The Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner took fans on a tour of his setup for Keyboard Magazine in a new video shot on New Year’s Eve just before the band’s performance at the now-closed Playstation Theater in Times Square.
As the video began, hundreds of balloons were suspended above where the audience would soon be, and Magner offered a cheeky spoiler of the evening’s events. “We will count down from ten to one. Right at the strike of midnight those balloons will drop. So be prepared for that.”
While Magner pointed out the ever-evolving nature of his keyboard rig over the band’s lengthy career, he said the one thing that has remained constant in his setup since their early days is his JP-8000 analog synthesizer. Though he doesn’t use it as much now, he acknowledged that it produces “many of the staple sounds of what The Disco Biscuits are.”
“We definitely evolved in the mid-’90s from a band with a keyboard rig consisting of e-piano and organ, to inserting a synth, and that kind of helped really sculpt our sound and evolve it over the years,” Magner said.
The nearly 11-minute video featured Magner guiding viewers on a detailed journey through every key, pedal, and cable in his fairly massive rig. He discussed his evolution from a Yamaha Motif to a MODX and his eventual plans to move to a Montage; his Diversi one-tier organ made by friend Tom Tuson; his Virus TI desktop synth; and so many more instruments and information that would go way over the head of a casual fan.
However, the video isn’t solely about Magner and his own setup. He explained how he is connected to drummer Allen Aucoin through computers that both utilize in their setups.
“So once [Aucoin] goes on click [track] and I can see that our computers are talking to each other, every keyboard I have, with the exception of the Clav and the organ, are run through the mixer. And then taken out of the mixer and run back into Ableton, so I do have the ability to do live looping which is actually kind of cool.”
That “kind of cool” comment personified so much of this video. Magner explained the very technical things that excite him about his setup. While the casual fan might have a bit of trouble following him, the gearheads will find his rundown captivating.
Watch the Aron Magner’s entire rig rundown below.
Keyboard Magazine – “Aron Magner – A Tour Of His 2020 Disco Biscuits Keyboard Rig
[Video: KeyboardMagazine]
The Disco Biscuits continue their massive 2019-2020 fall/winter tour next week with two nights in North Carolina, followed by a two-night stand at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD to close out the tour. Tickets are available here.