Back to the Future

On stage at Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheater, Dream Theater pushes one of its epic metal jams towards a climax. Even amidst James LaBrie’s wailing vocals, John Myung’s rumbling bass lines, John Petrucci’s machine-gun guitar riffs, and Mike Portnoy’s explosive grooves, Jordan Rudess steals the audience’s eyes and ears — standing front and center, he begins dueling phrase-for-phrase with Petrucci, pulling screaming synth lines from a scimitar-like wireless strap-on controller. The jam continues to elevate as the battle rages until, in true Dream Theater fashion, the composition redirects instantaneously to thematically different, yet equally virtuosic, territory. With a smile, Jordan disengages and returns to his stationary keyboard rig. The crowd screams in approval.

Whether moving an audience with the help of his brand new customized Zen Riffer wireless controller (more on that later) or weaving tracks together in his home studio, Jordan is no stranger to making progressive rock history. In fact, the man widely regarded as the standard of rock keyboard virtuosity has recently returned to his roots, recording a new solo album entitled The Road Home, a collection of cover tracks that pays tribute to the prog heroes of yore. “I was going to be a classical pianist,” admits Jordan. “That was my whole path and I had been studying in Juilliard when I was nine years old. When I was around 17, things were changing for me, and I started listening to a lot of old Genesis and Yes and getting turned on to ELP and Gentle Giant. All these things that were having a huge influence on me led me astray. It was a very important musical time in my life.

“This music has meant so much to me,” he continues. “All though the years, progressive rock has been a real core. So I felt like it was a good time to get in the studio and take some of my very favorite progressive rock tunes and do them up as best as I could.” Jordan couldn’t help but include ELP’s “Tarkus” in the mix. “‘Tarkus’ is a piece that I can remember listening to when I was 17 years old and thinking, ‘A keyboard player can have so much power! It’s incredible.’ Keith Emerson was playing all these cool suspended chords and great sounds. It was new to me because I was playing the piano, and it was like a light bulb going off in my head. All of a sudden, it gave me the idea of taking keyboard to the next level myself, taking some of the compositions that I wrote and energizing them, electrifying them.

“So ‘Tarkus’ has a ton of meaning for me, and on this album I did the entire piece. My version is about 22 minutes long! It’s really a labor of love. When I’m in my studio, I’m surrounded by synthesizers and I’m the type of person who needs to take the time to do all the programming, create all these sounds, and do all this orchestration, so I always know it’s going to be an intense process. It’s not just playing a few tracks and then you’re done. It’s doing a whole lot of tweaking. Everything takes a long time. Luckily, I was just working on these really special pieces.”

Read on for more on The Road Home, the Zen Riffer, and everything in between.

On The Road Home, how close did you stick to the original songs you were covering when it came to arrangement, orchestrations, riffs, and melodies?
Each piece is a little bit different, but one of the challenges when I did “Tarkus” was covering Keith Emerson and his amazing organ sounds. Do I play a lot of Hammond organ type stuff, or do I take another route? There’s no way I could get Keith’s organ sound. And even if I could, why would I just duplicate what’s already done and etched in people’s minds as being the ultimate prog organ tone? So I went more the route of orchestration. A lot of times where Keith would use the organ, I’d go for some kind of layered effect where I’d use my Roland V-Synth for some really interesting color, but I’d use my Moog Voyager for the more intense part of the sound. I tried to color things a lot. In “Tarkus” specifically, I used a lot of controllers to make the sound as organic as possible. There is some organ in there as well.

I’ve listened to “Tarkus” so many times and I respect it so much that in a lot of ways I didn’t really want it to be that different. I wanted it to be something that ended up being a tight, well-recorded version that could introduce people to the piece — or for people who’re already into it, get them going again and give it some fresh energy. My arrangements are a real combination of respect to the original and also trying to add my own voice.

What was the recording process like for any of the tracks on The Road Home?
With the Yes piece I did, “Sound Chaser,” I started by going into my studio, which is a room full of keyboards, and fleshing out the piece all by myself — just to get it going. Then I had the piece transcribed. I have some wonderful guys that I work with — Chris Romero and Jordan Bakerman of Progressive Transcriptions — that do a lot of the Dream Theater transcriptions. In this project, they saved me the time. I had Bakerman transcribe the Yes arrangement so I used that as a map to get started, which is great. And then I started really getting into it.

The first thing I usually did was look for color and put together a bit of a sound palette I could use. Like for “Sound Chaser,” I started with the bass sounds, which I used for the pattern that everybody knows, the one that keeps repeating throughout the song and is very important because people are used to hearing Chris Squire’s Rickenbacker sound doubled with Steve Howe. I realized I wanted to use a combination of a Radias patch that I was modulating with one of the controllers so it would have some movement. I blended that with a Trilogy bass sound and a bit of my Roland Fantom-XR on the bass patches. I put them together to create a signature sound and that really got the bass started; the hardest thing with all this was getting the bass off the ground.

Then I had to figure out how I was going to play some of the lap steel stuff that Steve Howe was doing, which is also a big element of that piece. Although I have a lap steel guitar and can play it, I wanted to do it on a synthesizer. I ended up programming a couple sounds on my OASYS and also the Fantom that fit together nicely.

Sometimes I also created sounds on the V-Synth when I wanted to give more crunch. So I got a blended sound that really worked. Generally, I looked at what the musical need at any moment was, and then I started looking for sounds. The sounds then inspired how I would write or play the part.

What about the drums?
I’m leaving out a very important element, which is after my MIDI stuff was done and I had all my keyboards together and the arrangement was good, then we went into the studio and laid down all the drums. Rod Morgenstein is the MVP of the album because these songs are complicated and he totally nailed all of them so tight and so right. I just know when I ask Rod to do something, it’s going to be exactly what is needed. He has a way of doing the progressive thing, playing all the odd meters, but playing with such strength and conviction that it really adds a lot to these versions.

When you were recording in your studio and getting all the keyboard parts down, was that all done via MIDI and did you sequence it into a digital audio workstation?
Yeah. I’ve been using MOTU Digital Performer for so many years. For this album I recorded all my keyboards in DP — basically all MIDI. That’s the way I’ve been working for a long time and that’s the way I’m comfortable working. It was a real combination of hardware synthesizers and also my software synthesizers. I used a lot of Spectrasonics Atmosphere and Trilogy. I used Native Instruments software and I certainly used hardware in my studio — a lot of Voyager, the Roland Fantom, the Korg OASYS, a lot of V-Synths. What else did I use? The Korg Radias, Dave Smith’s Poly Evolver, and the Haken Continuum controller as well.

Jumping tracks to Dream Theater, and the new instruments you’re using with them, what intrigued you about the Zen Riffer?
My awareness came from a friend of mine named Ernie Cataldo. Ernie had told me about it because he thought that the Zen Riffer represented something that was a big step in that whole strap-on keyboard technology, in the sense that most people view that type of an instrument as cheesy, just by the way the things look and the idea of a keyboard player taking center stage. While they’ve been used here and there for many years, it hasn’t really been a big thing. Certainly in my own work with Dream Theater, I think even the mention of a strap-on keyboard would probably make them skeptical. But when I saw what [Zen Riffer creator] Charles Tentindo was doing and the elegance and coolness factor of the Zen Riffer, I arranged for him to meet me in San Diego, where Dream Theater had set up for four days of production rehearsals. Charles drove out and actually brought the instrument to rehearsal for me to see.

I wasn’t quite sure where I would use it in our set, or if the band would be accepting of such a thing. But things happened quickly. Everybody saw the instrument and they were like, “Wow, that thing is awesome. That would look cool on stage.” We figured out where I would use it in the set — a couple of spots — and the next thing you know, Charles actually left me with this black Zen Riffer that he put together with the idea of my being into it. So it was only three days before our first show that I even got the instrument and started to think about where and how I would use it. It’s really been an interesting little ride.

And here I am. I’ve done six shows and it’s one of the most talked about things going on in the Dream Theater world right now. Everybody is surprised to see me not in my usual keyboard world, walking up to the center of the stage. For me, it’s a blast.

Do you carry more than one Zen Riffer on tour?
I need another for backup so, of course, it’s been such a hit that I wanted the second to come out and be at least equally as cool as the first, and maybe even more striking. In talking about how it would look, we discovered something called Crazer paint made by a company called Alsa Corp. A company like that usually just sells you the paint. But in this case, the corporate head was a huge Dream Theater fan, and he offered the services of his painting team. They just finished it up and it looks incredible. I’ll be premiering it in Asia.

It was exciting seeing you “duel” on stage with John Petrucci. What were some of the challenges of using the Zen Riffer live with Dream Theater?
The first challenge of course was to find the right spots to play it. But there were a couple songs that we dialed in pretty quickly. For me, it’s such a good feeling to go up with the keyboard and do that. The biggest challenge is to figure out which riffs will fit in smoothly on the instrument and will work on a musical level.

What synth sound were you using?
I was playing the Zen Riffer at rehearsal and John Petrucci was there saying, “The sound of the thing is amazing!” Of course we all know, being in keyboard world, that the Zen Riffer is the controller. Most people can’t separate — or there’s no reason to separate in their minds — the sound from the controller. But the reality of course is the Zen Riffer makes no sound of its own and I’m using my synthesizers to create the patches. The sound that I’m using is actually the Roland V-Synth XT. I love that instrument. As a matter of fact, what’s really funny is that when I play the Continuum, I also use the Roland V-Synth. I actually use the same sound, though it plays a little bit differently, of course from the different controllers. I don’t even think the guys in the band realize it’s literally the same patch. They see me playing the Continuum with a sound and then see me playing the Zen Riffer using that same sound, while controlling it differently — but it really is the exact same thing.

Is that signature sound based on a V-Synth preset, or is it something you built completely on your own?
It’s something that I concocted from the ground up. It started with a whole series of sounds I made. The V-Synth has standard waveforms in there, but in addition to ones like sawtooth and triangle, you’ve got something called the feedback oscillator and that just opens up this amazing world of possibilities when it comes to creating leads, because you can assign a particular controller to actually change the depth and the point of the feedback oscillator — you can change the pitch of it and how deep the sound is going. So on the Continuum, I’ll take the front to back motion and I’ll assign it to a control number, and that will be the feedback oscillator. For the Zen Riffer, I assign the mod wheel to a controller that’s the feedback oscillator pitch and depth. So that — in combination with another oscillator doing the fundamentals and actually being able to bring the feedback in and have the fundamentals disappear a little bit — creates a world of Hendrix-y coolness. Actually, the sound of the Zen Riffer, my tech, Robert Dorion, renamed that particular patch “Zendrix.”

You cover a wide range of notes on the Zen Riffer, even though it’s a pretty small keyboard. How does the octave shifting work?
Basically on the instrument where you can’t see there’s two buttons — one up, one down — so I can reach the full range of the synthesizer.

You have a new keyboard stand, a rotating metal hand that holds up your instruments. Can you tell me the story behind that?
This is really a fun thing. [My wife Danielle and I] were doing some remodeling in our house and looking for someone to build a nice railing for our staircase. We had checked out all the commercial-type products and we didn’t want to go the general route, so we found a designer who recommended this metal worker named Eric Laxman to come and take a look at it. He built some beautiful railings and we had him build one for us. But, in discovering more and more about him, it turns out that Eric is a real metal artist. We went to his studio one day and he had all these amazing sculptures he built. Danielle said to me, “What about having him create a hand to hold up your keyboard?” and I thought, “We could have it rotate!” So Eric and I started talking and he got really excited about it. It was a very unusual project for him because he’s never done anything in the music business.

Of course I had had this rotating stand technology before. My friend from Holland, Patrick Slaats, had built a few rotating stands for me. But now Eric was going to build this incredible hand, so really the two technologies together create what’s onstage together. Eric basically took the hand and modified Patrick’s stand a little bit so they would work together and rotate. I’m really happy with it because it turned out so well and everybody’s digging it. It’s definitely the best stand I’ve ever had.

Both the Zen Riffer and the stand add a cool visual aspect to your performance, yet there are many keyboardists who don’t seem to consider appearance to be a particularly important part of the gig.
Our band is very interested in the bigger picture production. That of course includes all the stuff we show on the screen and stage props. We’re very conscious of the way we look and the way the show is set up. Over the years, I’ve gotten into having a visual presence as well as, of course, a musical presence. To me, it’s the whole thing. The look of my keyboards, the look of my stands, the look of the screens — those are all elements. More and more in the world that we’re in, that type of presentation is becoming important because it’s all about multi-media nowadays, anyway. If a keyboardist can be a modern performer, have a bigger picture of him or herself, and get an image together, it can be a powerful thing. It also turns out to be more fun than just playing, and it’s a good time. I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to play with these types of things and to have people build me cool stands. After so many years of doing what I do, I view it all as a big blessing that I can have this kind of fun.

Jordan’s Cutting Edge Axes

“I’m always checking out new instruments,” says Jordan. “I love to explore new sonic ground and ways to control sound. I recently got a MIDI controller called the Axis-64 made by C-Thru music. The layout is based on the harmonic table and it’s a whole different way of playing. Coming from a keyboard background doesn’t necessarily help. What does help is having strength in your fingers, so for me, it’s pretty easy to become comfortable with new finger patterns. The problem is learning where the notes actually fall. Right now, I’ve got it plugged into my OASYS.”

What role will the Axis play in Jordan’s creative process? “Well, what I can predict for sure is that I’ll bring it to the Dream Theater writing sessions next time. I find it very inspiring for coming up with new ideas. I come up with riffs I’d never play on the keyboard — things like diminished scales or augmented patterns seem to be very natural on the instrument.”

Jordan has also been working with Roland on a new keyboard — the Fantom G. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved contributing ideas to the working of this new instrument,” he says. “I’ve been programming a bunch of new sounds for it. One of the features I’ve been asking for, and not just from Roland, is to please not stop the sound when you change patches — ever. I find that very difficult and annoying. I understand why it’s been a challenge, but Roland has made a really special attempt on this machine to get it right. They have something called Live Mode, in which you can layer and split in any way up to eight zones and every zone can have its own multieffects — and then the entire patch can share a global chorus and reverb. When you change from one live mode patch to another, it’s seamless. You hear no glitches. It’s just plain smooth.

“The keyboards I used to use, the Kurzweil K2600 and K2500, had some level of patch preserve, but the effects would glitch. Most Korgs and Yamahas have patch preserve, but only in the basic program mode, and not in the combination mode. To me, this is a really important breakthrough.”

Jordan’s Dream Theater Rig

“When you see Dream Theater play, about 95 percent of what you’re actually hearing is the Korg OASYS,” says Jordan. “Live, that is the main axe that’s holding down the fort. One of the things that I’ve added is the Manikin Memotron. It’s an incredibly realistic digital recreation of the old Mellotron. I discovered it when I was out at the Frankfurt Music Messe. We have a lot of Mellotron sounds in the music, and I thought that, visually this little white thing that looks like the top of a Mellotron would add a nice element to my stage appearance.

“I’ve also added the Korg Radias to my rig. I brought the Radias into the studio for the first time on this last album, Systematic Chaos, and every time my hands touched that keyboard, everybody would go ‘What’s that sound?’ We’d come up to a part in the music and John would say, ‘What about something spacey? You got anything spacey?’ I’d literally walk over to the Radias, lay my hands on it, and we’d all be like, ‘That’s it!’ [Laughs.]

“Roger Arrick of Synthesizers.com custom built me a gigantic modular synth which I traveled with at the beginning of this tour,” Jordan continues. “As wonderful as it is, the thing is gigantic, and I realized it was going to be a lot easier for everybody if I sent it back to my home studio. So I made an executive decision and opted to not use it, at least on this U.S. leg.”
For more on Jordan’s use of the Korg OASYS and Haken Continuum, read Michael Gallant’s last interview with him in our August ’05 issue; you can view it here www.keyboardmag.com.

Selected Works of Jordan Rudess

Solo
The Road Home (Magna Carta)
Rhythm of Time (Magna Carta)
4NYC (Magna Carta)
Feeding the Wheel (Magna Carta)

With Dream Theater
Systematic Chaos (Roadrunner)
DVD and CD: Score (Rhino)
Octavarium (Atlantic)
Train of Thought (Elektra)

Book
Total Keyboard Wizardry (Cherry Lane Music)