I was replaced by a computer chip...

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 10 Jul 2001 9:05 am

Well, almost...

A band I sit in with was recently in the local True Value Hardware Country Showdown. The contest was held at the Diamondback Saloon, a huge honky-tonk in Bellevue, MI.
We played 8th out of 20 acts, one of two bands, the rest were karaoke singers (near as I can tell).

The house band had drums, guitar, bass, fiddle, keys...no steel. "Not in the budget."
The keyboardist had a steel guitar patch and he bent the notes with an MIDI attachment on his mouth. No, I wasn't drunk. Ever seen such a thing?

thanks,
Drew Howard

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David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 10 Jul 2001 9:22 am

I've seen "breath controllers" for MIDI keyboards before.

They're usually used with wind-type patches, though.

I'd think he could only "bend" one note, or more likely ALL the notes at once. Kinda hard to simulate the pedal steel guitar that way, really.

I never looked too hard, but I couldn't ever find a patch that really sounded like a steel guitar -- and I never could've figured out how to bend just one or two of the notes at a time, either.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Bob Bowden · Post by **Bob Bowden** » 10 Jul 2001 9:31 am

I haven't been paying much attention to keyboard technology for a number of years but I remember that when the Yamaha DX7 came out, there was an optional mouthpiece attachment. It was like an expression pedal and was supposed to help the player create more realistic sounds for wind, reed and brass instrument patches. I think it was also the DX7 that allowed only one note in a chord to be bent with the pitch wheel. At the time(mid 80s) there was one local player who was able to get some very realistic steel sounds out of his keyboard just using the wheel.

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 10 Jul 2001 9:43 am

No matter what they come up with- no electronic device can ever sound like a real steel guitar. NO WAY!!! My opinion about those things is not printable here...
Joe H., Analog Freak

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 10 Jul 2001 10:14 am

Any keyboard player who plays pitch bend 'steel licks' should be shot. I knew one once ...... unfortunately he survived.

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Emmons Push Pull S10 | Peavey Session 400 | '52 Fender Lap Steel | Goodrich L120 & Matchbox

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 10 Jul 2001 10:30 am

So you were replaced by a computer chip? I was replaced by 2 double "A" batterys once.
Never saw her again.
RK------------S

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 10 Jul 2001 10:50 am

Oh Bobbe, hey what kind of a flashlight is this.

I've gotten calls to 'replace' tracks that were mocked-up with a Fairlight, not only did they sound wrong, but on a Zephyr Hills Water spot, I had to duplicate the notes and all of the pedal squeezes were backwards from what would have been 'normal'.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 10 Jul 2001 12:24 pm

*
[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 02 May 2002 at 03:01 PM.]

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 10 Jul 2001 12:28 pm

"Pedal Steel Simulators"....And people wonder why people get shot all the time!

Bill Fulbright · Post by **Bill Fulbright** » 10 Jul 2001 12:30 pm

I guess you could say the guy using the breath controller midi interface for a steel "SUCKED", AND YOU WOULDN'T BE LYIN'!!!

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Bill Fulbright
1998 Sierra U12 7x5; Gibson ES-165; Peavey 50-410, Line 6 POD 2.0
ICQ# 2251620; Bill Fulbright's Music Website

Steel tryin · Post by **Steel tryin** » 10 Jul 2001 1:09 pm

chas, I hope Bobbe was replaced by something
other than a FLASHLIGHT. That would be depressing

Don Olson · Post by **Don Olson** » 10 Jul 2001 4:11 pm

Not to worry,a keyboard can bend one note or all the notes but it can't bend two notes going in defferent directions.
ZUM STEEL FOREVER

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 10 Jul 2001 4:39 pm

Actually Don, it can if the notes are on different MIDI channels. Continuous controller data affects all the notes on a single MIDI channel, but with splits and layers and sequencing with multiple modulation sources.... well don't you keyboard players try it! I'm feelin' trigger happy ........ Hire a steel player!

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Emmons Push Pull S10 | Peavey Session 400 | '52 Fender Lap Steel | Goodrich L120 & Matchbox

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 10 Jul 2001 5:35 pm

Bobbe, must have been a small one, I got replaced by 2"D" batteries.

[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 10 July 2001 at 06:35 PM.]

Gaylon Mathews · Post by **Gaylon Mathews** » 10 Jul 2001 5:55 pm

Bobbe got replaced by BOB
(Battery Operated Boyfriend)

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The Tyler Wails Band
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John Russell · Post by **John Russell** » 10 Jul 2001 6:11 pm

Sorta like a cold splash of water in the face.

So what's the lesson here, class? Our wonderful PSG is perceived by the general public as some sort of filler, a minor ingredient in the larger souffle of the pop music world--easily replaced by some sort of hi-tech simulator on an all-plastic keyboard instrument. I guess this is the reality that horn players, violinists, viola players, etc. have known for many years now.

Like a lot of things, it's an insult or an opportunity, depending on how you look at it. I think there are stellar examples of guys on this forum who've taken the steel to new frontiers if you will, played things that are uniquely "steel" oriented that would never work on a synth. Heck, string quartets are still around, Mark O'Connor hasn't been retired yet and we've got heros who are making sure that the audience for our beloved "electric table" will be around for years to come. --JR

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 10 Jul 2001 8:33 pm

She just called, wants to come back,I think the batterys died.(I think the rabbit did too!)
(you know who!)

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 11 Jul 2001 11:39 am

Bobbe tell her that the "Eveready Bunny" just keeps goin and goin and goin...LMBO!

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 11 Jul 2001 11:50 am

Just as long as nobody turns her on to rechargeable batteries.

LTB

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 11 Jul 2001 1:36 pm

Bobbe,

My wife says she uses "C" batteries.

Doh!:>)

Drew

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www.newslinkassociates.com
www.drewhoward.com

Robert Todd · Post by **Robert Todd** » 11 Jul 2001 1:44 pm

Drew I own an Ensoniq sampling keyboard that has a pitch bender wheel on it that both raises and lowers pitch. I am not much of a keyboardist so I don't mess with it as I'm still trying to play a little boogie woogie on it and that's all. Regardless, a sampled steel could be reproduced fairly accurately by this keyboard I'm sure because it does piano, sax, violin, organ, guitar, trumpet and countless other sampled sounds pretty realistically if heard but not seen.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 11 Jul 2001 2:12 pm

Can you play the intro to"Touch my Heart" and make one string go up and the other down at the same time on your key board? Do you need two mouths to do this or two keyboards? Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier just to hire a steel to "sound like a steel?" Keyboards are fine but we do have to remember, They are machines, not organic musicial instruments like violins,hornes,reeds,even pianos. They are electronic synth machines, and have there place,not in pure country music, in my opinion.It still looks funny to me to see names like Yamaha,Sabian,Takamine,on the Opry stage.-----This is the opinion that I have a right to.The Opry is an American institution,Am I wrong, tell me I listen very well.
Bobbe

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 11 Jul 2001 4:11 pm

That Fairlight I mentioned earlier cost something like $160,000, if that thing can't do steel guitar sounds I doubt the Ensoniq can. When I see synthesizer keyboards with country music I'd like to play a Heckler & Koch MP5 back at it, and those things don't need pedals although the black ones do have better tone.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 11 Jul 2001 7:30 pm

Chas, sure the black ones sound better! And jump higher and run faster,You don't any white steel guitars at a basketball game do you?