Everyone's responses have been very enlightening and encouraging.

Thanks, guys
Merry Christmas

Tim

Tim, you've touched on an area that really concerns me. It's not just keyboards. At our company, I'm dealing with Mac and PC programs for graphics, film editing, statistical research, etc. Then, theres a variety of video equipment, editing decks, still cameras, recording equipment, plus the keyboards. It's not that the learning curve is so steep, it's just that there's so much to keep up with, and I don't have the time to learn as much about the keyboards and everything else as I need to know. I work over 100 hours per week and must rely on my people to learn the equipment and bring me up to speed on just what I need to know to get the results I need. I'm the shooter for video and film. I also do the graphics, and am the keyboard player. The time I have is devoted to producing the end product, but, with every passing day, I'm getting farther removed from
the job of mastering the equipment. That really worries me, but, luckily, my son is my IT man. He's also a bass player, and keeps my music going by doing the research and letting me step in at the last minute to make the final decisions about programming, etc.


In keyboards alone, I'm looking at a Midjay, G-70, Casio WK-8000, SH-201, GW-7...all less than 6 months old and not utilized to the fullest.

Looks like things will get worse. Technology is GREAT, IF you can devote the time to master the equipment. I simply don't have the time.

And that is a BIG concern...


Russ

Russ,

That was a thought-provoking post. This techno-overload can only go so far. Makes one wonder what technology will do to save us from technology!

Tim

The problem is that many of us overload ourselves with a multitude of equipment we understand very poorly, rather than sticking to a couple of well-chosen pieces of kit, and getting intimate with them.

Truth be told, those of us with a half dozen keyboards or more could strip it down to two, and probably not lose an iota of sound possibilities. Most modern keyboards, arranger AND workstation, are so good and versatile that with patience and programming they are capable of just about anything you want. But we have this tendency to get just ONE more, just for this or that sound (which could probably be gotten close to on a keyboard we already own). and quickly end up swamping ourselves with manuals and confusing contrary OSs, that take very different paths to the same end.

Probably for all but those working at the highest levels in recording, one TOTL arranger and one TOTL workstation ought to be capable of just about anything our twisted minds can come up with... And mastering just two pieces of kit is a LOT easier than wrestling a big rig into submission.

I recommend they be from different manufacturers, to maximize your sonic pallet - maybe a G70 and a Kurzweil (my choice at the moment), or a PA2X/800 with a MotifXS, maybe an S900 with a Triton for those on a budget. If you can't make very professional sounding music with just the two, adding more is probably not going to help!

Avoid 'manual overload' and you get an awful lot more done!

Good advice, Diki. My concern is adding the mastering of all the other work tools we need in our business. I estimate that this would be a 40 hour per week job, given the upgrades constantly going on. My time is spent creating the work.

For now, my only solution is to hire people I trust to learn and assist with the massive learning curve.

Someday, I'll slow down and have the time to
concentrate solely on music, although, I really like film production, writing, research design, graphics and being a college level professor equally well. Dread the time when I'll have to slow down, but it's gonna happen way too soon, I suspect. I NEVER want to retire!


Ho, Ho, Ho, everyone!


Russ

osmosis - works for me. If not, I soon find another keyboard.

Osmosis? That's GREAT!

R.

Cass, my respect for you grows daily .

chas

From my perspective, I suspect that 90 perent of keyboard owners, both arranger and synth, know little or nothing about the inner working of their keyboards and associated operating systems. Most like what they hear, and this is a good thing. And, I agree with Diki, most could easily get along with one or two keyboards, especially if they took the time to learn the inner workings and operating systems.

Today's keyboards are incredible tools. The instrument sounds are so realistic they're beyond description, the styles are phenominal, and anyone that sincerely believes they can master all the aspects of a high-end keyboard in three months or less is either a genius or full of sh*t. In most instances, the keyboard is far more capable of performing more tasks than the performer could ever dream of. The onboard programs alone are fantastic tools that are rarely used, let alone utilized to their fullest.

In the three years I've owned the PSR-3000 I still have yet to use every tool the keyboard has to offer. And, it's not the top of the line board. The S900 has several more features, and owners that procurred the board when it was first introduced have yet to scratch the surface of what this keyboard is capable of doing.

So, how well do you really know your keyboard? I'll have to let you know the answer to this question when I run out of questions to answer. After three years I'm still in learning.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

The thing is,if you just let go of the technology lust even for just a couple of years, we would become both better aquainted with our instruments AND better musicians. The two feed off each other. New is not always better and even if it genuinely is better it doesnt make us play any better.