Rhapsody sucks but... (Gear)

[Deceit]

...but Alex Staropoli has some fucking piece of gear.
I don't like this italian band - I think they just give the metallers around the world a wrong image of italian underground. We have lots of good bands...fortunately they're not only power/happy metal with pathetic epic lyrics about this or that dragon or this or that war, we have also a couple of prog metal bands like Eldritch, Icycore - I think they have a future in the scene.
Anyway, what I want to talk about is the new video - apart from being a bit childish and apart from being a boring, monotonous song, Staropoli uses 6 keyboards in the video - I think in studio he has a lot of Akai samplers (of the new wave - they cost a lot :E) and orchestral samples, but, as I said, in the video shoots he has a Fantom X?(6 I think) for sure, then I seem to recognize a Motif (8? or any ES?) (sharp diagonal cut in the back)...can you help me mapping the setup on the video? Just to wonder how much it is worth and how bad he's employing his gear :D.
The video is: http://www.mightyrhapsody.com/unholyvideo.php
Have fun :).
Deceit.

[Kirby]

Seems he wants to be like Rick Wakeman ;)

[Liquid Shadow]

I once heard a song by Rhapsody. I never had the urge to hear another.

Might as well just yell CHEESE! at the top of your lungs for 5 minutes straight

[nismael]

I've never been a big fan of Rhapsody, and one of the think I don't like about it is the vocal, but they have some really good compositions.

[Liquid Shadow]

Blind Guardian have good compositions. Symphony X have good compositions. Rhapsody have a giant ball of mozerella.

[Wizard]

Rhapsody have a giant ball of mozerella.
:lol:

Marco

[ChrisMcCoy]

...but Alex Staropoli has some fucking piece of gear.
I don't like this italian band - I think they just give the metallers around the world a wrong image of italian underground. We have lots of good bands...fortunately they're not only power/happy metal with pathetic epic lyrics about this or that dragon or this or that war, we have also a couple of prog metal bands like Eldritch, Icycore - I think they have a future in the scene.
Anyway, what I want to talk about is the new video - apart from being a bit childish and apart from being a boring, monotonous song, Staropoli uses 6 keyboards in the video - I think in studio he has a lot of Akai samplers (of the new wave - they cost a lot :E) and orchestral samples, but, as I said, in the video shoots he has a Fantom X?(6 I think) for sure, then I seem to recognize a Motif (8? or any ES?) (sharp diagonal cut in the back)...can you help me mapping the setup on the video? Just to wonder how much it is worth and how bad he's employing his gear :D.
The video is: http://www.mightyrhapsody.com/unholyvideo.php
Have fun :).
Deceit.

This may help. I went to Rhapsody's website and found some live galleries. Not sure if he's using the same gear as in the video. Then again, do you really need anything important to shoot a video ? If that were me out there in the enchanted forest, I'd just assume get some lumber and paint fake keys on the boxes to make it look good. The live concert stage is where it really counts. Here's a link. Hope this helps.
http://www.das-buero-jaeger.de/gallery/index.php

By the way, I agree that it's a bit cheesy. Funny thing is, we went through a big wave of that stuff here in the US in the late 80's with band like Savatage. :twisted:

[lighthouse]

Funny thing is, we went through a big wave of that stuff here in the US in the late 80's with band like Savatage.


Hey...Savatage rules!!!

[Spacehog]

I actually thought the video and the song were quite cool, albeit in a slightly twee way... As for the 'boards, I have no idea, the pictures in that photo gallery only show 3 boards, 2 of which are Korg O1/Wpro's by the look of it, there are 6 boards in the vid (on 2 stands, which look like the weird Proel column stand thingies) but he only actually plays the middle one on each stand(!) and I can't identify any of 'em, I'm afraid!

Martin

[lighthouse]

What`s Christopher Lee doing there!!!!!!!

[nismael]

Blind Guardian have good compositions. Symphony X have good compositions. Rhapsody have a giant ball of mozerella.

Don't you like Mozarella? Everybody likes Mozarella!

No kidding kid, I hate that Magic Kingdom thing, but still I think that musically speaking, I could dig some stuff (more than you think) about Rhapsody that is really interesting. They have some insane keyboard and guitar riff.

Anyway didn't you say that you only listened to one of their song? Pretty shitty to give an opinion of a band. I personnally wouldn't base my opinion on one song or 2. Would you?

[Liquid Shadow]

Twas a figure of speech. I've heard somewhere between 10-20 total, and they're one of the power metal bands that don't really do it for me. I love cheesey stuff (look at some of Blind Guardian's lyrics!) but there's a point where it goes overboard IMO, which Rhapsody almost always are. They do have their moments, but I've yet to hear a song by them that I can listen to all the way through before I find something that I can't stand. That's just me though.

[Tusker]

I've never heard them. And thanks to you guys I won't. :D

The epic/conan/lord of the rings graphics are amusing. I do dig the swords they pull into their pictures. You know it's time have a rock groups with more up to date weapons like machine guns. :P )

The early digital Korgs (O1/W, M1) are not my cup of tea. No resonant filters, some cliched samples. The guy certainly hasn't invested in up to date gear, at least from the pictures in the gallery. One modern day workstation could cover all that. And one true analog would cut through the mix more.

Best,

Jerry

[ChrisMcCoy]

Seems he wants to be like Rick Wakeman ;)

Nah, There would be at least 3 more stands and 9 more boards to hit that level !! :D

[Bastardo Demono]

I am a huge fan of Rhapsody. I dont care much for the lyrics and the fantasy story/images/frilly clothes behind it (especially the narration throughout the albums, though, with Christopher Lee doing narration this next album I think that will change) and if you get past that, I think of them as the best, most capable symphonic metal band in the world. Staropoli is a monster keyboardist, and him and luca turilli write some really awesome epic music.

anyway, I have seen live videos of rhapsody, and it seems in the past alex staropoli just uses his korg 01/w pros, and that is the only board I remember him mentioning in some interviews ive read a while back, so I was kind of shocked to see his big stack of keyboards in this video (must have made SOME money off the last album). But it really sounds like hes using them for this new album from what ive heard, the orchestra shit is really sounding convincing now. Really, if you havent heard them, at least listen to emerald sword or something

a think the real question is, though, how they got christopher lee to wear that stupid crown and hold the sword like that hehe

[MarkDTMMZ]

Blind Guardian have good compositions. Symphony X have good compositions. Rhapsody have a giant ball of mozerella.

lol pretty much. All you can say is wow. I think it'd be funny to sit in their rehearsal room and see them come up with this stuff, and just scratch your head in disbelief...."hold on, it's not epic enough"

Mark

[6fingers]

Cheesy lyrics, bad pronounciation, plastic swords, dragons and stupid videos put aside, Rhapsody is an interesting band. Too bad they tend to repeat themselves. I like their second album a lot, especially Emerald sword. I also dig the first Luca Turilli album, Kings of the NordicTwilight.
Some prefer endless mindless shredding for the sake of the technical skills, some love melodic stuff without hypertechnical skills.

[Shreddy]

I enjoyed their first 2 discs but after that I hated the band. From time to time I'll still play some of the older stuff. Its not as sing along, flag waving, off to war music as the new stuff.

They have rasied the cheese bar though, you cant deny that. It takes quite some dairy products to top them now.

Ed

[lighthouse]

Yeah I was completely blown away the first time I listened to warrior of ice, but shame they became so comercial after their second album


Juan Pablo

[Over The Edge]

A cameo appearance in the new King Arthur movie would have
been a pretty logical move for these guys, eh?



FL
www.franklucas.net

[Piranha]

This is what rhapsody does:

A friend of mine asked me what type of mysic Dream Theater was. I said progressive rock. And he said "Oh, so they sing about dragons and medieval things?" and I said "No, that's not what progressive rock means.." and then he said "Yeah, it is. I know a band called Rhapsody - or something - and they're all like medieval, and it's progressive rock"


*sigh*

[Alucard]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquid Shadow
Blind Guardian have good compositions. Symphony X have good compositions. Rhapsody have a giant ball of mozerella.


Don't you like Mozarella? Everybody likes Mozarella!



MOZZARELLA, dudes, mozzarella :lol:

[spacebard]

This come from his website http://alexstaropoli.com/index.php

Alex is currently using:

Digidesign Pro Tools HD3
1 Digidesign 192
4 Digidesign 192 digital
1 Digidesign 64 - bit Expansion chassis
4 Akai S6000 hardware sampler
2 Emagic Unitor 8 midi interfaces
2 SCSI drives
Apple G5 2.5 DP with 8 Gig Ram
2 cinema displays 23''
2 Emes speakers
2 Emes subwoofers
Logic Platinum 7 TDM
Korg 01/W pro
Oberheim MC 3000 midi master controller
Kurzweil PC2X
Roland M-12E 12 channels mixer
Sony MDR-V700 headphones

I saw him once live, playing on the oberheim mc 3000

[Deceit]

Hundreds and hundreds of thousands samples, it seems. And some controllers, here and there. Must be good at sampling then. Well, in fact it's all about sample triggering in Rhapsody. They're terrible live performers.
If you get the chance to listen to them, get Vision Divine's "Stream of Consciousness" album. The keyboards are awesome, and it's kind of power-prog now that Fabio Lione (best known as Rhapsody singer) left the band and Michele Luppi joined in. He's an incredible vocalist, reminds me of James LaBrie in his best times (i.e. I&W 1993 Tour).
Check them out, definitely.
Deceit.