Getting to where you are going I suppose is the reason of starting out in the first place. When I purchased my first keyboard I had no idea where I was going with it much less how to use it. Just before I retired I bought it because I liked the way it sounded and looked. Kind of like when I buy a new car. I buy it because I like the way it looks and sounds. I just plain like it. Don’t have anywhere in mind to go and no time in mind to get there. I buy it loaded with the things I like to use and let me tell you, Ruthie and me use it. The only thing I put into it is gas and oil. That’s it! So with my keyboard. I push the switch that fills her up with hundred and ten volt juice and away I go using everything that came with it. I guess what I want to say is, unlike Bud and some others, very seldom do I ever use any other rhythms or voicing than the ones that are built into the board. Don’t get me wrong, I have bought and acquired hundred upon hundreds of rhythms and disks. I have less than twenty in the customs that I find of any use. What a waste of time and money over the years. I have found non better than what is already available in my board. Maybe a little tweaking here and there and spending quite a bit of time matching the right rhythm and voicing and there is very few any better. The only reason I am musing on this subject is because of all the music that has been shared on this forum over the last nine months or so. I have noted that some of the guys use mostly rhythms not native to their boards. Some prefer the rhythms of their former technics’ boards. Then there are those that even buy different brands of boards because they don’t like the rhythms and voicing in the technics family of boards. Not that it is even of any importance, but I would be interested in understanding what it is about the built in rhythms that lead people to not use them more. Then follows the question of why buy it in the first place if you don’t use them. I do understand one reason. I myself have been caught up in it also. And that is that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence syndrome. Is it is or is it ain’t?

After all this, back to the subject at hand. Recording songs. I like the stuff recorded live. The way it would sound if the person playing and the person listing would be side by side. The music as it comes out when played live, not doctored, but using it just like it came out of the box, rhythms and all. It is my personal opinion that the built in rhythms sound much better than most all imported ones. They are much more realistic than most others. However I do like the sequenced work of guys like Larry. Man, I could listen to that kind of stuff for hours. That blows me away. Talent oozing out from under their fingernails. I suppose the reason I like the easy recorded stuff the most, is because I have a chance to play what I hear. What I hear is what is under my fingers and is possible for me to attain if I apply myself. I’m with most of you fellows. Developing the art of using the things built into our boards is very rewarding indeed. Frank you are so right. Talk is easy but you got the fruit to prove it and I like it.

Grandpa Doug