by Brian Li on Sunday, February 26, 2012
After living with Mainstage 2.1.3 for over a year, I’m finally updating to version 2.2. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while, but kept on putting it off for unknown reasons. Maybe I thought it would be too much of a hassle. That’s the attitude I’ve always had toward updating audio and design software. They all take up so much hard drive space, and I end up thinking it’s just a huge process. It’s really not. Anyway, I’ve just updated to Mainstage 2.2, and I’m currently redownloading and reinstalling all my extra sample content and audio loops just to be safe and sure.
Mainstage is a great piece of software for live performers – keyboardists, guitarists, and bassists included. It used to be part of Logic Studio, but is now available as a standalone app on the Mac App Store for $29. Yeah, it’s a really good deal. Optional content is also available as a free download inside Mainstage.
I’m not completely sure what’s been changed since version 2.1.x, but there haven’t been any mind-blowing features in this version. I’m guessing 2.2 fixes a few bugs, and is now officially a Mac App Store app.
Update: Okay, I found some information on changes for version 2.2. As I suspected, it’s mostly a maintenance update. There are a few updates for hardware controllers, as well as enhanced flexibility with SysEx messages. New auto-assignment support templates are also present. Finally, Mainstage 2.2 can now take advantage of “Macs with four or more processor cores”. Yay! This is great because I suspect my next laptop will be a quad-core MacBook Air (whenever that happens). Just imagine it…a lightning fast MacBook Air with a huge ThunderBolt external hard drive to hold sound libraries.
Mainstage 2.2 release notes can be found here.
by Brian Li on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Do you guys know about the Jekyll & Hyde concept cast recording? It speaks to me so much more than the Broadway cast recording, but maybe that’s the result of the different orchestration. The Broadway recording was obviously a much larger production, and incorporated lots of full orchestral sections. The concept cast recording is much more sparse, but is very well written. I’m also a huge fan of FM synthesis, and I’m almost 100% certain the concept cast recording uses multiple Yamaha DX7 keyboards. I’m just going to “Someone Like You” on the concept cast recording is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. God, I love the DX7 too much. After listening to the concept cast recording, the Broadway version seems incomplete and lacking. It could’ve been so much more!
Moral of the story – go listen to the concept cast recording! I think it’s on Spotify. If not, it’s definitely on Amazon.
P.S. Who left “Love Has Come of Age” out of the Broadway show? It’s the best song on the concept cast recording…
by Brian Li on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
A high quality keyboard amp should be on any keyboardist’s “To Buy” list. Unfortunately, a good one is often hard to find. Since keyboards use many stereo sounds, having one standalone amp doesn’t give a true stereo image even if the speaker horns are pointed at different directions. I don’t have anything against running keyboards through mono, but I definitely prefer a stereo piano sound. As with any kind of audio gear, quality comes at a price. Expect to spend over $1000, and you won’t be disappointed. If you’re into the one amplifier setup thing, the Traynor K4 is your best bet. They sound great and they can get very loud, but there’s no true stereo image.
In my opinion, the best solution is get a decent set of PA speakers. For keyboards, my best recommendation is a pair of QSC K12′s. Do some research online, and you’ll find that the QSC K-series is almost the definitive solution for gigging keyboardists. I got my first K12 a few weeks ago, and ran it mono for a little while. FM and other synth sounds were amazing, but acoustic pianos were thin and uninspiring. Obviously I didn’t expect a stereo sampled acoustic piano to sound good through mono. This past weekend, I got a second K12. I brought both of them to our first rehearsal for The Wedding Singer. It was the first time I had heard them in stereo and I was literally captivated. I really did not want to stop playing, and I was a little sad when rehearsal ended. Even though each K12 weighs 41lbs, the sound quality you get is definitely worth the transportation trouble. For frequent gigglers, a pair of the smaller K10′s is a better solution. They don’t have as much bass as the K12′s, but they are much lighter and smaller.
by Brian Li on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Valentine’s Day is in a week, and it’s the perfect excuse to get something special for a musician. I’ve put together a short list of what I think many musicians would appreciate! I just want to say that I am also accepting Valentine’s Day gifts as well. Just wanted to put that out there… Okay, here we go.
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The Mighty Bright Orchestra Light
A stand light should be in every musician’s gig bag. I recommend the Mighty Bright Orchestra Light. When I play, I like to have one big light on top, and smaller lights on the side if they’re needed. Seeing the music is useful, so that automatically makes a good stand light useful. I’ve had lots of experiences with older stand lights with those long incandescent bulbs. I never liked the yellow color they give off, and those things get so hot! The Mighty Bright Orchestra Light stays cool to the touch, and it gives off a nice white light. I have a short story to share about stand lights. I played keyboard in a production of Once on This Island a few months ago. The incandescent stand light at the theatre died in the middle of the show. I ended up rigging some temporary solution with my iPhone flash and my watch between numbers, and used that for the rest of the show. It wasn’t the best solution, but it worked. It was also probably bad for my iPhone considering the flash was on for a good hour. That’s why it’s useful to have backup stand lights just in case. Get one or two Mighty Bright XtraFlex Stand Lights, and you’ll be all set. They’re small and cheap, and they also work well as support lights.
- Unless you have perfect pitch, a musician should always have a tuner. There are hundreds of different models out there with fancy features, but when it comes down to it, we just all need a dependable and utilitarian tuner. I’ve used a bunch of them over the years, and here are some of my favorites. At $15 a piece, you really can’t go wrong with the Korg CA-40. It’s built to keep you in tune, and it does it well. For $10 more you can pick up the Yamaha YT250. It’s a little more well built than the Korg, and it’s also my favorite tuner. I’m not a guitarist myself, but I know they use the clip-on tuners for their instruments. I asked around, and heard good things about the Korg AW2G. If you have a guitarist in mind, consider picking this tuner up for them. They’ll love you!
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The Korg TM-40
Do you know what’s next? If you guessed “metronome”, you were right. Music is all about staying in time (most of the time), so a metronome should always be in the gig bag. Since writing #2, I’ve come to realize that tuners with integrated metronomes, or vice versa are a better deal than buying separate pieces of gear. So unless you want a standalone tuner, I guess you can ignore the previous tuner recommendations. The Korg TM-40 is a staple in high school and college music programs. It’s known for it’s reliability, and unless you throw it around the room, it’s going to last for a long time. At $25, it’s a great deal for a tuner-metronome. If you’re old school and prefer those big analog metronomes, get a Wittner. They’re mechanically sound, and they add a touch of class to any setup. I’m actually a fan of those big wooden ones myself, though I haven’t got around to buying one yet. For the hardcore gear fans, I can’t think of a better metronome than the Dr. Beat. My band director back in high school had one of these, and it was literally the greatest thing I had ever seen. By the fourth year of school, it also happened to be the most annoying thing I have ever seen. But really, it’s awesome and it lets you program a bunch of unique subdivisions.
- A nice music stand always makes me happy. Before I got my own, I used to rely on stands from local theatre groups and schools. Most of them worked fine, but they were always too clunky to me. A few months ago, I decided to get my own stand. I couldn’t be happier about the On-Stage Stands SM7211 Professional Music Stand. I’m familiar with On-Stage Stands’ products because I buy all keyboard stands from them. Everything they make is durable and affordable. More importantly, they are not disposable. These stands will last a long time! On-Stage Stands also sells replacement parts on their website if anything ever goes wrong. They also have a great warranty system in place. The fold up base is also great for frequent gigging musicians.
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Pentel Twist-Erase, 0.7mm
Always carry a pencil to your gig. There will always be things to mark, and you might just become the most popular person in the house if you have an extra pencil. Everyone will be all over you. Okay, not really…but we should all have pencils. I prefer mechanical pencils because I don’t remember the last time I carried a pencil sharpener around. In particular, I’ve always been fond of Pentel’s Twist-Erase series of mechanical pencils. They feel good to write with, and they don’t make that nasty squeaky sound that gives me goosebumps. Pentel makes them in a variety of sizes: 0.5mm, 0.7mm, and 0.9mm. I personally prefer 0.5mm because my handwriting is pretty small. I should also mention the erasers are great. (Continue Reading…)
by Brian Li on Sunday, February 5, 2012
I’ve always preferred Z stands more than the traditional X stands. I find the latter much more limiting in terms of space to move around and flexibility. I often play with a Yamaha MFC10 foot controller and a FC3 sustain pedal, so having enough space for both pieces of equipment underneath the stand is important. When I don’t need the MFC10 for a show, X stands are fine. When I do, I always go for my Z stand for the extra legroom and stability. It’s more comfortable, and I play better when I’m comfortable.
Keyboard stands can be expensive, but I found a great one for a good price. The On-Stage Stands KS7350 is a heavy duty Z stand that is fit for the road. I use it both in the studio and pit orchestra gigs for the past five months, and it hasn’t disappointed. The stand is absolutely rock solid, and everything about it just screams heavy duty. I was a little shocked when I opened the box and realized the stand came with no instructions. After taking out all the parts to assemble, I realized why. It’s so simple to put together. Instructions aren’t needed.
I don’t have too much more to say about this stand. It came with little padding strips to put on the top of the stand to prevent scratching the bottom of keyboards. The stand is also very easy to take a part for transport. It breaks down into three conveniently shaped pieces, so you can just toss it in the backseat of your car. I’ve also been known to carry the stand around completely assembled. It’s clumsy, but it works for me. There is also an optional second tier attachment for those of you who gig with more than one keyboard. While I haven’t used it myself, I imagine it’s also very well built.
If you’re looking for a durable Z keyboard stand at a great price, get one today. The On-Stage Stands KS7350 is available for just over $50 on Amazon. Great deal!
