Hi all - not that I ever left but honestly I didn't log in to this forum frequently. It seems I was on Sonik daily even if just to read new posts. Since it's demise I joined several other online groups but frankly find a lot of discussion too time consuming and irrelevant for my taste.

I have played keyboards since the 70s. That doesn't mean I'm an expert but I have experience playing (and moving) a B3 with several Leslies, clavinet, Rhodes, miniMoog, Jupiter6, DX7 and a bunch of stuff that I can't remember the names. Not all my brain cells survived either. I took a semi retirement (longer than I am proud to admit) from music during a marriage, divorce etc. So several years ago recovering in a hospital bed I decided life was too short and I needed to share some of my talent and inspiration before I checked out for good. After lots of research I purchased a PC3 and the rest as they say is history. Not only is the technology amazing but MOST importantly it inspired ME to make music. I love when young experts criticize the competition of whatever their favorite keyboard is. Only 1000 sounds, too heavy (40 lbs), limited polyphony etc. (My beloved miniMoog plays 1 note and stores 0 patches). Sometimes I feel like Rip Van WInkle awakening to a wonderland of new keyboard technology. EVERYTHING is exciting to me and the icing on the cake is that I don't need a van or a road crew to move my equipment. I even bought a pair of powered speakers so I don't carry a mixer.

Anyway I digress. I have found the PC3 capable of producing almost anything I can imagine. The trick of course is learning how to coax the right sounds out of the beast. I am still not happy with the Rhodes sounds but I am learning tricks such as adjusting samples, adding layers, changing keymaps etc. All of this knowledge comes from these online forums. Either I find a direct answer or something I read triggers my imagination and I find a way to resolve the issue-du-jour.

So in the last year I have resumed gigging and have met a whole new generation of musicians that ask me "where have you been". I feel rejuvenated and am delighted to be part of this forum with some very talented individuals.
Life IS short and we need to make music for those that can't. Modern technology is helping but let's not get away from our primary objective of sharing our gifts with the world.

Glad to be here!
Griswold