The Genesis Show keyboard rig rundown - 1980 Duke tour version

[@ChimeraGilbert]

Hi Matt. Your trick with the portamento reminds me of something I've done on my synths. My Voyager has a linear glide curve internally, but if you feed another synth (or itself) through its lag processor, it will cause a glide with an exponential curve. So you get some pretty interesting portamento sounds when layering the two together

[@odmusicman]

I adore Tony Banks from his rigs to his song writing. I truly admire your dedication to authenticity. You really understand how authentic Genesis fans are and they will notice if things don't sound right and conversely the will get really get excited when it sounds like Genesis. You must have a special love to haul that much gear around. Bravo sir!

[@AutisticYui]

Absolutely awesome. Thanks for the tour of the rig!

[@vegezz216]

Fantastic work🎉 amazing rig. Im huge Dukefan myself so I appreciate the dedication. I have always wondered how much Banks uses arpeggiator stuff in the end of the duke. Duke's travels/end must have been a hell to play live back in 80's. The amount of gear they had on stage and like you said - alot of tweaking with Quadra

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

On Duke, the Quadra arpeggiator is during the Guide Vocal reprise in Duke’s Travels. On Abacab, it’s during the bridge of Me & Sarah Jane.

[@NigelHopkinsKeyboards]

"Duke" is a great album. It was a difficult time for Phil personally, but musically....the band were on fire. Cul de Sac is fantastic. That last build of chords that keep evolving. I love my Prophet 5. I also bought the rev 4. Much more stable Matt. I know Tony used the Quadra on the Three Sides Live, but didn't know the 2600 does that 1 oscillator portamento effect on Slipperman. I"m not gonna ask if you have "A Curious Feeling". Same period of time I believe. The CS80, CP80b. I thought the Prophet's came into the fold on ABACAB. Certainly for the title track, plus Keep it Dark. BRAVO for tackling these videos.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Yeah, that trick on the 2600 was a godsend to pulling off those Quadra leads. I am familiar with Curious Feeling. That was the first appearance of his CS80 I believe, then added Quadra, Prophet 5, and Roland VP330 for Duke, Prophet 10 for Abacab, Synclavier and Emulator for Mama, DX7 for Invisible Touch. That’s my rough estimation.

[@michaelayottemusic]

Those 20 minutes flew by! Awesome look at your rig. I'm going to have to start experimenting with the Lag processor on the 2600. 🙏

[@danpreston564]

The voltage processor is just the most underused bit of the 2600.

[@Darrin.Crawford]

That was so amazing Matt. So glad you got the P10. Like you I am keeping mine and selling my P6. I am probably going to go for the Crumar Mojo Desktop version hopefully by the end of the year. Your Quadra sounds from that Behringer are breathtaking.

[@sailingwhisper149]

Matt, another great video! I agree, this is one of the best Tony rigs. Polysynths, lead synths, real Hammond. Just great! The only thing that would make it perfect for me would be real Mellotron, but I'm sure Tony was jumping for joy when he found a replacement, so he didn't have to tour with a real Mellotron! Also, I noticed that combo organ in the back, that's awesome! I'd love to see a video of your collection. Aside from the Genesis related gear, I've seen on your channel a Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Pianet, Clavinet, Minimoog. It really seems like you have a museum of awesome vintage gear!

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Yes, that red combo organ is a Farfisa Compact. It’s awesome, the knee lever is unique. Now that I have the Prophet 10 and a “Mellotron”, I have just about everything I’ve always wanted except a Vox Continental. I should make a video with my Solina, DX7ii and accordion and then that should be all of it!

[@sailingwhisper149]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Awesome, it sounds like quite the collection! Off topic, but with the Prophet 10 are you able to properly do Who Dunnit? Or are the presets stored the same way as the Prophet 6?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I don’t think so. You could approximate it if you store appropriate presets consecutively, but that portamento glitchiness doesn’t happen.

[@zakguitar2359]

This is mindblowing, bless you

[@mikekane9881]

Very interesting video. Thanks!

[@mootbooxle]

This is wonderful!

[@samanipreston]

Love the Prophet! Do you plan on finishing the 77 tour? (Supper’s Ready, Firth of Fifth, Inside and Out, Earl of Mar, Mouse’s Night, etc.)

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I’d like to. We are doing the 1976 tour in the fall, and I need to revisit my charts for Supper’s Ready and Firth of Fifth - I don’t think what I was previously doing with some of the left hand organ chords was 100% accurate.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

The main takeaway from this video (for me) is how much the B2600 module does what it should. I had considered getting one for myself. People have been critical of it, and I can’t understand why. Thank you, Matt.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

The 2600 from Behringer is amazing, best value for synth out there. The Korg FS was overpriced (and many owners it seems just display them) and the Korg 2600M is missing all the important controls on the keyboard unit, which Behringer smartly put on theirs in place of the speakers. If you get one, just put in the time to learn it. It’s excellent.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Many thanks, Matt. That is more or less what the original 2600 from 1970 was intended for, education.

[@santibanks]

@@Shred_The_Weapon The Behringers get a lot of hate, simply because some people don't agree with their business practices. It's not perse a reflection on the quality of the sound. And I get it… I'd be pissed too if I paid 4 grant or something for a synth and the Behringer gets you there for 99% at 10th of the price.

[@TobySpiller]

Great video, I really like seeing how the mixture of digital and analogue components intertwine. And I love the Crumar organs, I've got myself one of the older ones recently. Lovely hardware and an amazing set of sounds, secret wurli/rhode sounds hidden in there too. I couldn't resist taking it apart to see how it worked... it's a PC motherboard connected to all the controls via USB, and that PC is dedicated to running the plugins it is using. I've taken the MIDI out and feed that into a Korg Volca that I turn on via foot pedal, and at the same time switch the top manual to a preset that has all drawbars a 0. My band isn't doing anything near as complex as the stuff you're needing to do, but it is great to feel that you are creating music in a similar way to how it would have been done in the heydays of prog. T.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Yes, the upper manual on 000000000 with a synth MIDI-ed is an intriguing possibility I’ve had in the back of my mind! Congrats on your Crumar.

[@Farewelltokingz]

Cool setup!

[@santibanks]

Hi Matt, regarding that 2600 lead; what I was thinking is that an easier way to get this to work (without having to use a different tuning on osc 3 and actually freeing that one up) is to maybe use one of Behringer's eurorack modules like the 297 where you just have dual portamento and can use it to drive osc 1 and 2. Added bonus is that you can have that module on the left side of your keyboard and therefor have the portamento sliders within reach (for example to tweak during Lady Lies) Have you considered that in the past? Also, how are you dealing with the Quadra arpeggiator for Duke's Travels? FWIW, I use the Korg Odyssee for leads and get my bass and poly sounds out of Kontakt Quadra. For that section in Duke's Travels I switch to Kontakt too.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

That is exactly what I tried to do with a 297 module. I bought and returned two and they didn’t work properly. I never 100% confirmed if they are faulty or it’s a voltage issue between formats. My informal research yielded that the 297 doesn’t have a useable range of portamento across its slider range. For the arpeggiator, I’m using a Main Stage MIDI effect arpeggiator. The 2600 and MIDI controller are both connected to my Mac via USB cables. Another MIDI effect I’m using sends pitch bend to the 2600 via after touch. Pretty cool discovery, I must say!

[@santibanks]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 That's a pity, would be a neat solution if it worked :/ Ah and I suppose you just trigger the arpeggiator on/off with a button or footswitch? (My kontakt quadra instrument has arpeggiator built in so I trigger it with a sustain pedal)` Mainstage can do a lot of things. Works great as a preset-based mixer too. I have everything running into a motu 828 and use mainstage for effects, mixing, and the Quadra polysynth stuff. I cover all of Tony's sounds from the early 70ies till 1992 in my rig. You might want to check out virtual variants of that MXR100 and CE1, for example in Amplitube but I think UA has native versions too. It simplifies the setup and uses less gear.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Yes, it’s a button on my MIDI controller to turn the arpeggiator on/off. I believe it was a switch in the original Quadra. Out of all the CE-1 plugins I have (including UA and Amplitube), I really like the Ensemble one in NI Guitar Rig. Their JC120 model is excellent, too. And I’m a chorus snob, owning a vintage CE-1, and new JC120, and the vintage MXR seen in this video.

[@santibanks]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Correct, it was a switch on the Quadra on the right side of the keyboard. You can see Tony flip it on the Lyceum videos. I have the JC77 here, really cool chorus sound. Tony used the JC120 on his CP70 sometimes and Mike probably used it too (Daryl surely did on the Mama tour). The stock chorus and ensemble plugins in Logic are pretty good too. But thanks for the tip, i'll check out NI Guitar Rig. I hear good things about their effects in general (their 244 seems to be pretty good too)

[@analogpro7]

I don’t know where you are located but I may be interested in the prophet 6

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia. [e-mail]

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

As in Cherry Hill, ​@@mattthomasoverdrive4514? I incidentally have family there.

[@analogpro7]

What a drag. I’m in CA. Well, I do enjoy your vids! Very educational for me

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

@Shred_The_Weapon That’s where I’m from, I now live about 30 miles south of there but get up there often.

[@analogpro7]

Oh. I’m sorry. I mean California =]

[@nonsuch]

You need to add the new Cherry Audio Pro Soloist plug-in. It really sounds great. It's better than the old AM ProSolo which I love. It'll be perfect for your 76 show. Especially, on The Cinema Show.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I’ll be using my real Pro DGX for our 1976 tour, but I will have my Mac loaded up with plugins for backup and will have it on there. I own the Cherry Audio version but haven’t opened it yet. They bungled the Quadra so badly that I’m kind of afraid to hear this one.

[@nonsuch]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Well, if you own the hardware, no need.

[@MrHermanRinger]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 what is it that you didn't like about their Quadra, Matt? Do you think the old Kontakt Quadra is better? Interested in hearing your views.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I don’t like either Quadra plugins’ lead sections. The duophonic feature just doesn’t perform well. It should be like an Odyssey or a 2600 in the legato playing, the way the voices split to and from unison, and the way the portamento behaves. Crucial for things like Duke’s Travels, Lady Lies, FYFM, Abacab, IKWIL. For the Poly Synth section, the Synth Magic sounds like those Genesis recordings to me. I like the phase shifter of the Synth Magic better, but I don’t know which is more accurate as he may have used a Phase 100. I can get Synth Magic to sound like Duchess/In the Cage intro without another phase shifter. Not so with the Cherry Audio.

[@nonsuch]

​@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Well, if you have the hardware, no need for the plugin. I'm not really a fan of using plugins on stage anymore. I used to bring out a tower and a CRT in the late 90's and early 2000's lol. I'm sure the process is much better now but still, too much trouble for me and too many things that can go wrong.

[@timothyverbist5795]

Nice rig, keep it up!

[@NicolaMenel]

Prophet 10 ❤ Sorry Matt, how do you set the organ drawbars settings over the songs? Have you a preset setup or move the drawbars manually? Thanks, your work and your videos are so inspiring!

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I have presets based on the T series Hammond preset settings, and then I have a manual setting on the upper manual for the songs with percussion, like Squonk, Lady Lies, Knife.

[@NicolaMenel]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 that makes a lot of sense, thank you!

[@fjfrancois]

Nice setup dude, to bad my VC340 is broken 😞, but I find very amusing using the Solina Strings, of course I miss the human voices from the VC340 😊

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Those vocoder strings are fantastic!

[@fjfrancois]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 yes they are too 😊

[@kevinheilbronner1437]

This is really cool. By the way, are you gonna do any more Genesis covers/tutorial?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I’d like to, but I need a huge window of time to make each one, which I’ve been in short supply of. Full time job as a music teacher, extracurricular music ensembles, studio work, the Genesis Show gig, and getting my masters degree.

[@fmradio42]

I made it to the end of the video. only thing I skipped through it because I was looking for the demo concert😄

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Soon the Duke Suite concert film I’m working on will be released.

[@moogman5]

Hi Matt, Awesome rig! Have you checked out the Nord CP80 samples? I'm thinking about maybe getting one of those new Nord Grand 2's (the action and interface is awesome on those and I really like the sample library)...What's the best CP80 sample/rompler substitute you've heard or played on? Thanks

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I still have my Nord Stage 88 I bought in 2005, and until recently used as a MIDI controller. The CP sounds in that were great, but there was no release envelope, go staccato passages never sounds realistic. Maybe the newer models improved on that, but I haven’t had a chance to play or listen to them.

[@moogman5]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Yeah, I think Nord re sampled the CP80 in 2011 and in 2014 they sampled an amped CP80 using a music man amp...check 'em out on Nord's site.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Woah, go to know!

[@Darrin.Crawford]

@@moogman5 I just left a comment on this above. I used to own the CP88, software - 8dio and Prominey and while they were all "ok" the Nord Grand 4 that I owned has been the absolute closest that I have ever heard to being authentic. Now I have the real thing and never have to worry about it but if I get back into digital one day I will definitely go back to the Nord again.

[@andyjones760]

Hi Matt, great videos. Might I ask which monitor you are using for your Mac Mini? And do you run a pair of Minis in parallel when playing live with redundancy in mind?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Here’s the monitor: Elecrow 13.3 Inch Raspberry Pi... www.amazon.com/dp/B0787RF8YB?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share No redundant Mini at that time, but I probably will if we get to Mama/Invisible Touch as that would have to be mostly plugins.

[@amonster8mymother]

Oh i see you are talking about arp quadra!

[@thebod1]

I like the fact you got the Studio Logic 73 for the idea of the CP-70. I own a real one, but I do enjoy plugin versions of it. I am using a blend of the Arturia CP70v plus the UVI Cp70 for the mechanical channel. Do you think Tony ran it straight into the desk, or was a JC120 incorporated with a Leslie?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I meant to do a segment on the CP stuff but it was running long! I have a CP80, and I think UVI EGP comes closest, it even gets the rumble when holding the sustain pedal down. I tried Arturia’s briefly, and the attack is good, but not the resonance. I need to dig deeper, maybe there are advanced parameters to address that. Tony ran his into choruses, Boss CE-1, then MXR Stereo Chorus, and probably that Yamaha unit he used for Invisible Touch tour.

[@Darrin.Crawford]

I tried so many plug ins, 8dio, Prominey and even hardware like the CP88 and Nord Grand 4 and they all came very close the Nord beating them all until I said screw it and get a real one. I get it tuned every 6-8 weeks and I just absolutely love it. You can't beat the real thing.

[@sailingwhisper149]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Trust me, I don't think anyone minds if the video runs long. We want to see it all! Haha

[@thebod1]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 I swapped out the UVI Keysuite CP70 for the EGP for my mechanical channel in Mainstage. For EGP I think UVI took the top off and recorded the strings like a grand piano, and not out of the outputs. I've seen a picture around the Invisible Touch time where Tony runs the two quarter inch outputs. I'm thinking one with chorus/dry. My setup I have 3 channels: Two Arturia, Chorus/Dry and EGP blended lower for the mechanical. It sounds really good. I would love to hear what you are doing and plus you fantastic playing.

[@thebod1]

@@Darrin.Crawford The problem is the condition of the CP they are sampling. I think some are pretty beat up.

[@amonster8mymother]

❤

[@pech3617]

what does that app you have open on the mac do?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Main Stage is an Apple pro app, a host for plugins designed for live performance. I highly recommend it if you are a Mac user.

[@pech3617]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 thanks a lot. looking to do a big upgrade on my keyboard setup and a macbook is going to be part of it

[@sailingwhisper149]

@@pech3617 If you are playing keyboards live, MainStage is the best $30 you will ever spend in your musical career. It certainly has been for mine.

[@charlesgarrett3283]

It's a shame Tony never used the cs80 live.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Eddie Jobson used it live that same year with Jethro Tull. I just think the Prophet and Quadra were more ergonomic to his setup of organ and piano as the foundation.

[@simcax6087]

Not a tour-friendly behemoth of a synth :)

[@amonster8mymother]

I made it!