Putting together a gig for NAMM

[Mighty_Hero]

Make this a dvd please

[Squids]

ok...so the vocalist on the Lamb stuff HAS to be Kevin Gilbert, right?

Who else on this were you lucky enugh to play with and what equipment were you using at the time - SSynth stuff or no?

Just curious.

This is before Sonic Synth. 1994 gig. The real keyboards were:

Yamaha CP70 through Boss CE1
Hammond C3 (was borrowed by Kevin from Keith Emerson actually. The difficult part was that Tony Banks used a T102 which is smaller and with the C3 the ProSoloist is much further away and harder to reach! Woops! But the C3 sounds better.)

Novatron with Brass, Violins and Choir (same as Mellotron but this was Kevin's which was built into a flight case)

Arp ProSoloist
RMI EP through MXR phase 100

Players were:

Kevin Gilbert on vox
Squids on keys
Nick D'Virgilio on drums
Stan Cotey (now works for Digi) on elect 12str & bass
Dan Hancock on guitar (a virtual Steve Hackett).

What a gig that was. This could be the most fun I ever had on stage. I am glad I did it. For many reasons.

This new gig is shaping up to be a monster. Sheldon Reynold's wife is Jimi Hendrix's sister. So, we're going to do a Hendrix tune as well because they just did a tribute record with some HEAVY players (Clapton, Santana- who btw is playing a competing gig at another venue the same night unfortunately, Kravitz etc. The album is called "Power of Soul").

It looks like we'll have 3 original members of EWF joining us in the set for a few tunes. Now the question is who is going to play those horn parts??? This is getting scary, but in a good way.

[Squids]

Make this a dvd please

The problem is we are doing covers so any "official" release is a whole other thing. But, I have a name for the band at least. "Sonik Elementz" We got sonikelementz.com (nothing up yet) and will actually do gigs with a revolving door of musicians because this is fun and it is a good way for people to really hear this stuff in a musical context!

This is shaping up to be a cool new thing. A fun side project. Any excuse to be playing with musicians like that is pretty good. It'll be an adventure. Nice first gig though to kick it off. Hope to see some of you there. The show is FREE btw. But, you have to get tickets from the sponsors. I'll have some free tickets around for anyone who stops by the booth though. There are a bunch of other acts, this isn't the headliner.

[Mighty_Hero]

That is true on the offical side. So make some tunes then the dvd

[Squids]

We're building a whole new website all about making music and this revolving door musician band we're calling "Sonik Elementz". It'll be a musician hang and we'll get all kinds of pro musicians to participate in content there. We might even do a little forum too. Nothing major but just a place to chat with the various musicians related to it and stuff. It may or may not be your style but it will probably range from guys that play with R&B acts like Beyonce and Alicia Keys to pop acts to jazz to rock... I mean, more about playing and using sounds and software on gigs and in the studio than about DJing or playing loops. But, there'll be participation from whoever wants to really. A lot of keyboard players. Maybe some guys from the Black Eyed Peas or maybe technicians for tours like my friend Peter Wiltz who does pretty much every major band's tour (Madonna, Stones, Steely Dan, Springsteen etc.). Basically a real muso kind of thing. It'll be fun. The forum will have people exclosing who they are instead of the typical anonymous thing. No kiddies who like to be nasty and mean to respected members. IPs will be banned left and right if that happened. But, I think it would be a great opportunity to hear from people that program, engineer or play with major recording and touring acts. So, we'll see. Should be fun!

[smp]

We're building a whole new website all about making music and this revolving door musician band we're calling "Sonik Elementz". It'll be a musician hang and we'll get all kinds of pro musicians to participate in content there. We might even do a little forum too. Nothing major but just a place to chat with the various musicians related to it and stuff. It may or may not be your style but it will probably range from guys that play with R&B acts like Beyonce and Alicia Keys to pop acts to jazz to rock... I mean, more about playing and using sounds and software on gigs and in the studio than about DJing or playing loops. But, there'll be participation from whoever wants to really. A lot of keyboard players. Maybe some guys from the Black Eyed Peas or maybe technicians for tours like my friend Peter Wiltz who does pretty much every major band's tour (Madonna, Stones, Steely Dan, Springsteen etc.). Basically a real muso kind of thing. It'll be fun. The forum will have people exclosing who they are instead of the typical anonymous thing. No kiddies who like to be nasty and mean to respected members. IPs will be banned left and right if that happened. But, I think it would be a great opportunity to hear from people that program, engineer or play with major recording and touring acts. So, we'll see. Should be fun!

Oh, man. Where's a drool emoticon when you need one? I guess this one will just have to do....

I look forward to this coming online, Squidsy.

-s

[Guitarjeff]

What is the venue for this? Loffler's maybe? I am local, will be at NAMM and am a huge EWF fan.



Jeff

[japut_99]

Neil Zaza...All the way from Cleveland? Wow-next time I see that guy some congrats are in order for the recognition of talent, but sounds like the show should be monster.(probably should watch what I say that infamous cable company might be onto my usage of monster.) Can't wait to see the video because that line-up sounds smokin and the musical plan is definately worthwhile.

[Squids]

What is the venue for this? Loffler's maybe? I am local, will be at NAMM and am a huge EWF fan.

Jeff

The Galaxy Concert Theatre. January 21 in the evening.

[Squids]

Neil Zaza...All the way from Cleveland? Wow-next time I see that guy some congrats are in order for the recognition of talent, but sounds like the show should be monster.(probably should watch what I say that infamous cable company might be onto my usage of monster.) Can't wait to see the video because that line-up sounds smokin and the musical plan is definately worthwhile.

Thanks for your Japut! I am glad you guys are getting into it. This is a lot of work but it's so much fun being able to play with these guys. I just asked Roland if we could borrow a V-Drum Pro kit. I am going to program some SR drums to work specifically with it.

[Squids]

Okay, copied from the press release here is some more info about the gig. Kind of cool? You think some of you can go? I can get you free tickets if you stop by the IK booth.

January 6, 2005 ; Anaheim, California, Top exhibitors at the 2005 NAMM convention will host a night of music like no other... The event will take place on January 21, 2005 at The Galaxy Theatre located at 3503 S. Harbor Blvd. Doors at 6pm ; Show at 7:30pm. The night is packed with performances by Nuno Bettencourt and his new project Population 1, Dick Dale and his son Jimmy Dale, Sonik Elementz (featuring original members of Earth, Wind, and Fire, Jon Anderson (Yes), Larry Dunn, Dave Kerzner, Larry Ortega, Jason Scheff (Chicago), Neil Zaza and studio great Ricky Lawson), and a one of a kind All Star jam with Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, Jon Anderson of YES, Will Calhoun, T.M. Stevens, Gary Cherone, Jordan Rudess and surprise guests.

... and now to start practicing!

[maximilians1]

We're building a whole new website all about making music and this revolving door musician band we're calling "Sonik Elementz". It'll be a musician hang and we'll get all kinds of pro musicians to participate in content there. We might even do a little forum too. Nothing major but just a place to chat with the various musicians related to it and stuff. It may or may not be your style but it will probably range from guys that play with R&B acts like Beyonce and Alicia Keys to pop acts to jazz to rock... I mean, more about playing and using sounds and software on gigs and in the studio than about DJing or playing loops. But, there'll be participation from whoever wants to really. A lot of keyboard players. Maybe some guys from the Black Eyed Peas or maybe technicians for tours like my friend Peter Wiltz who does pretty much every major band's tour (Madonna, Stones, Steely Dan, Springsteen etc.). Basically a real muso kind of thing. It'll be fun. The forum will have people exclosing who they are instead of the typical anonymous thing. No kiddies who like to be nasty and mean to respected members. IPs will be banned left and right if that happened. But, I think it would be a great opportunity to hear from people that program, engineer or play with major recording and touring acts. So, we'll see. Should be fun!

Wow that sounds awesome!
I have a question about your keyboard drumming that you did on the videos on your site, what parts of the drum kit were you playing with each finger,I cna't really tell from the video, but it looks like you play bass drum with your right hand thumb and after that I can't really tell.The one hand beat you did with your right hand was very impressive ,do you have a general rule about what part of the kit you play with each hand and finger? I know this is offtopic but it was really impressive.
Max

[Squids]

We're building a whole new website all about making music and this revolving door musician band we're calling "Sonik Elementz". It'll be a musician hang and we'll get all kinds of pro musicians to participate in content there. We might even do a little forum too. Nothing major but just a place to chat with the various musicians related to it and stuff. It may or may not be your style but it will probably range from guys that play with R&B acts like Beyonce and Alicia Keys to pop acts to jazz to rock... I mean, more about playing and using sounds and software on gigs and in the studio than about DJing or playing loops. But, there'll be participation from whoever wants to really. A lot of keyboard players. Maybe some guys from the Black Eyed Peas or maybe technicians for tours like my friend Peter Wiltz who does pretty much every major band's tour (Madonna, Stones, Steely Dan, Springsteen etc.). Basically a real muso kind of thing. It'll be fun. The forum will have people exclosing who they are instead of the typical anonymous thing. No kiddies who like to be nasty and mean to respected members. IPs will be banned left and right if that happened. But, I think it would be a great opportunity to hear from people that program, engineer or play with major recording and touring acts. So, we'll see. Should be fun!

Wow that sounds awesome!
I have a question about your keyboard drumming that you did on the videos on your site, what parts of the drum kit were you playing with each finger,I cna't really tell from the video, but it looks like you play bass drum with your right hand thumb and after that I can't really tell.The one hand beat you did with your right hand was very impressive ,do you have a general rule about what part of the kit you play with each hand and finger? I know this is offtopic but it was really impressive.
Max

Thanks. I am playing a particular mapping of a drum kit that we call "I-Map" because it is a certain layout that SR did when we did our first drum library called "Interactive Drum Kits". We've been using it ever since on a lot of our drums. The ones I was playing the video are the Imap kits included with Sonik Synth 2.

There's a section of video from this little seminar at West LA where I go into more detail about Imap drumming. In fact, the whole video is feature length Squidsbabble! Seriously it goes on for over an hour answering questions in absurd detail. Maybe I will post clips from it at some point.

In the meantime, the basis of my finger positions for the Imap kits are this:

Right hand- thumb on C2 kick, pointer finger on snares from C#2's side stick to E2's edge and in between center and rim. Middle finger, fourth and pinky on hats from F2's foot & F#2's closed all the way to B2's full open Bonham style hat.

Now the right hand can carry the beat with kick, snare and hat like in the video. But, the left hand can be used to in-between ghost notes on the snare for more feel or second double kick or 16th notes or just variation on the hat closed and open alternates that are mapped below. So, left hand is usually- thumb on second kick alt A1 or B1, pointer finger is on the separated ghost hit of the snare and then it is also used with the middle finger for F#1 and G#1 which are left and right stick drum rolls (which can be used for fluid snare rolls, something special about IMap that you don't often get in drum libraries, like the ghost note).

To do toms and cymbals you go out of this hand position. It's a little harder to do but with practice it can be done very deliberately and with a lot of variation in the tom hits (since you have three keys for every tom). It's an octave up which is challenging to reach. I am actually going to experiment with stacking two keyboards on top of each other to be more like a real kit where the toms and cymbals are above the snare. Is that crazy keyboard drumming or what? But, I have a feeling it could really work.

Now, the question is do I have the guts to still do some keyboard drumming for this gig? Ricky Lawson is playing on some tunes here. He played drums with Steely Dan and a ton of other bands (incl EWF). Keyboard drums???? Live? The other drummer is Larry Ortega who has done some Sonik Synth 2 demos and is a great drummer both on the kit and keys. So, another keyboard drummer will be at the gig. Dual keyboard drumming solo? Something must be done... I think.

One thing I think I have to do is horns from the keys. So, I am going to probably have to use something from our new horn section library coming out for SampleTank (not announced yet). Tough road test though! It'd make a good demo I suppose.

[maximilians1]

Cool, thanks for the detailed response! I tried the I-map with sonik synth2 free with your finger designations and it took a little while but I can hold a beat, i didn't think it would work that well playing hi-hat with my pinky and ring finger but it works. I like the mappings of the left hand, makes it much more expressive .
I think you should deffinitly throw in a little keyboard drumming at the gig,get the drummers to stop mid song and carry on with the keys and confuse and wow the audience.
Cheers
Max

[Kim Lajoie]

An alternative approach (that I use) is to use your left hand for kick and left hand snare, and your right hand for hats, cymbals, and right hand snare.

I think you should deffinitly throw in a little keyboard drumming at the gig,get the drummers to stop mid song and carry on with the keys and confuse and wow the audience.
Cheers
Max

That would be too cool! Especially if the drummer is using MIDI trigger pads, so you both can be triggering the exact same samples!

It'd be even cooler to do a drum solo/duet... a "drum-off" between yourself and the drummer!

Forever,





Kim.