Most people don't take the time to learn their boards so they bring one for piano, another for organ, another for bells etc. Also the "show" element of bringing a lot of gear is appealing for many. It is incredible what is possible to create with only one keyboard even from 20 years ago (splits, layers, samples etc.)
Great comment! Couldn't agree with you more and it really does boil down to 'taking the time' to learn. Most boards have a lot of potential if you choose to figure it out a bit. Thank you for the comment!
Wrong. Most people bring just one board and only play one sound, not utilizing any of the split and layer capabilities. Most of the time they only play a piano sound.. People that bring more board usually know their stuff and want different keybeds etc.
I use 2 Roland Fantoms on stage with my Jazz/Afro Beat band and when I hit with Jody Watley. I can stack 16 different sounds in any configuration accessing them with loosing polyphony. I can organize my sound in a visual set list on the keyboard. It's an amazing board. Best purchase I've made.
Exactly. And honestly, there are keyboards at all kinds of different price points, both high and low, that cover functionality like this, so it doesn't have to cost you more than you can afford. Thanks for the comment! 👍
The main advantage to having just one that can do what you want is ,Focus. I made a huge mistake when starting to buy for just pleasure and purchased and grabbed every vst both free and some purchased in addition or several keyboatds and guitar and pedal. Now I have option paralysis and need to just grab one and put the rest away until I can fully absorb what it can do.🤔🎶🎹🎶Play On
only problem with the stage 4 which I have and LOVE - is it's just not geared up for changing and calling up sounds really quickly I find like with montage or Kronos
If you're on a budget, the Korg Kross 2 is less than a grand US and can do all of this type of stuff too. Sound quality is more than good enough for bar gigs too
in the 90's was probably my most insane stage setup. 5-7 keyboards with some rack modules thrown in. And I used it all!! Fast forward to 2012, my stage setup was 2 boards - an Alesis QS8 and a 61 key controller running my laptop with Cantabile, NI B4II and Arturia stuff. Both boards ran the computer at the same time, different sounds. I was fortunate that it never failed me live. HOWEVER, my QS8 was set up just as you are showing, with up to 4 layers per Performance "just in case". Now, I was forced to retire from the stage in 2014 (nerve damage in my right shoulder made my hand inconsistent) but to this day I still have those same Performances loaded in my QS8 (which is now my main studio controller). You see guys like Gowan (Styx) and Jordan Rudess going on stage with just 1 board, but if you dig deeper there is outboard that gets routed into the controls of the board, so sometimes it is a balancing act.....
Wow! I can't imagine 5-7 boards with me on stage. It would be fun to play but terrible for load in/ load off. Hats off to you. Did that have anything to do with the nerve damage in your shoulder? I also used a QS8 for many years and later as a controller for a Yamaha rack. These days, I find that the less I need, the better. A couple friends actually got to play with Jordan Rudess and he's awesome to say the least. I've seen Gowan live twice and he is not only a great player, but an incredible entertainer. Met Tommy Shaw at one of those shows too!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic actually, my day job did me in. I was a residential contractor and had an incident with a ladder that tore my shoulder up. Load in/out WAS a bear and I don't miss that. I do miss being on stage though after nearly 40 years in bands...
I too have recently found that reducing the number of components in my system, rather than keeping everything available all the time (and then not using much of it!), lead to an easier and more fun set up! My basic set up now is an Arturia Keystep Pro running into an iPad DAW. Your Motif probably has more features but the essence of the results are 4 channels of instruments with volume/mixing controls at my fingertips!
I know a great keyboard player who uses a very similar setup to you. The only difference is he goes into a MacBook pro instead of an iPad. Glad you found the option that works best for you! Thanks for the comment and very cool video you have on your channel with the unique piano!
A Kronos with Combi mode can access up to 16 patches although not usually necessary. Setlist mode is much more functional for a performance mode. I guess the Motif has a 4 sound limitation.
Motif does have 4 sound limitation in performance mode, but in Song (or Pattern) mode using same midi channel for different patches it can have 16 sounds available across the keyboard in splits and/or layers. A bit more complicated than Korg and Kurzweil - but doable.
On the Roland Integra 7, it’s called a studio set. If I performed publicly, I would use a Kurzweil SP7 Grand and the Roland Integra 7 to supplement it.
Expanding on using a performance, you can change the MIDI channel on any of the voices that make up the performance and use a smallish MIDI controller set to send only on the separate MIDI channel, so something like a lead patch can always be available to play from the controller.
I mostly agree with you man. However if you’ve gigged enough. There are occasions where that ONE keyboard can quit or malfunction on you. Then what?? I know it’s rare for that to happen. But I have experienced it before and I know others that have too. So I generally go with a two keyboards. One for a backup situation. I’ve learned over the years that you must come prepared for an emergency. Especially if you’re being paid for a professional performance.
Oh I totally agree. I always have a backup board ready to play, but only bring it when the gig is more than a half an hour away or I won't have the opportunity to go get it if needed. Not using two keyboards as a preference is different than not being prepared.
Love this! Even though I already do this, be it with a laptop and a masterkeyboard, but the idea is the same. One keyboard, and patches that can play samples. One song has about 15 different ranges with samples. Chords, a clap, a sequence, another sequence, some stabs, a siren, a filtered noise riser, a large pad, two small pads, two variations of the same sound for some synth line, and then some. It's so much fun once you get used to playing with it, being able to literally be every instrument needed for a song without programming a sequencer, in fact still play with a live drummer and have the possibility to add another verse or extend a breakdown or whatever comes up in the heat of the moment. Before I was very limited by a simple sound module, even though it had many sounds, now I can do everything I want and I'm no longer the imiting factor when it comes to choosing new songs
I'm a keyboard player - an aging one. Started gigging in the early 70's. Past gigging now. But I still write and home record and have an online presense. My first electric piano was a fender rhodes. Pianos have really progressed. It's amazing. It has allowed me to stay active. Your piano looks awesome. I have a Yamaha DGX 650 (10 yrs old) and it is starting to have problems. I don't use a lot of it, canned rythmn and other stuff for students or people who don't really know how to play, but I can record on it and mix later. Glad to find your channel
I use a Motif XF8, a Kronos 2, and an MPC Live 2. Yes, I also have a laptop, but that is not used unless I need to. I would urge you to look into picking up an MPC Live 2 or MPC One+, these are more than just drum machines, they take the work involved for sampling and clipping and make it so much easier than a PC. No doubt, you are familiar with the notion of manipulating a wave file to make it musical, for example, taking a single note sample and pitch shifting to make music, this is in effect, what the MPC does, and it does it extremely well. It is easier for me to sample, chop, clip, and play sound effects using the MPC, and the two boards are simply because the Motif excels with some sounds, while the Kronos excels with others, and I will add, the Kronos has a number of sounds for popular songs already setup. The MPC also has the ability to do some synthesis stuff, for less complex sound design, where I need to put a sound together quickly, the MPC fits that bill as well. I used to use an Oasys but, God dang, that board is huge and bulky, and the Kronos does pretty much the same thing in a smaller package.
Roland Fantom (released in 2019) and Fantom-0 series run in "performance mode" by default - its called "scene" there (Fantom also has a "single mode" but its main purpose is browsing through the sound/patches without changing your current scene). I believe the same is valid for Yamaha Montage and other modern workstation and stage/performance keyboards like Nord.
I am sure you are right. You came go much deeper with these boards than I've shown here. I know several folks who will use the keyboard scene changes to send midi changes to something like a drum pad so that their drummer has the corresponding sounds they need. It's all a matter of how much you want to learn and do.
I have the O Series. I love it. Did you know that the alto sax goes up the minor scale when you use the pitch bend with it? My favorite is the organ. The leslie is just great. i've downloaded newer sounds off the roland website. Best board for me.
@@1masterfaderI’m considering the Fantom 08. I’ve heard of polyphony issues that has me jittery. I’d play covers that don’t require massive layers. Have you experienced any issues? I want to replace my Juno DS and VR-09 with a single board.
My Juno DS almost has an ideal solution, corrected in the new Juno D. The pads allow activating a single patch at a time from within a sixteen patch performance. But can’t combine them, it’s one at a time only.
Great video, and yes I do this as well, but it is also fun to still play with 2 boards, i mix it up, as I feel for the gig, I do use lots of splits on my korg nautilus, setting and packing becomes a breeze with 1 board well put 2 use.
You describe my struggle exactly: my first instinct is to want to recreate the original song as faithfully as possible. Before I know it, I'm sitting with an extra module and an iPad on top of my stage keyboard, which I then have to program completely to work well together. Great to mess around with at home, but not during a gig. Then you actually just want as basic as possible, with only one piece of gear. Exactly, then you don't get all the sounds you initially wanted, but it does improve your experience and comfort on stage.
I know a lot of people want to recreate the 'feeling' of the original piece of music so they try to match the tones as closely as possible to the recording, but I personally would rather try to 'put my own stamp' on each cover song to make it my own in some way. Ironically, this takes the pressure off because you're not trying to match the original artist. Unless you're playing in a tribute band that is trying to be an exact match, it might make more sense to create your own version of every cover you play. Thanks for the great comment. Don't forget to check out dannyrobertsonmusic.com!
Thats why i only use a nord electro 5D , my band is clearly oriented 70's hard rock and prog Rock so huge dirty hammond sound and just a bit of Rhode fender piano with sometimes Mellotron sample and for other i can load any kind of personnal sample pad or synth lead from my computer DAW or from the other made by Clavia on there site, i load only what i need and pre patch the effect with an A B C D preset for any song make me able to switch from one sound to another without the gaswork of a workstation.
I use up to four keyboards. One 88 Hammer Action as master, which is also doing the main piano, e-piano and strings; a MODX6+ for all the modern synth stuff, fm and sample things; deepmind12 for all the analog stuff and last a Roland VR-760 as main organ because of the drawbars and the waterfall keybed. I could do it with my master (viscount kx4 ex) or the MODX. But it doesn‘t look sexy by playing ’80s pop-rock ; )
@@macpaul I can totally understand your logic for each keyboard choice in relation to the sounds you're trying to achieve. If I played multiple keyboards on stage, I might do something similar. Tell me more about playing 80s pop rock. What kinds of shows? Are you playing at bars, festivals, corporate events, touring? Best of luck to you in all of your performing!
Thank you Danny. I think you've nicely captured the joy of being a performing keyboardist in this and your other videos. I'm mostly studio-based with a Montage 7 but can certainly use your advice here as well. Liked and subscribed.
@@dannyrobertsonmusic My project space is pretty modest, mostly in the box. Currently running Pro Tools with Logic Pro to aid composing and arranging. Montage plus an older RD700NX for keyboards. M2 Max CPU and RME I/O. Monitors are original JBL 305, surprsingly decent for budget near fields. Play on - in your videos it looks like your having a lot of fun!
@@fabiancosster2992 Glad to hear we have been able to help you! Please let us know if there are any other questions you need help answering and we will do our best to help. Also if you are looking to improve your performances, please check us out at dannyrobertsonmusic.com!
I bought my Yamaha S80 in 2000 and Motif 8 in 2002. Each time the performance mode was explained, I got bogged down in the implementation. It just wasn't worth the trial, error, frustration, in the setup and then actual performance. Your video makes we want make another attempt at learning it.
I get that. It can be frustrating when you can't get the instrument to do what you want . Definitely keep trying. Here are two more videos that could help with the motif (Which version by the way? 2002 probably means the original release?) Here's one of mine about using a "pattern" mode to create sections of songs with multiple parts like drums, bass, and keys: www.dannyrobertsonmusic.com/blog/unleash-the-power-of-your-keyboard-sequencer-for-live-shows This is great series of Blake Angelos, a Yamaha rep who gave a cool demo of the Motif XF (5-Part Series): ua-cam.com/video/eBj4xMs_jJk/v-deo.htmlsi=Rh9wpccWR2tdFLFE Best of luck and hope these help! Let us know if you have more questions!
Thanks for this. Hey I am glad you mentioned the backup rig you bring with you. Though I disagree with Performance mode being the most powerful live mode on the Motif - I think the 8 parts and scenes of the Song mode make it the best live mode (not fun to program though). I've gone from MoXF to MODX so that question is moot now :)
@@dannyrobertsonmusic Hi. I like the MODX quite a lot. I loved the MoXF6 but it was missing mod cons of the MODX, like setlist and scenes and a large colour screen … the MoXF will still do these but hacks and workaround take their toll. The pianos on the MODX are much nicer but most of the other sounds are pretty much the same, just more of them. The MoXF screen is tiny so sound editing on it was touch and needed external software to make it good to use and the MODX is much easier to use for that. The always-performance mode is I think a step forward. And the MODX sliders are more useful than the MoXF. Much of these don’t apply so much to the Motif. But the MIDI implementation is a bit terrible - I knew that going in but I am prepared to live with it.
Glad you are enjoying the MODX. If memory serves correctly, a lot of the features that were made available to that board were features that were previously in the Motif XF and the newest features were reserved for the Montage. I have really enjoyed my Yamaha products. Keep working through it and when you can, keep us updated on your progress!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic Hi. Just for reference, the MODX innards and architecture are the same as the OG Montage (i.e. not the M, which has VA). 100% the same. Where it differs are the amount of buttons/knobs/ribbon, keybed quality, ins and outs, and AD quality.But I can load any Montage OG sound into a MODX. Similarly, the same analog can be drawn between the MoXF and the Motif XF ... though in this case the MoXF has to have the optional flash memory installed - as I have - to maintain full patch compatibility between the MoXF and Motif ... though of course the MoXF screen sucks compared to the Motif. The thing I like about the mid-tier versions over the flagships, aside from price, are the size and weight - the are a little smaller and a lot lighter (MODX7 and MoXF6 are both around 6kg ... 13 ish lbs) and thus easier to lug to gigs.
Master let's you use 16 sounds, on different MIDI channels if you want - fade them in or out with MIDI foot pedals! Also control a sound module if you want, change patches on it automatically to keep both in sync!
Just a matter of where you want your money and convenience. I'm a Mainstage guy- I create a patch for every song and before the gig place them in setlist order. One button on my smaller keyboard changes to the next song and all the settings are right where I want them. The primay Mac is rack mounted with my band's mixer so set up is literally just plugging in the usb cables and opening the software. The two keyboards I use combined cost $500. If things go down on my Mac, which has not happened in years of being a Mainstage user I have my older Mac with me and it has a slightly older copy of the same file. Would only be missing the most recent additions to the setlist.
Mainstage is a great software and as I say in most of my videos, this is mostly up to your personal opinions and preferences. Glad you found something that works well for you!
It's a little hard to tell if your comment is sincere Connor, but if it is, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found use out of it! If not, I appreciate the comment anyway and best of luck to you!
I recall a USO show around 1986 in which there was a singer and keyboard player who had all his orchestrations and drums programmed on a Mac PC. Now, with some of these arranger keyboards he could replace her with samples, and his computer with a thumb drive and registration settings.
The technology has come so far. It's amazing isn't it?!? A laptop computer 20 years ago might have only had around 30GB. Now, we have tiny chips with a terabyte of space the size of a fingernail!
I think you’re misrepresenting what we can do with a software rig, or if you’re just not aware. I'm also a GB musician, and I run Mainstage on all or most of these gigs. I still have my Korg Kronos but I keep it at home, except for certain gigs. My current setup involves a 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro, my main keyboard is either a Yamaha CP73 (that I use pretty much independently for Jazz or simpler gigs) or StudioLogic SL73 (straight MIDI controller), both 73-key weighted action keyboards (which is a pretty rare configuration); and my aux/second synth-action keyboard is a 61-key Novation Launchkey mk3.
I’m not sure why you called it the keyboard’s “hidden potential”. One would assume if you’re buying a workstation keyboard, on top of being used for the included sounds, it’s for either being used in the studio as a “source of inspiration” and tracking, or for performing live where most intend to use it for whatever greater capabilities you can have than a straight piano. A seasoned keyboardist would probably know what’s up and would only look up the manual if they don’t know where to find something they what to do already. A beginner who wants to do this seriously would probably be watching those tutorial videos. You kept saying, "these really complicated routes", "you don't need to bring an extra computer" as it "overcomplicates things". We don't "try to make it work", we do make it work. Sure we have extra complication that we're bringing extra stuff like our computer and another stand for our computer, perhaps an audio interface (or not if your keyboard like a Motif can also act as audio interface), so extra cables, extra setup time, etc. But we (or at least I) have a reason for that. It might seem counterintuitive, but really it's about being able to do more and making it easier to do so. It has more flexibility than some probably not-so-obvious we have on these keyboards. Compare that to the MOTIF XF7, the performance mode can only fit 4 voices. Good if you have all the sounds you need in a patch, but I sometimes need to play more than 4 different sounds in a song. Korg Kronos takes 16 programs in one combi. Plus, Kronos actually has a setlist mode that has been copied by practically everyone after it. You said "two/three/four keyboards" as if those were over-complications. I know some people with one keyboard with patches using layers and splits, but those splits mean limiting the keyboard playing area and I don't really play well with that let alone keeping track where the splits are. I play musical theater shows and their programming (on Mainstage by the way, pretty much industry standard) sometimes uses a lot of splits in one patch and that's the extent of the splits I can take, and I'm reading a score with exact notes that tells me what sound I'm playing so no problem. Using at least two keyboards also mean I can still use a weighted keyboard and a synth action keyboard. Not at all an over-complication, nor is it a compromise. It’s not like we’re doing Yanni-level complication (of which I know at least one local keyboardist who actually can bring as much keyboards on many gigs). - "You're complicating it to the point where you have to bring a whole bunch of stuff and make sure that all works together." "What if one of those things breaks?" That's why we bring extra cables and stuff. The sound person in your band or for your event probably has backup cables, not just enough for the band. You probably have extra cables too. Same thing. Yes, using one machine means there are fewer components to worry about, but that also means it's also of greater importance that it doesn't break. Those keyboards also break. The system starts glitching, or it wouldn't boot properly, or something inside got fried (all stories I've heard). I can think of a couple more problems with a software rig. Say your audio interface is broken, you can perhaps use the built-in headphone jack out which isn’t ideal but still works. If one keyboard breaks, I can make the switch on my app so that the patch are now just controlled by 1 keyboard instead of 2. - "Let's say your computer breaks down, what is your backup plan?" "My backup plan is, if this doesn't work, I have another keyboard with a set of sounds already prepared." But realistically, how many of us has a backup keyboard? Perhaps a space for an extra keyboard? How much are those usually? We can think of many possible backup situations. Some of us can afford to also bring a backup computer. Especially today, you can get an M1 MacBook Air that’s still being sold by Walmart, Best Buy, or Apple Refurbished around $700 and still pretty capable for most gigs, or a decent Intel MBP for cheaper. Actually I still have a 2012 MBP that still works, but bulkier so like my heavier Korg Kronos I haven’t bothered bringing it. Install just the necessary applications and plugins, copy all your patches and any other necessary patch, and any time your main machine malfunctions, you can quickly switch to it. Compared to your MOTIF XF or my Korg Kronos, switching in another M1 MacBook and replugging USB-C cables and booting and starting up the application is faster than switching in a keyboard taking it out from your car that’s somewhere else. Another common practice is you have a more basic main keyboard that has built-in sound, whether you’re also using it to play bread and butter sounds and use your computer to augment what you have or to just have it as fall back, either way you can switch between the two. "Functionally, this puts everything in one place." -- "It makes it so you don't have to think too hard about making your changes" -- "I have it all in my left hand”. You can have the same experience with a laptop setup. On Mainstage, I achieve this by using a template, every combination patch has 8 empty channel strips that I can see on the screen (I can have more, but decided 8 is good enough) and I can simply insert whatever sound I want to. I use a small MIDI mixer, Korg nanoKontrol 2, which means I can also use any keyboard that's available (churches and some events) and only bring my MBP and nanoKontrol and still have all my patches working without any adjustments. Many people who use a Mainstage/software rig might also have this exact device (especially after first being advocated by a certain Mexican producer who sold the first commercialized Mainstage template targeted at church musicians), or other similar devices, or even an iPad running TouchOSC (also one of my backup components) or the free app Logic Remote, or perhaps their keyboards already have a control surface so most likely they don’t need to add another hardware. "You don't need to press a bunch of buttons… get anywhere away from the keyboard." Depending on your software rig setup, you don't need to either. Sometimes, no need to move any faders or even have your fingers leave the keys. I'm also a one-patch kind of guy myself. So when you're talking about your Performance patch setup and your faders-same thing. The way I organize my performance patch, especially for more complex layers and programming, is with a MIDI pedal Behringer FCB1010. It’s a cumbersome board but it just so happens that it has two rocking pedals that I can assign volume/expression (CC:11) and modulation (CC:1), and then assign the switches as either macro switches (that triggers a couple of things at once) or simple on/off switches, so I can do sound switches, volume swells, cutoff sweep/gradual changes, all with my feet while my hand keeps playing the keyboard(s). Alternatively, also an easier way is just to create new patches for different sections, and you can simply hit a button on your keyboard or footswitch to advance to the next patch. This is a standard in music theater programming on Mainstage, where there are instructions to hit next patch at certain measures (and usually A-1 is also redundantly programmed to trigger next patch for keyboards that don’t take footswitch, pretty flexible). This is also standard procedure for apps like GIgPerformer, Camelot, Sunday Sounds, and VSTLive. The closest you can get with this workflow all-in-one machine is with the Yamaha Montage/MODX line and Roland’s new Fantom line, as each performance patch can also contain multiple scenes. Yamaha Montage/MODX also has the SuperKnob that you can use to make a smoother transition between parameter changes or scenes, and not just setting min and max values, they’re basically manually-controlled automation lanes. No other keyboard has that functionality, and although you can do the same thing on Mainstage and Ableton, the process is slightly easier on Montage.
"When you add computers, and when you add samplers..." Funny thing is, you said this right after you showed us that you had sampled the vocal parts to Levitating and Uptown Funk. Keyboard Workstations are basically computers that are limited in functionality as a safeguard to not overload the machine. In fact, we know from at least Motif XS onwards, the OS is based on MontaVista Linux. When Korg came out with KRONOS, some musicians were disappointed because Korg had previously promised (with the launch of OASYS) for a more expandable machine. With a computer (or iPad), the limitation is pretty much only your processor, internal storage (expandable with external SSD), and RAM. There are not that many sound library producers/programmers that make patches for specific keyboards. Sometimes installing them on these keyboards can be a bit complicated. You can install whatever on your computer, AU/VST plugins, Kontakt instruments etc. are easier to set up. The thing is to know the limits of your computer. You can still live-proof your computer rig by doing certain measures, like just don’t run unnecessary background programs during performance, turn off notifications, don't use plugins that require internet connection, etc., basically things that are already limitations on your keyboard. Some people might not care about expanding, sticking with the built-in sounds from the keyboards or programs, in which case, having just those keyboard workstations may be enough. I have 600+ patch files, one for every song. I do this so I don't need to remember which song sounds similar or which patch with some creative name that I can use for some other songs. Whenever I'm building a setlist, I'll just be adding the patches according to the songs one by one. I also play for some bands/companies where they don't have a setlist but instead call songs on the fly so I can just type the song title into my Mac at one point to search for the patch, either with just my left hand or both hands and cue that song up. Have you tried typing on your keyboard? Even touchscreen ones. Perhaps if a song that I'd never played before gets called, then I'll try to think of another song that has some similar sounds that I can use right away. You didn’t show us how you organize and switch patches on your keyboard, at least in this video. You can view your performance patches alphabetically on Montage, that will at least help, not sure on other keyboards. Nothing against using these boards. If it works, it works. Just not for me. Many of these keyboards also have sounds and functionalities that have been crafted especially with live performance in mind so they do just work and sound great in many situations, and they’ve gotten closer and closer to computer flexibility. I was really tempted when Yamaha released Montage and Roland their new Fantom line. The reason for sticking with my computer rig for 8+ years, it was a combination of realizing that I actually could do things on the computer faster than programming things on my MOTIF XF-and partly cost, as Mainstage is $30 and straight MIDI controllers are generally cheaper. I used to have a Motif XF8 which I also purchased in 2012, it was my dream machine, partly because of Chick Corea. But then I decided to sell it when I realized I wasn’t really using it to its potential, until a couple of years later I found a deal on a Korg Kronos that I couldn’t pass up. I happened to have bought it right before my MacBook Pro I had from college was stolen. I had been dabbling a bit with Mainstage but since I don’t have that, I can still program a lot of stuff on my Kronos for my upcoming gigs until I could get a new MacBook Pro. I also had an Akai controller that I can patch into my Kronos controlling a different MIDI channel. I created a bunch of general patches and a couple of patches for songs that require specific sounds. This was at the beginning of my wedding band career, and yes it definitely works. I still gigged with it a couple of times, but after I got my MacBook, I still ended up developing my Mainstage patches more. I have a template that gives me a workstation keyboard-like experience (dare I say better) and I can also even have my lyrics and chords on the same display.
Hi Calvin. Thank you for all of these great points. The intention here was never to misrepresent and honestly, those musicians who like software based options, I encourage everyone do go the route that works best for them. This video was intended to show that there is simply more than a single voice mode on most keyboard options and many players just simply don't dive deeply into the manual for their instrument. Ironically, not long after filming this video, I was asked to sing at a show where the keyboardist running mainstage had a critical computer error on a brand new 90 DAY old computer and he had to leave and return with his backup computer.The gentleman was not an amateur and he used to tour with Debbie Gibson. I was not saying don't use software or that one keyboard works better than another. I am saying that it comes down to your personal preference, but try to learn your instrument's options well and use what works best for you. Again, I very much appreciate the comments. I watched your video at "Wally's" and you sound amazing Calvin. Best of luck to you!
You do have some valid points, but I'm not seeing any instances where you have two sounds that are in the same frequency range , but one sound is gated and the other has an arpeggiator. A song example being "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order.
@@brettmarlar4154 Thanks! We basically kept this video generalized so as to explain the concept as a whole. In the case of what you're talking about with sounds that fill the same frequency range, I personally would be looking at how I could eq this to enhance the parts of each frequency I want to hear more. ie Which synth patch should highlight the lower frequencies, which should highlight the higher frequencies etc. Maybe that's looking like another video 🤞 Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Francesco! Thank you! No I did not use the Motif Editor. If I remember correctly, I sampled the audio into a computer on my DAW, split them into individual wav files, and uploaded them to the flash memory on the Motif. Give us some time and we will try to go through that process in a video at a later date.
Lol just old gear, synth, eclectic piano and paddles. But you are right this is just way more effective, a really nice piece of gear is practical if you do covers. I just like unique sounds for in a band writing its own material, the sounds at 12:45 are well yeah, don't do general midi you guys.
I sang a show a week ago where the keyboardist had a major problem with his laptop at soundcheck and had to go to a backup option. I find the simplest solution on stage usually works the best. Thanks for commenting!
I definitely agree with you. People who use many devices, daws etc is because they want to look professional lol 😂 You dont really need that many devices on stage. Just get the nord stage 4 and be done. There is cheaper alternatives like the Roland fantom 0 series or the Yamaha MODX.
I personally feel a desire to keep it simple on stage, but more importantly, I think this really depends on the person playing the instruments and what they hope to achieve on stage. We each have our own way of doing things, so it just makes sense to encourage each other to find the solutions that suit our situation best. Great comment. Thanks for sharing!
Someone else made this same comment and you're absolutely right! It can take some time and patience to figure out the best route for your particular situation.
That's perfectly ok! The entire point of this video is to figure out what works best for you! If you already have a setup that makes sense for your particular situation, that is a great thing. Best of luck to you!
No I have not and most of my familiarity with Akai has been from seeing other players use it. Am I right in thinking that the Key 61 is the first Akai keyboard that can be used standalone separate from a computer? 🖥️
@@dannyrobertsonmusic yes ur correct....its more like a DAW....but it does have its own version of performace mode..im still getting familar after several months...
Keep working on it my friend! It's great to learn what your board is capable of. Just remember that in performing, that stuff can be important, but remember to put on a good show too. If you haven't seen our site yet, check out dannyrobertsonmusic.com. We teach a lot about the performance side of being on stage. Best of luck!
Hey that's okay! I encourage you to find the process that works for you, because that's all that's really going to matter in the long run! There are lots of things to consider when performing live and how you choose to play the instruments is only one small part. If you'd like to dive deeper with that, we can help. Come check out dannyrobertsonmusic.com
Ahahaa men, am open second secret for you, you can use different sounds wth velocity sprcial settings, reference - you play all renge piano 0-127 vel, but, if you play wth 100-127 velocity, bruss includs to piano, and if your keys can make it, you can have spleat mode with crossfade volume )) And oth...... ))
Yes! That is correct. The keyboard used in this video is actually considered an arranger workstation, but the principle applies to many keyboards and arranger workstations. All with slight variations on the way each keyboard operates.
I prefer to leave the info of those groups mostly off of this channel, but judging from your profile, I am guessing you are close by. If you send a message through dannyrobertsonmusic.com/contact, I can let you know.
@@dannyrobertsonmusic it doesn’t matter. I’m primarily a guitar player but playing limited keyboard also in the band which is kind of growing on me. Anyway the stuff that you’re talking about is exactly what I needed. Just subscribed. Wish you all the best with your channel.
The information you’re providing is very practical and that’s what this generation isn’t 😂 I know cause I’m one of them 🤣. I had a Motif XF8, Jupiter 80, on one 2 tier stand and a Fantom G7 and G6 on another, and like 4 rack modules, completely way too much for one Keys player. Now that I’m older I use just two keyboards, a XF8 for main keys and a XK1C for organ sounds. Not gonna lie having all these things was cool and are good for instagram pics Lol, but instead of taking the option for the latest Nord I asked my Pastor if we could just keep using the XF8 and use the funds for other church needs.
My first keyboard was 66 pounds without a case! I think that most of us enjoyed "collecting gear" in our youth as part of the fun of being a musician, but as we get older, our perspective often changes. Out thoughts turn to things like "This hurts my back/knees" or "I don't have any more room for this stuff!" I still wouldn't change a thing. 😎 We learn as we grow. Thanks for the comment! Have fun playing at church!
I don't believe that anyone who doesn't know this is a serious keys player How can you play live and not know this? 😅 anywayssss What you find most of the time is that, most pianists need way more than 4 sounds (in the case of the motif xf being their main board) or based on their tone preferences, they'd have to use different boards or/and a laptop to get the kinda sounds they want
Thanks for the comment. With all due respect, I think you may have made some assumptions and possibly missed the main point of this video. 1) This video was not necessarily aimed specifically to what you refer to as "pro-level" musicians. Just aimed at showing an available feature in a keyboard that many people already own or have a similar option from the same manufacturer. 2) Many of the people I play with right now have toured professionally (with artists like Pink, Adele, Debbie Gibson, the Broadway Production of The Lion King in New York, etc.). Each of these pros has their own opinions of how to run their own live rig, some are complicated to get a desire result similar to what you are saying. But others keep their setup as simple as possible. 3) The main point of the video is to empower you to dive deep into your own equipment and find the answers that work best for you (the person watching). With all of that said, I really do appreciate your comments here. I took a look over at your channel and you sound fantastic! You have a very unique style and I wish you the best of luck with your music!
Yeah. I do gig, & I can get away with a keyboard for piano & rhodes, but I NEED my hammondB3 & my prologue analogue synth and my Novation mininova on stage. I cannot hack it with the fake cheesy a$$ organ patches. I only have one leg folks, and I drag out 4 boards, one of which is a 2 decker B3, a Leslie 147... I do it cuz its my passion & proffesion, & i will not sacrifice tone qualities just for convenience, even though I've got a prosthetic peg leg & shouldn't be carrying anything lol. I'm more of a traditional 70s type keyboard player. Id bring my rhodes out too.. except between that & the B3, I'm out of room on stage. I don't do the triple stands & I'm not a stand up all night player. (Classically trained... bad for the wrists to play standing) i love gigging, i just don't have as much fun at the smaller shows where we don't have techs & roadies.
Check out this interview with a friend of mine who had a really random opportunity to jam with Jordan and a few other well known keyboardists. ua-cam.com/video/sQKJny3-swo/v-deo.html
Usually a Korg Kronos or any Roland and Yamaha workstation are more than enough for any skill keyboardist, im just using a Nord electro 5D wich IS less fancy to use, there is no sequencing or arppegio feature but you can layer many sound and sampler your own pad or lead sound inside it , most of the time it give me all i need . But even an AKAI MPC live box or keyboard version can be enough same for the new standalone Arturia keyboard with all there VST in one keyboard without need of computer.
That's true. For context with anyone who does not know this term, it means that your keyboard might only have enough ability to play something like 128 notes at the same time. This can become a problem when combining voices in a performance mode like this. For example, if I were to play the intro to "I Will Survive" (Where the piano arpeggio goes across the entire board while being sustained) and am using 4 different voices, I become limited to 32 notes per voice (which is not enough for that intro FYI). In using performance modes, you need to be conscious of how many notes you are playing across different voices.
I use an expression pedal and assign the pad, strings or other sounds that need to fade in or out. Makes the transitions really smooth.
I have expression pedals and use them at home, but never really use them on stage 😕
How do you assemble the expression pedal
Most people don't take the time to learn their boards so they bring one for piano, another for organ, another for bells etc. Also the "show" element of bringing a lot of gear is appealing for many. It is incredible what is possible to create with only one keyboard even from 20 years ago (splits, layers, samples etc.)
Great comment! Couldn't agree with you more and it really does boil down to 'taking the time' to learn. Most boards have a lot of potential if you choose to figure it out a bit. Thank you for the comment!
Wrong. Most people bring just one board and only play one sound, not utilizing any of the split and layer capabilities. Most of the time they only play a piano sound..
People that bring more board usually know their stuff and want different keybeds etc.
@@martinjmusic😂 what?
I use 2 Roland Fantoms on stage with my Jazz/Afro Beat band and when I hit with Jody Watley. I can stack 16 different sounds in any configuration accessing them with loosing polyphony. I can organize my sound in a visual set list on the keyboard. It's an amazing board. Best purchase I've made.
Oh wow. Jody Watley!? Congrats on your success. I bet there have been some great shows with that group!
@@watcher9987 I don't know exactly but her first hits were in the early 80s or maybe even the late 70s.
There’s a reason Montage, RD2000, Kronos, Stage 4, MP7SE etc. exist. They might cost a motza, but you don’t NEED a computer as well.
Exactly. And honestly, there are keyboards at all kinds of different price points, both high and low, that cover functionality like this, so it doesn't have to cost you more than you can afford. Thanks for the comment! 👍
The main advantage to having just one that can do what you want is ,Focus. I made a huge mistake when starting to buy for just pleasure and purchased and grabbed every vst both free and some purchased in addition or several keyboatds and guitar and pedal. Now I have option paralysis and need to just grab one and put the rest away until I can fully absorb what it can do.🤔🎶🎹🎶Play On
only problem with the stage 4 which I have and LOVE - is it's just not geared up for changing and calling up sounds really quickly I find like with montage or Kronos
Don't forget the Fantom, with the Keyboard switch groups it's amazing to use many sounds combinación per scene 🔥
If you're on a budget, the Korg Kross 2 is less than a grand US and can do all of this type of stuff too. Sound quality is more than good enough for bar gigs too
in the 90's was probably my most insane stage setup. 5-7 keyboards with some rack modules thrown in. And I used it all!! Fast forward to 2012, my stage setup was 2 boards - an Alesis QS8 and a 61 key controller running my laptop with Cantabile, NI B4II and Arturia stuff. Both boards ran the computer at the same time, different sounds. I was fortunate that it never failed me live. HOWEVER, my QS8 was set up just as you are showing, with up to 4 layers per Performance "just in case". Now, I was forced to retire from the stage in 2014 (nerve damage in my right shoulder made my hand inconsistent) but to this day I still have those same Performances loaded in my QS8 (which is now my main studio controller). You see guys like Gowan (Styx) and Jordan Rudess going on stage with just 1 board, but if you dig deeper there is outboard that gets routed into the controls of the board, so sometimes it is a balancing act.....
Wow! I can't imagine 5-7 boards with me on stage. It would be fun to play but terrible for load in/ load off. Hats off to you. Did that have anything to do with the nerve damage in your shoulder?
I also used a QS8 for many years and later as a controller for a Yamaha rack. These days, I find that the less I need, the better.
A couple friends actually got to play with Jordan Rudess and he's awesome to say the least. I've seen Gowan live twice and he is not only a great player, but an incredible entertainer. Met Tommy Shaw at one of those shows too!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic actually, my day job did me in. I was a residential contractor and had an incident with a ladder that tore my shoulder up. Load in/out WAS a bear and I don't miss that. I do miss being on stage though after nearly 40 years in bands...
I am sorry to hear that. Maybe there will be a sit-down option for you in the coming years!
I too have recently found that reducing the number of components in my system, rather than keeping everything available all the time (and then not using much of it!), lead to an easier and more fun set up! My basic set up now is an Arturia Keystep Pro running into an iPad DAW. Your Motif probably has more features but the essence of the results are 4 channels of instruments with volume/mixing controls at my fingertips!
I know a great keyboard player who uses a very similar setup to you. The only difference is he goes into a MacBook pro instead of an iPad. Glad you found the option that works best for you! Thanks for the comment and very cool video you have on your channel with the unique piano!
A Kronos with Combi mode can access up to 16 patches although not usually necessary. Setlist mode is much more functional for a performance mode. I guess the Motif has a 4 sound limitation.
Motif does have 4 sound limitation in performance mode, but in Song (or Pattern) mode using same midi channel for different patches it can have 16 sounds available across the keyboard in splits and/or layers. A bit more complicated than Korg and Kurzweil - but doable.
On the Roland Integra 7, it’s called a studio set. If I performed publicly, I would use a Kurzweil SP7 Grand and the Roland Integra 7 to supplement it.
Very cool. I'm less familiar with the Integra 7, but if it's Roland, I'm sure it sounds great.
Expanding on using a performance, you can change the MIDI channel on any of the voices that make up the performance and use a smallish MIDI controller set to send only on the separate MIDI channel, so something like a lead patch can always be available to play from the controller.
So true. I have friends that do something similar to control a drum pad setup for the drummer.
I mostly agree with you man. However if you’ve gigged enough. There are occasions where that ONE keyboard can quit or malfunction on you. Then what?? I know it’s rare for that to happen. But I have experienced it before and I know others that have too. So I generally go with a two keyboards. One for a backup situation. I’ve learned over the years that you must come prepared for an emergency. Especially if you’re being paid for a professional performance.
Oh I totally agree. I always have a backup board ready to play, but only bring it when the gig is more than a half an hour away or I won't have the opportunity to go get it if needed. Not using two keyboards as a preference is different than not being prepared.
Love this! Even though I already do this, be it with a laptop and a masterkeyboard, but the idea is the same. One keyboard, and patches that can play samples. One song has about 15 different ranges with samples. Chords, a clap, a sequence, another sequence, some stabs, a siren, a filtered noise riser, a large pad, two small pads, two variations of the same sound for some synth line, and then some. It's so much fun once you get used to playing with it, being able to literally be every instrument needed for a song without programming a sequencer, in fact still play with a live drummer and have the possibility to add another verse or extend a breakdown or whatever comes up in the heat of the moment. Before I was very limited by a simple sound module, even though it had many sounds, now I can do everything I want and I'm no longer the imiting factor when it comes to choosing new songs
I'm a keyboard player - an aging one. Started gigging in the early 70's. Past gigging now. But I still write and home record and have an online presense. My first electric piano was a fender rhodes. Pianos have really progressed. It's amazing. It has allowed me to stay active. Your piano looks awesome. I have a Yamaha DGX 650 (10 yrs old) and it is starting to have problems. I don't use a lot of it, canned rythmn and other stuff for students or people who don't really know how to play, but I can record on it and mix later. Glad to find your channel
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you still have that Rhodes. Such a great unique sound!
I use a Motif XF8, a Kronos 2, and an MPC Live 2. Yes, I also have a laptop, but that is not used unless I need to. I would urge you to look into picking up an MPC Live 2 or MPC One+, these are more than just drum machines, they take the work involved for sampling and clipping and make it so much easier than a PC. No doubt, you are familiar with the notion of manipulating a wave file to make it musical, for example, taking a single note sample and pitch shifting to make music, this is in effect, what the MPC does, and it does it extremely well. It is easier for me to sample, chop, clip, and play sound effects using the MPC, and the two boards are simply because the Motif excels with some sounds, while the Kronos excels with others, and I will add, the Kronos has a number of sounds for popular songs already setup. The MPC also has the ability to do some synthesis stuff, for less complex sound design, where I need to put a sound together quickly, the MPC fits that bill as well. I used to use an Oasys but, God dang, that board is huge and bulky, and the Kronos does pretty much the same thing in a smaller package.
Roland Fantom (released in 2019) and Fantom-0 series run in "performance mode" by default - its called "scene" there (Fantom also has a "single mode" but its main purpose is browsing through the sound/patches without changing your current scene). I believe the same is valid for Yamaha Montage and other modern workstation and stage/performance keyboards like Nord.
I am sure you are right. You came go much deeper with these boards than I've shown here. I know several folks who will use the keyboard scene changes to send midi changes to something like a drum pad so that their drummer has the corresponding sounds they need. It's all a matter of how much you want to learn and do.
I have the O Series. I love it. Did you know that the alto sax goes up the minor scale when you use the pitch bend with it? My favorite is the organ. The leslie is just great. i've downloaded newer sounds off the roland website. Best board for me.
Very cool! I know a lot of people who love that board! Keep up the good work my friend!
@@1masterfaderI’m considering the Fantom 08. I’ve heard of polyphony issues that has me jittery. I’d play covers that don’t require massive layers. Have you experienced any issues? I want to replace my Juno DS and VR-09 with a single board.
My Juno DS almost has an ideal solution, corrected in the new Juno D. The pads allow activating a single patch at a time from within a sixteen patch performance. But can’t combine them, it’s one at a time only.
Great video, and yes I do this as well, but it is also fun to still play with 2 boards, i mix it up, as I feel for the gig, I do use lots of splits on my korg nautilus, setting and packing becomes a breeze with 1 board well put 2 use.
You describe my struggle exactly: my first instinct is to want to recreate the original song as faithfully as possible. Before I know it, I'm sitting with an extra module and an iPad on top of my stage keyboard, which I then have to program completely to work well together. Great to mess around with at home, but not during a gig. Then you actually just want as basic as possible, with only one piece of gear. Exactly, then you don't get all the sounds you initially wanted, but it does improve your experience and comfort on stage.
I know a lot of people want to recreate the 'feeling' of the original piece of music so they try to match the tones as closely as possible to the recording, but I personally would rather try to 'put my own stamp' on each cover song to make it my own in some way. Ironically, this takes the pressure off because you're not trying to match the original artist.
Unless you're playing in a tribute band that is trying to be an exact match, it might make more sense to create your own version of every cover you play. Thanks for the great comment. Don't forget to check out dannyrobertsonmusic.com!
Thats why i only use a nord electro 5D , my band is clearly oriented 70's hard rock and prog Rock so huge dirty hammond sound and just a bit of Rhode fender piano with sometimes Mellotron sample and for other i can load any kind of personnal sample pad or synth lead from my computer DAW or from the other made by Clavia on there site, i load only what i need and pre patch the effect with an A B C D preset for any song make me able to switch from one sound to another without the gaswork of a workstation.
I use up to four keyboards. One 88 Hammer Action as master, which is also doing the main piano, e-piano and strings; a MODX6+ for all the modern synth stuff, fm and sample things; deepmind12 for all the analog stuff and last a Roland VR-760 as main organ because of the drawbars and the waterfall keybed. I could do it with my master (viscount kx4 ex) or the MODX. But it doesn‘t look sexy by playing ’80s pop-rock ; )
@@macpaul I can totally understand your logic for each keyboard choice in relation to the sounds you're trying to achieve. If I played multiple keyboards on stage, I might do something similar. Tell me more about playing 80s pop rock. What kinds of shows? Are you playing at bars, festivals, corporate events, touring?
Best of luck to you in all of your performing!
Thank you Danny. I think you've nicely captured the joy of being a performing keyboardist in this and your other videos. I'm mostly studio-based with a Montage 7 but can certainly use your advice here as well. Liked and subscribed.
Wow! Thank you for your kind words. From what I know, the Montage is a great board! What does your studio setup look like? DAW, interface, gear, etc?
@@dannyrobertsonmusic My project space is pretty modest, mostly in the box. Currently running Pro Tools with Logic Pro to aid composing and arranging. Montage plus an older RD700NX for keyboards. M2 Max CPU and RME I/O. Monitors are original JBL 305, surprsingly decent for budget near fields. Play on - in your videos it looks like your having a lot of fun!
Many many thanks for your channel.This is what i am looking for.A guide how to use my keyboard for better performance.
@@fabiancosster2992 Glad to hear we have been able to help you! Please let us know if there are any other questions you need help answering and we will do our best to help. Also if you are looking to improve your performances, please check us out at dannyrobertsonmusic.com!
Great tips for us live keyboardist !!Thanks i just subbed to your channel !
Awesome! 😎 Thanks for the kind words!
Careful on sampling for live use playing gigs. Just saying, great video and good content. Cheers & beers... Kujo 😎
Noted! Thanks for the comment!
Well said. The Samples are dope man 👍🏽
I have an XS 7, and now I’m excited 😊
Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
I bought my Yamaha S80 in 2000 and Motif 8 in 2002. Each time the performance mode was explained, I got bogged down in the implementation. It just wasn't worth the trial, error, frustration, in the setup and then actual performance. Your video makes we want make another attempt at learning it.
I get that. It can be frustrating when you can't get the instrument to do what you want . Definitely keep trying. Here are two more videos that could help with the motif (Which version by the way? 2002 probably means the original release?)
Here's one of mine about using a "pattern" mode to create sections of songs with multiple parts like drums, bass, and keys: www.dannyrobertsonmusic.com/blog/unleash-the-power-of-your-keyboard-sequencer-for-live-shows
This is great series of Blake Angelos, a Yamaha rep who gave a cool demo of the Motif XF (5-Part Series): ua-cam.com/video/eBj4xMs_jJk/v-deo.htmlsi=Rh9wpccWR2tdFLFE
Best of luck and hope these help! Let us know if you have more questions!
Thank u for valuable information ❤
Shelved my pa 800 cos of sticky switches using a Casio pxs3000 you can do the same on layers with the knobs on the left hand
Thanks for this. Hey I am glad you mentioned the backup rig you bring with you. Though I disagree with Performance mode being the most powerful live mode on the Motif - I think the 8 parts and scenes of the Song mode make it the best live mode (not fun to program though). I've gone from MoXF to MODX so that question is moot now :)
Thanks for the comment and totally safe to disagree here! I've also used the pattern mode quite a bit myself. How do you like the MODX?
@@dannyrobertsonmusic Hi. I like the MODX quite a lot. I loved the MoXF6 but it was missing mod cons of the MODX, like setlist and scenes and a large colour screen … the MoXF will still do these but hacks and workaround take their toll. The pianos on the MODX are much nicer but most of the other sounds are pretty much the same, just more of them. The MoXF screen is tiny so sound editing on it was touch and needed external software to make it good to use and the MODX is much easier to use for that. The always-performance mode is I think a step forward. And the MODX sliders are more useful than the MoXF. Much of these don’t apply so much to the Motif. But the MIDI implementation is a bit terrible - I knew that going in but I am prepared to live with it.
Glad you are enjoying the MODX. If memory serves correctly, a lot of the features that were made available to that board were features that were previously in the Motif XF and the newest features were reserved for the Montage. I have really enjoyed my Yamaha products. Keep working through it and when you can, keep us updated on your progress!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic Hi. Just for reference, the MODX innards and architecture are the same as the OG Montage (i.e. not the M, which has VA). 100% the same. Where it differs are the amount of buttons/knobs/ribbon, keybed quality, ins and outs, and AD quality.But I can load any Montage OG sound into a MODX. Similarly, the same analog can be drawn between the MoXF and the Motif XF ... though in this case the MoXF has to have the optional flash memory installed - as I have - to maintain full patch compatibility between the MoXF and Motif ... though of course the MoXF screen sucks compared to the Motif. The thing I like about the mid-tier versions over the flagships, aside from price, are the size and weight - the are a little smaller and a lot lighter (MODX7 and MoXF6 are both around 6kg ... 13 ish lbs) and thus easier to lug to gigs.
Master let's you use 16 sounds, on different MIDI channels if you want - fade them in or out with MIDI foot pedals! Also control a sound module if you want, change patches on it automatically to keep both in sync!
Thanks for this knowledge sharing video 👍👌🦸
Just a matter of where you want your money and convenience. I'm a Mainstage guy- I create a patch for every song and before the gig place them in setlist order. One button on my smaller keyboard changes to the next song and all the settings are right where I want them. The primay Mac is rack mounted with my band's mixer so set up is literally just plugging in the usb cables and opening the software. The two keyboards I use combined cost $500. If things go down on my Mac, which has not happened in years of being a Mainstage user I have my older Mac with me and it has a slightly older copy of the same file. Would only be missing the most recent additions to the setlist.
Mainstage is a great software and as I say in most of my videos, this is mostly up to your personal opinions and preferences. Glad you found something that works well for you!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic I will be checking out more of your videos! this was just the first the algorithm gave me.
@@Jonathan-Hamlett Awesome and thank you! Let us know if there is a topic you want us to try!
oh my god this is amazing. you're the most incredible person in the history of the universe
It's a little hard to tell if your comment is sincere Connor, but if it is, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found use out of it!
If not, I appreciate the comment anyway and best of luck to you!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic I have a motif xs6, kronos x73, DSI rev2 and 6 nords and am always looking for new info on how to use them.
that uptown funk sound is DOPE
Great video!
Thanks!
Good advice for sure. I currently you 2 keyboards but no other computer or tablet patches.
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you found the setup that works well for you.
I recall a USO show around 1986 in which there was a singer and keyboard player who had all his orchestrations and drums programmed on a Mac PC. Now, with some of these arranger keyboards he could replace her with samples, and his computer with a thumb drive and registration settings.
The technology has come so far. It's amazing isn't it?!? A laptop computer 20 years ago might have only had around 30GB. Now, we have tiny chips with a terabyte of space the size of a fingernail!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic yeah, it is amazing considering 128K was the big time in the beginning... the kids look at that as cave man days.
Cave men are the coolest anyway!
i have a modx 6 (baby montage ) i have a worship set up which is like recording several tracks its awesome 😊
Very cool!
I think you’re misrepresenting what we can do with a software rig, or if you’re just not aware. I'm also a GB musician, and I run Mainstage on all or most of these gigs. I still have my Korg Kronos but I keep it at home, except for certain gigs. My current setup involves a 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro, my main keyboard is either a Yamaha CP73 (that I use pretty much independently for Jazz or simpler gigs) or StudioLogic SL73 (straight MIDI controller), both 73-key weighted action keyboards (which is a pretty rare configuration); and my aux/second synth-action keyboard is a 61-key Novation Launchkey mk3.
I’m not sure why you called it the keyboard’s “hidden potential”. One would assume if you’re buying a workstation keyboard, on top of being used for the included sounds, it’s for either being used in the studio as a “source of inspiration” and tracking, or for performing live where most intend to use it for whatever greater capabilities you can have than a straight piano. A seasoned keyboardist would probably know what’s up and would only look up the manual if they don’t know where to find something they what to do already. A beginner who wants to do this seriously would probably be watching those tutorial videos.
You kept saying, "these really complicated routes", "you don't need to bring an extra computer" as it "overcomplicates things". We don't "try to make it work", we do make it work. Sure we have extra complication that we're bringing extra stuff like our computer and another stand for our computer, perhaps an audio interface (or not if your keyboard like a Motif can also act as audio interface), so extra cables, extra setup time, etc. But we (or at least I) have a reason for that. It might seem counterintuitive, but really it's about being able to do more and making it easier to do so. It has more flexibility than some probably not-so-obvious we have on these keyboards. Compare that to the MOTIF XF7, the performance mode can only fit 4 voices. Good if you have all the sounds you need in a patch, but I sometimes need to play more than 4 different sounds in a song. Korg Kronos takes 16 programs in one combi. Plus, Kronos actually has a setlist mode that has been copied by practically everyone after it.
You said "two/three/four keyboards" as if those were over-complications. I know some people with one keyboard with patches using layers and splits, but those splits mean limiting the keyboard playing area and I don't really play well with that let alone keeping track where the splits are. I play musical theater shows and their programming (on Mainstage by the way, pretty much industry standard) sometimes uses a lot of splits in one patch and that's the extent of the splits I can take, and I'm reading a score with exact notes that tells me what sound I'm playing so no problem. Using at least two keyboards also mean I can still use a weighted keyboard and a synth action keyboard. Not at all an over-complication, nor is it a compromise. It’s not like we’re doing Yanni-level complication (of which I know at least one local keyboardist who actually can bring as much keyboards on many gigs).
- "You're complicating it to the point where you have to bring a whole bunch of stuff and make sure that all works together." "What if one of those things breaks?"
That's why we bring extra cables and stuff. The sound person in your band or for your event probably has backup cables, not just enough for the band. You probably have extra cables too. Same thing. Yes, using one machine means there are fewer components to worry about, but that also means it's also of greater importance that it doesn't break. Those keyboards also break. The system starts glitching, or it wouldn't boot properly, or something inside got fried (all stories I've heard). I can think of a couple more problems with a software rig. Say your audio interface is broken, you can perhaps use the built-in headphone jack out which isn’t ideal but still works. If one keyboard breaks, I can make the switch on my app so that the patch are now just controlled by 1 keyboard instead of 2.
- "Let's say your computer breaks down, what is your backup plan?" "My backup plan is, if this doesn't work, I have another keyboard with a set of sounds already prepared."
But realistically, how many of us has a backup keyboard? Perhaps a space for an extra keyboard? How much are those usually? We can think of many possible backup situations. Some of us can afford to also bring a backup computer. Especially today, you can get an M1 MacBook Air that’s still being sold by Walmart, Best Buy, or Apple Refurbished around $700 and still pretty capable for most gigs, or a decent Intel MBP for cheaper. Actually I still have a 2012 MBP that still works, but bulkier so like my heavier Korg Kronos I haven’t bothered bringing it. Install just the necessary applications and plugins, copy all your patches and any other necessary patch, and any time your main machine malfunctions, you can quickly switch to it. Compared to your MOTIF XF or my Korg Kronos, switching in another M1 MacBook and replugging USB-C cables and booting and starting up the application is faster than switching in a keyboard taking it out from your car that’s somewhere else. Another common practice is you have a more basic main keyboard that has built-in sound, whether you’re also using it to play bread and butter sounds and use your computer to augment what you have or to just have it as fall back, either way you can switch between the two.
"Functionally, this puts everything in one place." -- "It makes it so you don't have to think too hard about making your changes" -- "I have it all in my left hand”.
You can have the same experience with a laptop setup. On Mainstage, I achieve this by using a template, every combination patch has 8 empty channel strips that I can see on the screen (I can have more, but decided 8 is good enough) and I can simply insert whatever sound I want to. I use a small MIDI mixer, Korg nanoKontrol 2, which means I can also use any keyboard that's available (churches and some events) and only bring my MBP and nanoKontrol and still have all my patches working without any adjustments. Many people who use a Mainstage/software rig might also have this exact device (especially after first being advocated by a certain Mexican producer who sold the first commercialized Mainstage template targeted at church musicians), or other similar devices, or even an iPad running TouchOSC (also one of my backup components) or the free app Logic Remote, or perhaps their keyboards already have a control surface so most likely they don’t need to add another hardware.
"You don't need to press a bunch of buttons… get anywhere away from the keyboard."
Depending on your software rig setup, you don't need to either. Sometimes, no need to move any faders or even have your fingers leave the keys.
I'm also a one-patch kind of guy myself. So when you're talking about your Performance patch setup and your faders-same thing. The way I organize my performance patch, especially for more complex layers and programming, is with a MIDI pedal Behringer FCB1010. It’s a cumbersome board but it just so happens that it has two rocking pedals that I can assign volume/expression (CC:11) and modulation (CC:1), and then assign the switches as either macro switches (that triggers a couple of things at once) or simple on/off switches, so I can do sound switches, volume swells, cutoff sweep/gradual changes, all with my feet while my hand keeps playing the keyboard(s).
Alternatively, also an easier way is just to create new patches for different sections, and you can simply hit a button on your keyboard or footswitch to advance to the next patch. This is a standard in music theater programming on Mainstage, where there are instructions to hit next patch at certain measures (and usually A-1 is also redundantly programmed to trigger next patch for keyboards that don’t take footswitch, pretty flexible). This is also standard procedure for apps like GIgPerformer, Camelot, Sunday Sounds, and VSTLive.
The closest you can get with this workflow all-in-one machine is with the Yamaha Montage/MODX line and Roland’s new Fantom line, as each performance patch can also contain multiple scenes. Yamaha Montage/MODX also has the SuperKnob that you can use to make a smoother transition between parameter changes or scenes, and not just setting min and max values, they’re basically manually-controlled automation lanes. No other keyboard has that functionality, and although you can do the same thing on Mainstage and Ableton, the process is slightly easier on Montage.
"When you add computers, and when you add samplers..."
Funny thing is, you said this right after you showed us that you had sampled the vocal parts to Levitating and Uptown Funk. Keyboard Workstations are basically computers that are limited in functionality as a safeguard to not overload the machine. In fact, we know from at least Motif XS onwards, the OS is based on MontaVista Linux. When Korg came out with KRONOS, some musicians were disappointed because Korg had previously promised (with the launch of OASYS) for a more expandable machine. With a computer (or iPad), the limitation is pretty much only your processor, internal storage (expandable with external SSD), and RAM. There are not that many sound library producers/programmers that make patches for specific keyboards. Sometimes installing them on these keyboards can be a bit complicated. You can install whatever on your computer, AU/VST plugins, Kontakt instruments etc. are easier to set up. The thing is to know the limits of your computer. You can still live-proof your computer rig by doing certain measures, like just don’t run unnecessary background programs during performance, turn off notifications, don't use plugins that require internet connection, etc., basically things that are already limitations on your keyboard. Some people might not care about expanding, sticking with the built-in sounds from the keyboards or programs, in which case, having just those keyboard workstations may be enough.
I have 600+ patch files, one for every song. I do this so I don't need to remember which song sounds similar or which patch with some creative name that I can use for some other songs. Whenever I'm building a setlist, I'll just be adding the patches according to the songs one by one. I also play for some bands/companies where they don't have a setlist but instead call songs on the fly so I can just type the song title into my Mac at one point to search for the patch, either with just my left hand or both hands and cue that song up. Have you tried typing on your keyboard? Even touchscreen ones. Perhaps if a song that I'd never played before gets called, then I'll try to think of another song that has some similar sounds that I can use right away. You didn’t show us how you organize and switch patches on your keyboard, at least in this video. You can view your performance patches alphabetically on Montage, that will at least help, not sure on other keyboards.
Nothing against using these boards. If it works, it works. Just not for me. Many of these keyboards also have sounds and functionalities that have been crafted especially with live performance in mind so they do just work and sound great in many situations, and they’ve gotten closer and closer to computer flexibility. I was really tempted when Yamaha released Montage and Roland their new Fantom line. The reason for sticking with my computer rig for 8+ years, it was a combination of realizing that I actually could do things on the computer faster than programming things on my MOTIF XF-and partly cost, as Mainstage is $30 and straight MIDI controllers are generally cheaper. I used to have a Motif XF8 which I also purchased in 2012, it was my dream machine, partly because of Chick Corea. But then I decided to sell it when I realized I wasn’t really using it to its potential, until a couple of years later I found a deal on a Korg Kronos that I couldn’t pass up. I happened to have bought it right before my MacBook Pro I had from college was stolen. I had been dabbling a bit with Mainstage but since I don’t have that, I can still program a lot of stuff on my Kronos for my upcoming gigs until I could get a new MacBook Pro. I also had an Akai controller that I can patch into my Kronos controlling a different MIDI channel. I created a bunch of general patches and a couple of patches for songs that require specific sounds. This was at the beginning of my wedding band career, and yes it definitely works. I still gigged with it a couple of times, but after I got my MacBook, I still ended up developing my Mainstage patches more. I have a template that gives me a workstation keyboard-like experience (dare I say better) and I can also even have my lyrics and chords on the same display.
Hi Calvin. Thank you for all of these great points. The intention here was never to misrepresent and honestly, those musicians who like software based options, I encourage everyone do go the route that works best for them. This video was intended to show that there is simply more than a single voice mode on most keyboard options and many players just simply don't dive deeply into the manual for their instrument.
Ironically, not long after filming this video, I was asked to sing at a show where the keyboardist running mainstage had a critical computer error on a brand new 90 DAY old computer and he had to leave and return with his backup computer.The gentleman was not an amateur and he used to tour with Debbie Gibson.
I was not saying don't use software or that one keyboard works better than another. I am saying that it comes down to your personal preference, but try to learn your instrument's options well and use what works best for you.
Again, I very much appreciate the comments. I watched your video at "Wally's" and you sound amazing Calvin.
Best of luck to you!
You do have some valid points, but I'm not seeing any instances where you have two sounds that are in the same frequency range , but one sound is gated and the other has an arpeggiator. A song example being "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order.
@@brettmarlar4154 Thanks! We basically kept this video generalized so as to explain the concept as a whole. In the case of what you're talking about with sounds that fill the same frequency range, I personally would be looking at how I could eq this to enhance the parts of each frequency I want to hear more. ie Which synth patch should highlight the lower frequencies, which should highlight the higher frequencies etc.
Maybe that's looking like another video 🤞 Thanks for the great comment!
Hey Denny! Nice job!
How did you import the voices of “uptown funk” by directing them to single notes?
Did you use the Motif editor?
Thanks!
Hi Francesco! Thank you! No I did not use the Motif Editor. If I remember correctly, I sampled the audio into a computer on my DAW, split them into individual wav files, and uploaded them to the flash memory on the Motif.
Give us some time and we will try to go through that process in a video at a later date.
@
thank you that would be great! bravo again for your videos!
Lol just old gear, synth, eclectic piano and paddles. But you are right this is just way more effective, a really nice piece of gear is practical if you do covers. I just like unique sounds for in a band writing its own material, the sounds at 12:45 are well yeah, don't do general midi you guys.
I sang a show a week ago where the keyboardist had a major problem with his laptop at soundcheck and had to go to a backup option. I find the simplest solution on stage usually works the best. Thanks for commenting!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic easy means less change for failure which is before or during the performane indeed wise choise,
I definitely agree with you. People who use many devices, daws etc is because they want to look professional lol 😂 You dont really need that many devices on stage. Just get the nord stage 4 and be done. There is cheaper alternatives like the Roland fantom 0 series or the Yamaha MODX.
I personally feel a desire to keep it simple on stage, but more importantly, I think this really depends on the person playing the instruments and what they hope to achieve on stage.
We each have our own way of doing things, so it just makes sense to encourage each other to find the solutions that suit our situation best.
Great comment. Thanks for sharing!
Using a Kronos2 61, I don't even need a PC.
I layer it, split them and make my own sounds.
The major issue with this method on Yamaha was always the polyphony. Cuts out at around 16 notes.
Someone else made this same comment and you're absolutely right! It can take some time and patience to figure out the best route for your particular situation.
I get this honestly, but I use a midi controller everywhere I go with Mainstage or Sunday Keys, So this may not apply to me
That's perfectly ok! The entire point of this video is to figure out what works best for you! If you already have a setup that makes sense for your particular situation, that is a great thing. Best of luck to you!
u ever had a opportunity to use the Akai key 61?....whats your thoughts...i have one
No I have not and most of my familiarity with Akai has been from seeing other players use it. Am I right in thinking that the Key 61 is the first Akai keyboard that can be used standalone separate from a computer? 🖥️
@@dannyrobertsonmusic yes ur correct....its more like a DAW....but it does have its own version of performace mode..im still getting familar after several months...
Keep working on it my friend! It's great to learn what your board is capable of. Just remember that in performing, that stuff can be important, but remember to put on a good show too.
If you haven't seen our site yet, check out dannyrobertsonmusic.com. We teach a lot about the performance side of being on stage. Best of luck!
Great stuff thank you
Thank you for saying something!
Most of the time I’m in patch and organ on its own my top board is auxiliary
That is a very common setup. In fact, one of my keyboard playing counterparts does something similar.
I'm more a DAW/Tracker kind of guy. If I tried playing a piano (or any instrument come to that) I'd be playing the wrong notes.
Hey that's okay! I encourage you to find the process that works for you, because that's all that's really going to matter in the long run!
There are lots of things to consider when performing live and how you choose to play the instruments is only one small part. If you'd like to dive deeper with that, we can help. Come check out dannyrobertsonmusic.com
Interesting picture of open containers of liquids sitting on top of the kbrd.
Ahahaa men, am open second secret for you, you can use different sounds wth velocity sprcial settings, reference - you play all renge piano 0-127 vel, but, if you play wth 100-127 velocity, bruss includs to piano, and if your keys can make it, you can have spleat mode with crossfade volume )) And oth...... ))
Love this extra bit of great info. Thank you for sharing with everyone!
I chose the Kurzweil PC361 because of its ability to layer EIGHT sounds and to control them with switches and sliders in setup mode.
Kurzweil is an amazing brand and a lot of the great keyboardists of the last 40 years have played them. Eight sounds! Love it!
Korg does it as well ;)
@serhii-ratz Which one? I've always liked Korg's sound but couldn't find one with realtime zone controls
It also applies for professional arranger workstations...?
Yes! That is correct. The keyboard used in this video is actually considered an arranger workstation, but the principle applies to many keyboards and arranger workstations. All with slight variations on the way each keyboard operates.
The Keyboard you're using is classified as a Synthesizer Workstation not an Arranger Workstation. Had a Motif XF before.@@dannyrobertsonmusic
@@judsonchristudas Thanks for the correction!
@@dannyrobertsonmusic Great video mate. Keep making
Just came across this video. What is the name of your band?
I prefer to leave the info of those groups mostly off of this channel, but judging from your profile, I am guessing you are close by. If you send a message through dannyrobertsonmusic.com/contact, I can let you know.
I am definitely monokeyistic.
I believe in one board.
Praise the board!
Hallelujah! 😂
Haha! Praise the Board! I love it! 😂
It’s called layers
@@brandonrosas4453 Yes, that's true. Layers are one of the popular words people call this. Another one is splits. Thanks for the comment!
Danny, you used to demo products for Kraft Music, right? I remember watching and enjoying those demos.
@@theleftymonster Interesting. No I did not, but I must have a really good looking doppelganger! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
@@dannyrobertsonmusic it doesn’t matter. I’m primarily a guitar player but playing limited keyboard also in the band which is kind of growing on me. Anyway the stuff that you’re talking about is exactly what I needed. Just subscribed. Wish you all the best with your channel.
Thank you for the kind words!
Guitarist can also often go overboard w/ effects X effects >
i share with you the same concept!
Some of the gear make good drink supports. 01:28
@@pfmmodule5144 😂🥤
The information you’re providing is very practical and that’s what this generation isn’t 😂 I know cause I’m one of them 🤣. I had a Motif XF8, Jupiter 80, on one 2 tier stand and a Fantom G7 and G6 on another, and like 4 rack modules, completely way too much for one Keys player. Now that I’m older I use just two keyboards, a XF8 for main keys and a XK1C for organ sounds. Not gonna lie having all these things was cool and are good for instagram pics Lol, but instead of taking the option for the latest Nord I asked my Pastor if we could just keep using the XF8 and use the funds for other church needs.
My first keyboard was 66 pounds without a case! I think that most of us enjoyed "collecting gear" in our youth as part of the fun of being a musician, but as we get older, our perspective often changes. Out thoughts turn to things like "This hurts my back/knees" or "I don't have any more room for this stuff!"
I still wouldn't change a thing. 😎 We learn as we grow. Thanks for the comment! Have fun playing at church!
I don't believe that anyone who doesn't know this is a serious keys player
How can you play live and not know this? 😅 anywayssss
What you find most of the time is that, most pianists need way more than 4 sounds (in the case of the motif xf being their main board) or based on their tone preferences, they'd have to use different boards or/and a laptop to get the kinda sounds they want
Thanks for the comment. With all due respect, I think you may have made some assumptions and possibly missed the main point of this video.
1) This video was not necessarily aimed specifically to what you refer to as "pro-level" musicians. Just aimed at showing an available feature in a keyboard that many people already own or have a similar option from the same manufacturer.
2) Many of the people I play with right now have toured professionally (with artists like Pink, Adele, Debbie Gibson, the Broadway Production of The Lion King in New York, etc.). Each of these pros has their own opinions of how to run their own live rig, some are complicated to get a desire result similar to what you are saying. But others keep their setup as simple as possible.
3) The main point of the video is to empower you to dive deep into your own equipment and find the answers that work best for you (the person watching).
With all of that said, I really do appreciate your comments here. I took a look over at your channel and you sound fantastic! You have a very unique style and I wish you the best of luck with your music!
If all you play is a piano or organ, you don't need a bunch of keys. Glad I don't gig anymore.
Yeah. I do gig, & I can get away with a keyboard for piano & rhodes, but I NEED my hammondB3 & my prologue analogue synth and my Novation mininova on stage. I cannot hack it with the fake cheesy a$$ organ patches. I only have one leg folks, and I drag out 4 boards, one of which is a 2 decker B3, a Leslie 147... I do it cuz its my passion & proffesion, & i will not sacrifice tone qualities just for convenience, even though I've got a prosthetic peg leg & shouldn't be carrying anything lol. I'm more of a traditional 70s type keyboard player. Id bring my rhodes out too.. except between that & the B3, I'm out of room on stage. I don't do the triple stands & I'm not a stand up all night player. (Classically trained... bad for the wrists to play standing) i love gigging, i just don't have as much fun at the smaller shows where we don't have techs & roadies.
Jordan Rudess just uses a Kronos and an iPad. That's it.
Check out this interview with a friend of mine who had a really random opportunity to jam with Jordan and a few other well known keyboardists. ua-cam.com/video/sQKJny3-swo/v-deo.html
Usually a Korg Kronos or any Roland and Yamaha workstation are more than enough for any skill keyboardist, im just using a Nord electro 5D wich IS less fancy to use, there is no sequencing or arppegio feature but you can layer many sound and sampler your own pad or lead sound inside it , most of the time it give me all i need . But even an AKAI MPC live box or keyboard version can be enough same for the new standalone Arturia keyboard with all there VST in one keyboard without need of computer.
The potential issue is that there isn’t enough polyphony
That's true. For context with anyone who does not know this term, it means that your keyboard might only have enough ability to play something like 128 notes at the same time.
This can become a problem when combining voices in a performance mode like this. For example, if I were to play the intro to "I Will Survive" (Where the piano arpeggio goes across the entire board while being sustained) and am using 4 different voices, I become limited to 32 notes per voice (which is not enough for that intro FYI).
In using performance modes, you need to be conscious of how many notes you are playing across different voices.
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