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Disappearing Cowboy’s Automated M.O.T. Stage Rig
Posted on March 4, 2013 by John Staskevich
John Erik King, the sole instrumentalist of Disappearing Cowboy, has created the “Minimalist Organic Tech” stage rig, an integrated system that includes guitar effects and amplification, bass, synthesis, vocal processing, and robot drums. Scripted MIDI messaging provides “scene” control, freeing King to simultaneously perform live guitar, bass, and synth.
M.O.T. Minimalist Organic Tech from Disappearing Cowboy on Vimeo.
King’s description of the system:
Drums
kick, one actuator.
snare, one actuator.
ride cymbal, two actuators to account for the high volume of repetitive patterns typically played on cymbals.
toms, two actuators, again to account for quarter/sixteenth note repetition.
crash, one actuator with a very long throw to really smack the crash cymbal so it stands out.
M.O.T. Rig
bass, mute, and distortion control. (big muff)
guitar, Moog LP ladder filter into an eventide stereo digital delay. The stereo output then goes to two different amps with independent mutes.
synth, only one string goes to a Roland GR-30, which has its own mute as well.
M.O.T. Batar
has three outputs. Bass, guitar, and synth.
tuning E (bass string), E,B,E,B,E. (five other strings)
top three strings are attached to a modified Bigsby tremolo which creates a relative detune effect.
Because everything is controlled by MIDI, we can shift scenes and tempos for each song, or even in between songs. The vocal delays and guitar delays are in perfect sync with the tempo which the drums precisely adhere to. If the tempo is at 135, everything is locked at 135.
I originally controlled everything with a laptop, but found a karaoke device that plays back MIDI files to use instead.
All the different scenes and transitions are triggered automatically. And the entire set is set up like a playlist. We hit one button and the entire show plays without any foot controllers or input like that of any kind. It’s all automated, with the exception of playing the instrument, of course.
The rig employs two Highly Liquid MSA-P MIDI decoders to trigger drums, route audio signals, switch amplification channels and control effects. An MPA MIDI decoder is used to automate control of the Moog ladder filter.
The new Disappearing Cowboy album, Revolute, is available from every major online music distribution platform including Amazon, iTunes, Soundcloud, and several others. - Highly Liquid
Discography
Revolute
Photos
Bio
After selling a song to Warner Brothers as members of the five piece band The Karmatics, Stephen Baker and John Erik King began writing and playing music in a different manner.
They were very interested in stripping music down to its raw elements, and using technology to solve problems versus simply adding more and more layers because the technology exists.
To this end, they decided to have one instrumentalist and this job went to John Erik. Stephen put the guitar down and focused on lyrics and singing.
John Erik designed and built a guitar that he uses to play guitar, bass and synth at the same time. He then set his sights on building drums he could program, but that would retain the organic sound of wood hitting a real drum head.
After months, what emerged was a two member band with Stephen Baker as the front man and John Erik King providing all the instrumentation, with the exception of a real mechanical drum set that he programs and controls.
Using minimalist organic technology (MOT), Disappearing Cowboy has just released their first album, Revolute, on Drama Monster Records LLC.
What is MOT? Technology often takes the human being out of the equation. Why should it? Humans are creative machines. What is missing in technology is this human, or emotional, element and that is where organic comes into the equation. How we play or create is as important as the music itself if it is to live and breathe.
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