When I was young...

[mucsusn]

Most of my music making has revolved around the live part of things. My involvement with recording over the years has been as a session player, and I did a lot of live stereo recording for Wind Ensemble over the years. It is amazing now to take my S-88 and my KC-500 and cover just about any base that a contractor needs. And much easier on my back than the old days.

My first rig was a B-3, a Wurlie, a Leslie 145 and a Traynor 8x10 cab with an old Kustom silver sparkle head. Thank god that band mostly did week-long stands!

Then, over the years, a variety of Rhodes', a couple of CP-70's (in dual Anvil cases), and a Minimoog, Pro-5, OB-8, Arp String Ensemble..........damn, I get tired thinking about it. One time, we dropped the harp section of a CP-70 (it was in its' Anvil) about 15 feet out of the side door of a P-3. It didn't skip a beat, but left a nice dent in the hot blacktop on the ramp at NAS Bermuda. Then for about 5 years I stopped gigging on the side and my only playing duties in the Navy were what we called "protocol" work for the Admiral. My job was to go to his house for all of his official entertaining (about 150 gigs a year) and cover the cocktail sets with a 4 piece acoustic combo and then cover dinners by myself. I was on a first name basis with the staff, so on my breaks I would walk downstairs and get greased, plus the chef gave me some great cooking lessons over the years.

One time, I was taking a dinner break on an October evening in 1989, watching the beginning of the Giants/Athletics World Series game. The picture sort of blinked and shook, then went blank........and I thought to myself, "damn, they just had an earthquake". The creepy thing was that one week earlier, to the minute, I had been driving along that section of elevated freeway and then onto the Bay Bridge, both of which had sections collapse. It still creeps me out to this day.

Anyway, after all that reminiscing, I was wondering if any of you have examples of some of those old experiments that you could post as MP3's and share your experiments with us less experienced folks.

Thanks

[noisemaker]

Oh the things we can do today.
I've been thinking about doing this for some time.

My next project will have 8 signature sounds from the X8. That's it. I expect to build 8 voices that reflect the direction I'll take and use them to create a certain sound reflecting my present "mood". I'll use the same EFX routing & mastering on the whole project. No outside EFX or sound modules. In fact I think I'll use just the internal sounds with occasional tweeking.

Doesn't that sound like fun.

The Beatles had infinate more talent than I do, but limited technology. How can a X8 at the hands of an amateur stand up? Hmm...we'll see.

http://daughtcalm.homestead.com/About.html

[Septimo]

Artemio, you're right, I've never heard any comercial recordings done with preset groovebox "dummy" patterns cuz they are as worthless as the preset "dummy" arpeggiated patterns on the FX. nothing more nothing less. but I have seen a comercial hip-hop group who use an RM1-X, along with other instruments of course(Outcast) right there in the middle of their setup

However, I can't believe that someone would buy a groovebox or a FX for that matter and attempt to create an actual comercial song with preset patterns anyway... ?.

when I bought my RM1, the best thing about that machine was the depth and ease of use of the sequencer(wich is still unmatched today, read any review on it)

one of my freinds has an XP-80 fully expanded wich i've borrowed on numerous occasions only for sounds to finish a number of projects. but since it was'nt mine, I never would even try to learn anything but to navigate through sounds.
it seemed to be a waste of time & effort for me to learn something that after 2 weeks I was gonna have to give it back.
I'd sample the drum sounds of the XP to the SU700 and program the beat there. There was no way I was gonna use the sequencer on the XP when the 700 is 100 Xs faster and more stable for beats. after I'd arrange & record every drum track seperately onto my 1880, then I'd play & rec. the instruments off the XP live on the 1880 and forget about that XP sequencer.

what inspired me to buy the FX, WAS the sounds on XP, But I'm almost positive that the RS7000 & Motif are much smarter machines for sequencing, even if the FX has all the super grafix. (none of that crap matters even if it does look cool! what matters is the end result.) I see that now that I own the FX and can comment with fact and not an envious oppinion. but Roland to me always had more punch & naunce to their sounds. If only Roland & Yamaha would merge and make superworkstation man that be cool (hey I've seen sonic the hedgehog running around on Nintendo's machine so anythings possible:)-)

but when my freind would make a track on his XP they came out cool but still wouldn't come out nowhere rear as nice as mine(not to pat myself on the back, but just being honest) on the rm1.and if I had it midi'd to the 700, forget it! but this is because he depends on that arppegiator too much for his creativity top to bottom. and it shows!...too digital. you can use the arppegiator for certain things but when U use the arp. for everything including the beat that is just as bad as using goovebox "dummy" patterns wouldn't you agree? Although over the years he has improved alot.

my point is even if you have the better machines, doesn't mean your gonna produce the best sound.
I've had the rm1 & the 700 since they came out and never used the presets. I always thought the memory holding those presets could have been put to better use. But another good thing the rm1 forced me to do was to tweak the heck out of my sounds thru cutoff/resonance/LFO's/atack/release & decay and so many more parameters if I wanted it to compete with the sounds that were out there. I frst learned how to do these things years ago on a korg M1 with only 4 trax (we wouldn't sequence on that thing though)doin music for hire in this studio in chicago, I became close freinds with the owner, and instead of money I would ask for my own studio time. I would concentrate on music and he would sequence on an atari whonoswhat computer sequencer. I'd be ther for hours tryin out different s**t!

That's why I'm always annoying you guys so I can learn how to manipulate this machine the way I did those machines in the past. and as soon as I figure how and where on the web to post my projects (PAST-ha & present-WOE) I will do so.

I have more to say about this issue But I'll save the rest of my comments for another thread. IM sure somewhere in the future it will come up again..

My oppinion through my exprience........


Septimo

[alogie]

Armed only with a Stylophone 305s http://www.stylophone-sales.fsnet.co.uk/350s.html (the large delux model)


Wow, that thing has a D-Beam (kinda)

Alistair