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Rami Jaffee has played keyboards with some of the biggest names in music including The Wallflowers, Macy Gray, Johnny Cash, Melissa Etheridge, Rickie Lee Jones and Grant Lee Buffalo. He is currently on tour with Foo Fighters as they promote their latest album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. Throughout his playing history Rami has built up a great reputation and is often called ‘the last great Hammond B3 player’. On the current tour, however, he is also using the ultimate in new keyboard technology: a rig of Novation ReMOTE SL61 keyboards.

“I am running [IK] Sampletank with my Mellotron and Chamberlain sounds (as well as my own wacky samples) inside of my Muse Receptor,” Jaffee explains, taking us through his stage set-up. “I run that straight to the ReMOTEs. Live and in the studio, they are just what I need to keep up to pace rather than waiting around with my vintage mess of boards!”

Of course the SL range of Novation keyboards feature Automap Universal technology that takes the strain out of assigning the keyboard’s controllers to whatever software you are using, a fact not lost on Rami.

“It’s really easy to assign whatever knob to any sound or effect. The best feature is all the knobs, faders and touch pads. That is the kind of ease I need whether I'm rockin’ out with the Foos live or chillin’ in a Nashville studio pullin’ up wacky sounds to see if it touches a sweet spot with the artist or producer.”

Rami cites the SL’s ease of use as the reason he chose it above other keyboards on the market (“It’s just easier to get around”). This is just as well as the demands on the current Foo Fighters tour means that he has to get around more than one keyboard every night!

“We are playing sold out arenas that consist of two stages,” he explains. “Yes, that means I have four ReMOTEs running at all times!”