It's a MIDI keyboard connected to a custom keyboard rig (there was a video on here awhile back that showed about 3 full racks of outboard units just for keyboard sounds. That means that where Jonny (or Chris or whoever) is playing on the keyboard has no bearing whatsoever on what sounds are produced. The sounds "assigned" to each key are controlled by the midi units in the offstage racks and are customized for each song as needed. That's what Miller's job primarily is, he builds and oversees the band's keyboard gear. It's the same principal with Will's bell for VLV he's actually playing the bell, but the sound is processed through midi to achieve a different/better sound than could be produced by the metal bell itself under stage conditions. Just because the sound is run through an effects loop, doesn't mean the band aren't playing their instruments.

 

That totally makes sense, I didn't think of that. It would also explain how Chris can get organ sounds out of his piano on Fix You. Thanks a lot!

What fakfak says is very correct!!

 

It's even easy to do it yourself in this way.

Connect your MIDI keyboard to your software and create some tracks.

Connect these tracks together and load in each track another VSTi.

This will connect each instrument together and will allow you to create your own song patches.

Now if you play something with your keyboard.. you'll play all of the VST instruments.

You can even add effects to each tracks to make it complete.

 

This is one of the few ways to create something as Jonny uses..

 

But in the live version however it's pretty obvious that there is also an loop used for the keyboards.

This is for the moments Chris/Jonny is singing/playing guitar.

 

I also think both keyboards are probably the same patches.

The Organ sound (Ab - G) around the beginning, is actually done by Guy on his base as hearable in the Paradiso video.

That totally makes sense, I didn't think of that. It would also explain how Chris can get organ sounds out of his piano on Fix You. Thanks a lot!

 

 

Apparently, there's 1 whole rack unit, just dedicated to the organ sound for that one song! (it's in the 2nd video clip posted above).

 

My inclination is to say if it looks like they're playing something, they probably are, as we've seen with other songs (LiT etc.) that they see no need to create the illusion they're making the sounds if it's on the backing loop.

Jon's keyboard makes a kinda bright piano sound, you can hear the sound it makes on the "revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate" part of viva la vida.It's true he doesn't play the strings, but sound is coming from the keyboard. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX1eJHE1K_s]Viva La Vida Coldplay live at the BBC - YouTube[/ame] when Chris comes on he tries the keyboard-that is the sound. :) FYI They don't intend to make you think they are playing everything live.

 

UPDATE: THE SOUND IS A TACK PIANO THE SAME AS IN LOVERS IN JAPAN

I can't say I'm sure, but I think he is miming.

In fact if you watch Lost (I think it's from Glastonbury as well), you'll see Guy doesn't actually play the drumming part and he is miming...

So I suppose it's the same there.

 

Yup this, he stopped to do something on the side and drum sound was still going

Yup this, he stopped to do something on the side and drum sound was still going

 

 

I could be wrong, but I think that particular clip is more a case of the video and audio synching up properly. Will is also playing out the same beat on the drums so if, guy stopped playing it would probably just sound like a weaker version of the same rhythm.