Jim Atwood in Japan

Boss Micro-Br Recorder

Today I found and picked up a used Boss Micro BR portable music recorder here in Japan. It’s incredibly small and very light weight. I currently don’t have any recording devices other than samplers, loopers, or the computer. I thought about getting a larger recording device, but I always felt that the computer was probably the best choice for me so I tend to use that when I need to record.

There were several factors that prompted me to buy the Boss Micro BR. Originally I was considering the Korg Sound on Sound Portable Multitrack recorder which I still like, however I can only find it new and I’m not ready to pay full price for one yet. I basically bought the Boss Micro BR (unit only) for $50. The 128mb demo SD card was found inside but that was it. At home here I already have an extra AC Adapter plus a 2GB sandisk memory card that worked great although I’ve heard the Boss Micro-br only works up to 1GB. That’s fine for now though. I also had plenty of cables and the manuals are all available online which I prefer. Being in Japan, most manuals are in Japanese anyway so I obviously migrate to the internet to get the necessary literature.

Although I play the keyboard most of the time nowadays, I grew up playing and still play the electric guitar. I find that the Boss Micro-br is FANTASTIC for sitting anywhere in the studio, house, or even outside for playing. The Boss Micro BR runs on batteries and I can just sit anywhere and jam on the guitar to either the built-in drum machine or to backing tracks that I record. I even think it’s possible to create your own drum patterns using a Drum Pattern Arranger which is available via shareware. I can also use the available conversion software and either import or export WAVs and/or MP3s which is nice.

Basically though, the Boss Micro BR is a fun little unit. I grew up in the 80′s and the only thing close to this that I once had was the Tom Scholz Rockman which had that “Boston” Rock sound I recall. I never really used it much because I remember it being quite one dimensional with the “Boston” sound and there were other little quirks too like no drum machine and you couldn’t record on it. It was great at the time because I could jam on my guitar while walking around the house. It was certainly a novelty at best. With the Boss Micro BR I can get a very good amp simulator, great quality sound, and loads of effects. Plus I get a dedicated drum machine and 4 tracks to record ideas and/or back tracks. Through headphones the Boss Micro BR really sounds fantastic. Some people are critical of the distortion, but again coming from the old classic Rockman of the 80′s I find the distortion to be better than anything I’ve ever heard unless of course you are a big Boston fanatic…laugh.

I also will likely use the Boss Micro BR as a voice recorder and MP3 player. I tried both and it performs very well with these two functions. I also own another Voice-Trek recorder which I use quite a bit. Being in Japan, I often send MP3 voice messages to family and friends, so it’s nice to have a backup with the Boss Micro BR. I’m also constantly listening to music and knowing I have something I can use as a backup MP3 player is great. I’ll probably throw all kinds of music and podcasts on this. Plus you can use the Boss Micro BR as a means to slow down music for learning songs, chords and riffs for either the guitar or the keyboard. This works very well also. It will also be great to throw the Boss Micro BR into my Roland SH-01 GAIA case and have something to record or jam with on the go.

I bought the Boss Micro BR over competing brands simply because it had a rock bottom “used” price and it had some pretty good functions to start my recording with. Whether I move on to something else or not will likely happen if I encounter some major problems or find a used Korg SoS recorder for a good price. There may be something else out there as well and if anyone can recommend a good portable music recorder alternative, please leave a comment. I’d sure appreciate it.

Although Music recorders have been around for a few years now, it’s still a slight volatile market with updates happening every year or less it seems. I think the Boss Micro BR was released in 2006 if correct. All in all though it’s a fun little device and can be used and enjoyed in many different ways. Support from Boss seems to be good and so far I haven’t had any issues with learning how to operate the device. Some say it’s overly complicated, but as a synth player, computer programmer, and overall sound nut, I find it’s not that hard really. Like everything else, it just requires a bit of work to learn initially and then you’re off and running. Again, my expectations are low and requirements are simple, so perhaps that’s why it’s been a good match so far.

Should be fun doing some keyboard jams with it too!! Enjoy!

Precision Sound Electric Piano Samples

Today I just got a newsletter from Precision Sound about their Winter Sale which consists of 50 percent off on all Sample Sets until 31 December 2010. I’ve been waiting for this sale to come up so I could finally pick up some Samples sets to program into my Yamaha Motif ES and Roland Fantom XR Sound Module. I was primarily interested in the EP Electric Piano series samples which consists of the MKS-20, Fender Rhodes MKII 73, and Wurlitzer A200 Electric Piano. I recently purchased the GospelMusicians MKSensation and Neo-Soul Rhodes and I’m excited about adding to that collection with these new sample sets.

I’m a HUGE fan of the electric piano sound in jazz, gospel, Rnb, Funk, you name it. I don’t have a read Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, nor an MKS-20, so I feel (hope) these Sample sets will get me close if not there. At the moment I am programming these into my Motif and Fantom because those are my primary multisample based hardware keys at the moment. Once I have them in there, I’ll update my article here with some thoughts about how I think they sound and maybe make some comparisons to other sample sets like I mentioned above. These Sample Sets can be expensive I know which is why I waited for the Precision Sounds Samples to go on Sale.

The exact Precision Sound Sample Sets I purchased are as follows for those interested:

Dusty Electric MkII V2 – Fender Rhodes Mk II 73 Stage Piano
Funky Electric P200 V2 – Wurlitzer A200 Electric Piano
P20 – Vintage Digital – Roland MKS-20 8 Presets

If anyone has a questions or thoughts, please feel free to comment below. Thanks! – Jim

Smooth Chords Music Instruction Videos

Today I finally became a member of a great site called Smooth Chords with Starling Jones Jr. Below I posted an example video that I really like which inspired me to become a member. Starling has a Youtube video channel that you should check out. There are a ton of great videos on there showcasing some great songs, but especially some smooth chord progressions. As some will know, I am also a current member of GMTC Gospel Musician Training Center which I am very fond of. I joined Starling’s site for several reasons. First, he has a lot of videos that are not on GMTC which gives me a wider range of songs and resources to choose from. The piano tutorial below is an example of this. “Another Blessing” by Melvin & Lee Williams is not covered by GMTC. Starling has it on his site along with many others that are great so I’m excited about expanding my choices.

Second, it’s always a plus to have similar or even the same material explained by different musicians. I’m also a big fan of Jamal Hartwell for example over at Gospelmusicians. Sometimes the way he explains things like “Tritones” I somehow get better then when other musicians try to tackle the subject. In fact he even has a DVD on the subject. I know Starling will likely be the same. I enjoy having the ability to seek out answers from different people or perhaps ask questions and get different perspectives. I believe it helps me to be a more well rounded musician. Starling is an excellent musician and instructor who is right up there with everyone else. Not to mention he is a really nice guy taking time out to answer posts and messages on his forum or blog.

Finally, Smooth Chords is a site is that highly active. What I mean is that Starling is ALWAYS doing something in the Gospel Music community and with all the updates and news I get from him, I finally feel it’s time to get more involved and learn all the great music he provides on his site…or at least learn as much as I can. I am a huge fan of active music websites and communities. Starling Jones Jr. is very current with the music scene and even participates frequently on other gospel sites.

In any event, I’m finally glad to be a member of the Smooth Chords Music Community. If you are a current member or are on the fence about it, feel free to comment or send me an email anytime. I’d be more than happy to share my experiences and answer any questions. Also, thanks to Mr. Starling Jones Jr. for the excellent Smooth Chords Music Community.

Stan Lewis Musician Breakthrough

Round 2 of the Musician Breakthrough is coming up on Youtube and one of the first is Stan Lewis Teaching a Shouting Pattern which is really cool. I really like what Stan is doing here and it’s great to hear him teaching how to do it. This is really going to be a great series. I’m not sure when it will be released whether before or after the New Year, but it’s going to be fun for sure. What’s going to be interesting is how one is going to get through all of this material. It’s probably going to take quite a bit of time depending on ones level of course.

Round one is purely on playing. Sit back and enjoy them go! Round two is on teaching some of the concepts they just played (which are real samples from the courses). Round three will be a really short interview with each musician.

Other musicians in the MUSICIAN BREAKTHROUGH Series are Stan Lewis, Jason Freeman, Jeremy Jeffers,Marcus Hodge, Kevin Nickelson, David Jackson, and Javad Day.

Check out Stan Lewis in the following video clip.

http://www.GospelMusicSecrets.com — visit this link to see all 7 musicians in action! Vote on your favorite clip and possibly win an iPad!

MKSensation MKS-20 for Motif EX/XS/XF

Today I picked up the recent Gospelmusicians Sample release called MKSENSATION MKS-20. I have never owned a Roland MKS-20 and probably won’t anytime soon as they are both hard to come by and are a bit expensive to buy and have shipped to Japan. After reading a couple of reviews from prominent musicians who recently bought the MKSensation MKS-20 samples, I elected to give them a try myself. I also recently bought the Neo-Soul Rhodes Samples from Gospelmusicians and they are really good. I was able to convert and import them into my Fantom XR as well. With some additional tweaking I think they sound great. I figured I would do the same with MKSensation so that I could play them both on my Yamaha Motif ES and Fantom XR Sound Module. ( Note: These samples DO NOT WORK with the Roland Fantom XR straight out of the box. They are for Motif Keyboards ONLY. You have to convert them and understand how to create multisamples in the Fantom manually yourself. I actually spent a few days on the Neo-Soul Rhodes Samples and was able to get all voices pretty close on the Fantom XR. MKSensation will likely be easier. )

In an earlier article, I wrote that these Samples were likely to be good, but were expensive. Although they are similar priced with other sample sets found on Motifator, I still think they “all” are expensive..laugh. With that said, I KNOW I will be using these samples on my Motif ES and Fantom XR extensively so I’m sure I’ll recoup quickly. I also believe in supporting Jamal Hartwell and Dave Polich for their fantastic work on the samples and Motif programming. I should also mention that unlike some samples sets on Motifator, you get all three MKSensation Samples Sets for the Motif EX,XS, and XF. Thus at anytime if you upgrade your Motif or get another keyboard you can use these samples for all three. Other packages make you buy the samples all over again unless you know how to properly convert them. Even then you still have to know how to program your Motif as these Samples contain not only the raw samples, but also use Rom based Motif sounds when layered. Not to mention that some use effects and other parameters from the Motif. When I was programming the Fantom, I noticed this was true for all the special effect patches in the Neo-Soul Sample Set and had to adjust accordingly.

I will update this article with additional info once I complete my download and put them into my Motif ES for playing. I’ll also write some comments about how well they program into the Fantom XR once I complete that later in the week. I use both the Motif and Fantom extensively so that is why I am shoving them into the Fantom. It’s not easy, but it’s doable and it sounds great to my ears.

Here’s the Voice List for MKSensation.

001 (A01) MKS Piano 1
002 (A02) MKS Piano 2
003 (A03) MKS Piano 3
004 (A04) MKS Clav
005 (A05) MKS Vibes
006 (A06) MKS Harpsi
007 (A07) MKS-20 EP1
008 (A08) MKs-20 EP2
010 (A10) MKS Remix – Piano and EP Tines with chorus
011 (A11) Piano1&Str – MKS Piano 1 with Strings.
012 (A12) MKSEP&Strg – MKS EP 2 and Strings
013 (A13) Stack Vibe – Super layered MKS and Yamaha Tines
014 (A14) MKS Tine 1 – MKS EP 2 with high chorus and warmth
015 (A15) MKS Tine 2 – Piano 2 and Strings
016 (A16) Hard MKS20 – Piano 3 with a hard dance piano sound

Stay tuned!

Jim

Sound Advice with Dave Polich

A couple of days I ago I purchased the Sound Advice DVD with Dave Polich from Keyfax. I had my eye on this DVD for a while as a great resource for exploring all aspects of synthesizer programming. I thought this would work well for helping me to program better my Roland and Yamaha synthesizers.

The Sound Advice DVD download was available from Keyfax. It was nice to see that they made their library of DVDs available for download. Unfortunately the download experience with Keyfax was extremely frustrating and I’ll likely avoid downloading from Keyfax in the future. With that said, I was issued new working download links 24 hours after purchasing. No reason was issued for why I had download issues.

The Sound Advice DVD was money well spent. There were three downloads each around 1GB in MP4 format. The quality was good for a download and it is a pleasure to watch. I’m currently working my way through the 1st DVD and will follow-up this post with additional comments and thoughts as I progress. There is another review of the DVD set already found HERE for those interested in reading about past comments. I primarily picked up the DVD to learn more about synthesizer programming with not only my Motif ES, but also the Roland Gaia and other synths that I have. Although the Sound Advice DVD references the Yamaha Motif Line of keyboards, I find the information is general enough to apply to other brands most definitely.

I must thank Dave Polich for putting together I great DVD tutorial about synthesizer programming. I look forward to finishing the series and applying what I learn to my synths. It should be fun indeed.

Stay tuned for updates shortly.

Jim

Roland Fantom XR

Today I found a used Roland Fantom XR with the FAN-XR-UP1 “Sample Tools Expansion Kit” and all accessories for $500 at the used music shop outside of Nagano city, JAPAN. It was a real find and I really didn’t expect to get it, but there were a few things that made be make the purchase. First the Fantom XR came with the FAN-XR-UP1 “Sample Tools Expansion Kit” installed along with all the accessories found in the kit. The kit accessories included the Fantom-XR Sample Tools Expansion Kit CompactFlash Card, PC Card Adapter, CD-Rom (Editor), Fantom-XR Sound List (Leaflet), Guide to the Added Functionality (Booklet), and finally a sticker. In addition, the Fantom XR was fitted with one stick of 512MB memory and an extra 1GB Compact Flashcard was thrown into the bag. Finally, in the accessories bag was a manual for the SRX-12 Classic EPs expansion card which I later found was already installed inside the Fantom XR. BONUS!

I thought for $500 this was a deal that couldn’t be passed up. Plus the unit was in absolute mint condition. I almost didn’t see it as the guy had it in a glass case way at the bottom and kind of slid to the back. Although I am slightly more of a Yamaha Motif fan lately with my ES, I thought this would compliment it well. The Fantom XR works beautifully and I’m glad I picked it up. It’s true in Japan that people really go crazy over accessories and as expected the Fantom XR had most of the bells and whistles along with all the materials barely used.

Along with the SRX-12 Classic EPs expansion card, I’ve already thrown in some great Rhodes multisamples into the rack and it really sounds fantastic. The Fender Rhodes “bark” is there and that makes me happy. I downloaded and installed the generous Rhodes patches ( Set of 16 ) from Cesarsound on the RolandClan Forums. The link to the thread is here. These sound really good and load up very fast. Plus with the FAN-XR-UP1 “Sample Tools Expansion Kit” I can create and edit my own multisamples for the Fantom XR in no time. Fantastic!

As I dive deeper into the Fantom XR, I’ll post some updates to this article. Stay tuned!

Fender Rhodes 1971 Suitcase Piano

I have always been a huge fan of the Fender Rhodes Electric Piano Sound. I love listening to some of the great artists like George Duke, Jeff Lorber, Bob James, Dr. Lonnie Liston Smith, Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, The Crusaders and one of my favorites Eumir Deodato jam on the Rhodes Piano. It’s simply breathtaking and inspiring.

There are plenty of great hardware and software Rhodes Emulations out there from the Yamaha Motif Series, Nord Electros, Kurweil, Korg SV-1, to the Roland classic Vintage Keys expansion cards. Scarbee, Lounge Lizard, and Mr. Ray are a few of the top Software choices emulating the popular Fender Rhodes sound.

So what are some of the top Fender Rhodes Sounds and Samples? Well as of writing this post there are a load of Rhodes Sample choices out on the market. I have narrowed down a few that are popular, plus a brand new one released this week for the Yamaha Motif Series Keyboards.

1. Neo-Soul Fender Rhodes Sounds and Samples – by Jamal Hartwell from Gospelmusicians

2. Fender Rhodes Suitcase Premiere – RHODES Premier Japan

3. Dusty Electric MkII by Precision Sound

4. Real Rhodes by Pyramid Sound Productions

5. 1977 Mark I Rhodes Stage Piano by Learjeff’s Soundfonts

6. Scarbee R.S.P. ’73 – RSP 73 is the most comprehensively sampled Rhodes piano on earth.

7. E-PIAN by Acoustic Samples – a Classic 73 Keys Electric piano from 1972 recorded

8. Tubed Keys Mk I 73 by SampleTekk – The Rhodes challenger! Sampled using a Fender Twin (c) amp.

Here is a video of Jamal Hartwell’s new Neo-Soul Fender Rhodes Sounds and Samples for your Yamaha Motif ES/XS/XF.

HearandPlay Gospel Musicians Breakthrough

Coming soon is the new HearandPlay Musician Breakthrough Gospel Musicians Series DVD Release. It’s still a work in progress, but I’ve heard the release will likely happen “hopefully” before the end of the year. As some may know, I am a member of the GMTC Gospel Musicians Training Center and members have a chance to listen to the latest news during the bi-weekly live training sessions. There has been some talk of the new Gospel Musicians Breakthrough DVDs and in the last session Mr. Jermaine Griggs graciously allowed us a “Sneak Preview” of some of the material.

The attached photo is a screenshot of a video that I watched and I must say I was really impressed. The material is just mind blowing and I’m definitely going to be picking this up once released. Note that I’m not an affiliate of HearandPlay at the moment, but just a fan of some of their products. Actually I’m a huge fan of the GMTC Gospel Musician Training Center which is a little different than the DVDS one can purchase. Each week I learn a couple of songs and I must say it has helped me become a much much better Gospel, Jazz, RnB, and Funk keyboardist absolutely.

Anyway, back to HearandPlay Gospel Musicians Breakthrough DVD release. While I have a lot of info about it from listening to the GMTC live training sessions and have been privy to watch a sneak preview, it’s probably not a good idea to divulge much info as I’d like to leave that up to HearandPlay. Like I said, Gospel Musicians Breakthrough should be coming out very soon. I just wanted to mention it in my blog here to give those interested in Keyboard Instructional Music a heads up that something great is on the way. Stay tuned!

UPDATE #1: I just received a link to a new website with more detailed info about the upcoming Musician Breakthrough Gospel Musicians Series. Check out GospelMusicSecrets.com and check it out! There’s a contest there too to win a free iPad! Vote for your West Coast Musician and sign up to get notified about the new release. Produced by Mr. Jermaine Griggs and Jonathan Powell. Great news!

UPDATE #2: New videos are being posted today on HearandPlay’s Youtube Channel.

Roland W30 LCD Backlight

After the success of my Yamaha SY77 “Cool Blue” LCD backlight replacement, I decided to see if I could upgrade a few other of my old keyboard if possible. Today I found a Roland W30 “White” LCD replacement backlight for a great price $26.00 on Ebay. There are other options around, but most are asking for $50 or more which I think is a bit much.

The great thing about this “White” LCD replacement, is that it should brighten up the Roland W30′s green LCD considerably. Note that this LCD backlight replacement can also be used for the Korg 01W and Wavestation A/D. I find myself playing in a lot of dark places and with the Roland W30 having a brighter display it should be more fun and less headache to work with. One BIG problem that will still exist is the power converter noise or hum in the Roland W30. I completely eliminated this whine from the Yamaha SY77 by replacing the LCD unit altogether, but I have yet to find the proper replacement hardware for the Roland W30. Until then, this White LCD Backlight replacement I bought from Ebay should suffice regarding the brightness of the display.

Once I receive and replace the Roland W30 LCD display, I’ll post some photos of before and after. As far as I know I simply need to desolder a couple of pins and the solder in the new replacement LCD sheet. Probably the most difficult or time consuming aspect will be taking apart the Roland W30 to access the LCD display. That was an all day job with the Yamaha SY77…laugh. Nonetheless, it’s kind of fun actually. Nothing beats the raw smell of those old vintage keyboards and synthesizers when you crack open the cases. Yeah right!

Enjoy! – Jim

UPDATE #1: Here is a video found on Youtube of someone replacing the old Korg Wavestation A/D backlight with a new “white” version similar to the one I purchased above. This video will show you the difference roughly of before (green) and after (white). It’s much brighter you can see. Awesome!