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[cgrafx]

Agreed, the sims are not the same, but sometimes we make compromises to accommodate specific needs.

I don't carry my B3 and Leslie around with me when I gig. I have to compromise and use a simulated B3. Granted the Nord Electro is pretty damn good, but its still not the same as playing on a real hammond, nor is my Alesis QS8 a real piano, but I'd rather not carry around 600 lbs of gear.

Even the Roland TD20 drum set that we use for rehearsals is not quite a real drum set, but all of these compromised tools when put together on a recording sound astonishingly good (and the
technology has continued to improve with time).

This following recording is from our weekly band rehearsals. I don't think I spent more than 10 minutes mixing this. Its not intended as a highly polished track, only as a suitable representation of what our band sounds like live. There are lots of places for improvement, both in the initial recording chain and in the mix, but its still pretty decent particularly considering no live instruments and nothing optimized for recording.

Drums - TD20
B3 - Nord Electro 3
Bass - Cheap P-Bass copy into Sans Amp Preamp
Guitar - Through pedals, into a Sans Amp Preamp

http://theretrorockets.com/sites/def...y%20Monday.mp3

[Dave Labrecque]

Agreed, the sims are not the same, but sometimes we make compromises to accommodate specific needs.

I don't carry my B3 and Leslie around with me when I gig. I have to compromise and use a simulated B3. Granted the Nord Electro is pretty damn good, but its still not the same as playing on a real hammond, nor is my Alesis QS8 a real piano, but I'd rather not carry around 600 lbs of gear.

Even the Roland TD20 drum set that we use for rehearsals is not quite a real drum set, but all of these compromised tools when put together on a recording sound astonishingly good (and the
technology has continued to improve with time).

This following recording is from our weekly band rehearsals. I don't think I spent more than 10 minutes mixing this. Its not intended as a highly polished track, only as a suitable representation of what our band sounds like live. There are lots of places for improvement, both in the initial recording chain and in the mix, but its still pretty decent particularly considering no live instruments and nothing optimized for recording.

Drums - TD20
B3 - Nord Electro 3
Bass - Cheap P-Bass copy into Sans Amp Preamp
Guitar - Through pedals, into a Sans Amp Preamp

http://theretrorockets.com/sites/def...y%20Monday.mp3

Nice tune. One of my faves from a few bands back. Funny, the band prior to that one that I was in in Tucson was called The Retro Rockets.

I hear what you're saying. That these things are fine for certain purposes. I'm just saying that to me they still fall pretty short of the kind of mojo that the real thing has, and I'm just not okay with that, personally. Since I've tasted the real thing, I'm just not satisfied with a simulation. Not yet, anyway.

Thank God I'm not a keyboard player. I feel for ya, man. That said, as a guitar player, that organ sound is pretty convincing to me.

[Microstudio]

Here is a song I throw together using what for guitars?
no I wont do that...they are Line6. I think the guitars sound good but then that's me

My Band Page

[Dave Labrecque]

Here is a song I throw together using what for guitars?
no I wont do that...they are Line6. I think the guitars sound good but then that's me

My Band Page

There's a certain something there that's pleasing to the ear, I agree. Just not my cup of tea, I guess.

[DominicPerry]

I'm with Dave.

Steve Winwood takes his Hammond with him, Elton John takes his piano with him. No-one proposes replacing the singer with a synth-singer. Except by adding Autotune, and we all know where that gets us.

To be brutally honest, however good the playing, I think the TD20 was most convincing in that clip. The bass, guitar and keyboard sounds leave me cold. I don't want to be rude, like I say the playing was great, but the instruments don't sound right to me.

I realise that not everyone has the budget to buy or carry a Hammond to a gig. I've spent countless thousands myself trying to get a good small tube amp that sounds like my Plexi-copy with 2x12, just so I have something light to carry to rehearsals. Nothing cuts it. So a sim won't do it for me.

Dominic

[cgrafx]

I'm with Dave.

Steve Winwood takes his Hammond with him, Elton John takes his piano with him. No-one proposes replacing the singer with a synth-singer. Except by adding Autotune, and we all know where that gets us.

Dominic

Elton John does not takes is piano with him and Steve Winwood Does not Take his hammond.

The STAGE crew does that. And while its all nice the they have grunts to move the thousands of pounds of lighting, sound and stage gear, not all of us have that luxury.

I still have my Hammond and my Yamaha CP70, but there is no way I'm going to tote those around for the typical $100/night gig.

Once again, just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that the sample track was some magical representation of sims (just that for what it is, its decent enough for our purposes).

[Sean McCoy]

No-one proposes replacing the singer with a synth-singer.

Ah, but there are many popular singers for whom I think this would be an improvement...

[Dave Labrecque]

Elton John does not takes is piano with him and Steve Winwood Does not Take his hammond.

The STAGE crew does that. And while its all nice the they have grunts to move the thousands of pounds of lighting, sound and stage gear, not all of us have that luxury.

I still have my Hammond and my Yamaha CP70, but there is no way I'm going to tote those around for the typical $100/night gig.

Once again, just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that the sample track was some magical representation of sims (just that for what it is, its decent enough for our purposes).

Anyway... my point wasn't about whether or not the trade-offs were valid. It was simply that the sims just don't sound as good as the real thing yet. For me, personally, that's a deal-breaker. I can't play music if the very sound of my instrument leaves me cold. Others, obviously, are feeling something from the sim sound that I'm not.

BTW, when I saw Elton he was playing a digital piano. And it sounded like it. When I saw Steve, I was amazed at his guitar skills. The guy can play. But I digress...

[Microstudio]

I'm with Dave.

Steve Winwood takes his Hammond with him, Elton John takes his piano with him. No-one proposes replacing the singer with a synth-singer. Except by adding Autotune, and we all know where that gets us.

To be brutally honest, however good the playing, I think the TD20 was most convincing in that clip. The bass, guitar and keyboard sounds leave me cold. I don't want to be rude, like I say the playing was great, but the instruments don't sound right to me.

I realise that not everyone has the budget to buy or carry a Hammond to a gig. I've spent countless thousands myself trying to get a good small tube amp that sounds like my Plexi-copy with 2x12, just so I have something light to carry to rehearsals. Nothing cuts it. So a sim won't do it for me.

Dominic

I worked in the Bank Atlantic Center for 10 years and I worked many concerts and Elton, Bill Joel both had Electric Pianos put in Grand Pianos for the concerts. I am not saying they do that for recording but they did it in concert. Edge used 2 Line6 Pod Pros in his Rack and I have seen tons of other stuff. Just thought I would share that. I agree to each their own and whats good for ya

[Cary B. Cornett]

I'm not a guitar player, nor to I play one on TV, but I'm definitely with the "real amp" crowd on this one, particularly for recording. I cobbled together a custom amp rig for my little studio, and it definitely makes a difference. I never could afford a real B3, but I find I can shove a sampled instrument through a Leslie and get REAL close on the sound.