Matt Johnson - A Tour of the 2018 Jamiroquai Keyboard Rig

Matt Johnson is of the funkiest keyboardists on the planet. On a rare tour stop in NYC, he gave KEYBOARD an exclusive tour of his Jamiroquai keyboard rig for 2018.
Video by Bojan Hohnjec

[@christiannilsen2835]

This guy is like 70% of Jamiroquai's signature sounds... kudos to him! Love them!

[@DOGOID]

The 70's are 70% of Jamiroquai's signature sounds

[@jaggass]

Toby Smith was in the earlier years.

[@iwantahat]

@@jaggass Yes Toby Smith really formed that sound. So sad that he's no longer among us.

[@kaafaa5944]

Public love Jamiroquai for Jay, or without him its would be instrumental for ascensor or fashion shop ( ambient music)

[@christiannilsen2835]

@@kaafaa5944 Not wrong man, not wrong haha. Best elevator music in history! lol

[@SloppySlapper86]

Finally a rig rundown that didn't take a decade to get through and actually involved an amazing musician playing while showing you everything! 5*

[@gabsauvage]

i like how this dude plays like one chord progression with a melody added without even thinking and it's already fire

[@R2ROrancid]

Dude! the fact he's sidechaining the kick drum and then vocoding an input coming from the back up singers. Makes me understand that I know absolutely nothing, what a great musician.

[@CS-sf1rz]

R2ROrancid I get the vocoder actually 😂

[@considercaption]

Nothing about production(mostly electronic music)maybe. But a lot of musicians don’t know some of this stuff especially mostly live players. I know that’s besides the point but, I had to say that.

[@BaymondRell]

Old school hardware approach with modern gear = COOL....young bucks want to pipe in Ableton Live tracks these days and fudge it all in the name of the "experience".....when LIVE is the experience.

[@tjandhuri]

@@BaymondRell It's not in the name of experience, it's in the name of finances. Jamiroquai are a big band and they can afford all of this, buying a mac and ableton is far cheaper than all of this gear.

[@BaymondRell]

@@tjandhuri "The" experience......not "experienced". A live audience deserves a live show period. Problem is, bands know that the average listener does not have a clue, so they save money alright. One keyboard or five, live is live not fake Ableton Live (I'm talking backing tracks used in a so called "live" production - ESPECIALLY bought and paid for original artist tracks like well funded churches use) which is my overall point. The use of these enhanced "experience" tools is in the same league as LIP SYNCING as far as this musician is concerned.

[@daiwalters]

Talented and humble. Much respect to him.

[@nakedhand]

Yeah, the Ferrari driving "save the planet" singer could take a hint from this guy.

[@spookylaundry3326]

He started a great youtube channel for synths and music theory.

[@craseypete]

Sold my Seventy three and Hammond

[@craseypete]

Bought a Nord Stage 3 does everything and easier to lug😜

[@oddities-whatnot]

Great bloke, great talent. No big ego, just a very nice chap.

[@joycechahinepiano]

Behind the well-known artist is always a group of extremely talented musicians who bring them up - sometimes you forget! Thanks for the insight ✌🏼🙏🏼

[@eskilseter]

Jamiroquai is a band, not a solo artist. Matt's been an official member since 2003.

[@joycechahinepiano]

Eskil thanks for that. My point exactly, we associate the name so heavily with the main act and not the countless people working alongside.

[@TheBrightPixel]

@@joycechahinepiano I think you missed the point. The BAND is Jamiroquai and they ARE the main act lol. Jay Kay is the singer.

[@joycechahinepiano]

The Bright Pixel I see that now! When you look on google images and type in Jamiroquai only Jay Kays face pops up 😂

[@joachim595]

And also it wouldn’t be too much fun listening to a solo a cappella act ☺️

[@ec_lkhaa]

so humble, he demo something thats wired so simple and its pure funkiness and skills and he make it sound so easy

[@scottwylie8568]

Matt seems like a down to Earth and friendly guy - not what I was expecting from Jamiroqui. Every day is a school day 👍

[@tomlangmusic9623]

Really appreciate the calm delivery and obvious deep knowledge of his synth tools. My new mentor!

[@DaniloWimmer]

Matt Johnson is such a pleasant and polite person!

[@xcy0n]

He is a brilliant musician, much respect.

[@josegeorge8242]

Very like

[@jimmyfigueras4476]

Seeing all the things you can do by synth-lead soloing on a montage over comping on an electric piano with effects pedals is so exciting and hints at the limitless possibilities you can do with instruments used together. I learned so much from him in this short video, vocoding input into a montage from a back up singer, and sidechaining, which i had no idead what that was until now. How he uses his instruments is so liberating and so much fun!

[@sophia_lazar]

What a cool person for someone with such a mastery of the craft. Thats a rig. "Running the montage through the Ob-6 for the analog side of things" and thats why there is a DSI desktop Ob6.

[@Princemidi]

Absolutely awesome... That he would share his knowledge and his setup with us ....the all the best and God bless him

[@maxlapaz5198]

Matt, you are a Fantastic musician. Thanks for sharing, keep being an Amazing part of Jamiroquai. Your sound is consistently Great at your concerts, I see why!

[@evab.2099]

Thank you for all the light and love you bring through your synthesizer vibes!!! Fantastic, genius, brilliant...😍 Can' t live without it!!!!

[@speedo6767]

Thanks Matt for taking the time to go through your kit,

[@djlworldwide2012]

That was an AMAZING show...we partied in the rain with smiles and a limitless amount of positive vibes!! #NYC #Jamiroquai #ComeBackSoon

[@janbriggs3387]

THANKS MATT. YOU ARE SO WISE AND AWESOME. SUPER KEYBOARDIST....

[@alainbarre7483]

Many thanks from a french musician who learn a lot from you 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@deancol4080]

I liked this video 8 seconds in. Isn't Jamiroquai one of the best band ever?

[@Deluca-Piano]

That is the most epic keyboard rig I have seen in a while! Dang! That Rhodes sounds like heaven!

[@Blueskies2513]

i cant wait to see what this man has to offer in the new album!

[@newpolarities]

Good stuff! The sounds are one thing. The other thing is this man can play...

[@Jonathan-L]

At 2:22 ... Matt points out that one of the backing singers connects to his keyboard ... I'd love to see / hear a demo of that.

[@kickbiker7920]

What a top man this bloke is! No matter how many secrets he imparts it's still so difficult to copy. These clips are gems! Love them!

[@guyonkeys]

What a lovely chap

[@Artiscrafty]

You’re awesome Matt. Thank you so much for sharing. ♥️

[@robertopaolo4625]

He is the soul, the structure inside band. A real genious

[@Digiphex]

Excellent combo of old and new equipment.

[@YotamPiano]

pretty much covered my favorite keyboards: the Montage and the Prophet 6... The vintage Rhodes is also super cool !! :)

[@kentstallard6512]

I'm always baffled when I see a Rhodes on stage. Was so happy to get rid of mine decades ago. Iconic sound, but no need for the Rhodes anymore.

[@YotamPiano]

@@kentstallard6512 I agree. Do you think the Rhodes sounds in Montage are done well, deserving of the Rhodes name? from your experience with the original

[@phillong5808]

Great demo and lovely Fella aswell, That pad at 3.50 Wowww

[@sagauer]

Bad ass! I love the side chain idea and vocoder... awesome! Pretty simple setup, but very flexible and great sounding...

[@thefool2007]

Enjoyable rig rundown. I enjoy your videos and appreciate how you share your art and expertise.

[@EarlOfMaladyCrescent]

Fantastic video! This Keyboard player has some gorgeous sounds at his fingertips & he plays amazingly well! Jamiroquai always did have excellent musicians.

[@johndoggett1138]

Matt Johnson is a nice and brilliant guy ! Thank you for sharing this video !

[@SynthgodXXX]

Super awesome rig! Awesome keyboardist!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing this! A++++++++++++++++

[@patricegauthier7222]

Awesome Matt from Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦

[@matthewfrostmedia3286]

Jupiter 8, quite possibly the 'Boss' for electronic dance music. An absolute beast of a keyboard/synth with simply epic sounds

[@SPAZZOID100]

$12,000

[@karinegraham4763]

So inspired, I’ve watched this several times. Love the detail. More please!

[@totaltwit]

I am always in awe with people like this.

[@jaderene]

Me too!!!

[@jingleskhanaudioproductions]

MaJo is truly humble and great

[@777jones]

Here’s a guy who is true a badass expert at his craft. And he uses it to make the public happy.

[@Maederxtest]

A great balanced set up.Great musician.Amazing how the Rhodes cant be duplicated perfectly.I used to hate lugging it around ,but I had to have it.

[@ancientmartianunderground6413]

Tremendous....your blend of tones and ability to explode into melodies is amazing

[@deancol4080]

I love this, thanks for sharing. Matt's an outstanding and creative musician. Please keep it up...

[@jcee6886]

That Yamaha montage looks amazing. A few steps up from the old dx7

[@abimonamade5058]

I think the Montage is supposed to be a remake of the Motif 7 and DX7, but with some newer sounds.

[@YamahaMusicUSA]

Rocking those MONTAGEs! Love seeing the use case of the live sidechain options and the vocoder... so creative.

[@BigBandWolf]

Wish I could go back and dedicate my life wholly to music..

[@MrEcted]

He has a really active channel and is constantly sharing his wealth of knowledge. Super nice guy, engages with his fans on his channel and a crazy good talent. I love this setup, but man, that Rhodes... if there ever was a "perfect" sound then that would be it IMO! I want one so bad, no VSTs do the real thing justice.

[@nalaeel219]

Love this channel. Very talented and great and speaking and informing of whats going on. Such a blessing to be connected to. Thank you for the videos

[@whiterottenrabbit]

Awesome musician! Thank you for that small insight into your live work!

[@DouglasRosser]

He’s just fooling around and it’s so apparent his skills and knowledge are incredible.

[@albertlopez2762]

thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, very cool! I had no idea sidechaining happened outside the studio environment.

[@simonlegrec]

First class player and gear

[@julianpratt9616]

Brilliant! Great to see your now old set up but I dont think its far off of what you use now? Love it!

[@miscible21]

I need to know how to recreate that synth sound 1:26. That is classic Jamiroquai.

[@Marcos-pf6rx]

Yeahh

[@arjanpetersen]

Get the gear in the video

[@mikemartin5749]

Portamento, but not too much.

[@crlocrlo6900]

Hello Mr.Matt Johnson... I'm from indonesia..., I like your perform equipment and your videos.. Please more video like this (preparation show and backstage activity)... 🙂👍

[@danielortega3647]

This dude is a legit bad ass on the board's! Amazing player!

[@juliojames4470]

You are a real GREAT keyboard Man❤️♥️

[@drewdown8286]

thank you for this! It really makes such a huge impact on purchasing! plus you guys are genious

[@christophermatthias3327]

Much respect Matt thanks for the insight and footage play on man play on

[@chordkeys]

Thats a real musician

[@pe8265]

ちょっとー！禅くんパパやないですかぁー💕　奥様のKZbinは、よく観てます🙇娘ちゃんも、とにかく可愛くって😢私の癒されです😌💓 ありがとうございます🤗

[@inter-linked]

The talented Mr. Johnson!

[@jaggass]

Toby Smith is smiling down on him.

[@SuperCutiepie1012]

i thought that looked like the nyc show stadium! Amazing show😝take me backkk

[@magicknight8412]

Great stuff, always cool to see.

[@CreativoErratico]

If you think about it, Matt is pretty much the whole fucking band.

[@maurumsynthwave618]

Matt eres el mejor... Nos encanta ver estés cosas...

[@zeekanyc]

Great tour 👍

[@jesdaniels3166]

Keyboard Mag dudes ! Show all future people who want to show off their gear this video for how to show and tell. Peace out.

[@iibuprofene860]

I bet the feeling of playing outside with full blown speakers is pure magic, so jealous :)

[@marvinkmooneyoz]

Pretty darn cool rig, suprised to see two montages. Also wish he had a dedicated monosynth, but he knows what he's doing

[@slihrih1340]

Daaamn I’m so jealous wish I could play like that and use all that fantastic kit!

[@aleanaparra1672]

Wonderful

[@juliojames4470]

LOVE THIS GUY , MEN YOU R AWESOME

[@anamelesshenchman1775]

Blowing my mind!

[@michaelworsham]

One of the best......jam on.

[@mannyzagri7451]

What a charming fella!

[@tracyyy99]

This was great...Still can't get my head around sidechaining...but i will get there...Thanks for the effort of uploading.

[@christiannilsen2835]

I need to start practising my Keyboard skills...

[@dieterkalt4281]

nice rig + just pure skill

[@Dan-wq8id]

Thank you for sharing buddy!

[@danielsandovalpr5447]

Hola soy de argentina, muy bueno lo que hacen!.. sería muy bueno si está subtitulado en español..🎼🎹🎹

[@motorbike650]

I love those sounds

[@nejomusic7784]

Thanks Matt it's very nice video 👌👍

[@jakp8777]

Jamiroquai is still around? Remember him from the late 90s.

[@okendo011]

Please can someone tell me where i can find some amazing music that sounds like what Matt plays at 1:30... amazing chords !

[@gtrkid68]

That is such a bad ass rig. No mac/ipad generated crap.. nothing but the real thing!

[@johnnyluna7824]

the technology thats used on the yamaha workstations is essentially the same as a MacBook. you dont see a REAL Grand Piano, Clavinet or Jupiter 8 on stage do you? they are digital samples of those instruments.

[@takeguard]

No 1K laptop, just a 2.5K digital synthesiser. Good logic.

[@thisisobsolete]

​That's a bit disingenuous. There's a tonne of proprietary DSP hardware inside those Montages, technology that Yamaha have been refining for decades and in truth, really quite different from what's inside a MacBook. I think the fact that very few of these top-shelf session guys, who tour the world for months on end, actually run laptops in their live rigs, speaks volumes

[@zzzeeela]

@@thisisobsolete thousands of top notch musicians use computers. the montage is a computer. what are you talking about?! :D

[@thisisobsolete]

Of course 'thousands of top notch musicians use computers' but to say the Montage is just a computer misses the point. It's a bit like comparing a PC, an iPhone and the autopilot of a 747. They're all 'computers' but that's not really saying much. The Montage is a very specialised computer, configured for a specific task. That specificity runs all the way down to the hardware and software. There's a pile of proprietary DSP chips in it (in that sense, it's many, many specialised computers) and Yamaha have been using a heavlly modified version of Linux (optimised for real-time applications) in lots of their products for years. I doubt there's much inside it that's off-the-shelf. A laptop is just a laptop, a general purpose device (with a general purpose operating system) and requires additional hardware and software (and fiddling with) to become a professional instrument. There's not _much_ difference but it _is_ a difference and as Nord, Kurzweil, Korg, Yamaha and Roland etc are still churning out generation after generation of synths and workstations (that are seen on stages all over the world), the market clearly thinks so too! :) ... and btw, I do think laptops and tablets can sound awesome and there's some fascinating software out there that you'll probably never see in something like a Montage

[@anzatzi]

Great rig chat--thanks!

[@lynx002ca]

That was cool, I'd like to see more professional setups

[@tommyvaughanhaus]

Matt = Awesome

[@regulationapp3261]

Très très fort...!! Quel talent 😲👌

[@Lethoscorpia]

Awesome set up man !!!

[@drumatic]

Matt is a true master!

[@johnnyguitwithit2614]

I always wanted him to play in my band

[@jasonbull3987]

MOOOORE...i was just getting into it. Awesome thanks

[@dhpstudios2009]

Great explain, Nice to see this from other Side.thanks