Reasons For New Order Equipment Update??? trainspotters, help me out?

So,

I am the trainspottery type.

As such, I have noticed in pictures from New Order's fall 2006 tour that they were using some different equipment than they used over the Summer festivals and during the tours last last year.

Here are the differences Ive noticed.

1. Keyboard stands and rigs.

Phil is no longer using a two tiered keyboard rack with the Monomachine on the top rack. He has gone back to just his Roland XP-80 on a single double X stand. I wonder, what songs did Phil use the Monomachine on anyways?

Barney no longer has the Korg mini synth attatched to his Roland XP 80.

Steve has switched keyboard stands. Now, instead of using the T stand with two racks, he is using a two tierd double X stand. Also, the platform that his drums and keyboards are on is now larger, with more room between his drums and his synths.

Also, I have noticed that Blue Monday has undergone a bit of a transformation over the fall tour. In addition to being segued from The Perfect Kiss, it also has featured Steve, Barney, and Phil jamming a lot more on thier keyboards.

So, what were the reasons for these changes, I wonder.

2. Lighting Rigs

New Order have a fantastic light show when they play thier own gigs.

Ive noticed that the Fall 06 tours featured a different lighting rig from the previous tour. The lighting patterns were different, and theere was a series of horizontal metal beams above the band that would light up in assorted different colors in time to the music. I thought it looked pretty cool.

3. Microphones.

On previous tours, Barney used a single wireless microphone for all of his songs. The mike would be on his mike stand when he would play guitar. On songs like BLT and BM, he would hold the mike in his hand and dance around.

However, on the Fall 06 tour, Barney seemed to be using two different mikes. he had a microphone with a cord on his miek stand for songs where he sang and played guitar. He seemed to have a seperate wireless microphone for the songs where he sang and danced around.

So, why did he go from using one microphone to using two?

Also...I noticed in many pictures from thw Fall 06 shows that there were two extra microphones onstage, one between Phil and Barney, and one between Barney and Hooky. These were not vocal microphones. They were about waist high. Anyone know what they were being used for? To record the audience maybe?

I dont know. I have been wondering this stuff for about 2 months now? Maybe some of the tech experts here or people who attended the concerts could answer my questions?

Also...

My girlfriend and I always enjoy making fun of Barneys overly baggy and poorly put together outfits (as seen in 3 16 and 5 11 concert films).

But on the most recent tours, we noticed that Barneys been dressing very nicely in stylish black polo shirts or nice black dress shirts (much as he did in the mid 1980s).

Whats the reason for this decision to dress better? My girlfriend jokes that Barneys wife has begun to pick out his outfits for him.

Anyways...

Anyone got any answers?

I think this is a good topic. I seriously wonder this stuff all the time.

ZAS

But on the most recent tours, we noticed that Barneys been dressing very nicely in stylish black polo shirts or nice black dress shirts (much as he did in the mid 1980s).

black is slimming

DUDE! you're outgeeking even me, that's worrying, but who cares :D

Mics...that's an easy one...he's too big a spastic to leap around with a corded mic without hurting someone ( read: Hooky, who wanders around that much they'd get tied up). And, since handhelds are usually a bit dappy, he uses it only when needs must. He may not be able to get one with a capsule he likes...he's picky that way, look how long he stuck with that one model of AKG(?).

As for keyboard changes...the monomachine was a temporarly resident as far as I know...twas not even cabled up at either Glasto or Hyde Park. I think it may have been there so EGG was an option, it would seem to be the ideal instrument for such a track. Think I read here, that they are chums with the guys who run Elektronik or whatever they're called. We have a machinedrum , deeply bonks and amusing piece of kit, and well capable of sounding sane when it wants. The other keyboards are largely interchangeable. I recently yelled at Digital and Re : Order, about having too much filter resonance in all their sounds, and upon checking up, found that the JV and XP series are basically all built on the same synth engine, and can all more or less make a stab at each other's voices (I'm toying with the idea of lashing up some good Voyetra/P5 noises on my JV90 for them to use)

I have an even geekier question.

Now I only noticed this at Wemberly, but it may have been the case at other venues.... Stage right of Barney ( that's OUR left Al ;) ) was what looked like a short gooseneck mic stand, of the sort one ight see used to record accoustic guitar, but this was a good bit short of the height for that, if Barney had been feeling all accoustic, he'd have had to stoop or neal. It also appeared to have white lagging on it, like a badly fitted plectrum holding flummy.

It's not where he was getting the personal from do you think? Sticking the 2nd mic up on a stick so he can't lose it? My personal theory was it was something to do with feedback control on the wedges, or something to relay information about backline level ( ie, just exactly HOW many kilowatts of power the vox AC30's were putting out, in defienace of all laws of electricity, accoustics and physics.) to the FOH desk.

I asked a few folks, and mentioned it to a few others, every one of them glazed in a flash and when they recovered gave me a worried look, but you might actually think this is a sensible thing to be concerened with

johnny james wrote:

But on the most recent tours, we noticed that Barneys been dressing very nicely in stylish black polo shirts or nice black dress shirts (much as he did in the mid 1980s).

black is slimming

then why does that Marathon look like a Californian redwood with 3 battleship anchors and 3 suspension bridge cables nailed to it?

Doctor? wrote: DUDE! you're outgeeking even me, that's worrying, but who cares :D

Mics...that's an easy one...he's too big a spastic to leap around with a corded mic without hurting someone ( read: Hooky, who wanders around that much they'd get tied up). And, since handhelds are usually a bit dappy, he uses it only when needs must. He may not be able to get one with a capsule he likes...he's picky that way, look how long he stuck with that one model of AKG(?).

As for keyboard changes...the monomachine was a temporarly resident as far as I know...twas not even cabled up at either Glasto or Hyde Park. I think it may have been there so EGG was an option, it would seem to be the ideal instrument for such a track. Think I read here, that they are chums with the guys who run Elektronik or whatever they're called. We have a machinedrum , deeply bonks and amusing piece of kit, and well capable of sounding sane when it wants. The other keyboards are largely interchangeable. I recently yelled at Digital and Re : Order, about having too much filter resonance in all their sounds, and upon checking up, found that the JV and XP series are basically all built on the same synth engine, and can all more or less make a stab at each other's voices (I'm toying with the idea of lashing up some good Voyetra/P5 noises on my JV90 for them to use)

I have an even geekier question.

Now I only noticed this at Wemberly, but it may have been the case at other venues.... Stage right of Barney ( that's OUR left Al ;) ) was what looked like a short gooseneck mic stand, of the sort one ight see used to record accoustic guitar, but this was a good bit short of the height for that, if Barney had been feeling all accoustic, he'd have had to stoop or neal. It also appeared to have white lagging on it, like a badly fitted plectrum holding flummy.

It's not where he was getting the personal from do you think? Sticking the 2nd mic up on a stick so he can't lose it? My personal theory was it was something to do with feedback control on the wedges, or something to relay information about backline level ( ie, just exactly HOW many kilowatts of power the vox AC30's were putting out, in defienace of all laws of electricity, accoustics and physics.) to the FOH desk.

I asked a few folks, and mentioned it to a few others, every one of them glazed in a flash and when they recovered gave me a worried look, but you might actually think this is a sensible thing to be concerened with

I am a geek! I am also locked out of my apartment.

So, Phil never really used the Monomachine? it was just there for show, eh? How lame. Did anyone actually see NO do EGG to confirm if Phil used the monomachine on it?

The mike stand that you were wondering about, Doctor, is the one I was questioning.

But why would Barney go from using an obviously reliable wireless mike that he has been using for years to a seperate one?

Why did steve get new keyboard stands?

Also, does Phil play the Keyboard intro to Whose Joe? when they do it Live? Did he do any keyboards on Guilt or was it all guitar?

Im a geek.

Well it WAS cabled up at the other one of the pair of gigs I mentioned. Maybe it has been used, I dunno, EGG was just an inspired guess.

As for stands....probably nothing more than the old ones being a bit clapped , they DO wear out with constant rigging and de-rigging ( you should SEE the state of the upper tier on mine).

Still think his fixed mic is his preferred mic and the handheld is just for when it HAS to be used. Personally I preferred him when he looked like the mic stand was through the belt loops on his trousers from the minute they came on til they left, with occassional pernod and keyboard excursions, walkabout barney's a bit too "other bands" for me.

Phil, AFAIK does no keys on Guilt and the intro to joe is SO on tape (fucking tragedy, for which I hope they, one day, get arrested in certain states of the US where it illegal to mime or use linear playback devices without stating it boldly on the ticket. Bad enough that any band would humiliate their fans this way, but NO doing is deeply offensive to me.

Doctor? wrote: Well it WAS cabled up at the other one of the pair of gigs I mentioned. Maybe it has been used, I dunno, EGG was just an inspired guess.

As for stands....probably nothing more than the old ones being a bit clapped , they DO wear out with constant rigging and de-rigging ( you should SEE the state of the upper tier on mine).

Still think his fixed mic is his preferred mic and the handheld is just for when it HAS to be used. Personally I preferred him when he looked like the mic stand was through the belt loops on his trousers from the minute they came on til they left, with occassional pernod and keyboard excursions, walkabout barney's a bit too "other bands" for me.

Phil, AFAIK does no keys on Guilt and the intro to joe is SO on tape (fucking tragedy, for which I hope they, one day, get arrested in certain states of the US where it illegal to mime or use linear playback devices without stating it boldly on the ticket. Bad enough that any band would humiliate their fans this way, but NO doing is deeply offensive to me.

Well, I do like when Barney dances. its...special. I also like when he jams on the keyboards during BM.

WHat does AFAIK mean?

it really annys me that Phil doesnt play the keyboard parts on WJ or GIAUE. They synth parts are better than hid guitar parts and would sound great actually played live.

Why do you think Phil shuns his synth playing duties so much?

Also...

It really bothers me that Phil has his keyboard pushed to the side of the stage so that you can barely see it and so that it doesnt face out towards the audience. its like he is saying the synths arent important.

I liked when on the Republic and 98 tours, Gillian keyboards were facing the audience and elevated on a platform. Classy!

Are you the famous Zackary Allen Starkey from Columbus, Ohio?

J

I am indeed the famous Zachery Allan Starkey from Columbus Ohio.

www.myspace.com/ZacheryAllanStarkey

(Give a listen to me song Solitaire if you have the time!)

Nice to see you on here, Zack...We've met several times but I'm sure you do not remember. I'm the dude that you stood next to you in line at the library on high street during the 04 election voting.....I also bumped into you at Skullys circa May of this past year and talked to you briefly about New Order. I told you I loved Brotherhood, to which you said was probably your least favorite album. Since then, I moved to New Jersey about 4 months ago. I live pretty close to NYC now, so unfortunately I felt charming little Columbus. Nonetheless, i'll check out your songs and add you as a friend. Hope your music career is going well, and i'll talk to you later.

J

Hello there!

I do remember you, actually. I especialyl remember our discussion about Brotherhood. I have actually learned to like it a bit more.

Thats awesome that you live so close to NYC. I can tell you, I cant wait to leave Columbus.I work for Universal Records, and they are going to promote me when i finish my Photography and Film degree at OSU.

Im glad you liked my songs! Ill have some songs up with vocals very soon! Send em a message when ya add me!

Nice to see you round these parts as well!