Korg Nautilus in the Queen Arena: Spike Edney’s Digital Powerhouse Revealed

Spike Edney, Queen’s veteran keyboardist, opens the video by reflecting on his four-decade journey with the band and his evolving keyboard arsenal. He describes his early days juggling multiple boards—an analog synth, a sampler with cumbersome floppy disks, and a dedicated vocoder—each essential for faithfully reproducing Queen’s intricate arrangements. The setup was visually impressive but logistically taxing, especially when rapid sound changes were required mid-song.

Fast forward to the present, and Edney spotlights the Korg Nautilus as the centerpiece of his rig. Housed in a grand piano shell for stage presence, the Nautilus now covers all the bases that once required a tower of gear. This consolidation isn’t just about convenience; it’s a testament to how digital workstations like the Nautilus have matured, offering the flexibility and sonic breadth needed for Queen’s demanding live repertoire.

One of the Nautilus’s standout features for Edney is its integrated vocoder. He recalls how, in the past, a separate vocoder keyboard was dedicated solely to tracks like “Radio Gaga.” With the Nautilus, this functionality is built-in, letting him seamlessly weave vocoded textures into the live mix without extra hardware.

Edney demonstrates how the vocoder is used to augment Queen’s famously dense studio harmonies. On stage, with only a handful of vocalists available, the vocoder steps in to thicken the backing vocals, especially on songs like “Now I’m Here.” This not only adds sonic depth but also helps bridge the gap between the lush studio productions and the realities of live performance.

Edney goes on to explain how the Nautilus enables him to trigger samples and effects from the original Queen recordings in real time. For tracks like “A Kind of Magic,” he can manually launch iconic studio effects, ensuring they land exactly where needed in the performance. This hands-on control replaces the old reliance on pre-recorded tapes or background tracks, giving Edney more flexibility and spontaneity on stage.

He also showcases how the Nautilus’s internal sounds are layered with these samples, such as combining backwards piano and cymbal effects with the workstation’s own patches. The result is a dynamic, hybrid approach: authentic studio elements are fused with live-played sounds, all managed from a single keyboard. This workflow empowers Edney to adapt to the demands of each song and moment during the show.

For Edney, the Korg Nautilus isn’t just a keyboard—it’s a comprehensive performance hub. He demonstrates how he can layer pianos, strings, organs, and effects, often switching or blending them in real time using pedals and controllers. This versatility means he can convincingly cover the full spectrum of Queen’s music, from the delicate intro of “Under Pressure” to the organ-driven middle sections and beyond.

Edney closes by emphasizing that, while no live rig can perfectly replicate the studio sound, the Nautilus gets close enough to evoke the magic for the audience. Its combination of sampling, onboard sounds, and performance features gives him all the tools required for a faithful and engaging Queen experience. For keyboardists seeking a single, stage-ready solution, Edney’s workflow with the Nautilus offers a compelling blueprint.