I’m rethinking keyboard programming for Bat Boy. I’ll definitely finish the Mainstage programming I started, but I’m not really happy about the quality of the stock sounds. If I had a budget, I’d definitely purchase Kirk Hunter’s EXS string samples and GSI’s VB3 Hammond emulation. The stock string and organ samples in Mainstage, while usable, aren’t exactly inspiring.
Since Bat Boy was originally programmed on a Kurzweil K2600, I’m considering programming the show on my Yamaha Motif XF8. There’s just one issue though. The Keyboard 2 book calls for over 160 patches, and the XF8 only has 128 slots in Master Mode. Since the K2600 also has 128 slots, the Broadway programmers must’ve done something clever.
I’m guessing they either had two K2600 units – perhaps one keyboard and the rack version as well, or they split the programming into two acts and loaded up the second act during intermission. I’m guessing they went for the first solution. In either case, I’m thinking about programming the show on the XF8 and splitting it into two acts, and loading up the second act during intermission. I’ll have Mainstage hooked up as well just for backup. It’ll be extra work, but practice is always good. I also have a hard time getting into the music when the samples aren’t up to par.
