Tubular.net :: Mike Oldfield Forums Discussion, news, reviews, fan music, and more.
	Search :: Members :: Help :: Guidelines

Pages: (2) < 1 [2] > [ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

fastguy101 Group: Members Posts: 69 Joined: July 2005 Posted: June 29 2007, 09:42 Trinidad,  I know what you mean!  $$$ is always an issue but I'm thinking of getting rid of my equipment on ebay to get enough for the Yamaha board.   With all the technology today all you really need is a computer, a decent keyboard and some software/vst's.  It's ironic that with all the advances, it's actually getting simpler again to get to just playing music again.   Mike Back to top

Markus K. Group: Members Posts: 154 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 30 2007, 12:41 Funny. I have also recently been playing around with the "4Front TruePianos" 40-day trial. Recently I also tried out a demo of "Modartt Pianoteq v.2", which is a completely physically modelled piano with no samples at all. It's kind of cool with all the resonance thingies and pedal noises and everything, but somehow I like TruePianos more. There's also a free version of "SampleTank v.2" VST that comes with a decent grand piano. http://www.purgatorycreek.com/  has lots of sample MP3's of digital pianos and VSTs under "Digital Piano Shootout" menu. I recently bought a second hand Alesis "Nanopiano" module. I paid too much and don't even like it.   It could be okay with some EQ but I rather use a software solution. (It might show up on eBay soon...) I was lucky to find a cheap "antique" Yamaha digital piano (or "electronic piano" as it says on the panel). It uses FM synthesis  , but the touch is quite nice and the device is REALLY heavy so it's quite stable on a dual-X stand. (Maybe this should have been under "TubularTech") Well to be more on topic: The "Peace" track does sound very nice as people have said. I didn't come up with any constructive criticism. Maybe some high right hand notes could be a bit lighter.   Would be a nice challenge trying to learn to play it. I have noticed that when playing these kind of things out of memory, during the learning process the tune can become quite different from the original. Well...call it artistic freedom.   Arpeggios are useful.   -------------- --- Markus K. Back to top

Trinidad Group: Members Posts: 295 Joined: Mar. 2005 Posted: July 02 2007, 05:26 Thanks, Markus. Quote (Markus K. @ June 30 2007, 18:41) Maybe some high right hand notes could be a bit lighter. Yep, you're right. I wanted the right hand part to be slightly louder than the left one, to make the main melody clear enough, but I couldn't mantain the balance all the time playing both parts together. Also, after switching the sound card from music creation mode to high quality, I noticed what seemed to be too loud frequencies when playing some notes. I tried to apply some equalization, but, due to my inexperience, I did always lose the "sound character" of the piano, so I just left it as is. Maybe it would have been better to use a compressor (?). Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: July 02 2007, 15:29 Quote (fastguy101 @ June 29 2007, 09:42) With all the technology today all you really need is a computer, a decent keyboard and some software/vst's.  It's ironic that with all the advances, it's actually getting simpler again to get to just playing music again.   Mike Well, if you ignore everything that does not include an electronic keyboard, and for things that do include a keyboard, those with a unique sound character or looks/specifics that give you inspiration or unique possibilities (CS-80 sideways aftertouch, to name just one thing), then yes . I do agree that to a large extent, you can place your whole studio excluding the instruments itself and a mixer into your PC. Sometimes a dirty old effect can be an addition, but if you just want clean recording things, the PC is all you really need for many applications. For the kind of music Trinidad makes, a well equiped PC and a good master keyboard should be sufficient indeed (and there is nothing negative about that). I'm not talking about software vs hardware synthesizer sound comparison here. In fact, I'm talking about everything except that . With a master KB and a PC you just won't do that guitar riff, the recorder solo, that old spring reverbed philicorda background tune or get the inspiration you get from your wood paneled, big knobbed synth with ribbon controller, for example. After all, there's more to making music than just the sound itself.  Now I don't want to say that when you only use a PC + master KB you won't get inspiration or possibilities, it's simply a different set of possibilities/inspiration. Just like when taking a guitar in your hands versus say a xylophone. Back to top

fastguy101 Group: Members Posts: 69 Joined: July 2005 Posted: July 02 2007, 16:36 Nicolas,  I think my bigger point was sometimes all the technology gets in the way of simply creating and playing music.  Since 1986 when I bought my first MIDI keyboard (Juno 106), I have followed the trail of technological advances and all the wonderful equipment that evolved from it BUT I also noticed I became a prisoner of the technology as well.   I became fascinated by the "toys" and realized I spent more time learning how to use the damn things then playing and practicing.  The same applies for all the software.   I now realize it's better to have a few good pieces of equipment thus my mission to sell off most of it and focus back on the music.  I would like to eventually post some stuff here but I do have stage fright (even though it is online). As far as sounds, I think the emergence of better quality Vst's have helped address and surpassed my synths.  For example, I have Korg's M1 and Wavestation (as vst's) and they seriously compete with the original keyboards.   Of course, real instruments recorded directly into my software sound much better but I cannot play any other instrument.  My goal is to emulate a guitar or drums or flutes or whatever and trick the ear into thinking it's the REAL thing.  For me if the average person can not tell the difference, then I have achieved my objective which to bring pleasure through music to someone. Mike Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: July 02 2007, 18:42 Oh, I can cetainly agree on the prisoner of technology part. I sketch out things on my simple "home keyboard" or even the casio SK-1 because these are as easy as it gets. Then, when I have an idea, I try to make it sound as nice as possible by syntehsizing nice sounds, putting effects over sounds, finding which instruments suits which part best, etc. In these cases, the inspiration comes before the technology. Though in some other cases, I just try things out on my synths, and suddely I find something nice and a new tune is born. In those cases the inspiration comes through technology. The real problem is when technology really hinders the creative or constructive part of making music. A well equiped but "trimmed" and well tuned PC may certainly reduce that problem. Keep things functional yet simple. At the moment, the setup on which I record is just 1 organ, 1 synth and 1 PC with 1 program, and 2 supporting programs which I use far less. That's it. Only when I need 5 octaves or more than 4 times polyphony, I need to plug in my other keyboard . So if I'd buy 1 MIDI splitter, I'd have a fully functional studio without whole racks of toys or gigs worth of programs. It's certainly liberating! On the other hand, I'd like some new toys now and then, as they give me inspiration. But not using an instrument for a while and then getting back at it also does this. Quote Of course, real instruments recorded directly into my software sound much better but I cannot play any other instrument.  My goal is to emulate a guitar or drums or flutes or whatever and trick the ear into thinking it's the REAL thing.  For me if the average person can not tell the difference, then I have achieved my objective which to bring pleasure through music to someone. I agree 100% on this. Don't let your limitations stop you, use them in your creativity. If I own the real instrument and can play it, that's the way to go. If not? Find a way around it! I can certainly believe that an M1 or wavestation VST sound really well, these instruments are quite well "malleable" into a VST. For a Philicorda, or a space echo effect or something like that, it becomes more difficult to "catch" the original timbre. Of course there too, if you've got a limitation, use it in your creativity! If we'd only use our musical instruments and tools exactly the way they were meant to be used, we'd be only half as creative . Back to top

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ] Pages: (2) < 1 [2] >

Forums | Links | Instruments | Discography | Tours | Articles | FAQ | Artwork | Wallpapers
Biography | Gallery | Videos | MIDI / Ringtones | Tabs | Lyrics | Books | Sitemap | Contact


Mike Oldfield Tubular.net