How to create a set of Beatles keyboard sounds with Gig Performer and Reason

Gig Performer Videos
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This video, presented by Heath Allyn, serves as a guide for keyboardists on how to manage and construct specific Beatles keyboard sounds for live performances using Gig Performer and Reason. The creator emphasizes that this setup provides a flexible and powerful workflow for live gigging.

Key Workflow Principles

  • Gig Performer Integration: The creator uses Gig Performer to manage Reason rack spaces, specifically tailoring setups for each song to match the original recordings as closely as possible (0:36-1:30).

  • Song Management: He demonstrates how to configure setlists, specifically mentioning his preference for turning off the default ‘stay within song’ option to allow seamless navigation between songs and song parts (1:45-2:55).

  • Minimum Required Force: A core philosophy of his is to only tweak sounds when necessary, avoiding unnecessary processing to maintain simplicity (6:11-6:30).

Song-Specific Sound Construction

The video breaks down the sound design process for several iconic Beatles tracks:

  • All You Need Is Love: Uses a simple harpsichord patch with room reverb (5:30).

  • Lady Madonna: Adjusts a preset by lowering the detune to achieve a drier, more accurate sound (7:20).

  • Here Comes The Sun: Utilizes a Moog synthesizer sound, leveraging the modulation wheel for bridge dynamics and assigning LFO2 parameters to external sliders for vibrato effects (8:33).

  • Strawberry Fields Forever: Employs MIDI transposition (transposing one semitone) to accommodate the band performing the song in the key of F (11:45).

  • I Am The Walrus: Constructs a sound using a Pianette patch processed through a Rotary Speaker plugin to add drive and modulation (13:16).

  • Piggies: Uses a note echo tool to layer the harpsichord across different octaves for a fuller, more complex sound (15:57).

  • A Day In The Life: The most complex setup, featuring a main section and an ‘end’ section. For the final crashing chord, the creator uses a second piano instance and note repeaters to double the notes across three octaves (20:24).

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Beatles songs:

05:27 All You Need Is Love
06:32 Hey Jude
07:20 Lady Madonna
08:33 Here Comes The Sun
11:45 Strawberry Fields Forever
13:16 I Am The Walrus
15:26 Something
15:57 Piggies
18:00 Across The Universe
18:34 The Long And Winding Road
19:07 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
20:24 A Day In The Life

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