Chris Martin's piano and how do they do that?

[ardnek]

I'm a first-time poster and musician. I was wondering if anyone knows the brand/model piano that Chris Martin plays?

Also, on a lot of Coldplay's songs they use (I'm guessing) a pre-programmed backing track of synthesizer. I've fiddled a bit with synths, and it's hard to get a full pre-programmed song to sync up with the drummer and rest of the band.

Does anyone know (or have any ideas) how they do this? Who starts the synth track? Is that what the the synth near the bass player is used for?

Thx if anyone has any ideas.

 

Ardnek

[gotitans999]

i've wondered that too...know idea though :huh:

[Kapone]

The people 'at the back' start the backing tracks. The drummer has a metronome in his ear

[chlorofit]

ppl at the back-like matt? and what do the others hear in their ear phones?

[Kapone]

the other instruments. matt stands at the side waiting to hand jonny guitars

[chlorofit]

matt played at couple of songs on the last tour, i think he still does it on the scientist. so the other ones hear just the instruments, and will only metronome.shouldn't guy have a methronome too as a part of rythm section?

[DarthHawk125]

Chris Martin Uses Yamaha GT20 on all live gigs. They are unfortunatly unavailable in US, but they are in UK. I heard they are still hard to find. It looks like an acoustic upright piano, but its actually electric, but the piano still has strings which makes the piano sound very organic and real.

[ardnek]

Ok, who's Matt?

 

Thx,

Ardnek

[ardnek]

Thanks Darthhawk. You're right - I couldn't even find the GT20 anywhere on the Yamaha USA website. But I finally found it on their European site:

http://tinyurl.com/9q5sp

Yikes 220 pounds! You'd need some beefy roadies to travel with one of those, heh. But I don't think it has strings inside - it says it is 100% digital. Never needs tuning. I guess the main draw would be its looks - and its true piano action. The keys and hammers are the same as an actual acoustic piano. But I've gotten so used to the fast, easy touch of spring-action keyboards that when I try to play a real piano my hands cramp up, lol.

It must have multiple voices too, because I saw Martin using its organ sound during Clocks on Austin City Limits the other day.

Anyway, Yamaha gets my vote for the best, most realistic piano sounds in their digital keyboards over any other manufacturer.

 

Thx,

Ardnek

[LouisC]

Yeah it's a pretty cool Piano. Was pretty puzzled when I first Chris playing it with the Organ sounds during Glastonbury. :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh:

I want one now :rolleyes:

[Southern_Git]

Yeah it's a pretty cool Piano. Was pretty puzzled when I first Chris playing it with the Organ sounds during Glastonbury. :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh:

I want one now :rolleyes:

 

The GT20 only has one sound onboard i.e. piano, but it also has MIDI which is used to control other synths/keyboards. This would explain the organ sound as well as the many pads that are playing in the background in different songs.

[ardnek]

The GT20 does have midi, but I don't think that the background pads are coming from "it". I've closely watched a bunch of their vids and I've "never" seen Chris press anything to start a midi track on the piano. Sometimes the background pad will start a song when Chris is walking around with the mic. I'm still leaning towards Kapone's idea that the pads are started by someone (who's Matt???) in the back - and the drummer hears a metronome in his earpiece to sync it up.

 

Ardnek

[Southern_Git]

The GT20 does have midi' date=' but I don't think that the background pads are coming from "it". [/quote']

 

That's right, the GT20 only has that 1 pianosound built in, so the other sounds must be coming from elsewhere.

 

I've closely watched a bunch of their vids and I've "never" seen Chris press anything to start a midi track on the piano. Sometimes the background pad will start a song when Chris is walking around with the mic. I'm still leaning towards Kapone's idea that the pads are started by someone (who's Matt???) in the back - and the drummer hears a metronome in his earpiece to sync it up.

 

I suppose you're right. Some of the arrangements have some pretty complex layers of synth pads in them that simpy don't gel with what he's playing on the piano, unless a "Brain2MIDI" interface exists that I'm not aware of ;)

 

From looking at the Live 2003 DVD (the Hollywood Bowl part in the diary section), there's a shot of the GT20 with a Memorymoog hooked up to it, so I'm pretty sure he's driving some synth or other when playing live, and use a backing track on some of the other songs they play. Either way, it works very well :)

[chlorofit]

Matt is this super duper gitarist that goes on tour with them, and plays on couple of songs when it's needed, but his main function is to hand guitars to jonny when needed. :)

[ardnek]

Thx for the "matt" info. Is there a website that talks about him?

What are a couple good sites to read about Coldplay behind the scenes?

 

Thx,

Ardnek

[chlorofit]

go to the coldplay.com and find e-zines there are pretty interesting stuff, and ofcorse here...you'll be full of informations in the matter of weeks. :)

[jonnybucklandhasnicehats]

no the matt that does the synth stuff is matt miller who looks after chris' piano too. he also writes the coldplayer.

 

matt mcginn is jonny's roadie.

 

2 different people.

 

i'm also intrigued by how they stay in time with the preprogrammed backing track. the metronome thing sounds good but what happens if they bugger up the timing?

[GazeboflossUK]

Easy as pie...c'mon Will is good enough to stick to timing of the metronome 'sound' that they use. (It's a shaking tambourine I think that they use as the sound). AND if they do bugger up the timing a little bit...the back stage crew would stop the backing track and then punch it back in along to Wills playing at the point Will's at (the crew know the songs so well they know what part is next and stuff) then hopefully Will can adjust back to the timing of the metronome.....that's IF they screw up ;)

[chlorofit]

no the matt that does the synth stuff is matt miller who looks after chris' piano too. he also writes the coldplayer.

 

matt mcginn is jonny's roadie.

 

2 different people.

 

i'm also intrigued by how they stay in time with the preprogrammed backing track. the metronome thing sounds good but what happens if they bugger up the timing?

 

yeah i know, i was talking about matt mcginn whole the time.

[Angelina96546]

how

 

Could some one explain that to me.. xx(

[chlorofit]

what dear?

[Luigio]

Chris always has the actual song playing in his right ear at all times, that's what that agent 007-ish looking thing is. It's also how he stays on tune.

[NyameJeff]

Thanks Darthhawk. You're right - I couldn't even find the GT20 anywhere on the Yamaha USA website.... But I don't think it has strings inside - it says it is 100% digital. ...

It must have multiple voices too, because I saw Martin using its organ sound during Clocks on Austin City Limits the other day.

...

Thx,

Ardnek

 

As for ACL, I'm with you there and couldn't figure out where the heck the pads were coming from. I'm new to Coldplay's gearing but knew the GT20 was at least supplying organ on "Fix You," but I am at the final conclusion that they either have a backstage pads/keyboard player, or preprogram the pads with click-track through their monitoring. What do you think?

 

Also, during the ACL show, the GT20 has the letters "MFT" in taped on the side. Help me out - what does this mean?

[chlorofit]

mtf-make trade fair. half of your question answered. :smug:

[Me2]

Don't forget Guy Berryman is playing some keyboard parts along with the base, so he could be starting any backing track or at least filling with strings.