Scott, I know.

There is an M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 sitting on the music workstation desk in front of me.

Please recall that I'm the guy who recently turned you on to Enigma software and what it can do. Enigma works with ALL M-Audio keyboards AFAIK, but I've been using Enigma off and on for a time that is measurable in years. I also have used it to program M-Audio keyboards for other keyboardists use in road shows, can't mention names here, sorry.

But I was talking about the gig rack and its appointments. While I do have one keyboard controller in that setup that can be programmed that way, it is an 88 key weighted piano keyboard, just like the Keystation Pro. What I prefer when emulating Hammond organ is an organ keyboard. If I can't have the waterfall keys of the original, so be it, just be careful about those full glisses or risk cutting a finger, but I like to use a 61 key board for the hammond emulation because the B3 has the same number of keys on it. I also take the time to set the Transpose properly such that the organ's middle C is exactly where it is supposed to be, something most people don't realize because of the octaves situation on the drawbars.

So I have a few older 61 key boards that, while their internal sounds are useful only for retro stuff, they make great keyboard controllers. The Yamaha DX11 and DX7 come to mind.

Funny story, was on a gig with the DX7 at the top of the rack and while setting up there was this younger fella who came up, you know the type, said he was a keyboardist also and began rattling off brand names and models and knocking the DX7 as being old, long in the tooth and not sounding very good as compared to the new WunderKeys STP-5000.

So for the first song I changed my MIDI patch bay connects in the rack to fire the Ketron SD4 from the DX7's keyboard, still using my custom layers and effects. Then, for the next tune, I hurriedly patched it into the laptop and the B4II organ, with my stereo keyboard amp/speaker setup. Leslie. No, make that, L.E.S.L.I.E.

At the break, he said, "Man, you get some awesome sounds out of that old thing!"

So I never told him.

Maybe old Mel down at the music emporium will appreciate the kid when he pays top dollar for a used and well worn DX7, though...


--Mac

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