If you have a Roland (especially the G70/E80).........

GET THE FC-7 FOOTPEDAL!!

Totally hands free selection of Variation, plus whatever else you feel like (within limits).

My choices are

1-4 Variation select (also triggers fill if Auto-Fill is on)
5-6 Lower and Upper Sustains (can span both easily with one foot if needed)
7 Leslie Fast/Slow

Now I rarely need to take my hands off the key-bed while I'm performing.........

But many other combinations are possible.

Possibly NIGEL would consider having a KEYBOARD KNOWLEDGE Section where we can all write in ideas as and when we find them.
Most of us use our boards in different ways and most of the time take these things for granted, but we all can learn much more from other players tips.

Hi,
I'm only a hobbyist, piano player at heart ( though not in ability).
I use keyboards ( even OMB realtime arranger software) in full keyboard(pianist) mode.
No split between right & left hands, means I can trigger chords anywhere on the keyboard, with either left or right hand, or a combination of both. Great way of playing piano with a style backing.

best wishes
Rikki

I am using a KN 7000 on my jobs, within a few weeks I will have a Tyros 2 if all goes well.

I name and save a complete set up for a song in a registration, sometimes I’ll use a second registration if needed.

In the set up I have ----
1-Transpose
2-Pads
3-Intrumentation
4-effects and tempo
5-Name of song, bank and registration

In the custom widow I have created I have –
1-The name of the bank being used
2-A group of 8 registrations
3- A group of 6 pads.
4-The name of the chord playing, tempo, Right 1 and 2, Left, Transpose and volumes for all.

While I’m playing I can press next bank and view the next eight songs or press Bank View and see all banks (Thirteen)-- or go to the second page and scan through all the banks and view all the registrations and names of the songs

My question;
How close to that set up can I come with the Tyros 2?

John C.


[This message has been edited by bruno123 (edited 05-21-2006).]

I pretty much use the PSR as an arranger only. I have used midi files on a limited basis as a back up to assist with me my voice lessons.

I have created a song sytle library that I store in folders A to C, D to F etc. I have hundreds of songs stlyles stored. This library supplements use of registrations. What I find convenient is that I can assemble gig disks on the fly using this master library which I keep stored on a 2 gig flash drive.

I'm not a good player, therefore, I try to utilize all the tools the PSR-3000 offers to provide seamless entertainment to my audiences. Essentially, I've set up several Music Finder Diretories for the various venues, drawing from a master list of songs and placing those for a particular venue in the Favorites area. This allows me to scroll through just 55 to 75 songs for the next song instead of scrolling through several hundred. The MFDs are made using Michael Bedesem's Music Finder View, which is an outstanding program with lots of options that makes this job a piece of cake.

Next, when I set up registrations they are set up with a single song title for each button, thus providing me with 8 songs per bank. The banks are labled approriately such as Slow Rock, Slow 50s, Rock1, Rock2, etc. You can view them on the fly, and when one song is ending, the next song can be started with a single button push.

In my case, midi files are stored in my laptop and Vanbasco's Midi/Karaoke Player is utilized for playback. This is another free program that has lots of great options, including large lyrics display in vivid colors. This is interfaced with the keyboard via the USB/Host connection on the PSR-3000.

The laptop is also used to store lyrics of thousands of songs. Each page also has the keyboard settings as well. They are stored by song title, which makes access instantaneous using Notepad. I use a white background, large black letters, and everything is in bold font with full screen width display. If you use a chordless, scrolling mouse, which is the easiest way to select the song, once the song is displayed, merely press the scrolling wheel down until you see a double arrow appear. Then release the wheel and by moving the mouse pointer slightly below the double arrow the screen will slowly scroll up the page. It's a neat tool.

The bottom line is between live playing using the MFD and registrations, midi files and MP3s, which are also stored on the laptop, you can quickly and easily move from song to song with zero dead time. This keeps the dancefloor packed, keeps the audiences happy, makes the time pass quickly, and keeps the paychecks growing.

Good thread Fran,

Gary

------------------
Travlin' Easy

Hi Foks ,this is a good thread and I value you opinions .
I expect anyday soon to get my long awaited Gem XP module for my midi accordion .
To all you folks that know me I'm not selling my beloved technics KN7000 .
It's staying at home ,it's just too much to take out on small gigs !!
My question to you folks is this :-
I have ordered a 6 pedal foot switch to use with the XP .

What functions would you suggest I set the 6 pedals to control .

regards ...........Giovanni

Hey Folks,
This is a super thread. Nigel should consider making it a 'sticky' or whatever you call it when the thread is made to remain as the first post.
Giovanni, I'm sorry to hear you still haven't received your XP. I would think that you would receive it long before it gets to the dealers stateside - which means, we won't get to see it for a while. I use the Korg EC5 - 5 pedals - A= fill 1; B= fill 2; C= advance arrangement variation; D= ending 1; E= start/stop (with intro 1 or 2 preset) or ending 2. If I had a 6th pedal, I would probably use it for a vocal harmonization variation. From what Dave M. reported, it's possible to chain 3 XP pedal modules for a total of 18 pedals and with 3 intros, 3 fills, 3 endings and vocal harm. choices on the XP, a dozen switches may be needed. I'd love it as I play standing most of the time with my module about waist high on my right.
Ciao,
Jerry

Great tips so far guys.

keep 'em coming......

One thing that hasn't been mentioned, but that I feel is very important is the pitch bend.
You gotta learn how to use that, so you can sound more authentic.
Guitars, Saxes and Trumpets etc. do this all the time.
But how to trigger it while playing in arranger mode if you are not Michel Vonecken?

Here is my longtime solution:
with the Yamaha's, and I'm sure with other brands the same, you can assign the pitch bend to a foot pedal.
That is soooo much easier and keeps your hands free playing and you will sound a hell lot more authentic.
Once in a while if your hands ARE free you can use the pitch bend directly to spice up things, because a guitar player bends the notes up AND down. The foot pedal is only down, which is sufficient in most cases.

My left foot pedal is for fill to self, to keep the beat from getting boring and the right foot pedal is for pitch bend when soloing.
A third pedal is for VH on and off which I have slightly to the side to not confuse my pedals.
Everything else can be easily done with your hands I think.

As Donny and others have said it many times: if you play a Saxophone, you gotta think like a Sax player.
How do you do it?
Listen, listen, listen, then try it out on your KB to see if you can get close to the sound.

Whenever I listen to music I try to pick one instrument and REALLY listen to all the different nuances and then I try it on my KB.

It makes a huge difference.
What is it really that we're trying to accomplish?
To create an Illusion of real musicians beeing up on stage.
Nothing wrong with that.
How good is your Illusion?

Listen, listen, listen; and the try it on your KB.

Watch a couple of Michel Vonecken videos.
That'll give you a start on where and how to begin.

Have fun.....

Eric

[This message has been edited by Eric, B (edited 05-21-2006).]

When doing wind instruments,one thing that a lot of keyboardists forget,is to allow the player to breathe.
Instead they hold notes for a ridiculous amount of time,too long for a real wind player to produce without turning blue.
The DX7, and a few other synths, would allow the use of a breath controller,something that would be cool to have on an arranger keyboard.


Ian