my config is very similar to the way Sasha's is described. (i mostly play old psych and modal jazz 45's and LPs, slowed down, with tons of delay and reverb effects though, not much in the way techno or even "electronic music".) (if you want to become a warp expert, try warping some scratchy, garage-recorded funk 45s!)
here's my config, from the "back end" to the "front end". if anybody wants any config templates, shoot an email: it's my message board handle, at gmail.com.
*midi control*
two 49-key midi controllers, each with 20 pots. the key assignments remain static at all times, two octaves (24 keys) for each "program channel", of which there are four. of each two-octave group, keys 1-23 are velocity sensitive and trigger clips, and key 24 stops clips for that channel.
both controllers are wired to PD. on each unit, the pitch wheel acts as a knob to increment and decrement "control channel" -- basically they decide which channel the knobs on a unit are currenly controlling.
the PD program is set up in such a way that each controller acts independently: controller 1 can be controlling knobs for track 1 and controller 2 can be controlling knobs for send 3.
whenever a track is selected for control, a note message is sent to
"light up" that track in Ableton. this visual feedback is essential in the heat of a live perf.
this midi control info is all sent, via OSX-IAC Drivers (I'm on a mac, but midiYoke does the same thing on PC -- and PD is 99% cross-platform) to Ableton. The midi signal goes into Ableton as one controller, which Ableton seems to like better than 2.
*ableton template*
There are four "program channels", or four "decks". Each deck has an identical physical configuration of knobs assigned to it, so control can be committed to "muscle memory". Here's the FX config:
EQ3 (setup as HPF+LPF) -> EQ3 (set up as mid-scoop) -> Utility (gain control only) -> mdaBandisto (free distortion plug for mac or pc)
This config allows you to do plenty of cutting and reshaping of sound in ways that dont sound too "gimmicky" or "effecty".
Since the EQ's are configured in such a way that makes them "variable state" and "passive", it's easy to get a lot of subtle tones out of just the EQ stack. it's easy to isolate vocals, or take out everything but vocals, with just a two-fingered slider move.
the master outs are not used. instead, there are 8 sends. send #8 acts as the master out, and sends 1-7 have an array of effects in them, mostly reverbs, and resonators misused to act like reverbs, and cheap-sounding delays.
*program material config*
the most basic way to set up a song is to chop it into breaks, verses, intro, and outro, loop each, and render it to its own file, then put each song in a folder. when you want the song, just drag it in.
some portions of songs get cut into smaller grains though -- something like an instrumental break -- so that you can sort of "play" it. i have a folder with "songs", and a folder with just "breaks", then i have a folder with "motifs", which are these things.
hth,
rs
