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Hi Angela,
The dub sounds I’m using are with the Line 6 DL4 (the new version) and just playing the keyboard (piano or e. paino) into it then messing with the knobs to get freakiness. No sounds downloaded from the Nord site.The issue with synth horns is a long frustrating one. Bands switched to using them mainly for financial reasons back in the 80’s, cheaper to have a keyboard player do them. But the sounds are AWFUL, even with the most modern keyboards and plug ins. Why? Because what makes a real horn section sound great is 1) the merging of all the timbres of each instrument (trumpet, trombone and tenor sax usually). With synth horns you’re stuck with the same timbre (and a weak sounding digital, or even analog one). 2) it’s very hard to get all the nice dynamics, scoops, fall offs, etc. with synth horns. Yes, some new synths have crescendos and the ability to do fall-offs and some other horn specific expressions, but they don’t sound all that great and if you’re keeping a chop going with one hand you can’t engage some of these things because some of them take using the mod wheel or some other knob on the keyboard. I don’t know of any keyboard or plug in that is trying to resolve al these issues….for us reggae keyboards. But if you find something, let me know!
Hi Angela,
As for two keyboards. To be honest, these days I mostly only use the Nord (I have a Stage 4) and use splits, sometimes even 3 way splits. Mostly I have the organ bubble sound on the left side and piano for chopping on the right side and that will cover what I’m doing. I have some splits where I have the left hand piano (chop) and various lead synth sounds on the right side. Some 3 way splits I have the piano in the middle, left side organ and right side lead synth sounds. I also have a bunch of dub pads with all kinds of effects programmed in on the patch buttons on the lower level so I can be playign the organ LH/piano RH patch and quickly hit the dub pad patch for dubwize/riddim sections and get back to the organ/bubble patch lightening quick.
However there are times where the music is a bit more complicated and it’s easier to have the main keyboard on the bottom with just piano, just organ, or with the organ/piano split while the keyboard on the top will have lead sounds, dub pad sounds, clavinet, and perhaps horn sounds. Also there are times where I will bubble with the right hand (and chop with the left) and often times I’ll put the organ bubble on the top keyboard for right hand bubbling….switching quickly to say horn parts, or lead parts….or dub fx stuff.
Make sense?
Hi Angela,
Your Nord will sound pretty darn close to a real B3! I’m not going to go into a text description here because the Organ Course on A of R gets into this! You’ll see there are basically two bubble tones: the hi tone and the lo tone (as I call them). Very specific and easy drawbar settings.
Let me know if you have it figured out!
Matt
Hi Dave,
Probably the most important thing to consider is the range. You want to try to keep the keyboard chops in the range that I discussed in the video on that. It’s not really about the root position being a voicing that’s perhaps more important, or something you’d always start with because it’s the ‘root’ and not 1st or 2nd (or 3rd for 7th chords) inversion. It’s all about keeping the voicing in that sweet spot I demonstrated. So that could mean root position or any of the inversions.Does that make sense?
Glad you’re learning!
Matt
Hi Robert,
There’s no name for that LH pattern, in fact, for a lot of the items on all the keyboard lessons there are no formal names because the world of reggae music education is so new. In many cases I am making up these names and try to make them as accurate descriptors as possible. (I mention this on one of the intro videos.) That said, the LH is playing one regular bubble and one mento chop and repeating it. It’s tricky!
Hi Robert,
I’ll be getting Tuff to give you some advice. I don’t think he’ll know much about VST plugins for guitar but the ‘analog’ stuff he’ll know well. On the ‘viral’ video he does talk about his guitar model and the strings and pick ups he uses. That video is on the ‘guitar one shots’ page.As for guitar VST’s I use Orangetree samples Evolution Hollow Body Blues guitar and the Evolution Stratosphere. They’re very good in my opinion….although I have not compared them to others.
Keep on skankin!
Matt
Hi Aldo,
INDEED! This is my next One Shot lesson. I’ll probably get it done in February, 2024. This is such an essential topic for reggae keyboards!Hi Johannes,
Sorry for the late reply on this. I’ll look into the issue you’re speaking of. I’ll bet it’s more of a typo of sorts than anything else. I’ll proof it and fix it.Keep on bubblin and skankin!
MattHi Johannes,
This is a great idea! I will do a One Shot lesson on this as soon as I can! In the mean time, play along to some of the practice loops with just your left hand shuffling. But bear in mind, that is implicitly somewhat difficult. You’ll probably notice that when you add your right hand playing the chop that the LH shuffle will get easier to play. They naturally work together. (This is also true when you switch hands.)
This, no doubt, will be discussed in the above mentioned one shot.
Keep on …..BUBBLIN!
MattHi Jonathan,
We’ve been in touch through Email. Thanks for pointing out that slight mistake on Basic Theory course, lesson 3. I’m fixing it now!
I hope you saw my email saying that the Organ Course 1 dives very very deeply into playing the BUBBLE. There’s a little about it on Piano Course 2 but you generally do not play the bubble on the piano. Check that organ course and let me know what you think!
MattSorry for the late reply Rem,
The whistle bubble is played exactly as the ‘classic’ bubble but it’s really about the right hand chop that’s being played while the left hand is bubbling…so it is a bit confusing. But it is for sure a ‘thing’ a certain sound that you will hear on some reggae tracks out there. There is a good example on the curated play list – Tribute to the Marytr’s by Steel Pulse. Give that a listen. I hope this helps!