It’s been far too long since my last update; it’s time to bring things current, and let everyone know what’s been going on.
The primary reasons for the delay have been my complete immersion in two projects: my first studio recording using the Seaboard as a controller, and the animation that will accompany it when I release it online.
The music has been completed for several weeks, but after rushing to meet a self-imposed deadline on the animation – and finding myself doing work I was less than satisfied with – I’m taking a few days to step back from the project, and give myself a restorative break. So now there’s no excuse not to bring things up to date!
The Seaboard has been moved from its arrival space in the living room, and settled into its long-term location in the studio. It’s a tight fit, but it actually works out very well, and I love having my solid piano stool available for both the Seaboard and the Yamaha piano keyboard controller again.
Since I can close the door to the studio, I’m much less concerned about needing to protect the Seaboard from Milla the cat. The door is only open when I’m actually in there working, and she’s happy to hang out under the piano instead of trying to climb up on things. The cover I made still does a good job of keeping the keywave surface relatively dust-free.
I’m going to stay mum for the time being about the first piece of music I recorded using the Seaboard, except to say that it’s an arrangement of someone else’s work; I wanted to get the feel of using the instrument as a production tool before I started using it for serious composition. I’ve gone to the necessary effort to do it legally, as well; I’ve paid licensing fees for streaming rights, and will continue to pay more as the the hit count rises. (If I’m lucky enough to get that much traffic!)
I’m over halfway through the animation that will accompany it; I expect to get going again by the weekend, so it shouldn’t be much longer before I have the finished work to share. I’ll have more to say about it when it’s ready. I can promise that the second piece I record will be entirely original!
As I type this, the folks from ROLI are wrapping up their get-together at Abbey Road Studios – yes, that Abbey Road – and I hope everyone had a fantastic time. In addition to showing off various versions of the Seaboard Grand, they were announcing an influx of capital from a number of investment firms, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people! My congratulations to all.
I’ve received a higher level of dedicated support from ROLI than I’ve ever experienced in over 40 years of working with synths and other music tech. Remember, my Seaboard – LFE number A1! – was one of the very first to reach the public. There have been a number of firmware updates as they refined the functionality of the instrument, and at this point the very few “breaking in” concerns I experienced in the early days have been completely eliminated. ROLI’s attention to detail and commitment to perfection is amazing; they’ve gone the extra mile in every interaction I’ve had with them.
I’m eager to wrap up the animation work so I can get back to focusing on the Seaboard! I’ve developed MIDI recording techniques in Digital Performer that take maximum advantage of the Seaboard’s poly pitch bend capabilities, and I know my next session is going to be a blast.
My next post, in all likelihood, will link to the music animation I’ll be wrapping soon… please check back, or follow me on Twitter via @Seaboardist for the release announcement. Until then, ciao!
