Jordan Rudess | Keyboard Live Rig, Dream Theater | Thomann

A very warm welcome to our own Teemu in front of the camera to meet one of his heroes, the man, the wizard, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater! Along with his awesome technician Keith, they run us through the entire string section, brass section, orchestra section, spaceship section, and all the sections behind the Dreamscape...
Gear used: tho.mn/m9ojk
We use Triad-Orbit stands for our cameras, lights and mics: tho.mn/triad
Recorded and mixed with Universal Audio: tho.mn/uadx
Interesting bits and pieces:
0:00 Introduction
1:15 the Wizard and Mothership
1:20 Musical background
2:00 Milking the instruments
2:45 Korg Kronos
3:45 The craziest keyboard stand in the world
4:30 ALL THE SOUNDS
5:30 The Infamous lead sound
6:35 Presets per song: 55
7:00 More sounds
7:45 The pedals
8:15 The organ
8:50 The GEOSHRED app and sounds
10:00 The Continuum Mini
10:50 The In ear monitoring
11:15 Keith the Magician
11:45 Back to the Hammond
12.30 The Keytar of course!
13:10 and a Line6 Helix ??
13:30 finishing the signal chain
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[@Chris-yj2di]

Listening to Jordan talk there's a similarity between him and Neil Peart in that there's a great respect for the craft but pretty much no ego detected.

[@paulie0706]

I would never have thought to make that comparison. Now that you said it, I couldn't agree more!

[@just82much51]

Wonderful observation!!!!!!

[@simonr344]

I've met him. He's a lovely guy, and was even asking me questions. He has quite an intense gaze!

[@landonpeckham7752]

Equally deep voice.

[@OnPointFirearms]

In the first minute he put himself in the same league as other "icons" and mentioned Juliard. Yeah no ego. Super humble.

[@eaglechildkeys]

I can't believe Jordan is 63 years old. Since his second album in 1993, he hasn't aged almost anything.

[@iequalztehgod]

Age is just a number!

[@OlexandrIgnatov]

He looks just about the same. Crazy!

[@ShloimyZaltzman]

He has such kindness in his eyes! Saw him last night!

[@helmutschillinger3140]

He ages his keyboards, that’s something.

[@emperoring112]

I love when he plays just by himself himself. He sounds so big on his own!

[@jhonchristophermanuzon2125]

I can’t stop loooking at his beard while he’s talking 😂😅

[@vaiusatriani6186]

I did an interview with him in 2016 for Indonesian Dream Theater Fans club, and believe me, when you see him in person, it's like his beard is part of his face.. Didn't bother me at all.. 😂 😂

[@bramvanrens91]

It is really inspiring to see how smooth his rig operates. I love my kronos.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Isn't it just... I guess when you've been doing it for that long you really get to know the gear and how to make the best out of it.. and improve upon it! //Jason

[@jeremythornton433]

Jordan is the nicest guy! He's the reason that I too play a Kronos. Love his sounds, manner and overall attitude! Thanks for sharing this! Now if I only I had 2% of his talent!

[@Angelo-z2i]

I'm a classicaly trained pianist and recently started playing pop rock. I agree on his phylosophy of using only one good motherboard and "milking it". For some things it's even better than having multiple keyboards.

[@vernonmontoya2449]

I've done that as well. I have a Kurzweil keyboard which I have programmed lots of set ups with different sounds/sound combinations, some on different parts of the keyboard. You have to do some deep diving to get it all together.I try to set it up my sounds according to the set list we would be playing, but sometimes my band goes off the set list. Oh well.

[@morsikpl]

I was using that method for a long time, but finally I bought second keyboard (Behringer DeepMind) to have something full scale. What one keyboard won't give you is access to 2 different sounds and full keyboard at the same time. And I do use a lot of strings/pianos on my Kronos using whole keyboard and then electronic-like synths on Deepmind which sits on same registers as strings/pianos. Other than that - fully possible to use just one if you don't need to use same keys for different stuff. And yes, I know about layering and restricting area for patch, but that doesn't work for that usecase (while I do that for many different things).

[@standswithpeace]

I'm 21yrs old I still use yamaha i455 for programs.

[@dylanaguilar6545]

4:42 , that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for in a keyboard, man that would be perfect

[@jobinejose9167]

Damn...! Rudess says "...right before you were born" and the Thomann guy's like "I should have called in sick for this interview".😁

[@smitlag]

Having that Ipod as his notes is a big help. When you get into the numerous controls that a Kronos can provide to modify your sound or bring in layers trying to memorize the function of every fader and knob becomes insane. I like the idea of a master station with just incrementing your setups via pedal. It takes a ton of time not only creating the sounds but getting all the levels set right. When you start layering multi effects it gets even harder. So while I admire Jordan as a great player, I admire him even more as a master programmer. He is the guy that gets every bell and whistle out of whatever he is using. I loved his series of video tutorials back when he was using Kurzweil gear.

[@VocasoGK]

LOL. Loved the "Into The Unknown" bits followed by GTA San Andreas theme at 10:29 ! Awesome!

[@ethanpeed]

I heard that too!

[@anthonypatty3791]

I like the way Jordan speaking. He is a soft and humble man. He explains evey thing on his keyboard nicely.

[@schemkesa]

So nice to hear and see his gear and how he uses it. He's a master

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Always nice to see under the hood of such a minimal looking stage set up and see that it's not! //Jason

[@just82much51]

Mr. Rudess has forgotten more than most of us will ever know regarding electronics / keyboard knowledge. What an incredible mind!!

[@ilhamprakoso3844]

40 changes for 1 song its really crazy arranger man, he is the real witch, magical cause so many detail sound men you focus listening dream theater songs.

[@ronaldvlcek9022]

I am very amazed by Jordan's humbleness. It's a virtue of a real master. Thanks for posting!

[@MRIAntar]

Great rig rundown, very in depth, that is what I like about the videos from Thomann.

[@MysticRhythmsLive]

Excellent video! Jordan is so incredibly gifted musically, and so technically knowledgeable. His humility is refreshing! Also, special thanks to Keith for his expertise in supporting Jordan. He has to be a top notch technician to keep up with Jordan. All of the musicians in Dream Theater are masters of their craft. I can't wait for the upcoming DVD to be released!

[@CsawIvu]

3 seconds of play, and I am always so amazed.....So Much Love to Jordan Rudess!!!

[@fryderyk2462]

Not only one of greatest key players in history...but a true teacher...no clearest explanations available. This guy must be in university, or make a TED channel for himself...

[@madagascar8379]

10:32 he almost hit gta san andreas beat. Cool

[@selim6033]

It was super cool to see the offstage part. They can give us more vision through all the process. Awesome!

[@onionhat9141]

I just noticed how much I love keyboards

[@RadityoPramAdi]

Really apreciate you guys doing these extensive gear rundowns! Thnks a lot.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Our pleasure 😁 //Jason

[@Mr_B79]

Late to the party, I discovered Dream Theater while playing Rock Band (yes) years back. Since then, I'm still in awe at the music they've created over the decades. Not musically talented myself , I gravitated towards Jordan and was just in awe at the uniqueness of his talent.

[@codymcpherson5628]

A rockstar but also such a classy guy. Definitely a major part of what makes DT so special

[@jryanmood]

I own a korg Kronos 88 and I love it! I’ve had it for a long time now . He’s right about how versatile it is! Jordan is a master keyboard 🎹 player! I’ve followed his career.

[@Dvorkys]

Thank you for this interview! Got a chance to meet Jordan in Prague, he´s truly professional in all ways!

[@alclemist4991]

I love this dude he so calm and genuine. He can explain for a year to ya about synths without getting bored lol 😂

[@ccandrew111]

Wow just insane the work that goes into this. I remember playing keys for a band when I was a teenager and would use a Yamaha psr1500, remember having around 8 banks to work with it would have been great to have one of these back then

[@f7viivvgiv]

Jordan is amazing and that keyboard is a beast

[@alefushimi]

Virtuoso and humble in equal parts. How not to love the Wizard of Keys❤

[@williamscolaro1159]

Amazing. Sounds fantastic

[@duncanmacgregor9565]

the instrument he plays and all the sounds he can play from it are so cool

[@von_Apa]

I'm almost to impressed. :) Wonderful passion for music!

[@markthatcher4853]

One word to express. Amazing!!!

[@davebasch5995]

I love Jordan's work in "Big Bang Theory"as the comic bookstore owner

[@SparkShredder]

Bwahahaha. Now I cant unsee that.😂

[@marsmartin]

Such a legend and I love that he doesn't just stack keyboards like some do, he uses a master and builds around it with smaller items for the sounds that need something special that keys can't achieve (like the Haken Continuum and iPad apps). It's much cleaner as a rig. Also some great insights from Keith there - appreciated that segment! I just wish someone somewhere could manufacture keyboard stands like Jordan's hydrolytic turntable. It blows my mind the most interesting thing you can buy on the market without custom-building is probably just the Spider Pro. Such a massive gap for something with more capability. I played keyboard gigs for years with the Baby Spider Pro but it was still just a static lump. Then again, I guess that's difference between professional touring musicians and what amateurs can feasibly achieve.

[@m.p.958]

Such a amazing setting ! He is a genius !

[@starkillermarex]

The Wizard still continues to blow my mind

[@michaelbeeministries2020]

Super awesome gear!! 🎹🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🔥🌞👍

[@wolfgangmarkusgstrein8522]

Buying a Kronos is one thing but using it properly, to its full potential, is a whole different story. I saw lots of Kronos users but it seemed to me that they have it only to impress. Jordan is THE Korg Icon.

[@TsavosAlliance]

Now I want the Korg Kronos! 😎

[@almightyhotdoglady5383]

If only it wasn't so damn expensive! I'm gonna wait for this particular model to drop in price over the next 5 years and I might consider buying it... Though it will still probably be in the $1,000 range :(

[@TsavosAlliance]

I just looked one up and they are expensive!

[@ezioauditoredafirenze8352]

They are from about 3000+ to 4000$.

[@forrestperkins6237]

I finally got one, dream instrument after years on a korg m50. Cost 2700$ USD for the 61 key v2, with another ssd pre installed.

[@jimvermeer9451]

Gratefulness and Joy in music is key

[@zzvacatkova9782]

whenever Jordan plays, I think I'm in a completely different dimension.

[@brainiaclego4889]

My mind blown by his gig

[@wesshepard]

Very insightful.

[@shreeramvjn]

Exceptional player of all time, as I'm a big fan of Jordan Rudess & Korg.

[@nedenspreader1799]

Much love

[@emmanuelsilagan]

Another god walked among us. Man, so incredible 🔥❤️💯

[@oshin4403]

i am so happy that the anchor guy is super dazed, like a child would!

[@mysterygamer5179]

4:06 nightmare to remember

[@JarodFedele]

I like that he has another Kronos just for the keytar

[@fazriensic8927]

love this guy. look so cool n humble

[@appacana]

man thats freaking awesome !!!!

[@hafstrat]

#jordan is an absolute sonic and musical master. 🎼

[@sammyvh11]

Jordan and Wakeman are the gold standards in keyboardists.

[@margix1172]

Keith Emerson was WAY better than both, ELP the very best prog rock band of all times.

[@lhommedieu5489]

I really think KZbin should implement a policy that requires that you leave your full name and a detailed explanation of precisely why a thumbs down is given for a video. Will one of the (now 37) speak up?

[@ryangibson9852]

Literally no reason to thumbs down this video Jordan is one of the coolest guys and his rig is impressive so the people that gave this a thumbs down have to just be miserable people or jealous.

[@ImaginaryHuman072889]

I downvoted because I have a small penis.

[@spaceriot23]

ok boomer

[@calebreid4398]

There's 45 now

[@CRISSFRESNO]

*The master of keyboards !*

[@AJDOLDCHANNELARCHIVE]

Great stuff! Would love to see one with Derek Sherinian one day... as a guitarist his Korg Kronos' "Monster Lead" patch just blows me away haha...

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Ooh yeah that would be good to see! //Jason

[@1976oswald]

Awesome !!!

[@heikkipt]

Imagining Jordan Rudess jamming with Ronald Jenkees... Oh my...

[@PureJadeKid]

The metal Majesty (DT) logo music holder (seen from behind) is epic!

[@tableditor7859]

Mind Blown

[@Robin_S78]

He is the ultimate marketing machine for Korg. BRILLIANT musician!

We want rig tours for singers too! Microphones, in-ears, monitors, stands. DO THIS!

[@BeardedDanishViking]

Coming from a singer, that sounds like that most boring shit ever. xD

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Something you might find on the Thomann Music channel, maybe one day .. //Jason

[@richnorris1061]

I love my Korg trinity but the gap when I change sounds means I have three synths just to cove the gap mainly , tho having more kb’s makes it “easier “ for me as I play in a rock band but we have a “jazz” kind of approach where the basic structure is fixed but in some songs we improvise a lot so I can move quickly between sounds. The old jv90 was good for continuous sounds , all the very best from Mid Wales 🎶🎸

[@primusdude87]

"It can go down..." *casually plays a furious lead from A Nightmare To Remember like it's nothing*

[@fromthefareast2707]

Didn't understand what they were talking.. Still watched till the end in awe

[@EmenSeranWilik]

Jordan Rudess is my favorit's keyboardist

[@octaviusdelmonte9019]

Jordan: "Midi, the old fashioned way." LOL

[@Squarehammer1]

He is so good

[@andretmadrid]

Rudess, the legend 🌟

[@user-jl8kf2gk6v]

legend

[@myturbulance]

10:23 Octavarium please!

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Totally need to listen to that NOW! //Jason

[@Rojk]

Jordan is so good at talking. Give him a question and he will talk about it in at least 5 minutes without no problems.

[@dumpygoodness4086]

and he doesn't say "Y'know" every 4 words!!! (WHEWWWW!!!)

[@rtrooperw8115]

Master! 👍🏻❤️

[@robertbrown7470]

Huge screen on the Kronos!

[@rufuspanjaitan5759]

THIS MAN IS A GOD!

[@calote]

Now, that's a stand!

[@resynthesizer4565]

There used to be a user called stand builder on the DT forums. I think he built the stand(s) for JR, and also for Lawrence Gowan.

[@daniellimaaudiovisual]

I need to buy something like this

[@kaoko111]

I never looked really deep in Jordan's rig. But judging for the songs i was thinking about he having like 3 keyboards, 2 synths, tablet and a keytar. Now i look that he used a single keyboard and if before i was "how the fuck he plays so good?" Now i'm like "how the fuck he plays so good using a single keyboard". Just knowing how to use that rig correctly for 20 minutes long songs is mindblowing in itself.

[@benzerredoble9237]

Saraaaaappppp ❤❤❤

[@MikkoRantalainen]

It would have been interesting to hear how much spares they have? Do they have two of everything so that if any component fails during the gig, they can replace it before the next song?

[@JA-io8nx]

I'm not a keyboard player so forgive the ignorance on my terminology. But this interviewer really dropped the ball. The thing that sits on top of the Kronos that he slides his finger up-and-down on, the fact that the interviewer didn't make mention of the fact that it plays more than one note at a time is amazing. He didn't even touch on that, or recognize it. Amazing keyboard player, horrendous interviewer.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Good spot! That's the Haken Continuum mini MPE controller.. not sure what he's triggering though .. //Jason

[@JA-io8nx]

@@ThomannSynthesizers Thank you for the clarification! It's a really amazing piece of technology... from my knowledge things similar to that have typically been only able to play one note at a time. I'm a drummer so again I admittedly don't know everything but to see such a cool thing be so Robust as far as its capabilities was something I felt the interviewer just simply glossed over too quickly .

[@nekow1785]

His blue Kronos reminds me of the Triton Extreme

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Ooh now you've said that - totally agree! //Jason

[@webstermartins2749]

Fantástico 👏👆

[@DvdLr7943]

Master Xehanort is on another level

[@Ebiru2387]

Jordan sharpened his beard with cold steel before the interview!

[@leoalagre]

Literalmente sin despeinarse lo rompe todo al teclado

[@RajaBorborTANJUNG]

Grand master

I wonder if Jordan ever accidentally steps on the program change button twice ;) (but I guess he would just go back one patch using the jog dial or something)

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hahaha and if he did would we notice or would he turn it into a bizarre synth dance! //Jason

[@zwidawurzn9423]

Geile idee Leute, ich bin zwar Gitarrist aber Keyboard-Rundowns seh ich mir jederzeit an! Bei den anderen Rig-Rundowns sieht man auch kaum Europäische Bands -> Marktlücke

[@mitchwarren1600]

I would shave my head also ! To talk with Jordan!

[@j.d.7208]

Lmao

[@GianlucaCalesso]

@@j.d.7208 The sweetest man in the world

[@creatorsremose]

He's been playing the same "signature" sound for 20 years. His "milking" needs are pretty limited. Other musicians seem to try to expand their palettes while Jordan seems happy to regress into smaller and smaller boundaries.

[@RodolfoStanic]

Did you guys record a direct input from his rig? It sounds amazing in this video!

[@Lukeonkeys]

sobraaanng grabeeee

[@princechimucheka341]

It s a beast machine oh my ...

[@FouadQar]

always the biggest people are humble

[@1967mdavis]

Hammond through the helix.... Hmmmm.... I have a helix... I have keyboards... must try this. Not sure why the offboard rotarty though... helix has a TON of effects built into it.