason.  Likewise, is there a secret sauce to the vaunted swing of the Akai MPC? There’s a lot of mythology, but no. You can do the same thing on any good sequencer, software or hardware. Swing is simple: You delay the second sixteenth-note of each pair, and different amounts of delay produce different feels. Just make sure your sequencer’s timing is tight and the fronts of your samples are well trimmed. Well-played dynamics are also important to a good groove.  Did any particular instrument lead to your winning the Technical Grammy in 2011? I suspect it was a combination of the impact of the LM-1 on pop music combined with that of the MPC on hip-hop. Whatever it was, I’m very grateful.  How did collaborating with Dave Smith on the Tempest come about?

I’ve known Dave for many years, and around 2007, we started throwing around different ideas about making a drum machine. Dave has a very refined analog synthesis engine, and I wanted to make something for this era that broke from the “production” orientation of the MPC. Ultimately we settled on the Tempest, which I think of as a live performance instrument for drum machine players.  You’re working on the LinnStrument, an alternative controller. . . . To clarify, we’re talking about multi-dimensional controllers, which can continuously sense each finger’s pressure, left-right position, and forwardbackward position, polyphonically. Each finger could control—for instance—a note’s loudness, pitch, and timbre merely by its movements, and independently for each note. There are currently only five instruments that do this: the Continuum, Eigenharp, SoundPlane, SeaBoard, and the LinnStrument. What do you think it will take for such controllers to get beyond avant-garde appeal? Well, I get that no one wants to spend time learning an instrument that may not be around next year—but it may not be around next year if no one buys it. To be honest, I think they’re the next revolution. Currently, just about everyone who makes electronically generated music is playing on/off switches, knobs, and sliders—and I don’t mean just loop jockeys. Keyboard players perform on a slab of 61 to 88 on/off switches, albeit velocitysensitive ones. It’s no coincidence that the instrumental solo has largely disappeared from pop music. A great example of what synthesis sounds like when you break free from this Edmund Eagan’s performance on the Haken Continuum, done without a single envelope generator or LFO. What new form of music might some young genius create with such an instrument?

• Edmund Eagan plays the Continuum. • Roger Linn’s Favorite 3D Controllers. keyboardmag.com/november2013

Tom Oberheim ANALOG AVATAR

BY STEPHEN FORTNER do live monitoring, but by trial and error I eventually got some quite good recordings.

ORIGINALLY HAILING FROM THE “LITTLE APPLE” OF MANHATTAN, KANSAS, Tom Oberheim’s name is synonymous with some of the most desirable synths of the ’80s. Before the OB series was burned into the mainstream cultural retina by Eddie Van Halen’s ersatz synth solo on “Jump,” its monophonic forbear the Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM) was a keystone of the rigs of such pioneering synthesists as Lyle Mays, Josef Zawinul, and Jan Hammer.

You had an extensive career in computer engineering prior to being known as a synth designer. What first got you into electronics? I remember receiving an electric motor kit for Christmas when I was ten years old. This was soon followed by a crystal radio, which I enjoyed playing with for hours on end. That led me to start reading about the technical aspects of radio and I learned, among other things, what a diode was. Much to the chagrin of the local radio shop owner, I then visited the shop every day after school with questions. That led to my eventually building a radio out of a 6J5 vacuum tube and coils wrapped around a toilet paper tube. Like many people who’ve found success in the music business, you moved from the Midwest to Los Angeles. . . . I think one of the reasons it was so easy for me was that I’d read an ad in DownBeat magazine for the Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach, where

well-known West Coast jazz players Bud Shank and Bob Cooper played. The ad said, “No entrance fee required.” I thought, “Wow, imagine seeing these great jazz players for free!” That was before I knew about the two-drink minimum! Any early recollections of bringing your love of technology into the service of musicians? In my final days as a student at UCLA, one of my fellow students in a class about modern music was the outstanding trumpet player and bandleader Don Ellis. In 1966 I built Don an amplifier and then later some other equipment. About the same time Don bought a Crown tape recorder and asked to start recording a rehearsal band that played in Hollywood on Monday nights. Don had recently been on tour in Europe and had come back with eight Sennheiser MD421 mics. I bought a couple of small Shure microphone mixers and started recording the band’s gigs. I had no practical way to

You’ve brought back the SEM to rave reviews. What was the original design idea behind a synth that was a module, not a keyboard—but unlike other modules, a selfcontained synthesizer voice? At the time, I thought that getting into the synthesizer business, even in 1973 or 1974, was a major undertaking, especially for a company the size of Oberheim Electronics. It was just Jim Cooper [of J. L. Cooper fame] and me doing the engineering. By starting out with the SEM-1, without all the other complications that are part of making a complete keyboard synth, the process was made easier. The idea was that the SEM-1 would be an accessory to be used with a synth by another company like ARP or Moog. To that end, I purposely built the voice around a two-pole multi-mode filter as a complement to other synths’ four-pole filters. What’s next for you and for Tom Oberheim instruments? Now that new SEMs are back, I’m hoping that the new Two-Voice and Son of Four-Voice will be as successful. I’m very excited about today’s “analog revival,” both from a point of view of keeping the analog dream alive and because of how it’s making my “senior” years very fulfilling!

The new T Two-Voice Twoconsists o of two of Tom’s new SEM SEMs plus a sequencer, progra programmer, and three-octave keyboard.

See It Now! Read our full review of the return of a classic, Tom’s new SEM. keyboardmag.com/november2013 11.2013 Keyboard

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HA LL OF FAM E » MIDI

GEMS FROM THE PIONEERS OF PRO MEETS PRICE 22

MELLOTRON

AIREY

L I NN

OB E RH E IM

YA MA H A

LIKE MANY HUGE HOUSEHOLD NAMES, YAMAHA started with one person. The son of a Samurai, a young and mechanically gifted Torakusu Yamaha was repairing medical equipment in Hamamatsu, Japan, but in 1887 did a side job fixing a broken reed organ (of American origin, no less) in an elementary school. Soon thereafter, he was inspired to build one himself. Seeking approval from officials for its use in schools, he carried the prototype on foot past Mount Fuji to Tokyo—about a 150-mile journey. Like all clients, they wanted some changes, so he trekked all the way back to build the next one. If the popularity of Yamaha school band instruments today—not to mention that of the acoustic and digital pianos and synths so many of us rely on—is any indication, those long journeys were not in vain. You’ve seen countless pictures of DX7s and Motifs in these pages, so here are some seminal and lesser-known Yamaha instruments. View a much larger slide show at keyboardmag. com/november2013.

Half a Century of Korg

RARITIES FROM THE WORLD'S BIGGEST INSTRUMENT MAKER

Yamaha at 125

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FOUNDED AS KEIO ELECTRONIC Laboratories 50 years ago by Tsutomu Katoh (shown, 1926–2011), Korg has wowed the new millennium with such über-workstations as the OASYS and Kronos. However, they’ve been know for far longer for bringing synth technology that’s truly professional—in terms of editing, programmability, and polyphony— to a price point that most musicians could do more than dream about. Hailing from 1988, the M1 still holds the twin titles of first self-contained synth workstation and best selling keyboard synth of all time. Here are six other instruments that were as big a deal in their day—and aren’t the usual suspects. See more Korg milestones at keyboardmag.com/ november2013.

KO RG

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1887

1900

Torakusu Yamaha’s first reed organ. A playable duplicate resides at Yamaha’s U.S. headquarters in Buena Park, California.

Yamaha’s first piano was this ornate upright.

1972

1963 The company’s first product was an automatic rhythm box. The Donca-Matic DA-20 used a rotating mechanical disc to produce the necessary recurring sounds.

The Korgue was an early attempt at a stage combo organ that offered a degree of synthesizerlike control over the voice.

1902

1981

1959 9 The first Yamaha grand piano.

1981

Yamaha had made church pipe organs during the 1930s, but their first entry into the then-expanding home organ market was this Electone D1.

Too often in the shadow of the CS-80, the CS-70m featured six analog voices and similar dual-engine architecture— and was more affordable, portable, and reliable to boot. This image is from a 1982 ad in this very magazine!

Incorporating the research of Stanford’s John Chowning, the GS1 was the FM platform that gave rise to more affordable and portable synths such as the world-changing DX series.

1977 1973

1980 1981

Long before there was the MicroKorg, the MiniKorg 700 sat atop many a gigging keyboardist’s electric piano. In the studio, it’s still a favorite of artists such as Depeche Mode.

Forty-eight voices of polyphony? In the ’70s? Not only that, but the PS-3300 (largest of the PS series) boasted three complete synth engines in a semi-modular format. Bob Moog was a fan, and if you are too, be prepared to throw over 20 grand at eBay.

The two-manual version of the original CX-3 had analog circuits to generate drawbar tones, adjustable EQ and percussion per manual, a key click knob, and a rotary simulation that was quite decent for its time. It’s still one of the most coveted classic clonewheels.

The Mono/Poly redefined the solo synth by letting you choose between a fat fouroscillator monophonic voice, or four-note polyphony with one oscillator. Today, you can have it as a soft synth or iPad app—without the polyphony restrictions.

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HALL OF FAM E » MIDI

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AI REY

L I NN

OB E RH E IM

george Duke

YAMAH A

KORG

DUKE

1946 – 2013 COMPILED BY JERRY KOVARSKY

countless musicians, many of whom regarded him as a mentor and father figure. Through his huge heart, his generosity, and his immense talent, he has made an indelible impact on the world of music and his legacy will be remembered forever. russell FerrAnte After sharing my life with Joe Zawinul, T. Lavitz, and George Duke, I realize how much they’ve made this world a special place to be an artist. They’ll be missed, but the journey continues! Alphonso Johnson George Duke represented the best of the best in all aspects of the musical genres of which he was such a vital part. He will be missed on all levels to be sure, but his contributions through the music he created will live on forever. Billy CoBhAm i First got to know george in A “mAnuFACturer-to-Artist” relationship, but over time he realized I was a musician and a deep fan. Our friendship grew over the years and I always visited his studio when I was in L.A. Many times I got to be a fly on the wall and watch him work with artists and with his engineer Erik Zobler. I was fascinated by how quickly and musically he worked, always doing the right thing, and developing an artist’s performance in a supportive and organic fashion. He was always there for me when I needed a sound demo or a critique of a product, and he never asked for anything in return. When he asked me to do the interview for the September 2013 issue, I was honored. Little did I know that it would be the last time we got to speak. For over four hours we talked of everything I ever wanted to discuss with him about his career and playing. It was his last favor to me, and my favor back to him. I love his music, I love his spirit, and I’m forever humbled that he took me into his world. Here, some of music’s best and brightest share their memories of the maestro. Jerry kovArsky

Hello—I’m talking to you! Yes, you, who’s reading this. Especially you, if you’ve touched a keyboard. And you too, if you’ve ever nodded your head or snapped your fingers in response to music. You were touched by George Duke, and his long reach across genres, and the artists he befriended and with whom he made music. All of us were moved by his joy and love for the craft, his open-heartedness and generosity, and powerful work ethic. George would say, “Don’t stop, and stay funky!” Well, we were there! Al JArreAu It’s times like this when I realize no matter how large one’s vocabulary, there are no words to de24

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scribe the loss of my peers—especially a keyboard and musical giant like George Duke. When I first heard his records I was living in England in the ’70s, and the kinship I felt to his music inspired me to push forward with my own band the Oblivion Express. BriAn Auger I’ve admired George Duke for as long as I can remember. I’ve been inspired by the breath of his musicianship and the joy he always brought to every musical situation he was a part of. When I finally had the great honor of knowing and working with him, I realized he was an equally remarkable human being. He nurtured and encouraged

Of course George was a huge influence, and I’d been a big fan of his before I ever got to meet him or work with him. To me he personified the best of both (or all four) worlds: a consummate true jazz pianist who played bebop with Cannonball, who evolved seamlessly into jazz-rock fusion and became a synthesizer innovator, then morphed into an avant-garde rock musician with Zappa, and scored a huge pop hit as a vocalist while producing pop records! All of it was done with the most incredible, personable, and warm attitude towards everyone that approached him. philippe sAisse It’s hard to wrap your head around everything George Duke was. For the past 40 years he was everywhere: playing fusion, writing classical suites, wearing a tux while conducting awards shows orchestras, producing million-selling pop hits . . . I’ve spent the last week trying to describe George to people who inexplicably had never heard of him, and it’s very difficult. In the end I just tell them, ‘”Set aside a few weeks, look up ‘George Duke’ on the Internet, and follow the links. You’ll literally be taken on a trip through the history of AfricanAmerican music in the 20th century.” George Duke was music. mArCus miller As a kid studying the music of George Duke, it became a dream come true to grow up and play the same rooms he played. But it became an absolute

honor to get to know him as the person he was and not just the well-rounded and versatile artist, musician, and producer. He became a mentor and an advisor, and above all, a friend. Though I will miss him dearly, his work is timeless. FRANK MCCOMB The loss to me is greater than huge. He was my other brother. Without George Duke, I would not be what this life has blessed me to become. NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK The legacy George Duke leaves is one of musical integrity. It shows the world what can happen when you apply yourself, and don’t put cages around what kind of music you can and can’t do. Cats like George and I always had, and have the goal to play any type of music we can get our hands on. LARRY DUNN

ple. His skill level was so high that I’d often watch him do complete takes with zero mistakes. He’d listen to every track he played and assess whether he’d struck the perfect blend of leading, accompanying, soloing, and of course, grooving. On many of George’s songs you can hear a symphony of keyboard sounds. He was a master at playing multiple keyboards on the same song and each instrument would have its own personality. He’d fit them all together like a puzzle where each instrument’s voice was distinct and complementary. George was also easy to work with. He knew what he wanted to hear, he knew

how to get there, and he knew when he got there. Although many might say George’s productions were perfect, we rarely struggled with any part of the production process. Part of the reason was that George’s skill was so high that his “off” stuff was still amazing. ERIK ZOBLER

Many more artists remember George Duke at keyboardmag. com/georgeduke. keyboardmag.com/november2013

Ever since I first heard George Duke (with Jean Luc Ponty in the late ’60s) he’s been a favorite of mine. When I got to actually know him and spend time with him, it became evident that he was one of a kind, not just as a musician but also as a superb human being. We will miss him forever. DAVE GRUSIN George was first a hero from afar, then my producer, then my frequent employer, then one of my closest friends and mentors, then coming full circle being an even bigger hero than ever. This man never stopped being a musical giant to me, but after a certain period, he always made me feel like he was my friend first. In fact, I think everyone who knew him potentially feels the same way. CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE I first heard George with Frank Zappa in the early ’70s and was immediately drawn to his prodigious talents as well as his humor. I based my pitchbending technique after George on “The Aura Will Prevail.” I already had an ARP Odyssey and loved what George was doing with it so I integrated his approach into my soloing. George used our horn section (the Hey Horns) on many of his recordings and productions as well as me on tenor [sax] solos: “Brazilian Love Affair” is one of my favorites. He was as much fun in the studio and on the road as any person I ever worked with, and always totally took care of business when it was time to make music. LARRY WILLIAMS I first met George in 1979 at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles. I remained his engineer for 35 years up until the day I helped carry his casket. It was a sad day and a giant loss to the world. George’s creative output was extraordinary. He made something like 40 solo albums, and that doesn’t include all of the overdubs or tracking dates he did for other peo11.2013 Keyboard

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HA LL OF FAM E » COLD FUSION » HA LL OF FA ME

5 WAYS WAYS T TO OP PLAY LAY L LIKE IKE

Marian McPartland BY BRIAN CHARETTE THE WORLD LOST A TREMENDOUS MUSICIAN, MENTOR, AND EVANGELIST WHEN THE PIANIST, COMPOSER, AND RADIO personality Marian McPartland passed away in August 2013. Born Margaret Marian Turner in Slough, England in 1918, she married Jimmy McPartland, an American soldier and cornetist. After World War II, the McPartlands moved first to Chicago and then to New York City where in 1952, Marian began her residency at the storied Hickory House on 52nd Street. Later, her famed program Piano Jazz was launched in 1979. Marian’s piano style is very eclectic and nearly impossible to categorize. Here are five concepts gleaned from Marian’s playing that you can practice and add to your own. Ex. 1. C7

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œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ

1. Triplets and Pentatonics

Ex. 1 is a typical McPartland 12-bar blues device of the left hand keeping a triplet figure while the right hand improvises using mostly pentatonic material with chromatic embellishments. When practicing this, try to get the bass line under your hands first so you don’t need to think about it. Then start adding right hand lines. You can also try building ideas using the A minor and C minor pentatonic scales. (Note that the minor pentatonic scale contains scale degrees 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 from the natural minor scale.)

Ex. 2. D b/A b

œ bœ 4 œ œ b œ &4 œ œ bœ C/F

?4 ˙ 4 ˙

A/F #

b b ˙˙

œ œ œ #œ œ # œ œ & œ D/G

? #˙ # ˙

E b/C

nœ #œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ D/A

˙ ˙

n n ˙˙

F/B b

œ nœ

œ nœ œ œ #œ œ A/B

˙ b˙

˙ ˙

#˙ n ˙

b˙ & 44 b ˙˙˙ ?4 4

b˙ ˙

B b13b 9

b n ˙˙˙˙ ˙ b˙

E b maj9 E b maj13 E bdim7add# 7

b œœœœ b b œœœœ n œœœ œ

bœ bœ

A min9

œœœ œ

F #min

G/E

˙˙

˙ ˙

œ #œ

#œ œ

œœœ œ

˙ œ œ bœ œ œ ˙

D 7/A b # E min7/A D 13 9 11

œ b˙ # œœœœ œœœ b b b ˙˙˙

œ nœ

G min9

œ bœ

˙ ˙

#˙ # ˙

Ex. 3. F min9

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

F/D

œ œ œ œ

Ex. 2 is influenced by “Kaleidoscope,” the theme song to McPartland’s longrunning NPR radio show Piano Jazz. Here, the right hand arpeggiates simple triads with fifths in the bass. The interesting thing about these shapes when used together is the harmony that they imply. The first slash chord C/F suggests an Fmaj7 tonality. The Eb/C slash chord in bar 2 suggests a C minor tonality. Try creating your own chordal combinations and also try switching the direction of the triad arpeggios for new sounds of your own.

3. Chord Scale Relationships

G maj9 E min11 G maj9#5

˙ # ˙˙˙

2. Arpeggios and Slash Chords

˙˙˙ ˙

œ œœ b œ n ˙

The lush piano chords in Ex. 3 are influenced by Marian’s beautiful ballad playing. Here, the right hand delineates a decisive harmonic motion while the left hand comps and plays light fills in the middle of the chords. The left-hand part in bar 2 is derived from the Eb Major scale. (Also notice a clever righthand “diminished trick” often used on major seventh chords on beat 2 of bar 2.) In bar 3, the right-hand chords come from the A Dorian mode.

4. Melodic Harmonization Ex. 4.

F min7 G dim7 A b 6 A dim7

& 44 œœ b œœ b b œœœ n œœœ bœ b œ

E min11 D bmin11 G 13 B b 13 D b 13 B maj13 G maj7b 5 F #min11 E bmin11 B b13b 9# 11 E bmin11 A b13b 9# 11

? 44 b œ n œ œ # œ œ œ bœ n œ

b œœœ n œœ œ b œ n œœœ bœ

b b œœ b b œœ b bb œœœ b b œœ bœ

œœ b œœœ b bb œœœ # ## œœœ œ œœ b œœœ b œœœ #n œœ œ

œ œ bœ œ # # œœ œœ n œœœ b b œœœ # œ # # œœ b œ b œ œ #œ bœ b œ

Ex. 4 is another technique found in Marian’s often playful piano work: harmonizing a quarter-note melody. Bar 1 begins with “drop 2” chord voicings (where the second note from the top is “dropped” down to the left hand). It also features a scalar bass line. Bar 2, beat 1 starts with the famed b13b9#11 chord and is then followed by modal “planing,” (moving fourth voicings while keeping their shapes intact). Bar 3 demonstrates right hand fourth voicings over left hand “shells” (basic voicings that form the building blocks of chords).

Listening List Marian McPartland’s Hickory House trio Reprise

Marian McPartland Live at Maybeck Recital Hall

Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz With Steely Dan

11.2013 Keyboard

27

Ex. 5.

5. Thirds and Octaves D 13

G7

4 œ & 4 œœ Œ ?4 4

‰ œœ b b œœ œœ ˙˙ œ bœ œ ˙

Ó

œœ Œ ‰ œœ œœ # œœ # ˙˙ # œœ œ œ n œ #˙

Ó

œœœœœœ œ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœ œœ œœœœœœœœ œ œ

Ex. 5 shows how Marian McPartland often creates compelling “chordal illusions” using just thirds and octaves. Over a simple “cowboy” bass line, here we play chromatically around the third of the G and D chords. Notice the right hand shape—the third in the middle of the octave line gives the illusion of a much bigger chord. The octaves on the outside and the bass line furnish the listener with the harmony.

Remembering Marian

NILS WINTHER

“I was lucky in my late teens to study piano with Ellen Rowe, who was working with Marian McPartland at the time. The chord voicings and other techniques I learned from Ellen’s transcriptions of Marian had a profound impact on my musical Audio examples for development,” says keyboardist and composer this lesson Brian Charette, who has performed and recorded with artists like Joni Mitchell, Michael Bublé, and Rufus Wainwright, in addition to keyboardmag.com/november2013 leading his own jazz groups. His latest album is Music for Organ Sextette, on SteepleChase Records. ds.. Find out more at kungfugue.com.

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Keyboard 11.2013

C O M I N G

S O O N

www.finale.com

PLAY

H ALL O F FAM E » COLD FU S ION » HA LL OF FA ME

When yOu’re sOlOing, yOur ideas shOuld flow organically and not sound like musical formulae plugged into chord changes. All of the concepts of my last few columns—pentatonics, blues licks, and modal playing—are more or less constructed by placing phrases into chords. But while you can start out by analyzing the musical landscape, plotting out a strategy to play through chord changes, eventually you want to get to a point where it’s all just pure artistic expression. This month, we’re going to use one of the most powerful tools to help you find your way through chord changes when you’re soloing: ii-V patterns.

The ii-V Progression BY JEFF LORBER

1. Basic ii-V-I Patterns

ex. 1. D min9

& 44 œ

œ

œ

œ

G 13

œ

Ex. 1 is a basic ii-V-I melodic pattern in the key of C that arpeggiates through the chords.

C maj9

bœ

œ

œ

˙

2. Building Out

ex. 2.

œ œ bœ bœ w 4 œ œ œ œ b & 4 #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ G min9

30

Keyboard 11.2013

C 13

F maj9

Ex. 2 is a ii-V pattern that’s a little more sophisticated in the key of F. The phrase starts out with a descending Gmin9 arpeggio (starting on the ninth), continues with a modal phrase, and then plays the #9 and b9 over the C13 chord before it resolves to the fifth degree of the Fmaj9 chord, which adds some nice color to the lick. Playing a C7#9b13 would also sound good here.

Ex. 3. G min9

C 13

3. Chromatic Approaches and Indirect Resolutions

F maj9

Ex. 3 demonstrates both a chromatic approach to Bb, the minor third of the Gmin9 chord, and then an indirect resolution (chromatic from below but modal from above) to G, the fifth of the C13 chord.

œ œ œ œ œ 4 & b 4 œ nœ bœ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Ex. 4a. G min9

C 13

4. Expanded ii-V Patterns

F maj9

œ œ bœ nœ #œ nœ œ & b 44 œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Exs. 4a through 4d are more ii-V patterns for you to get into your ears and under your fingers. Try analyzing them on their own to see the chord-to-scale relationships inherent in each. Notice how starting lines on different scale degrees of the target chords can impart unique flavors to your improvisations.

w

b. G min9

œ 4 J b & 4

C 13

F maj9

œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ bœ nœ

w

3

c. D min9

& b 44 œ d.

G 7b 13# 9

C maj9

œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

D min9

ii-V Patterns in Action w

G 13

JEFF LORBER FUSION Water Sign JEFF LORBER FUSION Now Is the Time

C maj9

& b 44 œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ b œ œ œ w 3

3

5. ii-V Patterns in Use

Ex. 5. G min11

4 &b 4 Ó G min7

F min11

B b7b 9

E b maj9

A min7b 5

D 7# 9b 13

œ bœ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ b œj ‰ bœ œ œ E b 13

D 7# 9b 13

œœ œ œœœœ œ œ b œ & œœœ œ

A min7b 5 D 7# 9b 13

G min7

œœ

œœ

œœ

>œ b œ œ œ œ œœ 3

Practice Tip “After getting these patterns under your fingers to the point where you can play them without thinking, eventually your solos will begin to express how you feel. That’s when they will connect with your audience rather than have a mechanical feeling,” says acclaimed fusion keyboardist Jeff Lorber. His new w release is entitled Hacienda. Find out more at lorber.com.

Ex. 5 is the beginning of my solo over part of the harmonic structure for my song “Rain Dance.” That song, which has been sampled by hip-hop and soul artists like Notorious B.I.G., Li’l Kim, Erykah Badu, and most recently Ariana Grande, consists of ii-V sequences and you can even analyze its melody as being made up of ii-V patterns as well. Note how you can seamlessly connect solo lines by linking up different ii-V patterns as demonstrated here.

Jeff Lorber plays through this lesson so you can play along. keyboardmag.com/november2013

11.2013 Keyboard

31

PLAY

H ALL O F FAM E » CO LD FUS ION » H ALL OF FAME

Listening List Cedar Walton

WITH ART BLAKEY’S JAZZ MESSENGERS Ugetsu WITH HANK MOBLEY Far Away Lands

5 WAYS TO PLAY LIKE

WITH JOE HENDERSON Mode for Joe

Cedar Walton

WITH EASTERN REBELLION Eastern Rebellion, Vol. 1

BY BRIAN CHARETTE

PIANIST, COMPOSER, AND NEA JAZZ MASTER CEDAR WALTON PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 19, 2013. He was widely regarded as one of the most inventive and dynamic pianists in Jazz. Born in Dallas, Texas, Walton was a member of Art Blakey’s famed Jazz Messengers. He also worked with storied saxophonists John Coltrane and Hank Mobley and led the acclaimed group Eastern Rebellion. Walton had a broad base of musical influences that we will examine in the examples below. These short exercises are just a small snapshot of things I hear in Cedar’s playing. After you get these ideas into your ears and under your fingers, you should transpose them into all 12 keys so that they become part of your musical vocabulary.

Ex. 1.

F 7# 9

Ex.1a & 44 œj ‰ # œœ # œœœ b b œœœ œ

? 44 # œ # œ œ œ

32

Keyboard 11.2013

C min7

F 13

œ bœ b œœ œœ œ b œ b œœ œœ b œœœ œœœ œ œ

Ex.1b

E b maj7 A min7b 5

D min9 G 13b 5b 9

˙˙ b b ˙˙˙ ˙

œœ Œ Ó

Ex.1c

œœ œ Œ Ó

˙˙˙ ˙

˙˙˙˙

C maj7b 5

# ˙˙ ˙

Ó

˙˙˙˙

Ó

1. Cedar’s Comping Here, we examine some of Cedar’s comping techniques. These examples were influenced by Cedar’s work on his album with Hank Mobley, Breakthrough. Cedar would often switch comping styles throughout the same song. Ex. 1a illustrates altered chord shapes. These voicings are based on the F halfstep/whole-step diminished scale— think of chord roots moving in minor thirds starting on the tonic. Ex. 1b shows how Cedar often employed McCoy Tyner’s classic fourths voicings. They are all constructed by stacking fourths and thirds in the C Dorian mode. In Ex. 1c, Cedar employs a comping style that stacks triads above left-hand, Bill Evans-style chord voicings. Here we move the right-hand C triad up in halfsteps over a ii-V-I progression in C to make interesting chord alterations

Ex. 2.

E b maj7

B b 13

F min7

œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œœ b œ œœ œœ b ˙˙˙˙ œ œœœœ Ó b œ ‰ ‰ J Œ . Jœ b œœJ ‰ ‰ œœœ Œ . J J J

‰ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ

4 &4

œ ? 44 b b œœœ Œ

Œ.

Ex. 3.

œœ .. b œœ ..

G min13

4 b www &4 w ? 44

œ

œ bœ œœ œœ

œ & œœœ ?

œ bœ

œ œ œœ œœ J

œ ‰ œœ œ œ

œ œ

Ex. 4. B min13

œ bœ œœ œœ

œœ œœ

œ

œœ œœ Œ

œ œ bœ C maj7b 5

Œ

Œ

B min11

& 44 Ó

# # ˙˙˙

œœ ˙˙ .. œ ˙.

# # ˙˙˙˙ ....

? 44 Ó

˙˙ ˙

œœ # ˙˙ .. œ ˙.

˙. ˙.

? 44

œ #œ œ œ

#œ œ nœ œ

b œœ œœ J

œ bœ œœ œœ

œœ œœ

œ bœ

œ

œ

œ œ

œ bœ œœ œœ J

˙˙ ˙˙

Œ

œ Ó

& 44 œ b.

D 13

Œ œœŒ

œ œ ? 44 ‰ œœœJ Œ œœœ ‰ Œ J

G maj7

Ex. 2 shows how Cedar’s solo work often switches gears mid-solo. Here, the right hand plays a bebop line with “Bill Evans” voicings underneath. Then it morphs into a fourth-based line with McCoy Tyner voicings in the left hand. We’re using a G minor pentatonic scale over the Eb major tonality.

Ó

œ œ

˙

A min13

# ˙˙˙˙

˙˙˙ ˙

Ó

˙ ˙

˙ ˙

Ó

˙ ˙

œ Œ Ó

œ œ œ œ E 7alt

œ œ # œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ ‰ Jœ ˙˙ œœ ˙˙˙ œœ œœœ ˙ œ œ #˙ Œ . œJ ˙ ‰ # Jœ ‰ # Jœ

œ œ œœ œ wwww

One of the most famous Cedar Walton songs is “Bolivia” from the album Eastern Rebellion, Vo1ume I. This track features a great vamp section that serves as the influence for Ex. 3. Here, I’ve written large chords in the right hand that could be assigned to a horn section using the fourth and third structures from Ex. 1b. I’ve also added an interesting rhythmic idea in the last four bars, as Cedar would often set up small, unusual patterns like this.

4. Comping over Bar Lines

Ex. 5. A min9

2. Cedar’s Solos

3. Arranging Vamps

œ ‰ œœ œ

n œœœœ ˙˙˙˙

œ #œ œ œ

œœ œ J

˙˙ ˙˙

E 13b 9

#œ œ

œ bœ

Ex. 4 demonstrates the concept of comping “over the bar line.” We have some interesting ideas for voicing these chords with fourths and seconds, plus a bass line so you can see and hear where the time is. This example is influenced by Cedar’s comping on his song “Bolivia.” When constructing your own voicings, try not to reuse notes and to incorporate interesting spacing between the notes.

5. Melodic Solos Cedar often builds simple melodic lines that provide a wellspring of material from which to launch soloing ideas. Over the ii-V-I progression of Ex. 5, we see a short melodic fragment that sounds deceptively simple, but this kind of compact melodic idea offers great potential for solo development and improvisation.

Audio examples for this lesson. keyboardmag.com/ november2013 11.2013 Keyboard

33

KNOW

SYNTH S OLOING » DA N CE » B ACKTR ACK

Fig. 1. The effects chain for the main lead sound.

THE ART OF SYNTH SOLOING

Deeper Inside the Rudess Lead Sound BY JERRY KOVARSKY

LAST mONTH wE BEGAN ExpLORING JORDAN RuDESS’ SIGNATuRE LEAD sound for his Korg Kronos. We covered the basic lead tone, its effects and controllers. Now it’s time to explore how he simulates feedback harmonics and some other cool variations he can draw upon during performance.

Bring On the Feedback As we covered in the April 2013 column, you need to fade out the main oscillator(s) when you want to simulate feedback, and Jordan does this using an effect rather than modulating the amp output. Why? I’ll explain a little later. Using two Stereo Limiters he has one set to cut the volume when pushing the joystick up (JS+Y) and another to cut the level when pulling the joystick towards you (JS-Y). This is done by modulating the gain stage within the limiter negatively when the controller is moved. Either way you push the joystick, the main sound fades out, leaving room for the feedback tones. 36

Keyboard 11.2013

The basic tone of the feedback is produced by an AL-1 program with a pulse wave set to 50 percent width, tuned up an octave and a fifth. This is a nice, hollow sound—perfect for simulating feedback, and a bit stronger than using a sine wave. That oscillator produces no sound when a key is depressed; only the movement of the JS+Y raises its amp output. A second oscillator is set to the same waveform but is only tuned up an octave, so it sounds below the main pitch and only comes in via pressure, so you can sweep into the feedback using the joystick, and then slowly add the additional harmonic using aftertouch as you wish. Nice!

Even hipper, Jordan Rudess uses the ribbon to introduce some ring modulation to the sound, with a setting called AM—which is the traditional ring modulation between the two oscillators plus the original carrier wave’s dry signal mixed back in. Listen to it being demonstrated online; it’s a cool extra bit of “drama” added to the sound. Remember that the ribbon added a sub-oscillator to the regular sound, which goes away when the harmonics are introduced, so he reuses the ribbon for this coloration. The feedback shares the same spiked amp envelope for that punchy attack, and nothing special is happening for the filter, since he wants the sound to remain pure and open the whole time. A second instance of the AL-1 (the Kronos can stack two sound engines, either different or the same, in a single Program) uses similar settings, and is brought in via the JS-Y movement. Here the main oscillator is tuned up two octaves, with the pressure-induced second

Fig. 2. The effects chain for the feedback sound.

Fig. 3. Using the Kronos’ secondary (vector) joystick to bring in an extra sync sound.

than the Korg Kronos) is for flexible effects routoscillator tuned up only one octave. The ribbon again introduces the ultra-cool AM ring modulation. ing. Very few synths offer the ability to route each oscillator to its own effects chain. Since Jordan is Whole Lotta Oscillatin’ Goin’ On! using the Kronos’ Stereo Limiter effects to fade The benefit of using separate programs is becoming out the main sound, he needs to be able to route different parts into different effects. So, the feedapparent, as Jordan is using a lot of oscillators to back tone doesn’t go through those limiters. He produce the cool variations in the sound, and no runs the feedback tone into a Tube PreAmp Modsingle program would offer that many resources. el (within the Kronos) for some extra warmth But playing this sound on an 88-note keyboard before it “joins” the rest of the amp/distortion introduces another issue that’s solved by using chain (see Figure 1). multiple programs. As Jordan moves far up and down the keyboard, the feedback tone moves out of its “sweet spot,” so he uses multiple copies of the Wait, There’s More! sound and shifts their pitch so they repeat halfway To bring even more performance variation into across the range. The upper end of the keyboard is the sound, Jordan uses a knob to turn off both tuned an octave down, and covers notes G#4 to G9. the Limiter’s gain reduction when using the The middle of the keyboard is set to “zero” tuning, joystick’s Y-axis (the knob sets each limiter’s and covers G4 down to E3, effectively repeating the mix to dry, bypassing it), and brings in a second same pitches. A third copy of the program is set to distortion effect—this time an Overdrive with a play from D#3 down to the bottom with the same built-in wah (see Figure 2). The effect isn’t addtuning, but with a much lower volume in the mix, ing a lot more overdrive; he uses it for the wah taming its output when he wants to go way low. component, sweeping the wah open as he pulls Let’s tally up the total oscillators involved here: the joystick towards him. So at certain points in The main sound uses two detuned oscillators, with his solo he can abandon the feedback tones and a third one acting as a sub-oscillator, or simply revel in the wah and the nearby sub-oscillator (via tuned down an octave. The feedback Program uses the ribbon). two oscillators for the JS+Y/aftertouch sound, and This explains why he used Limiters to fade out another two for the JS-Y/aftertouch sound, so we’re the main tone; if he’d done it via amp modulation up to seven oscillators. The repeated copies of the at the oscillator level (as I taught you earlier) he feedback each use two oscillators (two times three couldn’t easily switch that off when he wanted to instances equals six), so in total we have 13 reuse the joystick to become the wah controller. oscillators in action! Could he have left the joystick to fade out oscillators and used a pedal for the wah sweeping? Sure, but he stands as he plays and likes to swivel his Routing Rules Another benefit of creating this sound in a Combi keyboard around for dramatic effect. So, also trying to operate a pedal might have made for some (a multi-sound stack that might be known as a awkward stage poses. Performance, Multi, or Setup on synths other

Hidden Treasure As I explored the sound I found one other cool programming trick that was in the main lead program, which Jordan had disabled in the Combi. When I asked him about it, he confirmed that since it used the rather small, secondary vector joystick on the Kronos he abandoned it for live gigs, as he found it too hard to use the small stick effectively in the heat of performance. However, this speaks to the principles this column has been all about—introducing more timbral variation during your solos—so Jordan agreed that we should share it (see Figure 3). In the main lead sound Program he used the vector joystick to fade out the main AL-1 program, using amp level modulation. At the same time he faded in a second instance of the AL-1, set to a similar sound, but also using oscillator sync to add more edge (the slaved oscillator was tuned down an octave, and the master oscillator is tuned up three octaves and a fourth). This main sync sound is produced when moving the vector joystick up and away from you (VJS+Y). Moving it down and towards you (VJS-Y) brings up the same sync program but also retunes the second oscillator to another pitch and introduces a slight amount of FM. This gives you plenty of diverse timbral variation via the controller. Listen to the online audio examples to hear the cool tones it produces.

Audio examples of this lead sound. keyboardmag.com/ november2013 11.2013 Keyboard

37

KNOW

SYNTH S O LO ING » DANC E » B ACKTRACK

Dropping Bombs

CREATING EXPLOSIVE TRANSITION SOUNDS

BY FRANCIS PRÈVE

UNIQUE TRANSITIONAL EFFECTS—NOISE BURSTS, WHOOSHES, EXPLOSIONS—ARE A GREAT WAY TO SET YOURSELF apart from the pack when it comes to creating your own original sound. While there are some fantastic and complex effects in modern loop libraries, taking the time to design your transitions is well worth the effort. Some of the most dramatic effects come in the form of original explosions and dive bombs to kick off a massive breakdown before your final peak (or “drop” in current dance floor parlance) brings your track to its climax. This month, we’ll dive into two different ways to craft a unique explosion effect.

Step 1 Propellerhead Reason’s Subtractor includes just the right set of features to quickly set up a classic dive bomb. First, reset Subtractor’s parameters to their defaults, and then choose a waveform that has the right flavor for your track. I’m a big fan of triangle waves for dive bomb sounds, since they have just a touch of upper harmonics without being too bright or buzzy.

Step 2

Step 3

Next, set up your amplitude (volume) envelope so that it has a long decay and release.

Finally, add the pitch sweep, using Subtractor’s modulation envelope, which defaults to affecting oscillator 1. Start by setting it up so that it matches the amplitude envelope, and then tweak the amount and release parameters until you’ve got your bomb perfected.

Step 4 Sampled drums are an even simpler approach to creating epic explosions. Start by loading a floor tom or kick drum into your favorite sampler.

Step 5 Now, add a massive reverb with a long decay (10 to 15 seconds is a good starting point) and max out the wet/dry balance so that it’s all reverb. Sometimes you’ll need to tame the high frequencies of the reverb, so apply a lowpass filter at the end of the chain for easy control of the highs.

Step-by-step audio examples. keyboardmag.com/november2013

38

Keyboard 11.2013

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KNOW

SYNTH S O LO ING » DAN CE » BACKTRACK

Recording Backing Vocals BY MITCHELL SIGMAN

LAST moNTh we TALkeD ABouT The best ways to create instrumental backing tracks for live performances of your cover or show band. This month we’ll cover the most important element of all: vocals. Once upon a time, a singer simply stepped up to the mic, sang their heart out, and that was that. If you were lucky, you had a couple of other skilled vocalists in the band to help out with harmonies. The advent of multitrack recording made it possible to stack layer upon layer of backing vocals for huge harmonies (Queen, anyone?). These days, most pop songs you might cover (in a show band that plays events such as weddings and casuals) feature four or more tracks of each harmony note, and this has become a normal expectation for listeners. Unless your band features a dozen vocalists, layered tracked backing vocals are a necessity if you want that “like the record” sound. Let’s discuss how to record your own backing vocal tracks.

Setup If you’ve already made an instrumental backing track, you’ll just sing along as with any other multitracked song. Depending on the track content, it may help to create reference drum, bass, or basic chords to simplify singing parts. If you’re creating a track containing only vocals, you’ll likely need to count bars and create simple reference instrumental parts. If it’s a recent song, odds are it was recorded in a DAW with a solid tempo. So, you can precisely zoom in on the first kick drum hit, quantize it to bar 1, then adjust the tempo until the song locks to the DAW’s click solidly for the entire song. At this point you’ll be able to simply “sing along” with the original song. Be aware that this doesn’t work with older songs originally recorded to tape, as the tempos will drift all over the place. 40

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here’s my standard vocal bus in Logic Pro with the mod Delay (doubler) and LexPlate reverb.

Lay it Down I typically begin with the lowest harmonies and work my way up. Not only is it easier to hear harmony notes as you go, this has the secondary benefit of warming up your voice for the high notes. Exact harmony parts can be difficult to pick out, so take your time, and don’t be afraid to slowly go over parts with a piano sound. If I’m having trouble, sometimes I’ll record the most audible parts (usually the highest and the lowest) then fill in the harder-to-pick out inner voices. The mono/stereo phase tricks discussed in last month’s installment can also be effective tools for picking out vocal lines. Unless it’s a simple song, I typically track four layers of each note for a big, professional sound. Of course you’ll want to sing as in tune as possible, but also be conscious of timing and length of end notes. Finally, if the song contains repeated sections with the same words and harmonies, by all means save yourself a lot of time and copy them—no one will be the wiser, especially if the lead singer makes minute changes in live performance.

Style Council It goes without saying that your approach will vary greatly depending upon the song. You’ll obviously

want to enlist the proper gender of vocalist for the track, though you can effectively mix it up between male and female. For big-rock “gang” vocals, it’s a good idea to record as many different singers as possible. Conversely, for a tight and intimate sound, it’s best to use many overdubs of the same person. For a “sheen” effect, you can add a track or two of whispered vocals mixed in quietly. In a pinch, I’ve even used formant-shifting plug-ins to make my voice sound more feminine, but be careful, as these begin to sound like Alvin and his Chipmunk pals if pushed too far.

All Together Now Once I have all vocals cut and edited, I’ll add a gentle amount of a vocal tuning plug-in on each track, and then route them to a bus channel in the mixer. If the final track format is stereo with click in one channel and music in the other, you can use a mono bus and effects. The bus contains a compressor and an EQ; the EQ is usually set to knock off lows, gently dip any harshness in the upper mids (usually in the 2kHz–4kHz region) and add sheen by boosting highs above 7kHz with a shelf EQ. I’ll also use an effects send to a doubler, delay, and/or a classic Lexicon-style reverb.

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REVIEW

R O UND UP » A N A LOG SYN TH » SYN THESIZ ER » AUDIO IN TER FACE » SOF T SY N T H » A PP

fig. 1. The user interface of Sibelius 7 has been redesigned to provide easier access to a wealth of tools from the ribbon across the top of the main window. The floating keypad palette (lower right) mirrors the keypad on the computer keyboard, providing quick shortcuts during data entry.

The Right Staff

ChooSe The NoTaTioN SofTwaRe ThaT fiTS YouR NeedS BY JIM AIKIN

MuSiC SofTwaRe of aNY kiNd TeNdS To be buRSTiNg wiTh feaTuReS, buT even compared to a DAW, music notation software is notoriously complex. If you’re wondering which of the leading notation programs is right for you, this article will help you make that choice. The conventions of standard music notation date back hundreds of years, and the symbols aren’t just graphics—they have meanings, and relate to one another in specific ways. Notation software has to do a lot more than just put notes on a staff. You may want to hear your music played back by a highquality orchestral sample library, upload scores to your website, add guitar fretboard diagrams, 42

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or input a piece by improvising freely on the keyboard and then add bar lines afterward. A complete comparison of the features of these programs would take hundreds of pages. In this article I’ll highlight some of the major differences and suggest a few ways to evaluate your needs. We’ll also take a closer look at just what makes notation software such a complex proposition.

eNTRY-LeveL veRSioNS Sibelius First: $119.95 Finale Notepad: free Finale Songwriter: $49.95 Finale PrintMusic: $119.95 Notion Progression: $49 download | $59 boxed SmartScore Songbook: $199 SmartScore MIDI: $49 SmartScore Piano: $79 SmartScore Guitar: $79

NOTATION PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE Workflow People use notation software in various ways, for various purposes, but in essence the process usually looks like this: When creating a new file, you tell the program what key signature and time signature your music will be in, and what instrumentation you need. Different key and time signatures can later be inserted at any point in the score, of course. Next, you enter the basic data for your score: the notes and rests. Some programs let you play parts in real time while listening to a metronome click, but afterward you may need to clean up misinterpreted rhythms and note lengths. Step entry is more reliable, and unless you’re an accomplished keyboardist it may even be faster. Most programs let you enter the notes on a staff by playing with one hand on a MIDI keyboard and selecting note or rest durations with the other hand on the computer keyboard. After a little practice, you’ll be able to “touch-type” while looking at the page from which you’re entering the data. Once the basic score is entered, you’ll need to go back and add dynamics and expression markings, slurs, double bars, and other elements. While doing this you may need to flip stems up or down, change enharmonic spellings, and adjust the spacing so that the page is nicely filled. Audio proofing, by watching your score while listening to it played back, is important. Most notation programs come with a sound library that you can set up so as to produce a reasonable approximation of the intended performance. The audio is not likely to sound as good as a real ensemble, but it will be plenty good enough for proofing. The last step, if your score has multiple instruments, is extracting single parts for printout. The program may handle necessities such as grouping multi-measure rests automatically, but you’ll still need to tweak the details of the appearance of the parts.

What Are Your Needs? Before buying notation software, it’s a good idea to consider carefully what you intend to do with it. Some features may be essential; others you may not care about. Here are a few guidelines that may help you figure out what features to look for. Practically everybody needs to be able to extract and print single parts from a score. All notation software, with the possible exception of one or two beginner programs, will do this. More challenging: If you’re planning to create scores for full orchestra, where two wind parts

Sibelius is a robust, feature-rich program, designed to meet the needs of the professional (see Figure 1 on page 42). Its user interface is streamlined, making data entry about as easy as it could be, and it ships with a massive 34GB sound library on three DVDs. Sibelius files can be uploaded to your website using a free utility called Scorch. Unfortunately, the long-standing Sibelius software development team has left Avid, which leaves the future of Sibelius somewhat uncertain. If you buy Sibelius, you may want to be cautious about updating your computer OS, as future OS versions might turn out to be incompatible with Sibelius. Finale is used by many publishers to produce professional-quality scores and parts (see Figure 2 on page 44). It’s a mature, feature-rich program. The learning curve with Finale may be a bit steeper than with Sibelius, as its user interface is heavily tool-centric. An added plus is the availability of several entry-level versions, with which you can do basic scoring while learning the tools. Notion has a strong set of features, but even so, it qualifies as an entrylevel program (see Figure 3 on page 45). It’s inexpensive, will work fine for basic needs, and has some features that guitarists and worship music directors will like, such as a graphic fretboard for clicking chord shapes and transferring them automatically to tablature, but it comes up a bit short on publicationquality details. Notion’s 7.7GB sound library is smooth sounding and very adequate, especially considering the program’s modest price. SmartScore is the right choice if you need to scan a lot of existing sheet music (see Figure 4 on page 46). You can also enter new scores into it by hand—but if that’s your main need, Notion or MuseScore would be more costeffective. If you’re already committed to using Sibelius for notation, Neuratron PhotoScore Ultimate would be a better choice for scanning, as it links well with Sibelius and is less expensive than SmartScore. However, PhotoScore itself has no facility for entering new music. With either program, don’t expect miracles of the scanning technology (see “Scanning Technology” on page 49). MuseScore may be the perfect choice for notation if you’re on a tight budget, because it’s free (see Figure 5 on page 48). Like the commercial programs listed above, MuseScore has a WYSIWYG editor. For many users, the most important difference between MuseScore and the commercial programs will be that MuseScore doesn’t come with a large orchestral sound library. It’s not without limitations—for instance, there’s no realtime entry while listening to a metronome click. Even so, MuseScore is impressively powerful. LilyPond is another great freeware option, especially if you have an adventurous spirit, a physical disability, and/or lots of free time. There’s no graphic editing, and it doesn’t do audio playback or MIDI data entry. You enter your LilyPond score in the form of text, which is undoubtedly a painstaking process, but the program’s creators have gone to great lengths to produce beautiful graphical output in the form of printable PDFs. Cut to the Chase. Between Finale and Sibelius, it’s a toss-up, for various reasons. I personally prefer Sibelius, but I’m still waiting to read a commitment from Avid about its future development. If you need scanning, SmartScore is a fine choice, unless you want to pair PhotoScore with Sibelius. For basic notation needs, MuseScore should do the job just fine, and at no cost whatever.

traditionally share a single staff in the score, you’ll want to look into what steps you’ll need to take to separate them. Everybody needs the software to check the number of beats in a measure and alert them in case of a mistake—either that, or automatically

extend notes that are too long into the next measure and add ties. Notation software tries to be intelligent about the meter and note values, so if you need more freedom—for instance, in the unlikely event that you want one part to play in 5/4 while another is in 4/4, with bar lines 11.2013 Keyboard

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Fig. 2. This score was created in Sibelius and later imported into Finale as a MusicXML file. The differences are subtle: By default, Finale doesn’t add the measure numbers, though adding them yourself is easy, and the quarterrests in the horn parts in the second ending are aligned differently. Finale’s palettes of tools are displayed along the upper edge and the left side.

in the same places—you’ll need to investigate the limitations of the software carefully before purchasing it. Most people need audio playback, because proofing your score by listening to it is much more reliable than just staring at the screen. All of the programs in this roundup (except LilyPond) can play back notated tracks through software instruments. Some programs can also use third-party software instruments, which can give better results if you already have a good orchestral library. Some programs offer more sophisticated features for audio playback. Finale, for instance, can import an audio file (one per score) and play it along with your notation, which could be useful if you’re in the process of adding new parts to an existing arrangement. Most people need to be able to input note pitches by playing a MIDI keyboard that’s connected to the computer. Except for PhotoScore

and LilyPond, all of the programs herein allow this type of input. Most notation software will handle triplets during data entry. Not all programs will do complex “tuplets” with odd values, however. Songwriters and pop arrangers need to be able to position multiple lines of lyrics below a melody (see Figure 6). They may also need chord symbols, guitar fretboard diagrams, and guitar tablature. If you’re writing for a horn section, you need a variety of jazz articulations, such as scoops and doits. Classical composers need to be able to create good-looking scores for large ensembles. Depending on how avant-garde their work is, they may need a variety of unusual features, such as diverging beams and imported graphics. They may need to dispense with bar lines or break long measures from one staff to another. Worship music directors need to be able to scan old sheet music and clean it up. They often need

Fig. 6. A text box appears in Notion when you’re entering lyrics. Press the Tab key to advance to the next note. The software spaces the words or syllables automatically, widening the measures as needed.

Fig. 7. Draggable handles in Sibelius appear when you click on a slur to select it. The end handles, in light gray, are hard to see in this image; the curvature handles are darker.

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to transpose songs to new keys. If a pop group is part of the music presentation, the worship music director may have the same needs as songwriters and pop arrangers. (Spell-checking the Latin in a traditional hymn? Sorry, you’re on your own.) Music educators may need to extract examples that are only a line or two long as graphics, so as to import them into a word processor document. Depending on their specialty, they might also need archaic notation symbols and other features, such as figured bass. An important consideration that’s different for different individuals and therefore hard to assess is whether you’re comfortable with the user interface. Three of the four commercial programs discussed this month have downloadable demos. (Notion doesn’t.) By spending some time with the demo, you can explore the user interface and decide how comfortable you are with it, and also evaluate the quality of the documentation. Patience is recommended; don’t expect to learn your way around in an hour, or even in a couple of days.

Score Appearance It’s certainly possible to use a notation program strictly as a composing tool, with the audio output played by computer instruments or MIDI hardware. If you’re composing for an ensemble, you might even want to try doing the writing directly on-screen rather than with a pencil. But none of these programs gives users the kind of control over the sound of virtual instruments that you’ll find in a DAW. Chances are, you’ll be using notation software to print out parts and scores for players to read. In other words, you’ll be wearing several hats—not only composer or arranger, but also art director and publisher. So let’s look closer at the features that will affect how your printed music looks. Notes and other symbols are stored in the computer as fonts. You may have a choice of several, just as your word processor lets you choose Times, Arial, Courier, and so on. Most sheet music being published today uses a fairly

Fig. 3. The same score as Figures 1 and 2, imported into Notion. (Note the loss of formatting of the rehearsal letter ‘D’ in the upper right corner.) The floating tool palette is always at the center bottom of the window. The six buttons at the upper right open windows for chord symbols, a guitar fretboard, the mixer, and so on.

standard font, but jazz and pop charts are often printed in a more casual-looking “handwritten” font. The font may or may not scale down smoothly at smaller sizes; the stems could get too thin, for instance. Percussion parts normally need a choice of note heads: triangles, the letter X for “ghost notes,” and so on. In pop music, rhythm chording instrument parts may need slashes. String harmonics sometimes require diamond-shaped note heads. Percussion parts, especially in orchestral music, are often displayed on a single-line staff. Guitar tablature is normally on a six-line staff. Early music may also require an unusual staff and unusual note heads. A wide variety of articulation symbols may be needed, especially for jazz band and modern orchestral scores. The symbols of common-practice classical music (staccato dots, dynamic markings, and so on) are found in every notation program, but exotic symbols may or may not be available. The curvature and positioning of slurs and ties often need to be adjusted by hand. The software will attempt to guess at the desired position when inserting the symbol, but it will sometimes guess wrong. Some programs display mouse “handles” at the ends and middle of a slur, allowing you to drag it to a better position or a better shape (see Figure 7 on page 44). Notation programs handle the default stem direction and stem length automatically, so the user seldom needs to worry about them. But stems occasionally need to be adjusted so that stems and beams don’t collide with other elements, or so that beam angles have a more

pleasing appearance. Most programs can display graphic “handles” at the ends of stems, which can be grabbed and dragged with the mouse. The vertical rhythmic alignment of notes in a multi-staff score will always be handled automatically, and seldom needs any attention from the user. Notation programs always understand the conventional use of accidentals—that an accidental remains in effect until the next bar line. If you’re entering the music from a MIDI keyboard, the key signature will be used to interpret your MIDI data and display accidentals as needed. There will be times, however, when you’ll want a flat and the software chooses a sharp (or vice versa). The software will provide a way for you to switch from one type of accidental to the other. Accidentals can also be entered by hand if needed. The better programs will let you put parentheses around courtesy accidentals. Sometimes, you need to display two independent parts (or even more) on a single staff. The software needs to be able to point the stems of the first part up and the stems of the second part down. Note heads may need to be offset slightly to the left or right by dragging them, so as to avoid collisions between parts. When the second part starts or stops in the middle of a measure, its rests (which will automatically be inserted by the software) need to be hidden. The ability to hide other sorts of graphic objects is surprisingly useful, and is found in many programs. The program will attempt to find the best spacing of notes and measures, so that each line or system of music is spaced out in a readable way. But you’ll sometimes find that you need to change the spacing of the measures, by cram-

ming more measures onto one line or by breaking a crowded line so that one of its measures is moved up or down to the following line. When you do this, the software will automatically respace the symbols in the new lines so that the lines end at the right border, as usual. To open up a crowded measure, you may need to move a bar line left or right. Some programs let you drag bar lines to respace individual measures; some don’t. Individual symbols sometimes need to be moved left or right to prevent graphic collisions. Collisions can occur with accidentals in thick chord voicings, adjacent to clef changes, and so on. The better programs allow repositioning of symbols. Cross-staff beams are needed in music from the time of Bach onward. Cross-bar-line beaming appeared a bit later, in the 19th century. Notion does not support these types of beaming, but all of the programs will group beamed notes around rests. In orchestral scores, cue parts using small note heads need to be added to specific instrument parts at specific spots, but hidden in the score, because the conductor doesn’t need to see them. Text of various kinds needs to be positioned. Some text needs to attach to an object in a specific measure so that if the left/right position of the measure changes, the text will move with it (see Figure 8). Other text, such as the title on

Fig. 8. An expression object in Finale can be moved by dragging it with the Selection Tool. Notice the anchor point on the staff, to the left of the first note in the bar. The vertical and horizontal dotted lines make it easier to align this object with others on the page. 11.2013 Keyboard

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Fig. 4. SmartScore’s interpretation of the opening of the Schumann “Arabeske,” Opus 18. The scanned graphic file is displayed in the upper pane, SmartScore’s notation in the lower, ready for editing. Measures that SmartScore detects have the wrong number of beats based on the time signature are highlighted in pink. Separate voices on one staff are shown in different colors.

the first page and the instrument names in the left margin of a score, needs to stay in position even when measures move. Some text, such as rehearsal letters, should appear only once or twice in a score, but will need to be duplicated into individual parts when they’re prepared for printing. This laundry list by no means exhausts the topic of graphic object positioning and customizing, but let’s move on.

The Sound Library All of the leading commercial notation programs install with large libraries of sampled instruKeyboard_2013_keyboard_2012 6/3/13 7:29 AM Page 1

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What Is MusIcXML? The MusicXML file format is a way of transferring a notated score from one notation program to another. Finale, Sibelius, and Notion all import and export MusicXML files (although Notion imports them imperfectly). SmartScore will export MusicXML files, but not import them, making it a good choice if you want to scan printed sheet music and then edit it in Finale. A number of sequencers will also import MusicXML. I tried exporting a full orchestra score from Sibelius and importing it into Steinberg Cubase 7, and found that the note data was successfully imported, but Cubase’s notation facilities weren’t up to the job of displaying the score or parts correctly—as would be the case with many DAWs.

ments—usually the orchestral instruments and a smaller but useful selection of pop instruments. These libraries are typically not included in a demo download, so they’re harder to evaluate prior to purchase. However, the manufacturer may have audio demo files on their website.

Naturally, the manufacturer would like to convince you that you can produce recordings polished enough for commercial release using their notation software. The reality is not quite so rosy. The software will do a basic interpretation of your score, but you’ll probably

find that important musical nuances can’t be adjusted. For instance, the program will be able to respond to basic dynamic markings (ff, f, mf, mp, and so on) by adjusting the loudness of a sampled instrument’s output, but this is a relatively coarse type of control. MIDI velocity data is more fine-grained, but you probably won’t be able to edit individual note velocities. Legato phrasing is a problem with sampled orchestral sounds, so the good-sounding demo tracks you’ll hear online will probably lean toward detached notes, not toward smooth lines. Sibelius ships with a massive 34.3GB of sounds. Notion’s sound library is 7.7GB, Finale’s is about 2.4GB, and SmartScore’s is 1.5GB. Both Finale and SmartScore use Garritan Personal Orchestra, so the SmartScore library is actually a subset of the Finale library. MuseScore makes do with SoundFonts.

Playback Song sheet music often includes repeats with first and second endings, as do ragtime and classical music composed before 1850 or so. If you want to hear realtime output of your score, you may need it to respond intelligently to repeat signs and second endings. Notion has a unique realtime conducting feature, which is terrific if you’re guiding a worship ensemble in performance through a piece you’ve notated and want some parts to be played by the computer while others are played by live musicians. MIDI sequencers allow precise editing of performance data, including note start times, in ways that are not possible in notation software. None of the programs covered this month has anything like full-featured MIDI editing. On the

Fig. 5. Musescore is surprisingly powerful and also free. It has no orchestral sound library, but loads and plays General MIDI soundFonts, which are available for free download on the Musescore website. 48

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other side of the coin, some of the more established DAWs, such as Steinberg Cubase, Apple Logic Pro, and MOTU Digital Performer, provide great MIDI data editing and also do basic notation, but their notation features are not up to the standard of a dedicated notation program.

User Interface Everyone has their own taste in what type of user interface they prefer, which is why downloading a demo version of a program and spending a couple of weeks with it is highly recommended. My own opinion, admittedly somewhat subjective, is that the Sibelius interface is easier to use than any other that I’ve seen. Rather than requiring a variety of tools, Sibelius lets you click on a graphic object and then edit it, without having to choose a tool. Let’s suppose a note is on the wrong line or space—a common problem. In Sibelius, Notion, and MuseScore, you simply click on the note and drag it up or down. In SmartScore, it’s almost that easy; you just have to hold shift to make the drag handles appear. The same operation in Finale requires selecting the correct tool, clicking on the note, and then using

the computer’s up or down arrow keys—easy enough to learn, but not quite as intuitive. Multiply that simple task by about a hundred, and you’ll begin to understand just how complex a notation program’s user interface can be. The quality of the documentation and the availability of online tutorials are also worth investigating, because both will ease your entry into the user interface. Finale and Sibelius both have online tutorial videos. Finale’s main user manual is online-only, but its Quick Reference Guide is installed with the program. The other programs all have installed manuals.

Conclusions For many musicians, notation software may not be a necessity—you don’t need it until you need it, so to speak. When you do need it, you’ll find it’s very different from any other type of software you’ve ever used. Fortunately, most keyboard players are both smart and computersavvy. Once you take the plunge, you’ll probably find that preparing printed scores is—well, it’s never going to be fun, unless you have very peculiar ideas of fun. But you’ll be able to produce work that you can be proud of, and that others will admire.

SCannIng TeChnology Lots of musicians would love to be able to scan printed sheet music and turn the graphic image into an editable notation file. You might want to do this in order to make a clean copy of old, out-of-print sheet music, or so you can transpose a song to a different key. This month I looked at two scanning programs, SmartScore X2 Pro and PhotoScore Ultimate 7. (The latter is distributed by Avid, so it’s part of the Sibelius family.) The results were . . . pretty good, but far from perfect, even with simple source material. The more complex a score is, or the more poorly printed, the more confused the scanning software will be. Plan on doing extensive hand editing after you scan the pages. The SmartScore manual advises that if you get poor results from the recognition process, “If the source document is poorly printed or is faded and weak, try locating a better print copy of the music.” This is sensible advice— except that it’s likely to be hard to put into practice. The more common situation is that you’re trying to scan this old, cruddy sheet music because it’s out of print and it’s all you have. (Scanning sheet music that’s not out of print is a violation of copyright, even if the music itself is in the public domain.) Avid claims that PhotoScore can scan and recognize handwritten music, but in my experiments this didn’t work reliably. Attempting to write as clearly as I could, using a black pen (and why would anyone use pen rather than pencil?), I got at least 15 errors in the first two measures of the first prelude in Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. In the next two measures, written in pencil in a more natural handwriting style, PhotoScore identified the pitches of 18 notes correctly (out of 36), but only three of those notes (all of them half-notes) had the correct rhythm values. Will you be able to feed your old handwritten scores into a scanner and get usable results? Not a chance. Fixing the errors would take longer than re-entering the piece using step entry from a MIDI keyboard.

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REVIEW

RO U ND U P » A NALO G SY NTH » SYN THESIZ ER » AUDIO IN TER FACE » SOFT SYN TH » A PP

KORG

MS-20 Mini BY FRANCIS PRÈVE

ASK ANY VINTAGE SYNTH FAN TO LIST THEIR TOP TEN ANALOG WANTS, AND YOU’LL FIND the Korg MS-20 on that list. Introduced in 1978, the original MS-20 has been used by countless electronic artists from Depeche Mode to Daft Punk to Aphex Twin. Rumor has it that William Orbit loved the sound so much that he relied on the MS-20 extensively to process his recorded audio as well as many of his other synths. With its combination of gorgeous and gargantuan filters, true modular patching options, and an honest-to-goodness pitch-to-voltage converter, it’s no wonder that a pristine MS-20 can command as much as two grand on eBay. That is, until Korg blew the doors off the vintage synth market by re-releasing a brand new, true analog MS-20 in a slightly downsized form factor—and at a price in the range of us mortals. The new MS-20 Mini is an absolute analog game-changer. Here’s why.

Architecture The MS-20 architecture truly stands the test of time in terms of both sonic flexibility and ease of use. The signal path is fairly standard—two oscillators into a pair of filters into a voltage controlled amplifier—but its execution is unique. Technically the MS-20 Mini is a semi-modular

Snap Judgment PROS True analog. Massivesounding filters. Modular patching options abound. External signal input for processing audio through filters and VCAs. Pitch-tovoltage converter allows controlling the synthesis engine with other instruments. CONS Filter envelope implementation is a bit confusing. Non-standard Hzper-octave implementation makes it tricky to interface with other voltagecontrolled synths.

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synth, which means that you don’t need to use the patch bay to get it to make sounds. However, you can opt to, overriding the default signal path for deeper sonic experimentation. Each oscillator offers a slightly different set of options. Oscillator 1 includes triangle, sawtooth, and variable-width pulse waves, plus a noise generator. Oscillator 2’s waveform options are sawtooth, square, narrow pulse and “ring mod,” which is actually derived from a combination of the two oscillators’ pulse waves but in practice sounds quite similar to true ring modulation. The oscillator levels are controlled by a simple mixer, which in turn feeds a pair of resonant filters in series: a highpass followed by a lowpass. Hardcore vintage geeks will be pleased to know that the lowpass filter circuits are based on the original MS-20 filter, designed in-house by Korg. It’s worth noting that later in the run of the original MS-20’s production, Korg switched to an offthe-shelf filter circuit that wasn’t quite as beefy, so the duplication of the original circuit is a big plus of the MS-20 Mini. At this point, we should delve into the sound of the filters, because while other vintage synths—notably the Roland Juno-6 and Jupiter-8—also include highpass and lowpass filters in series, nothing in the history of analog sounds quite like the MS-20’s implementation. For starters, the MS-20’s highpass filter is fully resonant, which means you can do a couple

of really cool tricks with it. If you’re a bass fiend, maxing out the resonance and tuning the highpass cutoff to the range of your bass line delivers a massive low-end wallop, with a truly incredible overdriven character. Alternately, if you’re a fan of filter sweeps, you can hear each harmonic pop out as you slowly raise the cutoff. What’s more, the spots between the harmonics come so close to oscillation that you can use the highpass filter to add “ghost” sine wave tones, creating the illusion of an additional oscillator. The MS-20 Mini lowpass filter is equally beefy, with the same kind of overdrive and oscillation characteristics that make you feel like the whole synth is going to explode if you push it too far. With both filters at full resonance, I was able to generate sweeps and morphing effects that were far more grungy than any other analog synth in my rig—and let’s just say I’ve got a bit of a collection going. Modulation sources include an LFO and two envelopes. The LFO offers a cool little twist, in the form of a continuously variable waveform generator that can smoothly sweep between ramp and triangle, delivering far more clever animation possibilities than the usual triangle-square-saw trinity. What’s more, it also offers an alternate mode that utilizes a variable-width pulse instead of the ramp options, accessed via the modular section.

The two envelopes are configured slightly differently. Without touching the patch bay, envelope 1 is hardwired to pitch only and includes an initial delay time, attack time, and release time. This is great for adding everything from little pitch blips at the beginning of a sound to Afrojack-inspired “dirty Dutch” sweeps. Envelope 2 controls the amplifier and both filters. It features the classic ADSR design with the inclusion of a hold segment—which is great for adding a bit of Moog-like punch to patches. It’s also a fantastic parameter to tweak while a sequence plays, allowing you to extend specific notes in a very musical manner. Envelope 2 is also where things get a little tricky with the MS-20, since it’s also the hardwired envelope source for filter modulation. The wrinkle here is that the MS-20’s design is unlike any analog synth I’ve ever encountered—not necessarily in a bad way, but definitely confusing, especially for new users. Without getting too far into the technical exotica of what’s actually going on under the hood, increasing the MS-20’s filter envelope modulation amount can actually decrease the cutoff frequency. This is because the sustain level of the filter modulation is basically inverted from a func-

tional standpoint. That is, if you set the sustain at full for amplifier enveloping, then turn up the filter envelope amount, the cutoff frequency will be in inverse proportion (or thereabouts) to the sustain level. Thus lowering the envelope sustain level will then raise the cutoff frequency when modulation is in place. While I was thoroughly befuddled when I first encountered this, I have to say that I’m glad the MS-20 Mini is set up this way. Why? Because it makes it an even more colorful tool in my arsenal. After all, the original MS-20 was designed during the “wild west” era of analog synthesizers—a time when there weren’t many rules and in order to stand out from the crowd, a manufacturer had to take risks. The MS-20’s unusual envelope behavior is a perfect example of this aesthetic and I’m 100 percent happy with Korg’s devotion to maintaining the integrity of the original—even if it means a bit of head-scratching at first.

Modular Tools In addition to its stellar and utterly original sound, the MS-20 Mini is also the first truly affordable modular synth for the masses. While its implementation isn’t as comprehensive as, say, building

your own modular system from scratch (as covered in our July 2013 issue), the MS-20 Mini is still capable of a wide range of analog voltage tricks that no other synth in its price range can touch. Better still, the process of discovering how now-standard synth features were originally implemented makes it the perfect educational tool—not to mention a deep well of happy accidents. Case in point: Sample-and-hold, a.k.a. the “random” LFO wave shape known from ELP to Prince for its burbling sound. While the MS-20’s LFO is quite capable in itself, there’s no sampleand-hold waveform setting on the knob, so you have to make one yourself—by connecting the output of the pink noise generator to the input of the sample-and-hold processor, then clocking that processor with the LFO’s pulse wave output, and finally routing the sample-and-hold processor output to an oscillator or filter voltage input. Simpler patching tactics abound, like manually patching the pitch-bend wheel to the oscillators, or taking it a step further and rerouting the pitch wheel to control the amount of envelope modulation to a given destination. You can skim across the surface or dive into some really deep waters. 11.2013 Keyboard

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OTHER MS-20 OPTIONS ORIGINAL MS-20 If you absolutely must have the real thing, you can hit the used market and pick up an original MS-20. Of course, you’ll have to pay more. Like, three times as much, since the majority of units on eBay start at around $1,500 and can go as high as $2,500 with case and accessories. Pros: Full-size keys, 1/4" patch panel jacks, and bragging rights. Cons: Maintenance issues inherent in a 30-year-old synth. May not have the most desirable filters if it’s a later model.

KORG MS-20 LEGACY Since its introduction back in 2004, Korg’s soft synth version of the MS-20 has gained a strong following among DAW users. Its sound is an extremely credible emulation of the MS20, and for $50, it’s a bargain. What’s more, if you can find a Legacy MS-20 hardware controller (shown—looks like the MS-20 Mini but it’s a MIDI controller only) on eBay for $250 to $300, everything you do on the patch panel will be reflected in the software in real time. Pros: Full integration with your DAW. Preset memory. Compatible with Korg’s Legacy MS-20 hardware controller. Now has 64-bit support. Polyphonic! Cons: Other than not being analog hardware, none significant. $49.99

IMS-20 FOR IPAD Korg is clearly devoted to Apple iOS and the iPad version of the MS-20 uses the same underlying sound engine as the plug-in version above. Again, the iMS-20 is compatible with the Legacy collection controller, which along with your iPad makes a very drool-worthy little virtual analog rig. Pros: Great choice for iPad road warriors. Preset memory. Compatible with Korg’s Legacy MS-20 controller. Built-in sequencer. Cons: Can’t integrate it with your DAW. $49.99

In addition to tons of nifty modular patch Best of all, you don’t have to discover all of the points, the MS-20 Mini also includes a truly MS-20 Mini’s cool tricks on your own, since Korg includes the original MS-20’s patch instruction manual. remarkable pitch-to-voltage converter. If you’re enOnce you get past the endearingly dated writing style thusiastic about Ableton Live 9’s new pitch-to-MIDI tools, you’ll lose your mind over this vintage tech that of the booklet, there’s a ton of really useful patching converts any monophonic (but not chordal) audio techniques lurking within, so you can experiment signal into voltages that can drive the MS-20’s with the concepts behind subtractive analog synthesynth engine. For example, you can take a recorded sis without feeling totally adrift at sea. 52

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vocal—or saxophone or flute or other synth— and use its volume and pitch information to “play” the MS-20. Granted, it takes a little setting up to get everything working right. There are high- and low-cut filters to zero in on the most useful frequencies and it takes some detailed tweaking to get the voltages to track everything correctly, but once you’ve got that nailed, you’ll be rewarded with the ability to make almost anything you’ve recorded into your DAW into a control source for the MS-20’s synthesis tools. Even if you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to fiddle with getting the settings right, you can still create extremely organic swoops and burbles that would take forever to draw in a DAW’s automation lanes. Regardless of your approach, this is one heck of a cherry on the MS-20 Mini sundae and a wonderful resource for electronic dance music producers and prog shredders alike.

Conclusions To say that the MS-20 Mini is a must-have addition to your rig is an absolute understatement. As an analog synth, it’s a stunning recreation of a big and bombastic legend. As a modular synth, it’s a treasure trove of voltage-controlled madness for pros and the perfect educational tool for beginners. As a processor of external signals, it opens up a world of options for recorded material, whether you’re just processing audio with its filters or digging deep into the pitch-tovoltage capabilities. Plus, the fact that it’s got a street price of around 600 bucks has made it one of Korg’s biggest hits in a long, long time—which is why it’s still back-ordered after several months on the market. So get in line now. The MS-20 Mini is truly “all that”—and a clear Key Buy winner.

Bottom Line A must-have, true analog, semimodular legend that’s priced for everyone. $719 list | $599 street korg.com

Hear It Now! Audio examples and video tour of the MS-20 Mini.

keyboardmag.com/november2013

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REVIEW

RO U ND U P » ANALOG SYN TH » SY NTHE SIZER » AUDIO IN TER FACE » SOFT SYN TH » A PP

STUDOLOGIC

Sledge BY MITCHELL SIGMAN

GOBS OF KNOBS APPEAL TO THE SYNTH GEEK IN ALL OF US, RIGHT? IN radioactive yellow livery, Studiologic’s Sledge virtual analog polysynth looks like a cross between a New York taxi and a Minimoog, but the inclusion of a Waldorfdesigned virtual analog and wavetable synthesis engine massively expands its tonal palette. Sledge faces some stiff competition in the crowded virtual analog synth market from the likes of Korg, Roland, and Novation, as well as the venerable Access Virus and the new Nord Lead 4. Still, the Sledge has a unique and very immediate vibe when it comes to playing and programming sounds, so let’s take this Italian exotic’s knobs for a spin.

Overview It’s hard to miss the Sledge in a crowded room— the bright yellow case is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. Though it looks like metal in pictures, the case is actually textured hard plastic. I’d normally consider this a negative, but the case has a sturdy feel with no creaking or flexing, and the moldedin color and dull texture will likely hide signs of road abuse. The plastic case also makes for a light package, weighing in at 18 pounds. That said, the Sledge is large for a modern synth; the controls and panel are spacious like those on a vintage Oberheim or Prophet, making twisting knobs and creating sounds a pleasure. The main

Snap Judgment PROS Warm, creamy virtual analog sound powered by Waldorf engine. Lots of knobs and buttons. One-knob-per function programming. Includes wavetable synthesis. Has aftertouch. CONS Limited modulation routings and effects. No external audio input. No vocoder. Not multitimbral.

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panel headings are in a sort of “what people in the ’70s thought the future would look like” computer font, but like the rest of the white-on-black panel, it’s legible in just about any situation. The keyboard action itself doesn’t skimp; it’s a 61-key affair with full-sized unweighted keys. Parent company Fatar’s keyboard action experience shines here; not only does it have a pleasant solid feel, but the aftertouch is unique in that keys physically travel roughly 1/8" further downward. This makes aftertouch control easier than most keyboards—you can really work the full range as opposed to going from nothing to full modulation too quickly. Performance controls are standardissue pitch and modulation wheels. Scanning the front panel, there’s a master section with a numeric keypad for selecting programs and an accompanying two-line blue display. It’s pretty spare in these days of high-res color touchscreens, but given the Sledge’s almost one-knob-per-function architecture, the display isn’t much of a limitation. There’s a detented rotary encoder for program selection and master menu parameter changes, and the Sledge features plenty of patch storage with 999 memory locations; my review unit’s first 100 slots were filled with overwritable factory sounds. There’s a basic arpeggiator with standard up/down modes and clock sync as well as dedicated controls for single- and multi-trigger modes, and speed. There’s also polyphonic portamento, and where some other synths go a little haywire in polyglide mode, the Sledge’s implementation is very musical.

The Voice The rest of the panel is dedicated to synthesis controls with simple knob-per-function controls for most synth parameters. If you’ve spent time with a Minimoog or a Prophet, you’ll be right at home—the panel layout here is mostly “analog synth 101.” The specs list the polyphony as eight-voice, but it seemed I could sustain 16 notes before I heard a stolen voice. The Sledge has three oscillators, each with standard saw, sine, triangle, square, and variable-width pulse waves. A large chicken-head knob selects octave range, all the way from 64' up to 1' (in organ terms), which is a huge range for a synth with a fiveoctave keyboard. The first oscillator also has 66 original Waldorf /PPG digital wavetables and the pulse-width knob selects from 101 wave select “positions” from each wavetable (an immense 6,666 waves). These are single-cycle waves when kept in a static position, but the idea is to sweep them with an LFO or other modulation source for timbral animation (more on this later). This adds tremendously to Sledge’s tonal palette, but I wish Studiologic included wavetables for all three oscillators. Oscillators 2 and 3 do feature a powerful and easy-to-use frequency modulation feature for crazy audio-range modulation. If a sine or triangle wave is selected, the pulse width knob becomes an FM amount control. With the ability to add FM from the PPG wavetable waves, it’s easy to make super aggressive sounds. Oscillator 2 also can sync to oscillator 2 for tearing sync sweep sounds, but the modulation routing to make this happen is a little funky, as we’ll see.

TAKING SIDES

The filter offers lowpass, bandpass, and highpass modes with 12dB and 24dB slopes, and will self-resonate nicely with a little white noise, though the keyboard tracking is a little wonky, not unlike a real analog synth. Oddly, the filter and amplifier share a single velocity sensitivity knob. This means that if you want velocity to control filter brightness, overall volume is affected as well. There’s also a drive parameter for extra edge; it’s per-voice, so multiple notes won’t intermodulate like a typical fuzz box. There are two effects sections: One is a chorus/flanger/ phaser with rate and depth knobs, the other can be either delay or reverb with simple time and mix controls. With no other editable parameters, this means one flavor of delay or reverb and no other variable parameters. In other words, Sledge is no effects powerhouse, but sometimes simpler is better when you want to add a little thickening and/or ambience to a synth sound.

Modulation Routing Beside the master section is the modulation routing section, and it’s the Sledge’s Achilles’ heel. Unlike most modern synths, Sledge’s only modulation sources are two LFOs and “wheel” mod—actually a third LFO with its amount hardassigned to the modulation wheel and aftertouch. Yes, this means the mod wheel and aftertouch can’t modulate separate destinations. Additionally, the envelope generators aren’t available in the mod section—they’re hard-assigned to filter and amplitude envelopes, so they can’t be used to modulate wavetable sweeps or pitch (for classic “tearing” synced oscillator sweeps, for example).

There’s one undocumented workaround. The LFOs include a “ramp” wave which isn’t really a cycling LFO wave, but instead it’s a one-shot attack/sustain envelope. Attack time is adjusted with the speed control, and it simply stays at the maximum amount until retriggered. This can be used for aforementioned “one-shot” sweeps, but without separate attack and decay controls, it amounts to a rather basic envelope generator.

In Use Sledge is certainly a very nice-sounding virtual analog synth, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it shares some DNA with the now-classic Waldorf Q, which in the late ’90s was the cost-no-object virtual analog synth to want. The Sledge’s three oscillators and immediate user interface make creating big, brawny patches a simple affair, and the Waldorf wavetable oscillator certainly adds a whole lot of sonic complexity to the mix. As a live instrument, it certainly has enough oomph to punch through a mix, and patch changes are simple via either an up/down patch select or with the retro-but-handy “10s Hold” function for one-button patch changes.

Conclusions Sledge is a unique proposition in today’s market. It’s not the cheapest virtual analog synth, and compared to its competition, it lacks features such as keyboard splitting or layering, dual simultaneous filters, and a vocoder. As noted, its modulation section has some bothersome limitations. However, the big-knobbed, easy-to-tweezy interface goes a long way for those who love creating

Except for the power adaptor input and on/off switch, Studiologic has boldly placed all other jacks on the left end block of the case. This gives the Sledge a clean rear view, but it also means that cables dangle from the side. This isn’t a first—the Moog Little Phatty also puts its connectors on the side; so did the Hartmann Neuron.

sounds and hate the two-finger tap dance routine of buttons-anddisplay synths. Plus, the slick Waldorf wavetable oscillator delivers the punch of Waldorf’s legendary Q synth at a more affordable price. If you’re looking for classic analog vibe with some digital wavetable sparkle thrown in, Sledge might be the axe for you.

Bottom Line Easy-to-use and good sounding virtual analog synthesis with some notable omissions. $1,799 list | $1,599 street studiologic-music.com

Hear It Now! Hands-on video with the Sledge!

keyboardmag.com/november2013 11.2013 Keyboard

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REVIEW

RO U ND U P » ANALOG SYN TH » SYN THESIZ ER » AUDIO INTE RFACE » SOFT SYN TH » A PP

APOGEE

Symphony I/O BY JON REGEN

I’VE BEEN RECORDING MUSIC PROFESSIONALLY SINCE 1996, BOTH independently and on a variety of record labels. Throughout my journey, I’ve encountered Apogee converters in studios from New York to New Orleans and Los Angeles to London. From their Big Ben Master Clock and Rosetta line to their mobile-oriented One and Duet, Apogee has staked its reputation on pristine audio conversion. True, Apogee products have never been called “budget,” but if tracking and listening through them saves you time in the mixing or mastering phases of a project—as has happened to me on many occasions—they’ll save you money in the long run. In fact, I got so tired of hearing the mix engineer I work with complain about the converters in my previous audio interface that I started looking for alternatives. Hence, this review.

Overview With the Symphony I/O, Apogee has attempted to raise their own bar, delivering a multi-channel audio interface with unparalleled audio quality and flexible I/O configurations. How much did I like the review system that I’ve been testing for the past four months? I bought it. Here’s why. The Symphony I/O is a modular multi-channel audio interface operating at sample rates from 44.1 to 192kHz. The main hardware consists of a 2U rack unit available in four stock configura-

Snap Judgment PROS Unmatched, worldbeating converter quality. Perfect stereo imaging. Modular, portable, and expandable. Thunderbolt connectivity via ThunderBridge interface. Maestro 2 software offers seamless control. CONS Mac only. Expensive. No onboard DSP. ThunderBridge costs extra.

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tions: 2 x 6 analog plus 8 x 8 optical plus stereo AES/EBU; 8 x 8 analog plus 8 x 8 AES/optical; 16 x 16 analog; and 8 x 8 analog plus 8 x 8 AES/EBU plus optical plus eight mic preamps. The Symphony I/O contains two slots for I/O cards, letting you change or augment the system as needed. Being a pianist and singer-songwriter, I opted for the 8 x 8 analog configuration with the eight mic preamps. Unlike recording systems that include onboard DSP and associated plug-ins (i.e., the Universal Audio Apollo family), Apogee’s Symphony I/O is an audio interface only. It does, however, include Apogee’s renowned Soft Limit feature via Maestro 2, which tames transient peaks before they hit the analog-to-digital converter, all but eliminating the possibility of digital clipping.

Hardware The Symphony I/O handles analog inputs, outputs, and inserts via 25-pin D-sub connectors on its back panel—so you’ll need appropriate snakes to fan out to XLR and 1/4" balanced connections. The eight mic preamps on the preamp card features 85dB of gain; the card also has four 1/4" hi-Z instrument inputs for electric guitars or passive keyboards such as a Rhodes Stage model. Digital I/O is handled via D-sub, ADAT lightpipe, and coaxial S/PDIF on RCA jacks. The front panel is sleek and minimalist, and features two rotary encoders and 16 ten-segment meters. The encoders have a variety of functions, from selecting Symphony’s connection and output modes to changing sample rates and output levels. Also on the front panel are two loud headphone outputs. The Symphony I/O works on Mac systems only and connects to the computer via multiple hardware protocols: the Symphony 64 ThunderBridge (a separately sold box that provides Thunderbolt connectivity to newer Macs), Apogee Symphony 64 PCIe card; USB 2.0; directly to Pro Tools HD Core, Accel, HDX, or HD Native cards; or as a stand-alone converter connected to your soundcard with AES/EBU, S/PDIF, or ADAT lightpipe inputs.

SYMPHONY 64 THUNDERBRIDGE The Symphony I/O connects to Thunderbolt-equipped Macs via the Symphony 64 ThunderBridge interface, which supports up to 64 channels of I/O. In my tests, latency measured at 1.8ms at 24bit/96kKz with the buffer set to 32 samples. The breakout box also includes a second Thunderbolt port to daisychain other Thunderbolt devices such as drives. I connected Symphony I/O to it, connected it to my MacBook Pro via a Thunderbolt cable, and was immediately off and recording.

MAESTRO 2

The author’s Symphony as tested: eight channels of analog I/O, AES/EBU, and lightpipe, plus eight mic preamps. The proprietary ports under the vent are for connection to a ThunderBridge interface, Pro Tools PCIe card, or Apogee Symphony 64 PCIe card.

For this review, I connected my Symphony to a Thunderbolt port on my 2012 Apple MacBook Pro running OS X 10.7.5, via the ThunderBridge unit.

In Use My very first test of the Symphony I/O involved listening to a variety of familiar source material played back through its digital-to-analog converters. First up was Sting’s “Fortress Around Your Heart,” from his 1985 album Dream of the Blue Turtles. I’ve been listening to that song for nearly three decades, so I know it like the back of my hand—or do I? Played back through the Symphony I/O, I literally heard instruments I had never noticed before in the soundscape: “Is that a synth on the tail end of the chorus?” was just one of the things I was asking myself. Plus, while many audio interfaces seem to hype certain frequencies, everything coming out of Symphony I/O sounded full, balanced, and natural. Bass response was huge, yet tight and focused. Next, I listened to a track from a “new age” album I recently wrote and produced involving synths backing Tibetan singing bowls. I remembered what that song sounded like through the system I’d recorded it on, but played back through the Apogee, it sounded positively gigantic. It made me wonder how much better the album would’ve sounded had I used a Symphony I/O to record it in the first place. Then it was time for some fresh recording. I fired up Pro Tools 10 and recorded a quick demo with my Nord Stage 2 and vocals through a Shure SM58 mic. I dialed up a piano/synth/organ combi

on the Nord and plugged its outputs 1 and 2 directly into the instrument inputs on the Symphony I/O. Then I plugged the XLR output of my microphone into input 1 on a snake that fed the Symphony’s eight mic inputs. A quick adjustment on Maestro 2’s input screen was all I needed to get a beefy mic level, changing the “Analog Level” to “Mic” and adjusting the Level Trim until I achieved the tone I was looking for. The mic preamp sounded full, detailed, and natural—just the thing for the track I was working on. I then swapped the SM58 for an AKG 414 B-ULS condenser mic, toggled the “48” indicator on Maestro 2’s input screen to engage phantom power, and suddenly I had an intimate vocal recording channel. Having eight digitally-controlled mic preamps on board Symphony I/O is not only a convenience; it’s a mobile engineer’s godsend that could form the basis of a fierce location recording rig.

Conclusion The Symphony I/O is really in a league of its own. It takes Apogee’s renowned audio conversion and marries it to a plethora of expandability options. While this is a box built mainly for the upper echelon of recording artists and engineers, you get a tremendous amount of bang for your buck. My test system priced out at $5,485 including the ThunderBridge interface. While that seems like a small fortune, you truly are getting unparalleled converters and connectivity, along with eight channels of premium mic preamps. If you’re looking for an all-in-one box that comes with DSPpowered audio plug-ins and a more standardized

If, like me, the time you’ve spent getting out of your studio chair to adjust your audio interface would add up to five years or more, the Maestro 2 console software is a lifesaver. Not only can you instantly see all input, output, and routing information for the Symphony I/O, but you can also adjust headphone and output levels, change clock sources and sample rates, and more. With my unit’s included mic preamp card installed, Maestro 2 let me adjust inputs, trims, and gain structure, and engage Apogee’s Soft Limit when I wanted to tame unruly transients.

complement of mic and instrument I/O, you’ll need to look elsewhere. If you’re looking for an audio interface that sounds better than anything you’ve ever heard, you will find what you seek in the Apogee Symphony I/O. I know I did.

Bottom Line The high-end audio interface to want if you value sound quality above all else. 2 x 6 analog: $2,495 | 8 x 8 analog: $2,995 | 16 x 16 analog: $3,995 | 8 x 8 analog with eight mic preamps: $4,490 | ThunderBridge: $995 apogeedigital.com

See It Now! Jon Regen gives a video tour of the Symphony I/O.

keyboardmag.com/november2013 11.2013 Keyboard

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REVIEW

RO U ND U P » ANALOG SYN TH » SYN THESIZ ER » AUDIO IN TER FACE » SOFT SY NTH » A PP

AIR MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

Loom BY MARTY CUTLER

ADDITIVE SYNTHESIS ISN’T EXACTLY A CROWDED FIELD, BUT THERE ARE AT least a few soft synths that tackle the issues that accompany the technique. For starters, full-bore additive synthesis would require an amplitude envelope for every single sine wave in the final sound you want to produce. Loom, from AIR Music Technology, takes a unique approach, combining the complexities of additive techniques with a modular synth design, while attempting to retain an approachable user interface—no mean feat.

Overview Two main pages comprise Loom’s work area: the Morph and the Edit areas, with the Master section accessible from either page. Next, you can set up to 512 partials (harmonic frequencies) per voice. The more partials you add, the more

Snap Judgment PROS Unique and inspiring take on additive synthesis. Easy to program. Capable of remarkably animated sounds. Modular approach with many sound-shaping tools. CONS Inadequate documentation. Factory patches don’t fully exploit capabilities. Some controls need a sharper visual contrast.

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complexity you can impart to the patch. That, of course, places more demand on the CPU. Next is a readout of the number of partials your notes are consuming. You can toggle the synchronization of partials for each note on or off. “On” is basically oscillator sync, in which all partials start at once; when set to off, partials play freely, which generally imparts a cloudier sonic texture. Next is the Octave setting, which is handy when I want to set up a playable range for my MIDI guitar, fine-tune keyboard modulation, or explore the outer ranges of the patch. You can set glide time by clicking and dragging in a small bar to the right of the Octave setting. Therein lies a minor gripe: Some of the controls would benefit from slightly higher contrast with their background. Next up are a save button, a patch selection area that displays the current patch and opens to a hierarchical pull-down menu; a patch randomizer; and a settings bar that (among other things) lets you adjust pitch-bend range, save and load controller settings, and choose Economy mode if your processor is getting hit hard. The Patch Randomizer isn’t quite hit-or-miss— there isn’t any selective randomization, but you can

Fig. 1. Loom’s Morph X/Y Pad runs its course. As the patch morphs between settings, the window at the right depicts changes in harmonic content.

choose to simply randomize parameters by holding the Shift key while clicking the button; otherwise, parameters change, and the synth randomly swaps out modules. The randomizing coupled with Loom’s formidable synthesis architecture is occasionally capable of some truly exotic audio fireworks (listen to Audio Clip 1 online). The ability to filter specific modules for randomization would make for more consistently worthwhile results.

Macro Controls The Morph Page divides into two main areas: a Macro control area and an X/Y pad. Either area can change your sound in radical ways. Macro assignment names remain the same whatever patch you select, but in reality—depending on the patch—and because of Loom’s modular architecture, those macros can comprise a number of different modules. Macros come in four main groups: Sound, Dynamics, Modulation, and Master FX, each with a set of relevant knobs. For instance, the Sound category has knobs labeled Character, Complexity, Tone, Emphasis, and Contour. A positive twist of the character knob altered the module

Fig. 2. To achieve non-harmonic frequencies, Loom has two modules: Spectral Distortion and Spectral Modulation.

barely a walk-through, with no details on the modules or how they affect the sound. That task is left to the information buttons, which in most cases (but not always), fill in the gaps. From the info supplied, there’s often no way to tell (for instance) what modules are tied to the macros. Some modules, such as the Tone and most of the Dynamics macros, were obvious, but other than their names, there’s little else to guide you. The Loom website links to a bundle of third-party video tutorials you can download for $20, though it might have been better to build that into the product price and simply have the videos up there for free.

Conclusions that changed the relative volume of odd-to-even harmonics, the damping of upper harmonics, and the gain of the EQ module. Changing Punch in the Dynamics area altered the overall attack time. In short, Macros are programming shortcuts. Generally, you can observe any macro-based changes in modulation on the edit page, called out in orange highlighting. If you want your new settings to be a starting point for your next patch, you can hit the “Apply” button on the right of the Macro section.

Morph X/Y Pad At the lower left side of the page is the Morph X/Y Pad. Here, by shift-clicking, you can embed the state of the macro settings at the four corners of the window. Once you have done at least two corners, you can drag back and forth between points and modulate macro settings. With the Auto/Morph button engaged, it’s easy to add tempo-synced, rhythmic animation to patches. Double-clicking at any point within the axes provides a transitional segment between morph settings, and even when synced, you can scale the transition time to taste. The pad is a tremendous resource for animating patches (Audio Clip 2 online). A large-size window to the pad’s right graphically portrays the frequency changes as they dance to your tune (see Figure 1 on page 58).

The Edit Page One of the keys to making Loom’s additive synthesis engine more approachable is that it presents frequency content as a whole, rather than as a palette of individual sine waves with associated envelopes. The conundrum for most synths of this kind is the creation of non-harmonically related frequencies; Loom’s Edit page tackles this 60

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in a novel way, although you may need to rely on your ear, rather than calculating a particular index of values (see Figure 2). The very first pair of modules: Spectral Distortion and Spectral Modulation, are “hardwired” into Loom’s architecture, and produce a raw waveform based on the number of harmonics you’ve specified in the Master section. These two modules affect the level of inharmonicity, and it’s easy to add bell-like, glassy, and metallic artifacts ranging from subtle to very discordant. Spectral Modulation lets you mediate and control the depth, speed, and starting time of harmonic distortions with envelopes LFOs, and Control-Change messages. MIDI learn is available to practically any parameter. The default, initialized patch includes an Odd/ Even oscillator module. This reminds me of my old Oberheim Matrix-6, with a knob that goes from a nasal pulse-wave sound at left to a sawtooth in the center to a square wave at right. For additional choices, there’s a pull-down menu of oscillator frequency templates including one that mimics hard sync, another that emulates organ tones, and more. You aren’t restricted to generating waveform templates from that slot; you can choose from an interesting variety of objects, including filters, time-based and rhythmic manipulations, mathematical functions, and even a module to load audio files which are then used to create vocoder effects. Suffice it to say that Loom provides a hefty and creative sound designer’s toolbox.

Loom provides tons of gosh-wow patches, and these can seed plenty of creative synthesis adventures. There are a few emulative patches of organs and harpsichords, but that’s hardly the point of this synth. I was surprised to find quite a few emulations of analog-style synthesizers, wobbles, and “super saw”-style, dance-oriented patches. These sound great and are arguably what people browsing in a music store want to hear, but Loom is capable of so much more that restricting yourself to the factory patches is like taking the starship Enterprise for a spin around Brooklyn. In any case, Loom is one of the most innovative and exciting virtual instruments to emerge in some time.

Bottom Line A sound designer’s dream with a remarkably flexible, modular architecture. $199 direct/street airmusictech.com

Hear It Now! Original audio examples.

Documentation For all its ease of use and its generous array of sound-shaping tools, Loom’s documentation doesn’t quite do it justice. The PDF user manual is

keyboardmag.com/november2013

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REVIEW

RO U ND U P » ANALOG SYN TH » SYN THESIZ ER » AUDIO IN TER FACE » SOFT SYN TH » APP

Snap Judgment

PROPELLERHEAD

Thor for iPad BY FRANCIS PRÈVE

SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION IN REASON 4, THOR HAS REMAINED ONE OF THE most versatile soft synths available anywhere. With a vast array of features that includes models of some of the most famous oscillators and filters in synthesis history, along with one of the deepest modulation routing systems, Thor has become the go-to synth for Reason users. I’ve used it countless times in my own productions. So when Propellerhead announced a standalone version for the iPad, more than a few jaws dropped in the Keyboard offices. For the countless keyboardists who are now gigging with iPads, Thor delivers godlike control over sound design like no other synth in the iOS pantheon. For those who haven’t experienced Thor, here’s a quick recap of its architecture. There are three oscillators, each with six modes that are based on a famous or influential synth, like the PPG, Casio CZ series, Roland JP-8000, Yamaha DX-style FM, and so on. The oscillators can be routed to a pair of modeled filters that includes a Moog-style ladder mode, state-variable Oberheim-ish mode, formant shifting, and comb options. All of this is topped off with dual LFOs, three envelopes, and a seriously twisted step sequencer that can impart extremely complex rhythmic effects. While the original Thor was easily controlled via traditional mouse and trackpad techniques, 62

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Propellerhead has done a brilliant job of porting the interface to the iPad’s touchscreen. By making each section of parameters (oscillators, filters, envelopes, and such) collapsible, valuable screen real estate is preserved in an extremely transparent manner. What’s more, touching the onscreen knobs with your finger brings up a tasteful and intuitive graphic that lets you dial in precise settings with a minimum of hassle. The keyboard page of Thor’s interface is extremely playable, as well. Optional pitch-bend and modulation sliders can be toggled on or off—and of course, the now-ubiquitous ability to constrain the keyboard to specific keys and scales is included in an elegant manner. There’s even a nifty “strum” panel that can be toggled, allowing you to latch the keys in a chord or scale and then arpeggiate them manually with your finger. While it would have been cool for Propellerhead to incorporate an audio recorder for capturing your performances on the fly, I’m not going to

PROS Sonically identical to the full Reason version. Extremely deep and flexible synthesis tools. Presets created on iPad are fully compatible with Reason. CoreMIDI and Audiobus support. Works well on firstgeneration iPad. CONS Not able to record/ export audio performances.

Bottom Line

Reason’s über-synth goes mobile. $14.99 | propellerheads.se

complain too much, since there’s Audiobus compatibility (for recording Thor’s output into other apps) and full CoreMIDI implementation. They’ve even included the ability to import your iPad presets into the desktop Reason version—and vice versa. Huzzah! All in all, Propellerhead has delivered a truly must-have synth for iPad users of all skill levels. For 15 bucks, Thor a mighty synth indeed.

Hear It Now! Original audio examples created in Thor.

keyboardmag.com/november2013

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5

THINGS T II’VE LEARNED L ABOUT A

Chris sitting at one of two Steinway concert grand pianos designed by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly of Seattle. The other piano is with Elton John.

Being a Nightclub Entertainer

BY CHRIS GILLESPIE THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLAYING MUSIC AND PERFORMING IT. Performing music makes the audience a part of things. I always prefer to perform music, whether at home for friends, on the concert stage or at Café Carlye or Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. It can be a challenge to engage the patrons of a destination where music is only part of the lure. Sure, there are the regulars who come specifically to hear me, but then there are the ones who come simply because they’ve heard about the murals on the wall, or for the “scene,” or because Paul McCartney might be in attendance that evening. Here are five things I’ve learned about being at your best in this situation.

night after night can get old. Try changing up a song’s rhythm, style, tempo, key, and even lyrics to make it fresh and more personal. For example, I once was asked to play “Our Love Is Here To Stay.” I inserted the word “your” in place of “our,” as I was singing it for a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

1.

Be well dressed and you’ll be well addressed. Some may think that what they wear is irrelevant, but looking your best clears one important hurdle that you have to jump. People are judgmental. If you look like you’ve slept in the same suit you wore to last night’s gig, you’d better have the chops of Oscar Peterson and the voice of Frank Sinatra or Nat “King” Cole. Then again, those cats always showed up looking dapper!

Look, Listen, and Smile

The most important aspect of performing in a bar or nightclub is to look and listen. Find out who’s there, greet your regulars, and smile and make eye contact with new patrons. Scan the room and the tables closest to you. You may have had an idea to open with a certain tune but now three businessmen with documents and laptops are engrossed in a conversation right next to your piano. So an energetic vocal rendition of “Mack the Knife” might not be the best choice with which to open.

2.

Assert Yourself

You may have to abandon a planned tune (a la the scenario above), but that doesn’t mean you need to fall into the abyss of the “bored and strung out background pianist.” Push the envelope just a little and make an 66

Keyboard 11.2013

effort to reinvent every song you play. You’ll get noticed and you’ll gradually make the room your own.

3.

Take Requests

Taking requests engages the listener on an even more personal level. They’ll know that you’re playing a certain piece just for them— and as I’ve seen happen more than once, they may just be the ones who tell the annoyingly noisy table next to theirs to keep it down because they want to hear the song! Pretty soon, that noisy table may start listening to you instead of themselves.

4.

Keep It New

Some of my most requested songs are “Moon River,” “As Time Goes By,” and “Fly Me To the Moon.” But playing them the same way

5.

You Gotta Look Sharp

Pianist, vocalist, and composer Chris Gillespie can be found following his own advice from this column five nights a week at New York City’s famed Carlyle Hotel. His new CD Portraits of Porter is out now. Find out more at chrisny.com.

A New Universe of Sounds From a Decade of Motifs

Yamaha has updated the popular MOX Series with the latest Motif XF technology by adding the XF’s sounds and effects and even a Flash Board option slot. Because it’s compatible with Motif XF and MOX data, there is a huge collection of sound and sample libraries and optional software available right away. The MOXF has all the abilities you need––compatibility, expandability, portability, and affordability. It brings MOTIF XF music production power to a whole new generation of players and producers. • The popular MOX updated with the sounds of the Motif XF • 741 MB wave ROM, 3977 waveforms and 128 note poly • Expanded to 8 insert effects • Up to 1 GB of Flash board sample expansion • Voice and Library Compatible with Motif XF, Motif XS, and MOX • 16 Track Song and Pattern Sequencer with real time loop remix • Built-in 4 channel USB audio/MIDI interfacing and extensive DAW /VST controls • Portable and affordable