JimmieWannaB

Beauty in B3

JimmieWannaB3

Terry Jones

Rig

JimmieWannaB is my Keyboard Corner "handle." Many members assume the name comes from my desire to have a Hammond B3. While I might trade my first born for a B3, the name actually comes from my dream of duplicating Jimmy Smith's B3 chops. Not there yet but still trying.

My real name is Ken Cawley. I made a few dollars here and there playing keyboards in East Coast bands 35 years ago. After not touching one for almost 30 years, I bought a keyboard last year to amuse myself and see if I could still play. It's not quite like the riding a bike metaphor, but I'm getting better. As an untrained, self taught keyboardist, more and more I find myself regretting not taking the lessons that were offered to me as a kid.

In real life, I am a video engineer/sometime marketing weasel, currently managing customer training for Sony's professional video division.

By the way, I've included my pix in hopes of dispelling rumors that I was the "butt ugly naked guy playing keyboards" that I used for my avatar earlier this year. While I occassionally am one, the butt ugly naked guy in question was Terry Jones from Monty Python.

Update
After waiting 35 years, I finally have a B3. Thanks to fellow forum member, Linwood Bell, I am the proud owner of a '68 vintage Hammond B3 and Leslie 122. She's well worn and a bit rough around the edges, but damn, she sounds fantastic.

    My Gear
  • Keyboards
    - Hammond B3 with Leslie 122
    - Alesis QS6.1
    - Alesis Ion
    - Edirol PCR-50
  • Behringer DX1000 Mixer
  • Hardware Effects
    - DigiTech RP300 Amp Modeler/Effects
    - Alesis ineko
  • Midiman MidiSport 2x2
  • Computers
    - Sony PCV-RX560 1.7 GHz P4 Desktop
    - Sony FX190K 900 MHz P3 Laptop
  • Software
    - Cakewalk Sonar 2.0
    - Sonic Foundry Sound Forge 6.0
    - Sonic Foundry Acid
    - Fruity Loops Studio 4
    - Native Instruments B4
    - Native Instruments FM7
    - SpeedSoft VSampler V3 (beta)
    - IK Multimedia AmpliTube
    - FXpansion VST-DX Adapter 3.01
    - Misc. VST and DXi Effects
  • Rane GE-27 Equalizers
  • Bryston 3B Power Amp
  • Sony VPS-A6000 Audio Processor
  • JBL Control 5 Speakers
Keyboard Corner CD Submissions
Volume 5 Beatles - Covered: Hey Bulldog 3:54 (7.3 Mb)

Volume 7 Original Compositions (withdrew): Weapons of Mass Production 4:03 (3.8 Mb)

Volume 8 Original Compositions: Tell Me A Story 4:05 (5.8 Mb)

Hey Bulldog Track Info
• Organ: Native Instruments B4 (modified Scanner Full Bar)
•  Guitar: Strat Marshall SoundFont on VSampler modeled with AmpliTube (Vai2)
•  Plucked Synth: Native Instruments FM7 (Punchy Percsynth modeled with AmpliTube)
•  "Piano:" Sonic Implants Vintage Guild on VSampler modeled with AmpliTube (Gilmore)
•  Bass: Alesis 6.1 (Quadratix)
•  Percussion: PowerFX ExtremeRockPunkRage Acid loops, Alesis 6.1 (Floating & Doom Toms)
My submission is a combination of live and sequenced tracks compiled with Sonar. It is my first attempt to create something with all the gear and software I've accumulated over the past year. The live parts are the first anyone other than my cats have heard me play in over thirty years.

I started with a base midi track in Sonar and then recorded the live tracks (organ, "piano," bass and most of the guitar) individually with Sound Forge. It was necessary to sequence portions of the guitar track in order to get fine control over some of its effects. I've put piano in quotes because it is actually a modeled guitar sample. Using it helped justify the $30 I spent on the sample plus one of AmpliTube model's left-right echo bounce fit the piece's rhythm well.

I should note that the Acid loops on the percussion track are from one of three PowerFX CDs that I won from a Keyboard Magazine on-line contest. Yes, real people actually do win the contest.

Weapons of Mass Production Track Info
•  Music: Sequenced in Fruity Loops Studio 4
•  Vocal: Various Dubya sound clips lifted off internet
•  Final mix and effects done in Sound Forge
Song inspired by George Bush's butchering of the English language.

Tell Me A Story Track Info
•  Mixture of live & sequenced tracks
•  Alesis Ion (various patches)
•  Alesis QS6.1 (strings)
•  Sonar (control, effects, final mix)
•  Sound Forge (individual track recording)
Song title inspired by an Ion patch used.