Tech question for Jens - From Sao Paulo’s show

[Special A2]

holy crap....it sounds beautifull....yeah it's bizarre how he uses mod wheel in the stringed patches...and he adds like....a choir? :S now i dunno how that happens O.O! and the lead again....it's....eargasmic holy crap <3....
plisken so you say, DX7 has 32 numbers, and JV has also the same quantity, so it means, he has the freedom to choose 32 patches when he's playing? wow, that's a vast number of sounds, korg has only a tennar or something.
that is good about the Axiom, you can assign any knob to change the patch sound, but, it's not aesthetic, and it's annoying, or also playing with patch banks, but that's WAY MORE ANNOYING!
and again....the video Ricardo attached...it sounds...stunning, still i don't get the modwheel changing stuff...because it's supossed, that, when you play, controlling a sound module, the mod wheel attends the language and it remains as a mod-wheel...now i'm lost in there

[Plisken]

oh you say haha! creating sounds in a korg X-50 is really hard, and i think it has to be done via computer , but it can be achieved and well done anyhow
i'm having a shitty time with the korg creating sounds and patchbanks, but some day i will arrive at it, some day

Yes, I use the computer to create, or edit...its much more easier than in the Korg X-50 itself

About Jens mod wheel, I noticed in Strings, that when we "raises", it add some choir sound...for me it's hard to explain, but its easy to see in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34hBiqrf6Wo (I was just a feel steps from where this video were filmed, closer to Jens)

Oh thats easy. It pretty much exactly like what I explained he did with the lead sound but instead tones he does it to an entire patch. When he is playing the strings the Choir is actually also playing at the same time but the volume is set to zero. Bring up the mod wheel brings up the volume for the choir so now you can hear it =) its a pretty useful trick, I use it quite a bit. I do it with Strings and Choir, Strings and Harpsichord, Strings and Lead, etc. Depending on the song im playing of course and what I want to use.

holy crap....it sounds beautifull....yeah it's bizarre how he uses mod wheel in the stringed patches...and he adds like....a choir? :S now i dunno how that happens O.O! and the lead again....it's....eargasmic holy crap <3....
plisken so you say, DX7 has 32 numbers, and JV has also the same quantity, so it means, he has the freedom to choose 32 patches when he's playing? wow, that's a vast number of sounds, korg has only a tennar or something.
that is good about the Axiom, you can assign any knob to change the patch sound, but, it's not aesthetic, and it's annoying, or also playing with patch banks, but that's WAY MORE ANNOYING!
and again....the video Ricardo attached...it sounds...stunning, still i don't get the modwheel changing stuff...because it's supossed, that, when you play, controlling a sound module, the mod wheel attends the language and it remains as a mod-wheel...now i'm lost in there

Yes the DX7 has 32 to choose from and the JV has 32 patches in its performance user bank. All that is need is to push anyone of the 32 buttons on the DX7, that will correspond with the patch on the JV. for example pressing 23 on the DX7 will take you to patch 23 on the JV. I have tried so many different keyboards as controllers (including the Axiom) but always find my DX7 to be the best for the JV and key-action wise.

Mod wheel can be assign to do just about anything. Its default that people use it for is vibrato but its a waste for that if you ask me. You can make the mod wheel control volume, LFO, filters, envelopes, etc.

[Ricardo1701]

wow, that gave me some ideias for creating new combis...since Korg X-50 doesn't have any aditional banks (if you create a new combi, you have to replace one original)

[Plisken]

since Korg X-50 doesn't have any aditional banks (if you create a new combi, you have to replace one original)

wow really :S that sucks man =/

[+#)!(!]"\^*|<]

What's the big deal...just keep your money in your wallet like everyone else

:ola:

[Special A2]

i'm afraid us, keyboard players can't ''keep it inside our wallets''.
for us, the ''freelance'' keyboarders, it's even more expensive than drummers....gears, racks, pedals, stands, tilted stands, KEYBOARDS, keyboard bags, and think about, the money we have to waste if, in a matter of accident...it fucks up, we can't just keep crossed-arms
that would be awesome if we had a sponsor deal with brands like Roland, Korg, Yamaha, but we don't, or at least i don't.

[Plisken]

i'm afraid us, keyboard players can't ''keep it inside our wallets''.
for us, the ''freelance'' keyboarders, it's even more expensive than drummers....gears, racks, pedals, stands, tilted stands, KEYBOARDS, keyboard bags, and think about, the money we have to waste if, in a matter of accident...it fucks up, we can't just keep crossed-arms
that would be awesome if we had a sponsor deal with brands like Roland, Korg, Yamaha, but we don't, or at least i don't.

Pretty much, well there are synths out there that really let you do anything you want. The need for many keyboards shrinks with every new generation of keyboards.

I think it would be pretty cool to get sponsored by roland, korg or yamaha? I guess theres a catch though. I mean why else wouldn't jens be sponsored unless he was offered it with something he did not want to do.

Look at Jordan Rudess :S poor guy is rolands whore basically =/ I hope for his sake he is getting quite a bit out of the deal.

[Special A2]

uh you get the point there Plisken.
J.R is the main Roland's whore =/, it's pretty BIZARRE we don't see that guy playing the Fantom X8 (well, the Oasys is WAY TOO MUCH!!!! better of course but) i have seen TONS of youtube things of rudess...playing basically Roland stuff
oh you know what's crappy? that V-synth is not in a 88 keys version, i dunno but personally i think it would be GRAND
but anyways...it makes me wonder...why Jens is not endorsed by these brands? oh well he's gotta get his reasons... it's up to him to answer that (we know he won't HAHA)

[Plisken]

uh you get the point there Plisken.
J.R is the main Roland's whore =/, it's pretty BIZARRE we don't see that guy playing the Fantom X8 (well, the Oasys is WAY TOO MUCH!!!! better of course but) i have seen TONS of youtube things of rudess...playing basically Roland stuff
oh you know what's crappy? that V-synth is not in a 88 keys version, i dunno but personally i think it would be GRAND
but anyways...it makes me wonder...why Jens is not endorsed by these brands? oh well he's gotta get his reasons... it's up to him to answer that (we know he won't HAHA)

lol yah if Rudess isnt playing with Dream Theater then 99% of the time he is using only roland gear. He had to re-create all of his patches on the V-Synth GT and Fantom G so roland would be happy >.>

Jens used to be sponsored by Steinberg, I don't know if he still is but if he is that would technically mean he is sponsored by Yamaha. Jens actually does sometimes answer stuff like this.

[Ricardo1701]

just another question, when I see Johasson's pedal, I noticed that there are 2 of them, one sustain, and another one that looked like a wah-wah, anybody know what pedal is that?

[Plisken]

just another question, when I see Johasson's pedal, I noticed that there are 2 of them, one sustain, and another one that looked like a wah-wah, anybody know what pedal is that?

its a Expression Pedal, the Roland EV-5 if im not mistaken. I think he uses it to bring in the Delay on his lead sound. Possibly other things too but the im pretty sure on the delay for the lead sound.

[Ricardo1701]

just another question, when I see Johasson's pedal, I noticed that there are 2 of them, one sustain, and another one that looked like a wah-wah, anybody know what pedal is that?

its a Expression Pedal, the Roland EV-5 if im not mistaken. I think he uses it to bring in the Delay on his lead sound. Possibly other things too but the im pretty sure on the delay for the lead sound.

thanks again!! I think you are right, he used the pedal in solos when I noticed..

[JensJohansson]

just another question, when I see Johasson's pedal, I noticed that there are 2 of them, one sustain, and another one that looked like a wah-wah, anybody know what pedal is that?

It's actually just a stereo volume pedal.

@plisken: yes, I should probably get some expression (controller) pedal, not a bad idea. I am lazy!

[Special A2]

excuse my ingnorance...but...ok, when you get this expression pedal, it means you can change sounds stepping on it, is it? it would do the same as a footswitch? or a i wrong?
normally i use just one pedal and it's a damper pedal to add drawbars to ''hammond'' organs sounds, and to change the Glidetime (it measures in M/seconds so you've gotta be really delicate)

[Plisken]

excuse my ingnorance...but...ok, when you get this expression pedal, it means you can change sounds stepping on it, is it? it would do the same as a footswitch? or a i wrong?
normally i use just one pedal and it's a damper pedal to add drawbars to ''hammond'' organs sounds, and to change the Glidetime (it measures in M/seconds so you've gotta be really delicate)

Any expression pedal can be used for many things. You could assign it to control volume, cutoff, resonance, LFO, Pitch, Effect parameters, etc all in real time. For every patch to can assign it to do different things. Pretty much what you are using your damper deal for with the Hammond organ sound is what you would use the expression pedal for =)

@jens: yah probably would be much easier for you to assign stuff to the pedal then squeezing everything on the mod wheel and aftertouch =) I would be lazy about it to! getting the pedal is the easy part! its the re-programing of patches that will take forever >.>

[Special A2]

oh well yeah i suppose so!
i guess it would drain time...to re-assign all of the parameters he already had, to reassign them to the pedal, im pretty sure it would be good but ''the pain in the ass'' to Re-do all of that!
one of the guys out there that simply cannot live without his footpedals is Henrik from sonata have you seen his pedalboard? wow, i would say he has way more pedals (single pedals) than the guitar player
what is bizarre about is that...actually he uses the Boss Metal Zone (a guitar distortion pedal) and i have no clue about it, because his lead tone is not at all distorted or over-driven.
any ideas plisken?

[Plisken]

he actually uses a Boss Super Overdirve for his lead sound. He does have a Boss Metal Zone and Blues Driver but have no idea what he uses them for. He also has a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, NanoCloneChorus, Doctor Q and a Digitech Whammy 4. Some pretty good pedals!

[Special A2]

yeah! but.....why all those pedals? i mean...i only know it's effective the whammy and all of that...but...why the super overdrive? i mean he actually can add the overdrives and all the FX inboard, and even more now that he uses Korg M3, which has the best korg features (at least is the latest) and he runs the keytar via wireless midi, but it's controlling the M3 as well...even though, i preferred several times his K2600
the thing is....it's not that good to depend on external 3rd party gear (like this kind of pedals to add shape and sound) because, what happens if the ''screw-up'' they can be eaaasily screwed by a voltage current de-level, and due that, nor the pedals, or the pedalboard has a protection fuse...so :/
actually i wonder...if jens has some time over the time used this kind of pedals (distortions, overdrives, etc)

[Plisken]

yeah! but.....why all those pedals? i mean...i only know it's effective the whammy and all of that...but...why the super overdrive? i mean he actually can add the overdrives and all the FX inboard, and even more now that he uses Korg M3, which has the best korg features (at least is the latest) and he runs the keytar via wireless midi, but it's controlling the M3 as well...even though, i preferred several times his K2600
the thing is....it's not that good to depend on external 3rd party gear (like this kind of pedals to add shape and sound) because, what happens if the ''screw-up'' they can be eaaasily screwed by a voltage current de-level, and due that, nor the pedals, or the pedalboard has a protection fuse...so :/
actually i wonder...if jens has some time over the time used this kind of pedals (distortions, overdrives, etc)

Effects 101 ?

Synth On-Board effects are usually pretty bad. The Only keyboard I have tried with actually not bad effects is rolands Fantom G series keyboards. Shouldnt be surprising I guess since roland has been making effects since the 70's and has gotten pretty good at it. But even the fantom G doesnt have a super overdirve emulation. The only way to get the tone and distortion of the super overdrive would be to get the pedal it self.

Its not only that on-board effects dont only have emualtion of different pedals its also in general the quilty of effects arent very good. What they do is try and make 1 effects processor chip to be able to create a wide range of effects.

For example one chip that processes all distortion/overdirve sounds. From the lightest overdrives to the heavyist distortions. You might be asking, what wrong with that? well it usually messes your tone up A LOT. Also you are limited with the parameters you can change.

Then you could have another chip that can do multiple effects like flanger, chorus, phaser, tremolo, ring mod, humanizer, etc. You would have the same problem but here its even worst because a lot of these effects directly affect the tone of your sound and shape it differently. The worst has to be the flanger. At least for me, every almost every flanger from a multi-effects unit I have tried with my lead sound for some reason makes my sound peak at certain frequencies.

To sum it up. Compact Pedals are better then multi-fx. Each pedal has its own dedicated circuit board and chip so it works according to exactly what that pedal was meant for. BUT! if you like the sound your getting from the multi-effects unit then there is no problem! Its all about what you find sounds best, and what works best.

There is only one company that makes Multi effects units that are just as good if not better then dedicated pedals. And that is TC Electronics. Matias uses the Novasystem by them, a very good choice on his part! Only problem is they are a bit expensive >.<

Today as far as I know and from what jens has confirmed recently. The only pedal he uses is a Morley JD-10 distortion pedal. Nothing else. He used to use a Korg PME40 until it got stolen while he was on tour. I think really that all he has used as far as pedals go.

Damn that took a while to wirte :S sorry its a bit long.

[Special A2]

oh don't have to worry about nothings!
it was very formative for real!
so as you say, for effects, is better then to have external pedals/proccesors? oh well then i will start buying
well it's that i'm deeply completely satisfied with the effect mounted in the korg at least, but well i suppose that phasers and flangers are pretty decent for real!
wow have you heard kevin codfert's lead (Adagio's Keyboard player) he only uses Korg and the lead sound ABUSES the flange, so much that when the lfo wave comes up, it sounds like he's playing a complete octave, it sounds really monsterfull and he is monsterfull HAHA

and in the other hand, i am already starting to use my midi controlla and well, you can find really good effects good flanges, drives etc! but...i think i will control my ''Technics'' from there ya know, as i said before, it's the best i've ever played with i will never leave it <3<3

[Plisken]

oh don't have to worry about nothings!
it was very formative for real!
so as you say, for effects, is better then to have external pedals/proccesors? oh well then i will start buying
well it's that i'm deeply completely satisfied with the effect mounted in the korg at least, but well i suppose that phasers and flangers are pretty decent for real!
wow have you heard kevin codfert's lead (Adagio's Keyboard player) he only uses Korg and the lead sound ABUSES the flange, so much that when the lfo wave comes up, it sounds like he's playing a complete octave, it sounds really monsterfull and he is monsterfull HAHA

and in the other hand, i am already starting to use my midi controlla and well, you can find really good effects good flanges, drives etc! but...i think i will control my ''Technics'' from there ya know, as i said before, it's the best i've ever played with i will never leave it <3<3

If your happy with your effects and thats the sound you want then theres no need to get pedals =) Its just usually internal multi-effects are disappointing or they simply cannot produce the sound someone is looking for.

[Special A2]

oh...i just found out that the yamaha DX7 II has in fact 64 spaces to play....now THAT'S BIG
it has 2 banks of 32 sounds each....wow....