On Facebook, X and Instagram… You asked… and he answered.
In this Q&A, Geoff Downes answers questions from YESfans ahead of The Classic Tales of YES Tour 2024 – tickets available now!
#askYES: GEOFF DOWNES
Lennon Ashton:
Hello Geoff! As a fellow keyboard player, I enjoy playing YES music on the keyboard. A big challenge is that each song has a ton of sounds to cover! For songs that need samples, like “Close to the Edge,” how are those samples created?
Best wishes for the upcoming tour!
Geoff:
Thanks Lennon. The creation of sounds particularly for a track like ‘Close To The Edge’ is a challenge within itself – then having to play all the different sections becomes a real learning curve.
The 2 aspects are interlinked in many ways. The patch for instance of the isolated reverb electric piano (RMI) in the ‘I Get Up I Get Down’ part is a good example. It requires velocity sensing as is a very delicate moment so requires a light touch. For that I use a combination of Logic Vintage Rhodes, together with an RMI sample through built in Space Designer Reverb.
Every YES song and section requires the same treatment and attention to detail. I generally use any virtual plugins that have Mellotron/Electric Piano/Moog/Hammond etc simulations that are of course the mainstay of many of the classic YES recordings.
It’s all about experimentation to get as close to the original sounds as possible. One of the reasons I carry about 10 keyboards is that I have a large arsenal of sounds available which I find necessary to encapsulate the keyboard sounds so synonymous with YES’ music.
That’s my excuse anyway!
Sebastian Wedge:
Geoff – how do you go about emulating and making sounds that were used in the 70’s on modern equipment?
Geoff:
Hi Sebastian. I touched on this previously, but in more depth… I managed to get a copy of the Jammit files of the early YES recordings (before it went bust!). These files had all the individual instruments run off from the original multitracks. So I could hear in isolation all the keys from Tony, Rick & Patrick from those earlier recordings. This was a fascinating exercise because it enabled me to look at each sound and part exclusively, rather than trying to pick things out from a stereo mix.
So, I set about recreating many of these sounds as closely as possible. Clearly, Tony’s parts were mainly growling Hammond and piano, whereas Rick’s stuff was much more in depth incorporating a lot of Mellotron, Minimoog, Electric Piano in addition to Hammond and grand piano. And Patrick? – All of this and more!
For the most part on stage I use a dedicated Hammond SK1/2 keyboard and Studiologic NUMA Grand for grand piano. Both are pretty realistic of the originals I find. For mellotron, I use either the virtual IK Multimedia or GMedia Mtron – depends on the patches originally used. Moog – there are so many simulations out there, but I tend to favour the ES2 built into Main Stage.
I could go on, but I think you’ll grasp that it is a fairly complex procedure that requires a lot of experimentation that I am constantly refining over the course of various tours. Get digging into the huge world of virtual synths!
Isobel Wood:
What’s the most exciting song to play live?
Geoff:
Hi Isobel. Well, to be honest each YES song has its merits in terms of excitement. For me, CTTE is a huge piece with many musical snapshots, so that alone is exciting in itself.
But if you were to ask me what I find incredibly uplifting, I would have to say ‘And You And I’ takes some beating. The slow acoustic beginning which develops into these huge anthemic sections culminating in those classic punctuated major chords… now that is exciting!
From my own contribution to the YES canon, I would say ‘Machine Messiah’ is a real thrill to play. Music’s all about dynamics and that is what really drives our emotions and makes it exciting.
Simon Malia:
How do you know when a song you’re working on is finished?
Geoff:
Simon, it’s never finished until it’s over, or until the fat lady sings!
It’s a difficult question, because there comes a time when you have to turn round and say to yourself “I don’t think I can make this any better”, but at the same time in the back of your mind you’re saying, “well, I could have done this, or done that, change a few notes in a solo, added more effects, cut that section out…” etc – so many options, sometimes too many.
Back in the old days (showing my age!), because of the restrictions of multitrack tape you only usually had one shot at a solo and that was it – you had to live with it. Same as the backing track. Whereas now, you have multiple options with Pro Tools whereby you can solo ad-infinitum and cut between as many sections as you like. There is a merit in making decisions though and that applies to the final mix.
There are also of course time restraints/budget/release schedule etc which all come into play. In the final analysis, for me it’s ready when you feel you’ve done your best as you possibly can. That’s it!
Donald Thompson:
What modern artists (if any) inspire you, and why?
Geoff:
Hi Donald. It’s a tricky one really, because much of my genre and influences are from the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s. I’d be lying if I could relate to much of the frontline music that’s out there today. I guess it must be an ‘age’ thing, but it’s hard for me to engage the latest ‘drill’ release or reality TV ‘star’ when my roots are firmly established in a bygone era. It’s great though that this era still has a huge relevance and following today and continues to draw people in from all generations.
That said, it’s re-assuring that people in the modern age are still exploring new styles of music, pushing new boundaries in production and generally keeping people interested in the world of audio. There are obviously some great modern and talented artists out there, and I commend their enthusiasm at all levels.
It’s all about what works for you. Suppose this doesn’t really answer your question though. Sorry! 😉
Peter Sedge:
This maybe rather a basic question, but how long does it take to set up and be ready for a sound check?
Looking forward to seeing you all in Southend!
Geoff:
Hiya Peter. The physics of moving all the equipment around and setting up for the gigs is not something we see much of first hand. There is a heck of lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes before we show our faces some time late in the afternoon of a gig.
For instance, the rigging of the PA, lighting trusses etc all goes on early morning of a show, and gradually throughout the day our gear gets assembled and positioned on the stage. We are very fortunate in that we have a remarkable crew who know pretty much exactly where we it all goes and can make sure all our stuff is working fine before we even get there.
Generally we arrive around 5.00-ish and play for maybe half an hour. At the front end of a tour it is normally more in depth as there are both technical and artistic issues to address, but as the tour progresses, it becomes less critical because everything has fallen into place, all the gremlins are mostly ironed out and it operates like clockwork.
The CLASSIC TALES OF YES Tour 2024
Hot on the heels of their hugely successful ‘Classic Tales Of Yes’ American Tour, YES, are poised to hit the road in Europe and the UK once more between April and June 2024.
‘The Classic Tales Of Yes Tour’ will see YES mining their rich catalogue to deliver a career spanning set of classics, rarely played vintage cuts and new songs from 1970’s ‘Time and a Word’ right up to ‘Mirror To The Sky’, their 23rd album released last year, together with a special section celebrating the 50th anniversary of their momentous ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’ opus.
Every show will feature a Roger Dean gallery in the venue’s foyer area. Dean’s masterful artwork of striking other-worldly landscapes has graced classic album covers and posters. Roger is planning to be at each show on the tour, to meet with fans.
2024 Tour Dates:
Date
Venue
Tickets
Tuesday 30 April, 2024
Sagres Campo Pequeno
Lisbon, Portugal
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Lisbon, Portugal
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Zurich, Switzerland
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Arnheim, Netherlands
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Mönchengladbach, Germany
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Paris, France
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Manchester
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Glasgow
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Liverpool
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Southend
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Birmingham
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Gateshead
Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
VIP Tour Package
- Limited Edition Roger Dean Print
- Exclusive YES Coaster Set
- Commemorative Tour Laminate
- Limited Availability
VIP Tour Package can be purchased as an upgrade from On Location Live.
Please note the VIP Tour Package does not include a concert ticket. If you do not purchase a concert ticket in addition to this upgrade, you will not be admitted to the event.
