Led by Music Director Ray Chew, the American Idol house band backs up every Idol performer on live television, covering an enormous range of musical styles throughout the year. Russell Graham and drummer Rex Hardy Jr. rely on Roland instruments for top-level sounds and versatility.
In his duties as second keyboardist on Idol, Russell Graham uses two Jupiter-80 synthesizers, plus a VP-770 Vocal & Ensemble Keyboard for vocoder sounds. “Over the course of the past year I’ve come to lean very heavily on the Jupiters, not only for their sound quality and sonic richness, but also for the speed of programming,” he said.
Drummer Rex Hardy Jr. employs the flagship TD-30KV V-Pro Series V-Drums set while working on Idol. In addition to its great feel, he loves the ability to have quick and easy access to an incredible variety of drum and percussion sounds. Rex has expanded his TD-30KV with an additional PD-108-BC V-Pad for a side snare, plus a PDX-8 V-Pad for even more triggering options.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)