"Barock" (Russian Swing) from Saltimbanco (Cirque du Soleil)

[Christysamthomas30]

Amazing..

[Equalizerized]

Does Cirque Du Soleil sell sheet music books at all?

[armenjc]

@Equalizerized I don't know. Look on their web site for more info.

[AppleFoxHana]

Can't wait to see this this Sunday!!!

[JuanRodriguezDrummer]

Are you still with Cirque?

[armenjc]

@JuanRodriguezDrummer No.

[gummy231]

@armenjc Superb keyboard playing, how you manage to concentrate with all the circus performers around is amazing. Have you any more views of your keyboard playing from this angle, did you film the whole performance?

[armenjc]

@JuanRodriguezDrummer No

[adamwakeling]

Really enjoyed this video, thanks for posting. I saw Cirque du Soleil Totem this weekend and saw Saltimbanco last year at the o2 arena in London. As a guitarist I loved the music, as alot of the music was lead driven. I was a bit dissapointed though that the Totem show I saw, the whole band was hidden behind the set :/

[speedydavy]

Perfect, great job!!!! Can I ask you for 1:13, where elektronic percusion starting- it is sample, which drumer started play from playback and he and you playing into this? Something like click to drummers headphones?

[armenjc]

@speedydavy the drummer is triggering that 2-bar loop from one of his electronic pads. in this old set up of the show, he had to hit the pad every 2 bars to re-trigger the sample. i don't know how they do it in the new saltimbanco arena show which has a brand new set up.

[SeSeHorie2009]

Really awesome!!! Thank you so much for sharing this clip, Armen! ^^ You are great!!!

[TheMrsrt8]

hey armen!

have another question for you: what drum set was used during your career as keyboardist?

Thanks!!! :-)

[armenjc]

@TheMrsrt8 not sure. i do know it was an acoustic set mixed in with a couple electronic pads.

[tjdrummer13]

@TheMrsrt8 When i saw it, it was a TD20 roland kit, from what i could see from a while back. Best electric kit on the market in my opinion, 11 grand though so....

[TheMrsrt8]

what does Leslie mean?

[armenjc]

@TheMrsrt8 Google "Leslie Speaker" or "Leslie Speaker Cabinet" and you will see what gives the organ sound that doppler-type "vibrato" that you hear speeding up and slowing down. The speakers/horns inside the cabinet actually spin to create that effect. I'm not using a actual Leslie cabinet, but the Leslie simulator on my Nord (the red keyboard) has a very good Leslie simulation.

[RootedWithin]

Chakmakian, you are the man! :)

[theorganist]

This is my fav video on all of youtube, such great insight, and thank you for adding the annotations!

[Wtrois]

Hey Armen! Love this song man and great keyboard playing!! Makes me want to play the piano again. Can u tell me what the top keyboard is? Great organ sound! Thanks and keep it up!

[armenjc]

@Wtrois That top keyboard is a Nord Electro 2 - has some other great sounds as well. Check it out.

[penski77]

VERY cool. That's a great way of showing us how it's done, man!

[Cirquelatino]

Armen...Would you like to play again keyboard in Saltimbanco or other show?

Really really awsome video!

[BrandonProductions1]

Hey armen, how long did it take you to join Cirque? How was the audition/what did they make you do?

[armenjc]

I auditioned then got the call for Saltimbanco 6 months later. The audition was relaxing - they were very cool...asked me to play something for them, so I played one of my compositions. Then they'd play something for me and ask me to play it back for them.

[mcirque]

LOve this video so much! Thanks a lot for uploading it. Seeing Saltimbanco in December, very excited

[MrRenealexis]

And I was there doing follow spot! This video brings such good memories.

[trolmusic]

this looks so much fun ..this is pure groove ..thank's for showing how you work ..

[armenjc]

was a blast! glad you enjoyed.

[HBKHBK]

honestly man i was working as event staff at the John Labatt Centre when you debuted the arena Saltimbanco totaly blew me away and i love this song!

[EaiteRandjamee]

He's not on the Arena Tour.

[armenjc]

not on the arena gig, but hope to see it one day.

[rhinobassdude]

Oh man, you are soo damn cool! Thanks for putting that gem up. It was thrilling to watch and i envy you.

[armenjc]

you're welcome rhino. i'm so glad you enjoyed them. don't envy me, you can get a cool gig too!

[rhinobassdude]

I am lucky enough to do some lovely Gigs here in Europe, But you demonstrate the Gold Standard my friend. Do you realise how educational and inspirational this kind of stuff is to mortals like us?! Please put some more up man.

[armenjc]

glad you're gigging. i was hoping it would be fun and inspirational. at some point i'll make the time to post another. but i believe these were the 2 best examples because there was so much going on in the show and with the keyboardist.

[rhinobassdude]

Did this line-up ever record while it was together? It would make one hell of an album.

P.s; I played this clip to the rest of the band on the tourbus last night and you definately have a bunch of musical admirers here in the UK. They were actually quiet for once, cant thank you enough for that one!

[armenjc]

This line up never did a live recording, but there is a live CD for Saltimbanco with a previous band (same bassist/bandleader).

Glad the band liked it. Have a safe tour.

[GreekGeek12345]

Are all the keyboards/synth your own assets Armen? Thanks so much by the way!

[armenjc]

The Nord (red) was mine. The others were property of Cirque and set up by the previous keyboardists.

[BrandonProductions1]

Why are your keyboards on the ground (stage). I thought the band had a little section just for you guys?

[armenjc]

We're up on a riser above the acrobats stage. It's hard to tell on this video because the riser blends in w/the stage. Do you see that spot of light on the stage behind me? Look at the very top of the light, you'll see the line that separate the stage and the riser.

[BrandonProductions1]

Can you please answer this question: What synthesizer do you use for (1:18) and the organs you use?

[armenjc]

I think this was the 2nd to the last show in Rio. The synthesizer with the horns patch is the Kurzweil K2000. The Organ is my Nord Electro 2.

[BrandonProductions1]

Is this the last show Saltimbanco preformed before closing in 2006?

[SantiEcko]

pretty cool!!

[BrandonProductions1]

Are you still touring with Saltimbanco?

[armenjc]

no. my tour ended in rio 2006

[BrandonProductions1]

In the video Saltimbanco Adagio LIFESAVER (On YouTube), what hapens after that? Do you all skip to the next act, Chinese Poles?

[armenjc]

i don't know about the current version. but in the version on this video from 2006 we'd go into the chinese poles act.

[BrandonProductions1]

Are you currently touring with Saltimbanco? Why did they dis-continue Saltimbanco?

[armenjc]

no. they closed the show in the big-top format in 2006 and re-opened as an arena tour. they are travelling week-to-week from town to town now. no spouses on the tour. not into that rock-n-roll touring style.

[NightMeetsLight1]

Thanks for answering so soon! Unfortunately, i just tried the website (and a bunch of searches of other websites) and I found nothing! The band was amazingingly good, so I'd like to find out who the muscians were. Thanks anyway, and I hope you and your family have a great 4th Of July!!!

[armenjc]

you're right. they pulled that info off their site for some reason.

[NightMeetsLight1]

Armen- Recently saw Saltimbanco in Tampa, and I thought the music was excellent. As a guitarist, the first thing I did when I got home was to hit the internet to find out who the musicians were (especially the guitarist), and I was not abe to find anything- not even on Cirque's website. Thought that was strange, in light of how important the music is to the show-. So my question is, who were the band members- i'd like to hear more of their work!! Thanks a bunch!

[armenjc]

the musicians in this video are listed at the top of the video

[armenjc]

the only music that remains in the show from our days is the drummer serge. the news guys should be listed on the saltimbanco website.

[BrandonProductions1]

Since you said that that was your last time with Saltimbanco, does that mean that they fired (Laid off dare I say) all of the Saltimbanco crew, artists, musicians, and EVERYONE? And was this video preformed under the grand tent?

[armenjc]

The show closed in 2006 as a "big top" show that was a little under 3 hours long. The show was revamped for arenas a year later, no more big top tent. Yes, this video was a big top show. It was the very last day of that version of Saltimbanco. We did 2 shows that evening. This is the first of that night, so it's the 2nd to the last showing. I believe about 1/2 (or a bit less) of the big top performers and crew are on the current show.

[BrandonProductions1]

The part that I was asking about the keyboard was the time (1:32) I love that part!

[armenjc]

I think that's the K2000. there was a WaveStation too...I think the K2000 was 2nd from the bottom

[armenjc]

we split up most of the sound effects among the band members.

[EaiteRandjamee]

Another question for you.... What is producing the percussion track during the song? (separate from the drum kit part) Is it one of your keyboards that you are controlling? (like midi) Or is it coming from another part of the band?

[armenjc]

Our drummer had an electronic drum pad that would trigger a 2-bar loop. The loop was on a sampler. I don't know which sampler he was using.

[101moviegod]

yep, fair enough! :-]

[101moviegod]

wow, can you possibly post the notes on a next video or add notes to this because im trying to learn it by ear and by simply watching your hands... thanks for your help! :-]

[armenjc]

that would be tedious!

[oscarkeys1]

excelent, you have mi admiration!

[proROCKA]

Can someone please tell me what lead guitar pedal is used?

[armenjc]

benoit had a pedal board with a variety of pedals

[proROCKA]

Aw Man I saw Saltimbanco the other day GOOD stuff, i want to play play for cirque du soliel so bad.i hope they have a guitar spot open.

[theorganist]

This is just incredible - I have so many different questions to ask! I watched Alegria yesterday which was incredible, and I was just wondering how long you practice for this? Do you have many 'in band' jokes? What if one of you goes into the wrong section, what does the band do? Please keep uploading these if you have them!

[EaiteRandjamee]

Ya know, as a musician, I tend to watch stuff and wonder afterward what was going on in the band; now you've shown me a glimpse of that. I wish there were more videos like this, especially from Cirque shows! Are you still in this show?

[armenjc]

this version of the show ended in december 2006. that was my last time with saltimbanco.

[LumaA52]

I only watched this act once, during the dress rehearsal, but listened to it evey night from back stage... So many good memories, such a fantastic vibe !!! It´s great to see you playing !!!

[armenjc]

awe thank you lulu :-)

[Eric333333333]

I just saw this show today at freedom hall, it was pretty awesome.

[Prockista]

This is really cool stuff, Armen. I love seeing you play with the knowledge that an equally wonderful performance is at work off the camera view.

Just a quick question: If, God forbid, an acrobat were to suddenly be injured during a show, how are you to react? Just curious.

[armenjc]

Regarding an injury, that depends on several things. First off, we follow the band leader. He's got a direct line to the stage manager to let him know whether they will stop the show or not to aid the injured performer. There's actually a telephone on the stage next to him with a light on it. If the light goes on, he picks up the phone to get further instructions while we're still playing.

[armenjc]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying these so much!

[MummerPop]

Thanks so much for posting this video. I've loved Cirque music for many, many years and to see this behind the scenes stuff is AMAZING!

[faui2k6]

Armen, could you tell me which keyboards/synthesizers you use in the video?

[armenjc]

I'll number them #1(bottom)-#4 (top):

1)Roland Fantom-X8

2)Kurzweil K2000

3)Korg Wavestation

4)Nord Electro 2 Seventy-Three

There is a rack to my right that you cannot see that had several modules. I believe in this tune the horn sounds are layered with a K2500 in the rack.

Pretty old-school huh?

[midioverlord]

Oh Man, Do I have to relinquish the title of "midioverlord"? Really cool stuff, as always, impressed with your playing. good job!!!

[rokardy01]

Incredible, i never see the show from that place

[GorMusic]

This is fun Armen!

[jazzbassoonpaul]

Very cool! that was fun