Searching for the Perfect Stage Piano

Posted on October 3, 2021 by John CS Keston

I expect this post to have several follow ups, but since writing The Democratization of Piano? I have been digging deep in my search for a an alternative to lugging my ailing Rhodes Mark I to every gig I play. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and live music is starting to happen again, I have started performing more frequently.

For the time being I have put together a setup that is quite satisfying, but I don’t consider it a long term solution. Instead of using by beloved Rhodes I am using the Arturia Keylab 88 to control a Yamaha Reface CP. The “RdI” setting on the Reface CP sounds remarkably similar to the Rhodes Suitcase 73 that doesn’t leave my studio. The Reface even has a few keys that sound a little different, brighter or quicker to bark, than the others, just like the real instruments usually do.

The effects on the Reface CP are limited in parameters, but you can have five of them on at once and still maintain 128 note polyphony. I’m not going to get into everything that the Reface CP can do, but it is a very capable little instrument with just the right sort of limitations. The Arturia Keylab 88 makes the Reface CP feel much more substantial. The Keylab 88’s fully weighted keybed is quite heavy but not sluggish allowing you to dig into it.

I have expanded the capabilities of the setup with the Blokas Midihub. The Midihub is a fantastic, standalone, programmable, MIDI processor and interface. I have set it up with a flexible arpeggiator, and several LFOs that I have mapped to things like delay time. Using the Midihub I also mapped the aftertouch on the Keylab to the rate of the tremolo on the Reface CP, so that I can speed it up by pressing down on the keybed.

So if it’s so great, why isn’t it long term? Why seek out a stage piano? The main reason is because the setup is complex. Not overly so, but enough so that a bad cable, the wrong setting, or any manner of other issues could delay soundcheck or bring things to a halt. There are other limitations. And I want limitations because I understand too well how too many possibilities can paralyse creativity. However, combining the keybed with the sound engine and having a bit more access under the hood will streamline my setup and allow me to fine tune my sound. In the next article I’ll explain a bit more about my interim setup, discuss some of the instruments I’ve tried and researched to replace it, and explain exactly what I’m after in a stage piano. All the best!

Parochial Dissonance by John C.S. Keston

Posted on December 7, 2020 by John CS Keston

<a target="_blank" href="https://aethersound.bandcamp.com/album/parochial-dissonance" >Parochial Dissonance by John C.S. Keston</a>

Parochial Dissonance (Æther Sound, Dec. 4, 2020) – The title of this release describes the tragedy, loss, and suffering experienced when we narrow the scope of our worldviews. The album is a series of solo pieces captured from three streaming performances during the COVID-19 pandemic, and two live performances just before. Each piece was improvised within sets of rules applied to process, time, texture, and tonality. The pieces were performed on various synthesizers and Rhodes electric piano with occasional use of looping, arpeggiation, and signal processing. Continue reading for a look at the liner notes. Continue reading →

Introducing Hydramorph 1.3.0

Posted on December 5, 2020 by John CS Keston

A major update to Hydramorph, version 1.3.0 is now available. It now supports morphing up to six-hundred-seventy-four parameters on the ASM Hydrasynth. This includes all of the parameters in the MACRO Editor. The MACRO assignments have also been added to the Send menu in Hydramorph, so that it is possible to send a predefined MACRO setup to any patch on the Hydrasynth. Here are some of the other features new to v1.3.0:

New File menu options have been added to “Select All Params” and “Deselect All Params.” This allows for including all of the parameters in the morphing process with one menu option. “Deselect All Params” instantly unchecks all the checked parameters. It is now possible to edit and randomize all 64 steps in the LFOs. The interface allows users to draw in the step as numbers or pitches and edit the steps numerically or as note values. Support has been added for updates and bug fixes in the Hydrasynth 1.5.2 firmware including several other features and enhancements. Please visit Hydramorph for more details.

REV2 Degrader Update Introduces Preset Morphing and Gated Sequencer Editor

Posted on July 29, 2020 by John CS Keston

REV2 Degrader (R2DG) version 1.2.1 is available today and introduces three entirely new features along with a host of other improvements. Notibly the tool now includes a morphing editor for the gated sequencer. This feature allows users to graphically edit and “degrade” the steps and parameters for all four gated sequencer layers.

Secondly, a new preset morphing feature has been added to the interface. This allows users to morph between two R2DG presets. In combination with GET PATCH FROM REV2 users are able to morph between any two patches on Layer A. Use the drop downs to choose preset A and preset B, then update the number box between in increments of 0.01 to morph between the two presets. For example if you set the value to 0.75 then your REV2 will contain a new patch that is interpolated 75% of the way from preset A to preset B.

The R2DG interface can now be scaled based on screen resolution to maximum, default, or custom dimensions. All of these capabilities are also included in a Windows 10 version of the software which will be available soon. Checkout audiocookbook.org/rev2-patch-degrader for details.

HYDRAMORPH™ Morphing Editor for the ASM Hydrasynth

Posted on April 13, 2020 by John CS Keston

During self-isolation due to COVID-19 my teaching has moved online affording me more time toward individual projects. I had already started a building a morphing editor for the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth, so this is where I have been directing my energy. I expected to release this software closer to mid-summer, but now it’s looking like early to mid-May. In this short video I illustrate one of the ways I use HYDRAMORPH to tease incredible sounds out of this very special instrument. I have also made discounted pre-orders available at 20% off the full release price until the release. From the Purchase page:

HYDRAMORPH™ is a generative sound design tool for the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth polyphonic synthesizer. The application is designed to algorithmically morph parameters on the instrument in realtime. Keep playing or record the results as up to 366 (so far) parameters are manipulated! Use HYDRAMORPH to create anything from chaotic, rapidly-changing textures to slow, evolving drones. HYDRAMORPH will help you navigate the expansive sound design possibilities of the Hyrdasynth through realtime morphing of customized parameter sets. Explore endless, unique soundscapes, illustrating how diverse and powerful the Hydrasynth is. This tool will help you uncover new territory hidden within the sonic depths of your instrument.