Live PA set ups

[EmotionComplex]

Im just curious as to what gear people have used for live performances and in what configuration. have you discovered any really flexible combinations ? :)

[DJZeMig_L]

when I used 2 it was mpc200 for triggering samples/ synth lines/ drumstation/ S5000 as sample bank/ 16 Ch mixer.


Cisco.. The Advent...

Mackie mixer, 909, G4 laptop, motu 828 mk2, alesis airfx, C-Loops...


but he's sometimes using no 909 and 2 motus instead!

soon the new midi controler by the notron guys ( he's helping develop)!


Z

[dirty_bass]

Ah yeah, the new notron, and they also do the grex thing too.

[DJZeMig_L]

I think Cisco will b using the notron 4 prodution has he did in the past qith the old one. and the grex 4 live (it's this one he's helping out with)

Z

[g]

but you said he's helping develop something for them... the mxf8 is already out tho. so you mean a third, yet-to-be-released product?

[DJZeMig_L]

nope I think they're still doing some adjustments 2 the mxf8, and incorporating coments and stuff. As soon as it's out, I'm gonna get my phat little fingers in 1, as Cisco has ordered one 4 him since day 1!

Z

[Dustin Zahn]

Laptop with Ableton, Yamaha RM1x, Yamaha A5000, Gmedia Phatboy, Evolution UC-33, Beringher Eurorack 1204FX, Alesis 3630 compressor.

Unfortunately when travelling alone instead of doing "Attack People" gigs I can't bring as much with me on the planes so I stick mostly to Laptop, Rm1x, and the two midi controllers.

We're experimenting with some new stuff for the Attack People shows which would include live drumming (from akai pads...similar to kraftwerk or Cristian Varela live) and live bass. Just trying to toss it up a bit!

[mux]

heh, my favourite subject ever!! :)

Hey Dustin! I've got an Attack People liveset on my drive somewhere, listened to it a lot a few months ago- you guys kick serious ass!

erm - here's a pic of my live rig: http://mux.ca/images/live_rig_-_20040225.jpg

For reasons I'm tired of explaining, I don't use soft synths in the studio, and I don't like the idea of using a laptop on stage. It's a personal preference thing, and I'm really not interested in arguments over hardware vs. software - both schools have merit, and I've made my choice; I will not judge anyone for their choices.

Live, lately, I've been using an Akai MPC1000 for sequencing MIDI loops and running single-hit percussive samples. I don't use sampled loops - well, ok, only one loop, and that's a synth thing off my Nord Micro Modular that I kinda screwed up the patch at the 11th hour before a big show. The MPC goes MIDI-out into a three-way splitter, with one cable going to my floor rack with a Waldorf Pulse Plus doing basslines (SICK thick punchy bass) and an Ensoniq DP/4+ doing effects.

The next lead off the splitter goes out to my MIDI-modded Roland SH-101, with SynHouse MIDIJack. The SH-101 does all my acid leads - the signal from the 101 goes through a ProCo Turbo Rat distortion pedal, into a Boss DD-3 digital delay, and one half of a DBX 166XL compressor.

The last MIDI cable goes to my modded Simmons SDS-800 - modded for MIDI input, trigger outs (driving custom trigger-input strobelights), and an extra envelope on the kick, making a much tighter, punchier kick drum. The kick also goes into one half of the DBX compressor, and the other four voices on the Simmons (analogue snare and two toms) go directly to the mixer.

From the Simmons MIDI-thru, it goes to the Korg ER-1 providing high-frequency percussion (hats and noise and such), then thru to the Nord Micro Modular, providing rhythmic synth nonsense as background accompanyment, fleshing out the sound a little more.

All audio goes to a Mackie CR-1604 battlemixer, with the main bus inserts going through an Electrix FilterQueen, EQ Killer, and RNC compressor.

I love live-PA, and performing for dancefloors is my favourite thing in the world. I've really only been getting into the whole "recording" aspect the last few years, but when I was playing in a guitar band at bars on the east coast, then was suddenly bitten by the electronic music bug, I knew from the start that I had to play live techno. :)

Was posted in the "Techno Filez" directory, but here it is again - a quick snippet from a month ago, playing at a club here in Vancouver, Canada. A Wednesday night, and a small crowd of about 50 people, but very supportive. :)

http://lfo.fsck.org/~drew/mux_-_collaborate_-_live_at_Sparky_20040225.mp3

[DJZeMig_L]

Got any comments on the MPC1000... I've been boosting it around here has one of the tastiest pieces of kit for a live!! :)

I'm also a big fan of the plus, actually I got 2 plus and 1 simple! :eh:

Have u checked the drumstation, I Know the sounds r really used but the live control with knobs is great...

Check the evolver by dave smith I think u'll like it...

http://davesmithinstruments.com

Z

[mux]

Got any comments on the MPC1000... I've been boosting it around here has one of the tastiest pieces of kit for a live!! :)

Heh - for sure! I upgraded to the MPC1000 from using an Alesis MMT-8 for years - and the upgrade was totally smooth. AFAICT, there's nothing the MMT-8 does that the MPC doesn't do better! Importing of MIDI files is awesome, and the track-mute screen even shows the names of each track, so you can tell at a glance which pad turns off what.

The only downside to it as a replacement for teh MMT-8 is that now I can't use both hands to mute all the tracks at once - I could with eight fingers, but I don't have 16 fingers! The solo mode also has a bug in which it screws up which tracks are muted if you change patterns with solo enabled, then unsolo - also, I wish you could solo more than one track at a time. There's a bunch of small stuff that I think could have been done sliiiiiightly better, but overall, I don't htink there's a better live sequencer out there.

The integration of a sampler directly into my sequencer has been a huuuuuuge dream come true! The MPC would be awesome without the sampler (tho it would have to cost less), but the sampler integrates soooo cleanly, it's just wonderful to work with. It's like having a really good outboard sampler, but not having to go back to Logic to write sequences, and not having to edit sounds in Soundforge (well, not much at least), and not worrying about loading onboard mixer settings (all saved per-program in the MPC), etc, etc. The effects... well, I haven't really used them at all yet.


Have u checked the drumstation, I Know the sounds r really used but the live control with knobs is great...

I have, but one has never really crossed my path at the right time... I've pretty much got my drums covered, with good hats and rides and crashes and toms without them being the stock 808/909 style. Not that those are bad in any way, but I can use samples of them when I need them, and leave the Simmons to define "my sound" a little more.


Check the evolver by dave smith I think u'll like it...

I've been drooling over it for a long while (I'm a longtime Analogue Heaven subscriber!), but haven't jumped on one... yet. I know they're awesome, but I'm having a problem seeing where it'd fit into my current rig. I'd like to get some kind of TB-303-ish thing with its own internal sequencer, and teh Evolver fits the bill, but there's also news of a new TB-303-alike coming from Jered over at Future Retro that's supposed to be absolutely awesome... also kinda looking at the Monomachine. :)

Definitely liking the vibe of this forum. :)

[jake]

you cant forget cisco's most important live pa tool.. 2 packs of cigarettes! :cool:

[DJZeMig_L]

I'd say xtra "special" chill cigarrettes! ;)

Z