What am I missing from my setup...?

[bigmonster7]

So currently, I have the following:

Macbook
Softstep foot controller
QuNeo pad controller (waiting for it to arrive)
Guitar
MOTU UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid (10 inputs / 14 outputs — there's no channel sharing in the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid; the mic inputs, S/PDIF I/O, headphone out and main outs are all handled as separate channels.)
Midi Keyboard (still deciding which)

I'm looking to build a setup where I can record and fire off loops on the fly (of myself and possibly others I am playing with), change guitar effects (via ableton or guitar rig), and vocal performances.

Three Questions:

1. Any recommendations for any other additional hardware I should look it? I don't know much about pre-amps/mixer logic, so any advice would be great.

2. I don't have any speakers or amps as of right now. For those of you who play shows, do you bring along your own sound equipment, or do you usually just plug into the house speakers at the bar/club/venue you are playing at?

3. How do you, or what would be the best way to monitor the mix of everything going into ableton and then out to the main outs? (i.e. make sure the vocals,guitar, midi, etc.. sound ok coming out of ableton) Do you just make sure it sounds ok on your home studio speakers/headphones? I just always wondered how musicians using ableton handle the mix when they are in control of everything up front, and the all the house sound mixer can do is turn your main out down or up.


Thanks in advance!

[starving student]

an MPC

[Tone Deft]

absolutely nothing.

go make music.

[JuanSOLO]

Personally I dont use Live for EVERYTHING.
Far too much latency on vocals and guitar.
Unpredictable results when trying to handle all that stuff.

I rehearse with my own PA, AND I use that same PA on stage and give the sound guy (if there is one) a few cables to do front of house.
All I want most sound guys doing is increasing the volume, maybe some EQing.

many times I even walk out into the audience on the first intro track and tell the sound guy up or down and fix some of the mix on stage.

I find that a hybrid set up is key to great sound and performances when using something like Ableton Live as the brain.

A decent Mixer is almost essential.
Possibly an FX rack for vocals etc.

If you want to control guitar FX use outboard FX, pedals etc, make a pedal board and go nuts. If you want them synched with Live, then get FX made to receive midi.

I could go on and on, but these are things I prefer, there's not really rules ya know.

Most of the places I play with my band are low end small clubs, art galleries, houses, strange places, rarely a good PA available.
Thats why I bring my own.

[H20nly]

hookers and blow

[simmerdown]

this has to be a put-on

[starving student]

hookers and blow

and an mpc

[h3rtz]

Doesn't the ultralite offer the opportunity to have all your tracks routed to different outputs so the sound guy can control your sound in front of the stage like he would do with a band? Not necessarily a good thing though but one thing less to take care about yourself.

[Johnak47]

I would recommend the launchpad , it is awesome to use as a monome emulator , also novations own step sequencer is fun to play with.


The apc 40 is also a great buy, I sold mines to get a Xone 4D but would definitely buy again in the future.



I always test mixes on different headphones and my iPod dock as I don't yet have studio monitors but check it out on different systems that way you will be able to tell if it doesn't sound good and adjust accordingly.

Doing a mix on a set of iPod headphones is a good way as the majority of people listening to music will be using something along the lines of that.


Buying a dj mixer will let you cue up your mix and make sure everything is tight before you bring it into the mix.

I highly recommend allen and heath mixers the Xone 4d is amazing for ableton although they are pretty expensive it is a case of you get what you pay for plus it has awesome filters and you can mix 4 channels straight from usb

[freshdrumma]

+ 1 for the MPC, not really, but i think everybody should own one

[pepezabala]

all clip firing and effect switching you can do with the softstep already. But: Do you know how to set it up/program your custom patches?

[oddstep]

Own PA would be nice... I played my first few laptop gigs with an m audio 25 key o2 keyboard and a stereo soundcard. The important thing is to be familiar with the live set up, so that playing live doesn't like operating air traffic control.

[yur2die4]

In order to find out what you are missing, you need to elaborate on what the shortcomings of your practice sessions are.

If you start practicing your gig, you might find that you either can't do some things that you want to simply because you do not have enough hands/feet/matrix-time. In other cases, you may feel something is missing, only to discover that changing How you use your (extremely flexible) tools.

Personally, I'm lusting after that QuNeo haha. But I'd more use it for sit-down headphone sessions on the go . I already love my Launchpad, and the Q seems a good compliment, or altogether replacement.

And to address those others having a QuNeo also means you may not need an MPC haha. But it sounds like you can afford one, so get it anyway for bonus points.

But yeah. Put your set together with what you have. Then add to it after you're actually able to perform the set already.

[bigmonster7]

wow! good stuff so far people!

Also, I see some of you are suggesting additional performance tools (i.e. launchpad, mpc..) and as much as I appreciate the recommendation on that part, I am looking more for what would be the best practice for utilizing my current tools.

For example, I said I want to do live looping, and I know how to program my softstep to start stop recording, fire clip, fire scene, etc.... but, I am interested in with regards to necessary hardware needed to better process audio signal/routing...

Preamps, mixers, etc... In other words, if you had all the tools I had... would there be anything you would find necessary to enhance your audio routing/practices?

one last thing: Correct me if I am wrong, but the QuNeo should be able perform similarly as the the MPC, right?

[bigmonster7]

In order to find out what you are missing, you need to elaborate on what the shortcomings of your practice sessions are.

If you start practicing your gig, you might find that you either can't do some things that you want to simply because you do not have enough hands/feet/matrix-time. In other cases, you may feel something is missing, only to discover that changing How you use your (extremely flexible) tools.

Personally, I'm lusting after that QuNeo haha. But I'd more use it for sit-down headphone sessions on the go . I already love my Launchpad, and the Q seems a good compliment, or altogether replacement.

And to address those others having a QuNeo also means you may not need an MPC haha. But it sounds like you can afford one, so get it anyway for bonus points.

But yeah. Put your set together with what you have. Then add to it after you're actually able to perform the set already.

thanks dude! totally agree. I know it is common sense (just put your shit together and see what isn't working..), but at the same time, I am a guy who tends to miss the obvious, so figure I good get some good feedback on this...