News article index
This section covers general news related to the world of piano, pianists, synths, electronic music, and musicians.
Reason 5 and Record 1.5 now available
August 26, 2010
Propellerhead Software has announced the immediate availability of its latest versions of Reason and Record.
Reason 5 and Record 1.5 introduce a whole range of new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches, and much more, making it even more versatile and useful for music composition, beat-making, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting, remixing and music production.
The new Kong Drum Designer and Dr Octo Rex loop player extend Reason’s instrument arsenal to help musicians get phenomenal sounding rhythms, drums tracks and beats.
Reason 5 and Record 1.5 add a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks—build songs parts like patterns and string them together for lightning fast arranging with the ability to freely go back and forth between pattern and linear modes.
Neptune, a pitch correction tool and amazing voice synthesiser, turns less than perfect performances into great ones in no time.
Simply play new harmonies on a MIDI keyboard for instant backing vocals.
Live sampling into all sample capable devices means any musician can use samples in a new and playful manner, discovering the lost art of creative sampling.
The Expanded Factory Sound Bank, doubling in size, plus added signature sound designers’ patches, inspire new arrangements and compositions.
Multi core optimisation, an on-screen keyboard and tempo scaling of clips top the list of additional improvements.
The upgrades further solidify the Record Reason Duo as the mainstay tool for musical creation.
?”I don’t put too many demands on (studio) engineers… except for them to have Reason on their system,” says Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas. “That is one of the only demands.”
Check out these video demonstrations for much more about the new software:
Reason 5 Record 1.5 – Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player
Reason 5 – Kong Drum Designer
Neptune Pitch Adjuster for Record 1.5
Reason 5 & Record 1.5 – Blocks
Reason 5 Signature Patches
Reason 5 & Record 1.5 – Live Sampling
Pricing and availability
All full versions and upgrades are available worldwide through authorised Propellerhead dealers and Propellerhead’s online store: www.propellerheads.se/shop
Record for Reason Owners Sidegrade (includes Reason 5 upgrade): EUR €149 / USD $169
Reason 5 Upgrade from any version: EUR € 99 / USD $129
Record 1.5 Upgrade from any version: free download
Record Reason Duo bundle: EUR €405 / USD $449
Reason: EUR €305 / USD $349
Record: EUR €279 / USD $299
Anyone who purchased a qualifying Reason product after May 24, 2010 can receive the upgrade for free. Details are here: www.propellerheads.se/freeupgrade
Signature patch artists and producers
Bomb Squad, Hank and Keith Shocklee
http://www.shocklee.com/
Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas
http://www.beetsandproduce.com/
Jason McGerr
http://www.propellerheads.se/products/refills/mcgerr/
Adam Beyer
http://www.drumcode.se/adambeyer.html
Sharooz
http://www.myspace.com/sharooz
Cari Lekebusch
http://www.lekebuschmusik.se/
Keith LeBlanc
http://www.keithleblanc.com/
The Salazar Brothers
http://thesalazarbrothers.blogspot.com/
http://www.propellerheads.se/products/refills/reggaeton/
Popularity: 1% [?]
Moogfest 2010 tickets now on sale
August 16, 2010
Aficionados of the annual Moogfest will already know that tickets went on sale for this year’s event last Friday, but for the rest, here’s your notice that you can now buy tickets to Moogfest 2010.
Moogfest – the annual event honoring the remarkable vision of Robert Moog and his amazing musical inventions that changed the course of music – is reinventing itself. This year, moogfest 2010 will move from New York City to Asheville, NC – the place Bob Moog called home for the last 30 years of his life – and will expand to a 3-day, multi-venue event during the weekend of October 29 -31, 2010. During the festival, moogfest 2010 will host artists and audiences from throughout the world in different venues throughout Asheville’s beautiful, historic downtown.
Moogfest 2010 will celebrate Bob Moog’s legacy as a sonic pioneer, which will be the thread that unites the festival’s rich array of musical offerings. While the wide range of Moog instruments – the Minimoog Voyager, the Little Phatty, the Etherwave Theremin, Moogerfoogers, and the new Moog Guitar – will play prominent roles throughout the festival’s events, the artists performing will certainly not be limited to those who create their work on Moog instruments. Instead, artists will be chosen for their role in creating unique and groundbreaking musical experiences that embody the essence of Bob Moog’s visionary and creative spirit.
In addition to fantastic concerts by renowned performers of all kinds, moogfest 2010 will also offer opportunities to engage with the artists in panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and workshops. There will also be interactive experiences for the audience to explore their own musical creativity with a variety of Moog instruments. The festival will also offer visual art exhibitions, installations, and film screenings throughout the weekend.
Confirmed artists include Devo, Mgmt, Big Boi, EL-P, Panda Bear, The Octopus Project, Kuroma, Bonobo, Van Dyke Parks, Caribou, Mountain Man, Emeralds, School of Seven Bells, Four Tet, Jonsi, Jon Hopkins, The Disco Biscuits, Massive Attack, Pretty Lights, Hot Chip, Two Fresh, Dan Deacon, Mimosa, DJ Spooky, and many more.
There will be a range of “engaging and interactive workshops, panels and much more”, with more details to come.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Yamaha intros two new contemporary digital pianos: Piaggero NP-V60 and NP-V80
June 7, 2010
Yamaha has introduced another couple of models in its range of contemporary digital piano line.
Portable But Smaller
The Piaggero series is one we’ve not seen before: its name derives from ‘piano’ and ‘leggero’ — which is Italian for ‘light’. In other words, the new NP-V60 and NP-V80 are portable digital pianos that don’t skimp on features or, most importantly, the sound and feel of a real acoustic piano.
What first aids in portability is the fact that these are 76-note keyboards, rather than full 88-notes that you’d expect on a full digital piano. You will decide whether those extra 12 notes (essentially an octave) are important.
Equally worth considering, if the feel is of great importance, is that Yamaha has employed its Graded Soft Touch system here, rather than the more authentic Graded Hammer Effect found on many of its other digital pianos. This makes the whole instrument lighter, but at the expense of some resistance in the keys when playing.
Polyphony
While the NP-V80 is the high-end model, it’s worth noting that, in my opinion, both don’t offer nearly enough polyphony — just 32 notes. For some playing styles, this may be fine, but even 64-note polyphony comes unstuck on more complex, sustained passages of music. Given how far sound technology has moved on, this is a bit of a disappointment, particularly from Yamaha.
Plenty of Features
So, perhaps we should look instead at the other features that make these keyboards more about all-round versatility.
Those after alternative voices will not be disappointed, as even the lower-end NP-V60 has 489 of them (500 on the NP-V80).
Interestingly, given my previous comments on notes, polyphony and overall feel, Yamaha has still allowed pedals capable of half-pedalling to be used with the instrument. To me, this would seem to be the least important feature to maintain, but maybe it’s more about what different features cost to implement, and how they affect keyboard weight.
There are a range of styles and effects, akin to what you’d find on Yamaha’s home keyboards. Nicely, though, for more beginner pianists (where I suspect these instruments are aimed) are a range of music lessons and performance assistants, including waiting, ‘your tempo’, the minus one system which takes out from an arrangement the part the pianist needs to play, repeat and learn, and a chord dictionary (very useful to have on board).
Sound Output
Two six-watt amplifiers combined with several speakers mean the built-in audio output should be more than adequate.
At first look, these aren’t bad pianos, perhaps more suited to those on a budget, those looking for a performance instrument where the quality of the digital piano is important but not paramountly so, and where there are enough other features to make it a good all-rounder.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Yamaha C7 grand piano accompanies Star Wars: In Concert
September 17, 2009
The greatest film saga and the greatest film music composed will come together this fall for Star Wars: in Concert, a multi-media touring event that will feature a Yamaha C7 grand piano.
Star Wars: In Concert combines John Williams’ unforgettable music, performed by a live symphony orchestra and chorus, with specially edited footage from all six Star Wars films. Through each musical piece, audiences experience the key themes, characters and story elements of the epic Star Wars saga in a fresh and exciting way.
Live narration by Anthony Daniels, who portrayed C-3PO in all six films, introduces each segment of the two-hour show, guiding audiences on a remarkable journey into the heart of a galaxy far, far away.
In addition to the main event, guests will have access to an exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props and production work, gathered from the Lucasfilm archives.
The worldwide concert tour begins Oct. 1 in Anaheim, CA at the Honda Center and plans to hit 50 North American cities before embarking on a global jaunt. To purchase tickets and see the full tour schedule, visit www.StarWarsInConcert.com.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Moog to end Voyager Old School production
June 3, 2009
Moog Music has announced that only 40 more Voyager Old School synthesizers will be built.
If you need some encouragement to go and get a first (or second) Voyager OS, take a look at what Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman has to say:
“Only Bob Moog could come up with a unique machine such as this. In the 70′s, the original Minimoog changed the face of music with it’s incredible sounds that were an absolute must for keyboard featured themes and solos, and the Voyager is no less than a 21st century equivalent.
My advice to anyone who has ever owned a Minimoog and loved it, is to go straight out and to buy a Voyager…and if you’re a keyboard player and have never had the pleasure of owning or playing a Minimoog…then go out and get a Voyager anyway, you will never regret it.
Quite simply it’s an absolute necessity for any keyboard rig, but has created a problem for me, as when I fall in love with something such as the Voyager, and also being the eccentric I am, I have found that I cannot be happy with just the one and will therefore be getting a second as soon as possible!”
Popularity: 5% [?]
Van Cliburn 2009 piano finalists announced
June 3, 2009
The thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition now has six chosen finalists.
They are:
- Mr. Evgeni Bozhanov, 25 (Bulgaria)
- Ms. Yeol Eum Son, 23 (South Korea)
- Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii, 20 (Japan)
- Ms. Mariangela Vacatello, 27 (Italy)
- Ms. Di Wu, 24 (China)
- Mr. Haochen Zhang, 19 (China)
Each pianist will perform two concerti of his/her choice with the acclaimed Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of renowned American conductor James Conlon. Each finalist will also perform a fifty-minute solo recital of works not performed in previous rounds.
The Final Round will be held Wednesday, June 3 through Sunday, June 7, and every concert will feature three artists.
There will be live webcasts of the finalists performing in rehearsals and during the competition with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
Here are brief biographies of the finalists:
Evgeni Bozhanov, 24 (Bulgaria)
Evgeni Bozhanov was born in Rousse, Bulgaria, and made his orchestral debut with his hometown orchestra at age twelve. Currently pursuing post-graduate studies at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Duesseldorf, Germany, he earned top prizes at both the 2008 Casagrande (Terni, Italy), and Sviatoslav Richter (Moscow, Russia) competitions. Also first-prize winner at the Carl Beckstein Competition in 2006, he has performed in several major concert halls in Germany and looks forward to a tour of Italian cities.
Yeol Eum Son, 23 (South Korea)
Yeol Eum Son has performed with the Israel, New York, Seoul, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, among other noted orchestras. Third-prize winner of the 2005 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition, Ms. Son has made debuts at several international music festivals, including the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, the Rheingau Festival in Germany, and the Bowdoin Festival in the United States. She currently studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany, and has recorded a CD of Chopin etudes for Universal Music in Korea.
Nobuyuki Tsujii, 20 (Japan)
Nobuyuki Tsujii’s performance credits include the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. At the age of twelve, he made noted recital debuts at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. An acclaimed debut album released by Avex classics in 2007 led to a fifteen-city tour of Japan and a second CD featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, released in 2008. Blind since birth, Mr. Tsujii states his firm belief that “there are no barriers in the field of music.” He participates in the performer’s program at the Ueno Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo.
Mariangela Vacatello, 27 (Italy)
Born in Naples to a musical family, Mariangela Vacatello made her official debut in Milan with the Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra when she was fourteen. At seventeen, she was second-prize winner of the 1999 Liszt Piano Competition (Utrecht, Netherlands), and in 2005 she was awarded the same distinction at the Busoni Competition (Italy). Ms. Vacatello has performed in Italy’s most renowned concert halls and festivals. Recent international engagements include recitals at Brussels’ Palais des Beaux Arts, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Montpellier Festival and Salle Cortot in France, and extensive tours throughout Mexico and South Africa. She is a graduate of both the Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola, Italy, and of London’s Royal Academy of Music.
Di Wu, 24, (China)
Recently singled out by Musical America as a young artist to watch, Di Wu made her orchestral debut with the Beijing Symphony at age fourteen. She is currently enrolled in Juilliard’s artist diploma program and has performed with the National, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras, and twice with the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. International engagements include recitals at the Busoni International Piano Festival in Italy and at Germany’s Klavier Festival Ruhr, as well as at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Winner of Juilliard’s 2009 William Petschek Award, Ms. Wu will make her Alice Tully Hall recital debut at Lincoln Center in May 2009.
Haochen Zhang, 19 (China)
The youngest participant in the 2009 Cliburn Competition, Haochen Zhang gave his debut recital at the Shanghai Music Hall at the age of five, performing all of Bach’s two-part inventions, as well as sonatas by Haydn and Mozart. He performed with orchestra at age six, and moved to the United States at fifteen to attend the Curtis Institute of Music. First-prize winner of the 2007 China International Piano Competition, Mr. Zhang has performed with the China National Symphony Orchestra, Krakow State Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and has concertized throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States. He also excels at ping pong and enjoys writing poetry.
SCHEDULE OF FINAL ROUND PERFORMANCES
Wednesday, June 3
Evening Performance:
7:30pm – Ms. Mariangela Vacatello (Recital)
intermission
8:45pm – Mr. Evgeni Bozhanov (Chopin, Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op. 11)
intermission
9:45pm – Ms. Di Wu (Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19)
Thursday, June 4
Evening Performance:
7:30pm – Ms. Yeol Eum Son (Recital)
intermission
8:45pm – Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii (Chopin, Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op. 11)
intermission
9:45pm – Mr. Haochen Zhang (Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466)
Friday, June 5
Evening Performance:
7:30pm – Mr. Evgeni Bozhanov (Recital)
intermission
8:45pm – Ms. Yeol Eum Son (Chopin, Piano Concerto No.2 in E minor, Op. 21)
intermission
9:45pm – Ms. Mariangela Vacatello (Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58)
Saturday, June 6
Matinee Performance:
1:30pm – Mr. Haochen Zhang (Recital)
intermission
2:45pm – Ms. Yeol Eum Son (Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16)
intermission
3:45pm – Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii (Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18)
Evening Performance:
7:30pm – Ms. Di Wu (Recital)
intermission
8:45pm – Mr. Evgeni Bozhanov (Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18)
intermission
9:45pm – Ms. Mariangela Vacatello (Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26)
Sunday, June 7
Matinee Performance:
1:30pm – Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii (Recital)
intermission
2:45pm – Mr. Haochen Zhang (Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16)
intermission
3:45pm – Ms. Di Wu (Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30)
5:00pm – Awards Ceremony
Popularity: 6% [?]
Lang Lang chosen as worldwide ambassador to 2010 Shanghai World Expo
May 6, 2009
Superstar Chinese pianist Lang Lang has been chosen as one of three official worldwide Ambassadors for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, alongside NBA player Yao Ming and the actor Jackie Chan.
Lang Lang, the most popular contemporary classical musician in the world, will be involved in various Expo activities including the opening ceremony, music videos promoting the event, plus various marketing and promotional activities.
The theme of this year’s Expo, which takes place from May 1st through October 31st, is “Better City, Better Life”.
By dedicating a 3.28-square-mile area at the core of the city to exhibitions, events, and forums on this theme, Shanghai hopes to build a powerful and lasting pilot example of sustainable and harmonious urban living. Officials anticipate that more than 70 million people will visit the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Steinway announces Q1 2009 results
May 6, 2009
Finances are pretty boring (to me, at least) so I’ll keep this brief.
Piano manufacturer Steinway has announced its 2009 first quarter financial results.
Sales dropped 26% to $70m, gross margin decreased to 26.6% from 29.1%, and the company had a net income of $1 million, down 49%.
Steinway’s CEO, Dana Messina, noted, “In the second quarter, we anticipate continued softness in band instrument sales. We expect our back-to-school season in the third quarter to be better and are building inventories to meet the expected customer demand. Our new products are gaining traction in the marketplace; we are excited about their prospects and expect them to do well for us beginning in 2010.”
“Piano sales have been dismal as dealers struggle with low traffic, a general lack of affordable financing and excess inventories,” said Messina. “We expect continued soft sales during the next few quarters until dealers gain more confidence that consumer demand is improving. Given the conditions, we have further reduced factory headcount, lowered production rates and reduced production days at both of our piano plants. We have aggressively reduced staff headcount and salaries to keep our expenses in line with sales. Looking forward, we believe that we can adapt to this new expense structure and increase profitability as demand recovers.”
Popularity: 5% [?]
M-Audio DCP-300 digital console piano now available from Avid
May 5, 2009
The latest in the M-Audio line of digital console pianos has arrived, with Avid’s announcement of the DCP-300.
Main features include:
- Sixteen premium sounds including Steinway Model D concert grand piano plus two vintage electric pianos, FM electric piano, clav, harpsichord, church organ, rock organ, strings, upright bass, electric bass, vibes, choir, fantasia, warm synth pad;
- 64-note polyphony;
- 40-watt stereo speaker system;
- 88-note TruTouch II graded hammer action keyboard
- Three pedals, including sostenuto;
- Built-in USB MIDI;
- Audio inputs;
- built-in 2-track recording with 28,000-note memory;
- layer / split modes;
- reverb / chorus effects;
- Included Session and Sibelius First software;
- two elegant finish options: dark wood-grain and rich walnut.
Available now with a recommended retail price of $1,375.95.
Popularity: 7% [?]
iPhone musician to play Wembley Stadium
April 29, 2009
When the iPhone was first launched it didn’t immediately jump up and shout about its music creation credentials. Sure, it’s an iPod, but that’s really about playback of music — the closest I really expected it to get to music creation was by hooking two or more together with some digital decks and DJing with them.
Nevertheless, two years on and with third-party applications aplenty, the iPhone has such gems as Star Guitar, noise.io, PaklSound1, Bloom, SynthPond, and numerous other music composition and synth creation tools.
Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that the iPhone will be the gadget star of forthcoming concerts at Wembley Stadium:
The London Evening Standard reports:
Singer, songwriter and producer Gary Go will be playing his iPhone instead of guitars and drums at a series of Take That concerts in July.
Go, 24 – real name Gary Baker – has already written several tracks for his first album using software downloaded to the phone. He used it to recreate guitars, drums, piano and horn sections.
All the demos for his album were laid down using a virtual four-track recording studio installed on his phone.
“I think it’s pretty amazing that I’m going to be using a mobile phone on stage at Wembley Stadium in front of so many people. I grew up behind the stadium, and used to listen to concerts in my back garden, ” said Go, whose single Open Arms is released on 11 May.
“My biggest worry is that my phone will ring mid-song.”
We’ll be ramping up our coverage of iPhone musical apps over the coming weeks, because (particularly for a mobile phone/entertainment device) there’s some pretty nifty bits of software available to complement or even replace recording studio and live performance gear and PC software.
Popularity: 3% [?]