Artist Bio
Joseph Nelson has taken the scenic route to the heights of the session world. Rewind a few short years, and the keys ace was working for Wolverhampton City Council’s MAP scheme, where he motivated diverse groups of young people to get involved in dynamic musical projects. Joseph’s next step was to complete a music technology degree, followed by a masters in management, and this proved the perfect springboard for high-profile tours with Little Mix, Jess Glynne, Raleigh Ritchie and more. As a great exponent of programmed sounds, Joseph turns to his Roland JUPITER-50, JUPITER-80, JD-XA and RD-800 models to recreate the studio sounds from his clients’ records live. In the time he gets away from the spotlight, meanwhile, he’s still passionate about helping upcoming artists navigate the choppy waters of the modern industry.
Joseph Nelson on the JUPITER-50/JUPITER-80
"I’ve been using the Roland Jupiter-50 and 80 now for about three years across different gigs. I use the Jupiter series because I need a versatile synth that’s sonically solid and can sit well in a gig with music that has multiple, rich, sonic textures. This keyboard worked a treat. I used it on Little Mix for a while and now on Jess Glynne where it runs the majority of my auxiliary patches. When programming sounds, the Jupiter is, for me, one of the leading keyboards because it has a massive array of tones built into the board. When trying to recreate sounds from the record or looking for something nice to complement the recording, these tones are a great place to start due to the sheer quantity and diversity. On top of that, the level of programmability, and the effects are just crazy! The 50 is personally a huge favorite of mine due to the slender size. The great thing is that it still has all the vital parameters readily accessible, making it easy to program on the fly. The Jupiter has been an essential part of my rig for the last four years and won’t be going anywhere!”
Joseph Nelson on the RD-800
"First time I came across an RD was in church. Many of the heavyweight keyboardists who I looked up to all had one in their arsenal. RD 700, 700sx and 300. When I played one for the first time, that was it. I then started using them myself and was surprised at how solid this board was. The Piano’s and Rhodes in there are great but what underpins that great sound is the great feel of the keys. The RD’s response is so good, you will feel inspired when playing live, practicing or recording. I use it on the majority of all acoustic performances as it’s versatile and lightweight. You plug it in and switch it on, no hassle, no fuss, just world class sounds at your fingertips within seconds. The editing parameters are crazy for layering. You can layer seamlessly from the new RD-800 and MIDI separate channels to another keyboard. ”
— Joseph Nelson
Artist Video
