Vince Jones
Open Labs Exclusive Artist Interview
- by Tatiana Ryckman, Open Labs Staff Writer
Not every 11-year-old kid knows what a synthesizer is, much less that they want to play one for the rest of their life. But Vince Jones did.
“My mother asked me if I wanted to take up an instrument,” Jones explained. “At first I was going to try guitar then I heard Vince Clark and Alison Moyet (Yazoo) doing 'Only You' and I was so blown away by the amazing sounds and the fact that here was electronic music that had emotion and feel. I was hooked from there - I wanted to learn synthesizer instruments.”
So he did. His parents got him a Bontempi Organ and he set out to emulate his idols -- musicians like Vince Clark of Yazoo and Depeche Mode, Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, and, he says of Ultravox (one of his favorites), “I'm still trying to sound like Billie Curry.”
While these electronic stars of the '80s instilled him with the passion to pursue music, it's not necessarily where his music begins. “I think listening to something outside your 'comfort zone' is a good method to get inspired. There's an online service which I used to use (but sadly I can't access it now as I'm outside the US) called 'Pandora' and that was great for turning me onto new stuff which does provide for inspiration and a new way of looking at things ... alternatively, you can't beat a good bit of classical. I like Bach, Handel, Grieg, etc.”
Armed with an eclectic music library and passion for synths Vince Jones has woven his way in and out of the music industry. The earliest project he was a part of was a record that he worked on with a co-worker under his own label, Rugged Records. It's a punky sort of tune called “New York City Boy”. “It was recorded in my house on an Akai MG1212 and when the master was cut we went to Abbey Road ... I've tracked down copies still for sale on the internet ... The B-side was a dubby version using lots of samples. That was tough at the time because we only had a Roland S-10 sampler.”
Though he took a short break from melding melodies, he was summoned back when he began to learn the power of computing and the voluminous variety of software packages available for creating and producing music. He's learned a lot since that first New York City Boy release and puts that knowledge toward his current musical endeavor: Damaged Goods.
“I'd really like to push us up to another level,” which is as good a place as any to add a NeKo. “But these things don't happen overnight - not any more! We've been together for a couple of years now and our writing is starting to gel.” Vince invested in the NeKo LX for Damaged Goods, and hopes to see it build up their recordings as well as live performance.
For Vince, the NeKo replaced a Yamaha Motif 6, a Muse Receptor, and a Korg Karma, “I was getting frustrated at the limitations being placed on me with my previous equipment. Not everything was transferable between the DAW at home and the live rig. As an example, I used to have an original Korg Wavestation and I was really keen to use it again in the VST format. Sadly this wasn't going to be viable with the set up I had. So the NeKo, being all in one and truly open ended was the natural progression. Now I don't see any limitations at all.”
With a complete change in his studio work and live rig, one might expect months of trial and error, weeks of putting performances on hold or lugging around old equipment as a safety net. Vince described a different experience, though. “Well if you've used a regular computer and VST software it's really easy. I found that Forte (Karsyn) was really quite simple and over time I've gotten to appreciate some of the more sophisticated aspects of it.”
It's not the ease of carrying one board instead of six to gigs, the shiny powder coat, or the flashy touch-screen that makes the NeKo worth every penny; to Vince it's the easy transition between the studio and live performance.
“For me it means there are no barriers between live and the studio. However, I guess the biggest thing for me is I can use any VSTi I want in a live environment with the minimum fuss.” With his biggest issues taken care of, Vince is free to explore sounds and spend his time creating music. Which is, after all, the point.
Artist Q & A
Q: How did you first hear about Open Labs?
A: I first came across Open Labs a few years ago, I think it might have been on a site like Sonic State. I remember seeing the video of Richard Devine setting fire to his NeKo and thinking “I wonder if I could get hold of that one?”
Q: How has the NeKo changed your method of work?
A: At the moment the Neko is purely for playing live with the band, but this has enabled me to have a huge range of sonic possibilities at my finger tips. I use a Kurzweil K2661 and an M-Audio Axiom with the NeKo and I'm finding that more and more I'll be doubling up the Kurzweil sounds and using the keys and pads on the Axiom. Sometimes I am amazed at how much the NeKo is providing for the live sound.
Q: How have you integrated the NeKo into your current studio/band setting?
A: Well on the main DAW I use Cubase 4 but, I've decided to use Fruity Loops Studio 7 on the NeKo. It's light and fast and is really good at getting things off quickly. I have all the Soft Synths on the main DAW and the NeKo, except for the Korg Legacy Digital which I put on the NeKo only due to the dongle issue; though having the NeKo has meant I can put the dongle inside and now I don't need to worry about forgetting it, or breaking it. It also means that I can run Cubase on the main DAW even if the NeKo isn't here.
Q: What is your NeKo's primary function?
A: I guess the main use for the NeKo is to provide a range of sounds for playing with the band. Obviously there are the main sounds I use, NI B4 II is used a lot but also stuff like the Wusikstation, especially with the Stereo Layer support that version 4 has brought, really useful. I try to have a variety of plugins available and use Kontakt, FM7, Albino, Pro 53, Wavstation and many others - probably too many! I've recently bought Morphine from Image Line as I don't have a re-synthesising additive plugin!
Q: What is your favourite software on the NeKo? How do you use it?
A: That's really difficult to answer. I’m a bit of a software slut! Obviously Forte (Karsyn) is a big part of what I use the Neko for and without that I couldn't do anything with the band in the way I do. It's so easy to set it up for quite complex splits and layers; even if you didn't have a very complex controller there is so much you can do inside the rack. Routing controllers is a brilliant way of getting two plugins to respond in the way you want without having to do any complex reprogramming or if you are unable to change controller assignments on the plug in itself. On that note mFusion has got to be up there too, being able to assign any control to do pretty much anything is firstly daunting - what could I do with all those sliders knobs and buttons? But, it is also a godsend. Live control of various functions and continuous controls is quite vital. Lastly - all my Soft Synths!
Q: What is most appealing about the NeKo?
A: I really love the fact that I can do virtually anything I want to on the Neko. I've tried other software players and was so frustrated by the restrictions they placed on the user. The Neko seems to be able to cope with anything I throw at it and it looks like the helm of a space ship when it's lit up, always a good thing I say. Being computer based also means that it is completely upgradeable. Even if new motherboards and processors come out it can all be updated, it really is an open ended system, it need never be out of date (although the way technology is going what's new today is out of date tomorrow).
Q: Have you had any experience with our Tech Support?
A: Yes, when I first got the NeKo I had a few scary moments when the screen appeared not to be working (there is a switch on the back) and I emailed Open Labs. The support has been fast, friendly and hasn't treated me like an idiot like some support lines have (you know the type of thing, you tell them what you have done and then they tell you to do what you've told them you've already done). I can heartily recommend both, calling and emailing, as well as using the Forum as it may be a problem that the other users can help with. Having said that Tech Support is so quick to respond, you may get an answer there long before you get one on the forum.
Artist Quote
"Neko gives me the freedom to sound the way I want to."
- Vince Jones
Equipment Used
Purchased NeKo LX (Gen3)
Artist Links