Keyboard Player is the longest-running keyboard magazine
on the UK market, having been published monthly since 1979. Appealing
mainly to the home enthusiast and semi-pro player, the magazine covers
all types of keyboard instruments including portables, workstations, synthesizers,
pianos and organs, plus amplification/speaker systems, computer music
software and ancillary equipment. As well as product news and in-depth
reviews, Keyboard Player publishes expert playing advice, tuition plus
sheet music including exclusive music arrangements, along with interviews
and profiles, prize competitions and reviews of CDs, DVDs and books.
Download
or request your free copy of Keyboard Player Magazine
here
Issue & Web Site Update - May
2008
Welcome
to the May issue of
Keyboard Player which is available to purchase and download.
First up we have a new range of Yamaha
Motif synthesizers. Now in its seventh year of production
the new XS range continues in the tradition of previous Motif
ranges in what John Bates describes as ‘all about the
integration of musical facilities’ in his in-depth review
of the 61 note XS6,
one of four models in this new range.
Casio’s
Privia range of digital pianos have been around a while and
have made a name for themselves as quality products at a very
reasonable price. With the new PX-320
the price remains as keen as ever but John Bates believes
that Casio have
come up with an exceptionally good piano that can be used
in the home, on the stage, in the studio and is good for teaching.
High praise indeed, for a piano costing under £550.
Another
tried and tested range is Roland’s
RD stage pianos. Andrew Gilbert takes a look at the RD-700GX
which he is highly impressed with claiming there is not a
poor sound or feature to be found on this substantial instrument.
VSTi packages bearing
famous names appear to be the ‘in thing’. A couple
of months ago we had Miles Davis lending his name to Miles’tone
then last month it was Ray
Charles and now it is The Beatles in the shape of EastWest’s
Fab
Four. Mark Jenkins reviews this and three other new VSTi
packages – Gypsy, Voices of Passion and Ministry of
Rock – in this month’s Computer
Music.
With the usual music
and tuition features, this then is our May
2008 issue which we hope you will enjoy.
As mentioned last month we will soon
be re-launching our website. Amongst other things, we plan
to include MP3 and video samples of products reviewed as well
as tuition and demonstration features. The idea is to build
up a mass of freely accessible items to make the Keyboard
Player website the number one port-of-call for all things
keyboard related. We should be up and running within the next
month or so.
See you next time.
Issue & Web Site Update - April
2008
Welcome
to the April issue of Keyboard
Player which is now available to download and purchase.
First up this month we have an in-depth review of Korg’s
PA500 from their Professional Arranger series. This one
comes in at a tad under 1k and Andrew Gilbert thinks this
may be an ideal stepping stone for those looking to move up
from the more basic keyboard without going into four figures
on the price. Read
his 6 page review in this issue.
When
Kawai launched
their CN piano range some three years ago, they proved to
be both novel in design and very popular. Kawai
have now launched three new models, the CN
21, 31 and 41. John Bates takes a look at this latest
range and believes their ideal customer will be looking for
a good attractive digital piano that doesn’t take up
too much space and doesn’t break the bank. Check out
John’s review
in this issue.
When is
a B3
not a B3?
When it’s a KeyB
Duo. Fashions come and go with musical instruments as
with everything else but the sound of the tonewheel organ
remains a constant. The latest company to try and replicate
the Hammond
B3 is DLQ, an Italian company, the origins of which John
Bates delves into in his review, who have managed to secure
the services of Joey
de Francesco as both a partner and chief performer.
To complete
this month’s hardware reviews, Mark Jenkins takes a
look at the 30th anniversary edition of the famed DSI Prophet
analogue synthesizer now simply renamed the Prophet
’08. So if you want the authentic Prophet sound
without compromise and don’t mind paying for it, this
one could be for you.
On the software front
the ever-popular Band-In-A-Box
gets its annual makeover and as the last edition Andrew Gilbert
reviewed was 2006 you get the ins and outs of both 2007 and
2008 editions which Andrew thinks are now more powerful and
easier to use. Either edition is highly recommended. Last
month we had Miles Davis lending his name to some software
– this month sees Ray Charles name being added to a
Fender Rhodes 73 VSTi aptly named MrRay73.
Again, recommended especially with a price tag of 49 Euros.
This months Key Person
is Don
Airey who has played keyboards for Ozzy Osbourne, Black
Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Judas Priest and, even Andrew Lloyd
Weber, amongst others but currently is full time with Deep
Purple.
With news of some
new Roland pianos plus the usual tuition and music, this then
is our April 2008
issue which we hope you enjoy.
Look out next
month for news of our new expanded all-singing, all-dancing
website which we hope to launch in a couple of months time.
See you next time.
Issue & Web Site Update - March
2008
Welcome
to the March 2008 issue
of Keyboard Player that is now available to purchase and download.
When is a synth
not a synth?
A question that Andrew Gilbert poses in his review of the
new Yamaha
MM6. Described as an entry-level synth by Yamaha, AG is
very impressed with the array of sounds, styles and features
on offer but feels Workstation
might have been a more apt description. Still, what’s
in a name – synth
or not it seems great value at £429.
Andrew
also enthuses over Roland’s
SonicCell hardware module, going as far as to say that
it includes some of the best sounds he’s heard from
a module. Read his full in-depth
review in this issue.
Italian
company SR
Technology continue to knock out cracking sound systems
and they come up trumps again with the SR
Club 150A powered speakers which you can also add a STW250A
sub-woofer to. John Bates believes that SR
Technology perfectly understand the needs of the gigging
musician and design their products accordingly. Read his review
in this issue.
You may remember
last month in our interview with jazz pianist Geoff
Eales he particularly mentioned Oscar
Peterson as probably the greatest influence on his own
playing. Who better then to write us a personal tribute to
the great man, who sadly passed away in December last year.
It is fascinating to hear a musician explaining what it is
that makes someone like Peterson
so great – something not always easy to put into words.
Geoff doesn’t shy away from answering the few (and there
were only a few) detractors of Peterson’s
playing and style. A good read.
Joe
Jackson is not an artiste easily defined. Over the last
30 years he has dabbled in most musical genres including punk,
pop, jazz and classical. On the eve of his European tour and
the release of a new album ‘Rain’, Jackson talks
to Douglas McPherson about his career and music.
There are not many
musicians who get a piece of software named after them but
then Miles Davis was unique. Soundfonts have come up with
Miles’tone,
a virtual trumpet. Now although the references to Miles Davis
are obvious, there are no samples inside (as the packaging
clearly states) which means the sounds are fully modelled
and a modelled trumpet is rather complex and requires patience.
Andrew Gilbert goes into this software in some detail with
advice on getting the best from what he feels is a worthwhile
addition to your VSTi library. Also check out the review of
LinPlug’s
Alpha 3 analogue synth VSTi which completes this months
Computer Music.
With the usual tuition and music, this then is our March
2008 issue which we hope you’ll enjoy. See you next
time.
