Where Are The Keys? A Primer On Making Your Keyboards Cut Through The Mix Part I

It seems like a common complaint among keyboardists: we're never quite loud enough in the live mix. I can't count the number of times that I've gone to see bands perform, bands that feature some of the country's brightest keyboard players, and wished I could actually hear what the keyboardists were doing. Then of course, there are the occasions when I was the keyboard player on the bandstand, and I'd spot a colleague of mine cupping his hand behind his ear while looking pointedly at me - signaling that once again, my work wasn't being represented in the mix.

So why has it become common that keyboard players are left out in the cold? To me, it comes down to a few factors:

* stage amplification

* programming skills

* relationships with front-of-house (FOH) engineers

* orchestrational thinking

Let me talk about each of these for a bit.

My Stock Don't Say Marshall

On stage, drummers, guitar players, and bass players tend to have the advantage. Acoustic drums tend to cut through no matter what, and manufacturers have spent years developing guitar and bass amps that can match the power of acoustic drums while giving players a range of tone choices. Only recently have manufacturers really applied themselves to making decent keyboard amps. I encourage you to invest in a good-quality amp, so you don't have to rely on monitors for your sound. Be discerning! Try amps out in the store by listening to the sounds with high-fidelity headphones first, then through the amp, and listen for the differences. In some situations, having your own stage sound is the difference between being heard some or not at all.

FOH Engineer: Give Props To The Man

The FOH engineer is the performer's last buffer before the sound hits the audience, whether we like it or not. It's amazing to me how few musicians understand this simple fact. Typically, FOH engineers have a natural bias towards guitars, basses, and drums. Keyboards, for many engineers I've encountered, are kind of an annoyance. I take it upon myself to make my sound as easy as possible for the FOH engineer to integrate into the mix.

First and foremost, talk to the engineer! Introduce yourself (if it's not someone you work with regularly), and explain what role you play in creating the overall band sound. Is your job to cut through with stabbing, jarring patches? Do you create a wash with ethereal pads? Do you run a lot of arpeggiators? Or maybe you trigger drum loops? Whatever you do, you have a much better chance of being heard if you give the engineer an idea of what to expect. Be nice - you don't have to kiss ass, but in this business, relationships aie everything. The engineer will remember that you took the time to talk to him/her.

Think Like A Composer

Perhaps most importantly, listen to a lot of music, and get a good sense of orchestration. Listen to everything: symphonies by Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky; big band arrangements by Gil Evans, Sammy Nestico and Billy Strayhorn; synth work by Wendy Carlos, Herbie Hancock, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Brian Eno, Nine Inch Nails, Daniel Lanois - anything that will give you a sense of how different sounds combine to make new textures without fighting each other. And keep refining your synth chops - there's nothing quite as satisfying as having the bandmates wonder how you keep coming up with those perfect patches.

[Author Affiliation]

Andrew Craig has been a professional keyboardist for over 20 years, in addition to his work as a composer, arranger, producer, director and broadaster. He's performed with artists such as Ashley Maclsaac, Molly Johnson, and Wynton Marsalis. He's based in Toronto.