Steve Pavao

Interview by Brian Cowell.

Kurzweil has always been able to release their operating systems over the years with very high quality and unsurpassed commitment to their users. Sonik recently had the chance to talk to Steve Pavao, one of the software engineers for Kurz products, to get some insight into the happenings at R&D.

Steve implemented the K2600 Triple Modular Processing feature, and also worked on the software team for the brand spanking new KSP8 (can you say ground breaking?). Read on and learn about his involvement in both projects!

SONIK : How long have you been working at Young Chang R&D, and what have you worked on during that time?

STEVE : I started just over 3½ years ago, at the end of March '98. I am part of the software group. Some of the main features I've added include ISO 9660 file system support for the K-series synths, Triple Modular Processing (TMP) for the K2600, an enhanced effects engine for the KSP8, and, before I forget…I also ported the "pong" game to the KSP8 :).

SONIK : What were you doing before working at Kurzweil R&D?

STEVE : Believe it or not, I was working for database giant Oracle. Although my senior project in college was an 8-bit phrase sampler that interfaced to an IBM PC, I didn't end up getting hooked into the music industry until years later. Designing synths sure is much more fun than working on database products.

SONIK : What areas of software do you specialise in?

STEVE : When you program embedded systems, you learn to specialize in everything. I've had my grubby little paws in way too many dark and dirty places ;). So, everything from designing and coding up UI screens to writing device drivers is in a day's work. We are always trying to eke out maximum efficiency from our hardware, so C and Assembly language often fit the bill when it comes to performance-oriented subsystems.

SONIK : You actually work on "many" projects at once?

STEVE : I wouldn't say many, rather a few. There are always a few things going on at a time here. There are brand new products in the works that require lots of research and interdepartmental communication to keep things moving along. There are also options for existing products that need some measure of software support. There's also the need to keep learning new skills to apply to upcoming work.

SONIK : Who works in your team at Kurzweil R&D Steve?

STEVE : Software teams:

K2600: V1.0: John Teele
V2.0: Steve Pavao, Byron Jacquot (TMP, disk partitioning)
V3.0: Marc LoCascio, John Teele (KDFX V2)

KSP8: V1.00 John Teele, Steve Pavao, Marc LoCascio, Byron Jacquot

There are also many other important players in the design and implementation of these and other Kurz products, which are in different groups at R&D.

SONIK : Can you tell us the story behind Triple Modular Processing that was implemented on the K2600 model?

STEVE : Before I joined Young Chang R&D, I would say as far back as 1992, I would sometimes get bummed about how quickly I would run out of V.A.S.T. resources when programming a layer on my K2000. At the time, I was composing a lot of scrapey, electronic music, and was using V.A.S.T. to mutilate and transform my samples. Inevitably, I kept finding myself whining, "Wouldn't it be great if layers could be chained?". No one else with a K2000 has ever asked that, right? ;).

Six years passed, and I eventually ended up getting hired into the software group at Young Chang R&D. Several months after I started, Bob Chidlaw, the Chief Scientist, released a memo that listed some possible enhancements to V.A.S.T. When I finished up my current task, I jumped all over that memo like a fly on sh** :). Heck, Bob was just happy to have someone read one of his memos for a change ;).

So, I spent a good amount of time programming up that feature. It now seems like destiny that I was supposed to implement the TMP feature, or maybe it was just payback for wanting it so bad and whining too much about it ;).

SONIK : Do you have any tips for people using Triple Modular Processing?

STEVE : That's a bit like trying to tell someone how to use some new modules they bought for their modular synth. Where do you begin?

All I can say is experiment with the new processing possibilities, and start out simple. At first, I would stick to layer 2 algorithms that are "processing only" (#81 and higher), and I'd leave the 3rd layer empty in terms of DSP processing. Even with this simplified approach, there are many new things that are possible, like 2 PARAM SHAPER or hard sync algorithms prior to the larger filters like 4 POLE LOPASS. There are also more places to apply corrective EQ than ever before.

Don't forget to save off revisions of your patches as you go along, just in case you go overboard with any your edits and realize you liked the old version better.

SONIK : Was the "re-engineered" K2600 developed with the TMP implementation in mind?

STEVE : No.

SONIK : Ever programmed something Steve, and thought "Yikes ! That wasn't meant to happen.", but in the end it was musically useful?

STEVE : I made the occasional mistake when implementing Triple Mode algorithms. The most that ever happened was huge amounts of shredding :). Unfortunately, nothing ever happened that could have been produced into something that was generally useful to the user.

SONIK : What was it like working on the new KSP8 Effects module?

STEVE : It was intense and exhilarating. Actually, the product had been in the works for years before, but never seemed to get going. I started on the KSP8 the week after finishing the TMP feature, at the very end of May 2000.

In those early meetings, the KSP8 grew from being simply a beefed-up version of KDFX, to a product that also included 5.1 effects and panners; a remote that had a joystick and lots more knobs and could also control up to 7 KSP8's; and a UI that made tweaking the effects much more user friendly. It was a tall order to fill, despite the fact that the KSP8 shares some things with KDFX, it really was truly it's own "thing", and required quite a bit of loving care to get it done properly.

I felt that if we could hit the market with this box in a timely manner, at the price we were thinking, with all those features and excellent sound quality, that we would have a success story on our hands in a new product line to boot.

SONIK : Do you think that the KSP8 is "revolutionary" in what it does?

STEVE : I do believe it's the only box of its kind right now....a rack mount signal processor with the ability to:

- Simultaneously chain and control effects on up to 8 effects buses,
- Simultaneously run combinations of stereo, mono, and 5.1 effects,
- Simultaneously run up to 16 high quality reverbs and/or other effects.

It could be the most flexible rack-mounted signal processor that has ever been offered. It couples that flexibility with massive DSP, world-class FX algorithms, and intuitive control. I have heard through the grapevine at YCRDI that the recent KSP8 studio tour was a resounding success, with many "golden ears" types left very impressed with the KSP8 and RSP8 remote.

SONIK : What are you working on now Steve?

STEVE : Lately, it's been a combination of software to support the KSP8 I/O options, and doing work on future products.

SONIK : What instruments do you have in your home studio?

STEVE : I have mostly non-synth instruments right now:

- 2 Portuguese guitars
- 1 mini-scale Strat copy
- P-bass
- Harmonium
- Turkish spike fiddle
- Wooden staved dumbek with fish skin head
- Drum kit
- Two cheap acoustic guitars - one 6 string, one twelve string.

I do have a K2500 (actually, an original NAMM demo unit) in my studio, which I sometimes use when writing songs. I really haven't invested any money in hard or soft synths for my studio, although I have checked out many of the demos. My very first synth was a Korg Delta that I got in the early-mid 80's, although I sold it years ago. Nowadays, I usually borrow synths…an Xpander here, a Matrix 1000 there, an Arp 2600 there. I think I'm going to get a Nord Micromodular. I love the idea of a very portable synth that can take on a completely different personality depending on the patch. That would be a nice complement to my K2500. Unfortunately, I just bought a harmonium, so the Nord will have to wait 'til Christmas :(.

I have Digital Performer 2.7, and a 2408 interface, running on a PowerMac 8600/300 with an XLR8 400 MHz upgrade card. I am using a borrowed TL Audio input channel. It's got 2 decent preamps, each with a nice tube EQ section. I use various mics, mostly borrowed from gear-slut friends :).

SONIK : Will we see any more future enhancements for the K2500 and K2600 line of synths in the future?

STEVE : The K2500 OS is nearing it's maximum size. I don't know what new things we'll be able to squeeze into it. There is room for the K2600 OS to grow, so it is likely that there will be future revisions of that.

SONIK : What are your musical influences; and how does that affect your songwriting now?

STEVE : I like:

• Paul Weller - especially his Jam-era stuff,
• Peter Gabriel - especially his "San Jacinto" era stuff,
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party and Qawwali music in general,
• various gypsy music,
• Tom Waits,
• early-mid era R.E.M, and
• Dead Can Dance.

These probably have affected my recent songwriting the most. Earlier efforts were more electronic/industrial rock in nature (Fracture, circa 1995, Mercymore, circa 1996), or goth (One of Us, circa 1997), with the Fracture stuff being influenced more by Skinny Puppy, Einsturzende Neubaten, Ministry, early KMFDM, Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, etc. You know the drill.

The Fracture stuff actually got quite a few spins on college radio in the mid-nineties, with one song making it into an MTV show of some sort, which I never actually saw, but learned about via BMI. The CD is out-of-print now, but I'm doing at least one of those songs with my new band "Etherdrops".

With Etherdrops, I've gotten back to a more immediate instrumentation and songwriting approach. Although I love what can be done with computers and synths to create sounds, I have been having a really satisfying time playing the Portuguese guitar and harmonium with my band. I'll do another more electronics-based project sometime in the future, for sure. There are some synth madmen here at R&D, and I'll be making mayhem with them at some point.

SONIK : What are some of your favourite CD's?

STEVE : In no particular order...

- V/A Soundtrack - Latcho Drom.

This soundtrack is a cross-section of gypsy music from across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Very moving, and better appreciated if you can see or buy the Tony Gatlif documentary film, especially in your local "artsy" theater. I got my copy mail order thru Hear's Music in Tuscon, AZ.

- R.E.M. Eponymous.

I prefer most of what these guys did up till the late 80's. Of course, they do have occasional gems since then. I really like Stipe's early, mysterious approach, which manages to get the feeling across without the lyrics being too concrete. Songs like Driver 8, Fall On Me, Pretty Persuasion, are my favorites.

- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party - Intoxicated Spirit.

The piece Yeh Jo Halka Halka builds over 23 minutes of creative riffing on vocals, harmoniums, and hand drums. This got me interested in buying a harmonium. I don't really care for any of the crossover techno stuff that he did with British artists. I also recommend his "Supreme Collection", which has some amazing performances.

- The Jam - Snap (double LP compilation).

Since The Jam was more of a singles band, I list a compilation. I like Weller's intensely cutting lyricism. Too bad more people can't let it rip with the individualism and style of Mr. Weller.

- Charlie Parker - Live at Storyville.

Although this CD is recovered from 2 noisy gig tapes, and is from the early 50's when Bird was probably declining, songs like Moose the Mooch and Ornithology really have a shoot-from-the hip quality.

Although I have hundreds of CD's I like, somehow these manage to keep getting listens over the years. As you can see, my tastes are all over the place.

SONIK : What do you get up to outside of Young Chang?

STEVE : I spend a lot of time with my wife Maura and our 2 boys Conor and Aidan. You can tell by the boy's Irish names that my wife won the naming contest. Actually, I gave up my portion of the naming rights in order to get money for more music gear. ;) Right now my boys love to listen to Tom Waits and old R.E.M. I hope they don't grow up to be sullen hobos, too ;).

My band, "Etherdrops", takes up a majority of the rest of the time - writing and recording songs, rehearsing, gigging, promoting, etc. Anyone out there with some clout looking for a respectable band to manage?

I've got an ASM-1 synth kit waiting to be stuffed (this is the Gene Stopp board), and a custom, fully patchable tube guitar amp project I'm doing with Bob Chidlaw. This thing is going to be the ultimate guitar-recording monster. Now if only I could find time to finish these 2 projects. Maybe this winter I can start on at least one of them.

SONIK : What do you have planned for your band "Etherdrops" in the future?

STEVE : Our plan is to dominate the airwaves by first getting play on the Weather Channel during the Local Forecast ;). After all that is where they play some of the best music out there ;).

There are actually 2 gigs coming up:

Mon Dec 3 - CB's 313 Gallery (next door to CBGB), the Bowery, NYC, 10pm.
Sun Dec 9 - T.T. the Bears, Cambridge, MA, 10pm.

Three of the four of us in the band have strong ties to Young Chang R&D. Wendy, our violinist, wrote the FPGA code that implements the KSP8 I/O selections. She is also the designer of the KSP8 I/O option cards. Marc, our bassist, who has since left YCRDI, wrote the Sends/EQ selection code for the KSP8. I wrote the enhanced effect linker for the KSP8. I just remembered - our soundman for the Cambridge, MA show will be Byron - he added the KSP8 SmartMedia support and support for the RSP8 remote, and also was the person who added the disk partitioning support to the K-series synths.

Come down to the shows and say "Hi" and tell us what sort of crazy sh** your doing with your Kurz.

SONIK : What sort of music (genre) would you say that your band "Etherdrops" plays?

STEVE : Ugggh - that's tough. The best I can come up with is maybe "gypsy-tinged acoustic rock". But we are on the loud, jumpy, tribal side for an acoustic band.

November 2001