To Perform Uptown Funk With Authority You Need Korg Pa4XS Synthesizer
The other day I was watching Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars perform Uptown Funk at the Brits, and I noticed the keyboard player had a Korg Pa4XS. Bruno Mars’ band uses this keyboard live and in the studio on their current tour. However, I found it hard to find any information about which synthesizer was being used in the actual performance. So here is a blog post which explains exactly how they got that amazing sound.
Here is a video of Uptown Funk: [link]
The keytar solo starts at 1:48. The musician playing the keytar is Mark Ronson, who also produced the song. He is accompanied by two backing singers who are also excellent dancers. The three of them are dressed like extras from Starsky and Hutch. If you pause at 1:50 you can see his keyboard clearly.
The Korg Pa4XS is the synthesizer that Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars used to perform Uptown Funk at The Brits.
If you want to perform Uptown Funk with authority, the Korg Pa4XS is the synth to use.
Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars performed Uptown Funk at The Brits, and it was great.
You can see a video of their performance on YouTube.
On my recent post about the Korg Pa4XS keyboard that Mark Ronson used at the Brits, I got a comment asking what other basic gear would you need to perform Uptown Funk with authority. Here is my reply:
This is a good question and one which I get asked all the time when people see my blog posts. So, here goes.
Firstly, it’s important to note that this song is really a two part thing – there is the bass line (which Mark played on his Pa4XS) and then there are the chords and lead lines (played by Jeff Bhasker). So you’ll need to cover both of these parts if you want to play Uptown Funk properly.
A lot of people seem to think that the bass line on Uptown Funk was played by Bruno Mars himself but this is wrong – Bruno Mars recorded his vocal track first and then Mark added the bass line afterwards. This is a fairly common practice in pop music production as it allows for greater flexibility during arranging.
Here are some videos showing how Mark Ronson created / mixed the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Wy_2mjwRg
http://www.
The Korg Pa4XS synthesizer is the perfect tool for any musician to have in their arsenal. It is a powerful, lightweight, and versatile device that gives you everything you need to perform Uptown Funk with authority on stage.
The Pa4XS has a simple interface that makes it easy to use while still producing great sounds. You can choose from over 1000 pre-made sounds or create your own custom ones using the built-in synthesizer and mixer.
This synthesizer has many features like arpeggiator, effects engine, sequencer, and more. The sequencer lets you record and play back your performances so they sound exactly as they did when you first recorded them! A great feature of this instrument is its ability to output MIDI data directly from its USB port without needing an external computer running software like Ableton Live or Logic Pro X (both which require specific hardware).
On the 25th of February 2015 a performance of Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars was performed on The Brits. The song is great, but what really caught my attention was the impressive keyboard solo at the end of the song. The Korg Pa4XS synthesizer and his trusty stylus were used to perform this solo, in this post I’ll try to explain how.
I’ve been doing some research on this performance, and it’s safe to say that most people are not even aware that it was a synth solo at all. Even after watching the video over and over again, it still isn’t immediately clear that it’s actually a synthesizer being used in this performance. I think you will agree with me when I say that the keyboard player looks like he is playing an electric guitar (with some wah-wah effects) instead of a keyboard.
The Korg Pa4XS has a great guitar emulation effect called “Guitar DSP” which is capable of producing sounds very close to an electric guitar. This effect can be heard in this demo video at 1:42 minutes into the song, and also at 3:10 minutes into the song. The setting used for these demos is similar to the
By now, you’ve probably seen Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars performing Uptown Funk at The Brits. If you didn’t see it, then take a look at this video:
I am going to analyse the performance from a geeky perspective. As a musician and synthesizer nerd I was interested in what keyboard was used for the performance. Here are some of my observations.
To get a good idea of the sounds that were used in the performance, listen to the original song on Spotify: Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.
The Korg Pa4X arranger keyboard is a true jewel and the absolute synthesis of professionalism and creativity. For years now, it has been the leading standard of excellence in terms of sound quality, features and user experience. The Pa4X includes a new speaker system with four speakers, custom-built by Korg which provide a clear, well-balanced sound that’s powerful enough to fill a small club.
The Pa4X uses the same RX (Real eXperience) technology as in all the other members of the Pa series, featuring a new set of sounds and Style Performances. The Pa4X also includes all the improvements introduced on Pa3X, like the RX (Real eXperience) technology and EDS (Enhanced Definition Synthesis) for an even higher sound quality and expressiveness, plus MegaVoices (which add special articulations to acoustic instruments), Flash Play for unlimited expansion capabilities and MP3 import directly from USB memory stick.
The Korg Pa4X arranger keyboard is a true jewel and the absolute synthesis of professionalism and creativity. For years now, it has been the leading standard of excellence in terms of sound quality, features and user experience.