The future is now.

As a keyboardist I’ve always longed for expressive tools. If I’m playing strings on a keyboard, I want them to be able to soar, quiver, slide or diminish depending on what I’m doing with my hands on the fly, but to date changing the aesthetic nature of a sound hasen’t really been so simple or intuitive... until NOW! :D Watch the first 60 seconds in the video below. I need this in my life!

Now some history.

Many years ago Roli introduced a number of expressive instruments starting with their Seaboard which was launched in 2013. This keyboard is completely expressive. It triggers a number of things not just based on velocity, but also the position of your fingers and so much more. Check out the video below.

Though I have no first hand experience, I can only assume that the concept was great back then, but configuring the board to work with any soft synth or DAW the way you wanted might have been a bit challenging, especially since MIDI did not convey a lot of info regarding placement of ones individual fingers on a controller, let alone the ability to slide between notes, etc. Plus, most midi synths, be they soft or hardware, just weren't built for this out of the box.

All of that has changed thanks to MPE, the latest addition to the age old MIDI protocol. MPE is an acronym for MIDI Polyphonic Expression. I don't want to spoil the benefits of MPE with my own lame explanation, so here is a cool video that explains MPE and why it's so lovely!

Here’s what CDM (Create Digital Music) says about it:

“The name says it all: it allows you to add additional expression to more than one note at a time. So, you’ve always been able to layer expression on a single note – via aftertouch, for instance – but now instead of just one note and one finger, an instrument can respond to multiple notes and multiple fingers independently. That means every fingertip on an instrument like the ROLI Seaboard can squish and bend, and a connected sound instrument can respond or a DAW can record the results. ”

— Create Digital Music

Possibilities!

So... Now, devices and software can transmit and record a lot more data, inlcuding what each and every finger is doing on a plethora of new controllers. Now we can be super expressive with ease on stage or in the studio and more creative with our sound design and configuration! Now Roli controllers and the like have much more real world use, as more and more soft synths ship with MPE. At this time, just about all DAWS are compatibile... except one (Sigh... Ableton... I didn't expect it to be you.).

I want to assume that this is the new normal and from this day forward controllers, soft synths, computers, mobile devices and accesories will continue to open the flood gates of creative potential with this new standard! For the first time in a long time I'm super exicted and looking forward to the sonic possibilities!

If any kind soul reading this wants to gift me a small Roli keyboard please click here! I will name my first child after you.

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Loves: making music, cooking & djing!
Makes: chill, soulful beats & remixes!
Reading: The Power of Now: Eckhart Tolle
Studio Needs: An Amazon Wishlist
Studio Dreams: The Amazon Wishlist

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Was Mercury in retrograde? :)

Long story short, in a span of two weeks I lost a number of tools that are quite critical to the maintenance my current lifestyle. I lost my means of making money, my means of communicating with the world and my means of maintaining my health. If you want to know exactly what happened, you can read about it on the right (below on mobile devices), but more important then what happened was what I did.

There was a time when I would be quite negative about such things, angry at fate, fearful of how I was going to work and probably upset about having to unexpectedly spend additional money to replace these items. But...not this time.

With all of this loss, I've been very calm, pleasant and motivated! These are just material things and...nothing lasts forever. Unfortunately, I'll have to spend money to replace some of these things, but...such is life. Let's look on the bright side.

1. HUMANITY & LOVE

Luckily, I happen to be in a place with the kindest people in the world. As soon as word got out, someone was kind enough to let me borrow their laptop and I've been able to keep working while trying to figure out how to replace my old Acer. In fact, many people offered to come to my rescue. It's good to know that friends, associates and even strangers can be quite kind and generous. Much love to Helen and Tat's.

2. FOCUS & TIME

The good thing is, being less connected has lead me to spending time doing things that don't pertain to Instagram and the like. I won't be spending hours on any social media platform or find myself swallowed by the ocean of information on the internet. People are kind, but I have things to do and I know my borrowed laptop won't be around long. I need to focus on replacing my items and also moving forward with my projects. So... I've been practicing on the decks. As you can see, I'm blogging, but more importantly...

I've used this time to make a lot of music... Not only have I been making a lot of music, I've been working on releasing it all. Recently, I just finished an EP. It's a selection of four sensual, soulful and chill electronic tunes, with bonus tracks, simply entitled, Sensual Electronic Music. Unfortunately, I still need artwork for this project, but it's ready to go! More on this later.

With all of this new music coming out, I'm making plans to offer a subscription service enabling all who enjoy what I do to get everything I release at a low, low price. I could use the support! =)

3. Bad luck = Good things

I've come to learn that good things usually follow a string of bad luck. This time was no different. Shortly after all this change, I was approached by a very talented film director, Alan Algee to score a film for the infamous photo/journaling app, VSCO, entitled Kyoto 23.5. It was a bit daunting for a number of reasons. I've always been enthralled with all things Japanese, but I've never been there. How do I score a film about a place I've never been? More on this later.

I was then asked to spin a few mixtapes for a friends syndicated podcast. I'm so excited! There are a few other things cooking, but I don't want to mention them, yet... :)

Sometimes the bad things that happen in life are brief and just a prelude to all of the good things the future holds.

I keep telling myself that.

Wanna Help?

If you want to help me, I've decided to earn my money the old fashioned way. Feel free to purchase any of the music on the right or anything on the Lofty Recordings label. Every purchase really counts!!!

GONE: My Means of Earning $

First, I lost my means of earning money while I am abroad. Not cool.

I owned an Acer laptop..I loved it! It looked like a PC. It smelled like a PC, but it was a machine with an OS of another name. I miss it. I never dropped it and though it didn't appear to be pristine, I kept it in good condition. One evening I was working on a project at a cafe of sorts and I decided it was time for me to close the laptop and head home. I did just that. I shut the laptop, placed in my protective backback and headed home.

When I got home, I took out the laptop and opened it. I was a bit puzzled. When I left, it was on, but when I got home it was off. I hit the power button. Nothing. I plugged it in and tried to turn it on. Nothing. I picked it up and I heard a screw inside. Somehow, a screw came loose inside the laptop and killed it. It's dead.

Gone: LG G4

I'm not big shot, but I talk to people all over the world, family, friends, clients, musicians, singers, songwriters, DJ's, etc... Well... A number of days later, my smartphone went missing. All of my pictures, videos and my means of keeping in touch with everyone is no longer possible. No laptop and no phone equals incommunicado.

Gone: Omega Juicer

A number of days later critical component of my Omega juicer snapped in two. Things were going quite well prior to that moment. I was preaching the gospel of juice and some were quite interested. Many even asked me to juice for them. I was happily entertaining the idea, but one day, while juicing, one of the major components just snapped. I wasn't juicing anything out of the ordinary. It was weird. According to the juicing community on the internet, this is a known issue and... well... the juicer is has a 15 year warranty! It's just a matter of getting the part shipped...somehow.