Which Keyboard, Synth, Organ?

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    barryd said:
    Anyone want a 1970s 100w Marshall Combo (not working)?
    What model name and number does it have? It might suit one of this forum's gear hoarders.
    Be seeing you.
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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    the other option, of course,is to embrace the wonderful world of online collaboration i.e. get someone else to do it for you!
    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    barryd said:
    Thanks.  Im a bit wary of buying twenty year old kit now since my Boss GT5 just died for no reason but Ill not rule it out until Ive fully explored whats possible with the guitar and both software and pedals.   Im going to download Midi Guitar 2 and see if I can get anything out of it or find a way of recording the output (assuming its any good).
    Things do happen but I have synths that are much, much older than that here and they don't have any issues.
    How they are stored/used/played makes more of a difference than their age.
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    edited January 2019
    barryd said:
    Anyone want a 1970s 100w Marshall Combo (not working)?
    What model name and number does it have? It might suit one of this forum's gear hoarders.

    I did post some time ago about it when I discovered it wasnt working but it mustn't have been on here as I Cannot find it now.  Ill have a look this afternoon.  Ive not used it for years but a couple of years ago I came to plug it in and the switch flickers on when you power it up but then nothing.  I was going to take it to the music shop in Northallerton (which is 20 miles from here) but never got around to it.  Im partially disabled so I cant get the fecker down the stairs let alone in the boot of the car so I kept putting it off.

    It looks like this one but ill find out. I think its 1970s.  Ive had it since I was at college in the 80s and it sounds (when it works) great but ill never use it again sadly I guess.  Its just gathering dust in the spare room.

    As said its similar to this but ill find out the model number

    https://tinyurl.com/y7d5zkbn


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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    blobb said:
    the other option, of course,is to embrace the wonderful world of online collaboration i.e. get someone else to do it for you!
    Ive often wondered about that.  I live in the middle of nowhere in the North Yorkshire Dales so finding like minded musicians around here is not that easy.  There was a group of four of us that used to jam in the studios in Barnard Castle for a while a few years ago but they all lost interest and frankly we were rubbish.  I just need to find an online keyboard player (and probably a guitarist, bassist, drummer and a singer  =) ).  
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    This is my Marshall amp.  The only thing I am able to establish from the serial number is that (I think) its 1979 as it ends in "L" which is according to the various Marshall sites 1979.  Full serial number is 04205L.  That reverb unit (dunno if it works) is mid 80s as well.  Any ideas?  Maybe it needs its own thread.


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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Interesting mixture of features.

    1. The triple input socket array is characteristic of the old, solid state, Master Lead chassis - in which case, there should be no requirement for a standby switch.
    2. The Mid Shift tone control is unusual.
    3. What are the last two controls? (To the right of the Presence control.) These are clearly not a Master Volume or similar. 
    4. The legend "Compressor" is clearly visible between the last control knob and the mains switches. Compression is a feature that might reasonably be expected in a bass guitar amplifier. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    Interesting mixture of features.

    1. The triple input socket array is characteristic of the old, solid state, Master Lead chassis - in which case, there should be no requirement for a standby switch.
    2. The Mid Shift tone control is unusual.
    3. What are the last two controls? (To the right of the Presence control.) These are clearly not a Master Volume or similar. 
    4. The legend "Compressor" is clearly visible between the last control knob and the mains switches. Compression is a feature that might reasonably be expected in a bass guitar amplifier. 

    I cant quite make them out on a zoom of the photo, maybe you can. Ill have a proper look later. On a positive note I manged to load some orchestra VST files which work in Midi guitar 2.  Certainly an improvement on the defaults.


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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    I forgot I had posted this three years ago.  General opinion is its a 4140 club and country.  http://www.marshallforum.com/threads/my-100-watt-combo-is-dead.87873/
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  • JMP220478JMP220478 Frets: 421
    blobb said:
    Alternatively, plenty of free softsynths out there if you are ok with vst plugins. Add a cheap midi keyboard (interface > midi in) or try jamorigin guitar to midi. 
    if you have an ipad or similar - look at options -chordpolypad is a good app for this type of thing - though there probably a myriad of alternatives
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    edited January 2019
    Thanks.   I dont have an Ipad or a tablet, just a Windows laptop and a couple of PC's.  Played around a bit more with Guitar Midi 2.  I managed to download a virtual orchestra.  Some of the instruments are ok, some not so much.  A decent keyboard / organ type sound has so far eluded me.  I dont know if there is a list of VST plugins anywhere, the ones I have come across online appear to be entire software packages rather than what I would call a plugin file that you load into Guitar Midi 2 but maybe I just still dont understand it all properly.  Im wondering if its time I admitted defeat and looked at just getting a proper keyboard or dedicated pedal. 
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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    edited January 2019

    ps. don't give up, it's not really that difficult when you figure it out (think how many 'bedroom producers' there are now). Maybe come back to midi guitar later if the tech is confusing.

    If I were you I would pick up a cheap midi keyboard and insert the free vst hammond in the link above into an audio track in your daw. Note: modern keyboards tend to be 'midi via usb' which simply means the midi info is transmitted to your pc via a usb connection. If your interface has a dedicated midi in socket you can use that but check which one you want to use before taking the plunge. Any old keyboard with some sort of midi out will trigger the vst sound, you don't need to spend big bucks. I use a Roland PC180A if that's any use here's one on ebay, just an example, there are loads out there https://tinyurl.com/yaaqyqj5

    It's not that hard to get some good sounds if you've got the ear for it. (If not, I can recommend listening to some Dave Sinclair)

    Once you have mastered the keys/vst thing, guitar midi will make more sense.

    We'll get you there in the end

    (just noticed you are using Audacity, hmm, ok for basic audio work but for multi track recording you may want to look into trying Reaper out. Proper tracks and VST stuff)
    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    Thanks for the positive encouragement.  Im not giving up. Well not giving up music for sure but I feel like I am getting tangled up in a lot of tech which is all very confusing.  I worked / work in IT an all!  :# but thats probably why I want to get away from all the tech side and just play stuff as decades of bashing keyboards and looking at screens was enough.  Im pretty good at making stuff work though just not got my head around the music tech stuff and terminology yet.  

    Yes Audacity.  I think perhaps Ive outgrown it then.  I notice Cakewalk Sonar keeps getting mentioned which is now free and I think I have Cubase lite somewhere but the daunting prospect of learning what looks like something very complex doesnt appeal but maybe I need to do that to move on.  I like the idea of a twenty quid keyboard though!

    Ive parked Midi Guitar for now.  I would have carried on with it but the trial is awful, it just packs up or nags at you after a minute or so all the time so its impossible to test it out properly.  

    However to reward you all for your excellent contributions and having the patience of Job advising a Muso tecno numpty, ive recorded some Piano and Flute for you from midi guitar.  :o  No, dont thank me.  :/

    https://picosong.com/wm23p/

     

    https://picosong.com/wm2nk/

     


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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    Sonar is good, Cubase is also good, Reaper is also good (and to all intents and purposes free, although you can buy a license for it if you want to support development). Pretty much of a muchness which one you go for. Most people tend to go for one and stick with it to avoid having to relearn. They all do the same thing. I recently ditched cubase for Harrison mixbus, which is a 'console' simulator.

    Whichever you go for most of the tech complications come from routing signals around the place. Once the software knows where signals are coming from and where to send them they are pretty much virtual tape recorders.

    The VST thing spiced it all up, these are virtual instruments inserted into the tape tracks, invented by Steinberg (Cubase) but there are other formats now. Same idea. You can also have virtual fx (reverb and the like).

    Once the signal routing is sorted it's pretty much drag and drop.  I presume you have an interface to get signals in?

    That's some fine piano playing, who'd know it was a guitar eh? Might have to work on those flute articulations though....... (still better than my failed attempts at actual flute playing!)
    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    LOL! Cheers. The flute is pretty dreadful and the piano still sounds a bit wonky to me.  The mistakes I think were down to the software not working properly I am sure but I was a few beers down.  =)

    I thought Reaper was a fortune.  I have a pal who I think has used Cakewalk and hes a right clever little sod so maybe Ill recruit him for a session. He's a bit like me with feck all better to do with his time.

    I have two Interfaces. my Zoom G3 is an interface and I select the patches from my PC and I also have an M Audio interface.  Both to be fair record well in Audacity but I think from what you have told me its time to move on to something better.  A lot to take in and learn.  I would like to say it will keep me out of trouble over the winter but of course it wont.
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    Just resurrecting this thread. Ive been ill for a couple of weeks so not done much.  I have however been messing about with Sonar Cakewalk now and again but its been driving me nuts. It just feels like a massive hill to climb with all the bells and whistles.  It doesnt even accept my Zoom G3 as an interface, just says something about memory, it accepts the M Audio interface so Ive manged to plug the guitar in through that but the guitar effect VSTs are all a bit confusing.  Still trying to decide on which way to go as regards a keyboard and wondered if maybe there is an easier to understand DAW.  I saw this that comes with Pro Tools First and Alberton Live lite.  I think Pro tools might be free anyway.  https://www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/M-Audio-Keystation-49-MKIII-USB-Controller/2M1A

    any good?  Ive put of buying anything as I wanted to see if I could actually get to grips with a DAW first other than Audacity.  I did find some rather nice Strings effects in Cakewalk though which presumably if I had that midi keyboard I Could access and play?  

    I just need to find a solution where I Can lay down a few guitar tracks, bass, vocals and whatever else I Can add with a midi keyboard thats not going require a degree in DAW technology / sound engineering.  It would be good to get some decent effects for Vocals as well as the stuff in Audacity is crap.

    Any suggestions as to where I go from here?  (Dark room with an acoustic guitar perhaps)
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  • wave100wave100 Frets: 150
    I find Ableton Live is good for starting ideas, it's very fast to get stuff going - you drag MIDI and audio loops onto a grid and then trigger them so they play back as you instruct it, you can change tempo and pitch pretty freely. You can also record your own parts so it's not just a painting by numbers thing. It comes with a good range of loops, effects and virtual instruments. It is probably more geared to recording "EDM" than guitar rock, but it's definitely worth trying out if you aren't getting on with other DAWs - there is a downloadable demo (although it is of the £600 version) but there are cheap/free versions available. There's plenty of stuff on the tube about it if you just want to check it out.
    Other suggestions are to make sure you are using the ASIO driver for whichever interface you have, also your Casio keyboard may be usable as a MIDI controller if it connects to the PC over USB or alternatively old skool 5 pin din MIDI to your interface.

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  • gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
    I'm being forced to work with Cakewalk at the moment, and I'm not particularly enjoying it. I find the session window too busy for one monitor. It is just a normal DAW though, so I think once you're more comfortable with it, it'll become more natural. Plus it's got a lot more effects and plugins for free than the free/cheap copies of other DAWS.

    Personally I prefer Ableton, but I use the normal session window, not the performance one (or whatever it's called) and use it as a completely normal DAW. It's just a bit sleeker. 

    I'm still a beginner when it comes to production, but I'd say there are some definite "it clicks" moments, so don't give up yet. There's probably some good youtube tutorials. I know there is for Reaper (which is free to DL and trial). Once you get the basics/concepts down, they're largely transferable between DAWS.
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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    Have you tried taking up drums? Insert stick into hand > hit drum > instant result. Ha!

    Seriously though, any DAW is going to have an initial learning curve to get through. I went through it with cubase. I also got annoyed at the endless 'how do I do this simple thing' aspect. It can do pretty much anything you want but finding the damn command or tick box drove me mad.

    Here's what I would do:

    Try Reaper > it's community based so at least you can get on the forum and ask newbie questions to your hearts content. There are also loads of 'how do I get this to work?' videos for it online.

    Here's what I actually did:

    Switched from cubase to Harrison Mixbus. Now this may be an outsider but for me it offers one big benefit. The actual DAW bit is simple, not very well featured but simple. It comes from an open source Linux audio programme called Ardour. The mixbus bit is 'bolted on'. In other words it works like a tape recorder into a mixing desk. The mixing desk is a simulation of a classic Harrison console, so you get individual channels with each channel having it's own compressor, limiter, eq etc... So you can do away with most of the complexity of plug ins as they are already there on each track.

    This would get you up and running fairly quickly wrt recording instruments and putting a basic track together - without getting lost in the world of software.

    If you want to add virtual instruments later you can, so midi driven organs etc... But at least you have a familiar base to work from.

    I see it as a bit like when microsoft needed to keep selling new version of their word processor. Every year new features were added when most people only wanted to type something and print it out. Ok - mixbus (Ardour) can't match cubase for midi editing capability, it may not have VCA faders (it might, I've no idea) but for simple workflow, sound quality and achieving a good result quickly it's hard to beat. I think they have a demo which is unrestricted apart from it makes a shhh noise every now and again.



    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    Thanks once again, some useful info and recommendations there to try.  I like the sound of a dedicated forum for Reaper as I think Im going to need a lot of help but then Mixbus sounds like it might be a bit easier to learn. Maybe ill just download them all and blow my mind some more. 

    That naff Casio Keyboard only has a headphone socket but I can put it through my Audio interface and record it but presumably that would be no good for anything but recording its own sounds?  I did put it through my ZoomG3 guitar pedal and into my PC which added some "interesting" effects.

     
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