http://www.youtube.com/user/bigalmcp#p/u/0/QYvMRnPx-gs

one of the smoothest and most professional OMB players out there

WOW...very inspiring. That's the way to do it.

So smooth with pedals.

What kind of equipment is he using?

Great job!....sounds super smooth... BUT.....who the heck would ever want to carry all that stuff for a OMB gig? You could sound like that with just an Arranger kb no need for all that gear..doesnt anyone think its overkill in a way?..

Sorry to say, but no, you couldn't...

Just the bass lines alone make it utterly obvious it isn't a machine, or the lack of four bar repetition in all the parts. Maybe you aren't hearing that, Donny, but to me, that repetition is like fingernails on a chalkboard. The unmistakable sign that you are playing with a MACHINE, and not real (good!) players.

why are you even on an arranger forum if you seem to have nothing but dislike for arranger players and arranger Kb's.... I couldn't care less ...but its gets monotonous in reading your bashing of something most of us all love here.

I have no dislike of arranger players... though some do their best to engender it.

And, just in case you have forgotten, I play an arranger exclusively, for ALL situations. What I DON'T do is forget that there IS a difference, and that, for all there is to love about them, skilled players can easily outperform them. I see no need to try and put something down simply because it uses more gear than I am using these days. Especially when it achieves something that I have yet to hear coming out of an arranger.

Just basslines that go TOWARDS the next chord, not AWAY from the current one is one fundamental difference between arrangers and playing. An arranger never knows the next chord until you play it. A real player ALWAYS knows the next chord, and shapes the basslines to lead into it. You can't hear that?

I don't know, Donny, but I refuse to let a TOOL dictate how I feel about music. If a certain tool makes one (or more) aspects of music less than good, I don't start accepting that aspect as not NEEDING to be good.

Sorry if pointing out the obvious makes you feel so defensive about a piece of gear...

The Video shows why the most popular add on for an Arranger Keyboard in the UK & Europe is a set of base pedals.
BTW Spalding, unless it has changed since I moved out of the area, you will find many performers with rigs like this in the WMC and similar venues in your area.

Bill

If you know of ay in the Westmidlands that can play like this guy i will be there !! all his videos are incredible and so musical. I think an arranger uin skilled hands could fake some of this to an extent but his interaction with the bass peoples and druming are just icredible.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bigalmcp#p/u/10/Xm369lE8ItE

This is beautiful live playing and all his keyboards have great quality sounds,it's very well recorded.

What keyboards is he using and the bass pedals,are they midied or self generating.

Beautiful !

Frank

Very impressive polished performance, and I agree it's the pedalboard bass lines that makes this vocal accoomp really stand out, but I agree with DNJ that for OMB gigging this looks far too 'overkill' and very 'distracting visually'. Considering the huge additional setup & breakdown time required, I would've brought in a live acoustic bass player instead.

If you check out all his videos, it seems all of them are shot from the same venue; probably means he doesn't move his rig around much. Then his setup makes perfect sense.

And of course, there is always, (even though the playing is good mind you), the fact that this is a DUO, and not a OMB!!

Yeah, but how many 'vocalists' do you know that lug stuff around??? ... at the end of the gig it's usually "see ya" ...

it's STILL a duo!!

Sounds like what most of us used to do with multiple keyboards or an organ with a piano on top and a drum machine.

Good player, good tunes.

Taking extra equipment on a gig is a lot harder, but worth the effort, in many cases.

Hour long gigs? Probably not.


Good find...



Russ

This guy is an incredible player...love his use of pedals, but also his arrangements, which are not too dense or crowded, and have lots of space.

I checked out his solo stuff as well, and it is equally well played and superbly arranged.

Thanks Spalding,

Ian

He didn't use any auto arrangement that I heard. Live bass, live chords, live accents, live vocals. Nice.
Just a drum pattern from what looks like an SR16 - memories.

That's right, and that's the way we used to play those big old Yamaha Electones years ago...pedals are a lost art today, with very few keeping the technique.

The nice thing, is that this guy made it look so easy and smooth. He does a great instrumental version of "You Don't Know Me".

Ian

I don't miss the pedals at all. The little Asian guy hidden in my keyboard plays WAY better than I do. And I don't miss carrying them around either.
It was a great performance though, and brings back memories for sure. But I also have memories of my first two ex-wives, but I don't want to go back there either!!
DonM

I used one of these very rare instruments for several years, back in the day when organ music itself was still popular.

It required a van, ramps, dollies, patience and planning...I no longer have the first three, and not quite the same amount of the latter two today...carrying and setting up a Tyros (or PSR), two 25 lb speakers, a heavy duty double X-stand, a folding bench and sometimes (rarely these days) a P-85/95 with another X-stand certainly is easier as the components weigh less, but number more.

The organ's on-board drum machine was one of those beastly analog things, with the hippest styles being 16-Beat, Disco, and Jazz Rock , and, it still required a speaker system, and they weren't all that light either (KS50BR powered cabinets).



I must admit, that old C-605P had quite a stage presence compared to a keyboard on an X-stand.

Those were the days...do I miss them? Not really.

Ian

I like to keep my feet crossed under me on the rungs of a chair when I play

Ian, my last organ was Yamaha FS500. By the time you add the dolly, leslie, p.a., bench, etc., it weighed a TON. It sure was impressive in its time though. I can buy any three totl arrangers for what that baby cost.
DonM

Hey guys - I have been listening to Alan McPike for quite a while. I've corresponded with him a few times too. Something tells me he is in demand where he resides and does most of his performances in the larger venues. I agree I would not want to have to move and set up this rig, but I also believe he is likely well paid for his efforts.

He sells great backing tracks on his website (www.standardstrax.com). A while back I bought a few tracks from him and he was nice enough to remove the solo's from the group I bought. He has since started offering the tracks both ways.

Have a great week - pulling for an early spring here - hope it happens!

PS - might have sold my trusty T2 this week... deal pending on it. Taking a loss but I've had it for 5 years this month!

Randy

Nice to see, his arrangments are right on and his keyboards sound great. I enjoyed that and it brings back memories. I played pedals until a few years ago. Even took a semester of classical organ in college to get better. Professionally I did it on my custom B3 and then portable Korg units and finally midied Roland PK5s. The longest setup was two keyboards, drum machine and pedals and I sang. People used to notice but no more. I started fooling with arranger units and got into the G1000 which I still use. At home I have two sets of pedals, one with my Hammond XK3 and the other with the Roland G1000. Its a lot more fun to play that way and I feel more "in control" of the music but just no market for it anymore. Thanks for the link


Bill

Ian

Just curious. What speakers do you use that weigh just 25lbs.? I'm always looking for ways to get lighter

Thanks

Bill

And don't forget James Flynn the Vocalist.
His vocal talent's nothing to sneeze at either.
He's got the Frank Sinatra-Bobby Darin-ish vocal timing & phrasing down, and has established himself as one of Australia's leading jazz vocalists.

What you buying, Randy? A T4?

Hey Diki - not exactly sure. I was going to wait for the next round of S9XX's..... my team had a long test in CA during Jan and I had to work (10) 12 hour days and over a weekend... it was not fun, but I got some good overtime pay for it. So if I can get the T2 out the door and to its destination safely, the T4 is on the contention list for sure! Still deciding....

Well, if you get one, let me come and play it when you get back in town!

Just to quiet Ian down if for no other reason!

Diki - no problem! I will let you know as soon as I decide for sure and you can definitely plan to come on over and spend some time with it! Maybe we can get a Skype session goin' and turn it into a kewl internet review!

My first objective is to get the T2 to the new owner successfully....then I'll press on the T4 decision. I'll keep you posted....

Have a great week!
Randy

Hi Bill,

I am using two Yamaha MS60S powered monitors...they are short throw, 60 watt, and I'm not sure if they are being made anymore...they were in production a very long time, as the design was pretty well spot on.

I wouldn't use them in a club environment, unless it was quite small; they are perfect for what I do, which is restaurant music...the short throw being advantageous, so that those who don't want to listen can just sit a bit farther away.

They were pricey when I got them, which was at least around 20 years ago...about $700 Canadian (each), but, they were well worth the investment, as they are nigh on bulletproof, and have worked perfectly ever since purchased.

The heaviest piece of gear I now have is the Tyros4, which is roughly 30 lbs or so...that's my limit nowadays...my back isn't the best from many years of martial arts, and also lugging big keyboards and sound systems, a lot of the times after too much imbibing. Truth be told, I'm also getting a lot lazier.

Several friends of mine use the Yamaha Stagepas 500 and are very happy with it...one guy uses a sub with his, but it sounds pretty good on it's own.

I've taken the winter off for personal gigs, but I am considering a pair of Bose Compacts late in the spring when I may go back.

Ian

Take a look at the Podium line of speqakers ...great bang for the buck....oh yeah, did I mention they sound great also?...


http://www.onlyfactorydirect.com/c-31-powered-speakers.aspx

Great bass pedals playing...

Just have a look at this video

http://www.youtube.com/user/bigalmcp#p/u/33/UqAzACFr00E