Doing first live performance with Ableton

[ryanoliver]

I'm doing a live performance next month at a gig venue. My set up is basically my laptop running Ableton, with a midi keyboard connected to Ableton and a separate drum pad which I won't have connected to Ableton as I want to be playing some other percussion/etc from the presents that came with the pad.

I've done as much research as I can but if anyone could answer these questions it would be great.

1. How will my set up correspond using my laptop running Ableton which will be connected to my midi keyboard, a separate drum pad and a microphone?

2. As the venue is supplying the back line for this show I will be using their equipment such as the microphone and their D.I boxes and their P.A. speakers, how do I monitor the sound myself using earphones?

Any help is much appreciated.

[acYm]

they have a mixer at the venue, you'll use 3 inputs, one for the daw, one for the mic, one for the drumpad.

as for your laptop, do you have an external sound card? normally you'd use the main outputs of the sound card into the mixer, and monitor through the sound card's headphone output.

[marlonzuri]

Yeah you'll want to bring your audio interface with you, plug in your keyboard and headphones into there and then plug the audio interface into the mixer with a jack to jack lead. Then you should be sorted. If not the mixer will most likely have somewhere you can plug in your headphones.

You didn't really specify the venue but if its fairly large, you'll possibly want to use floor monitors (with the headphones), which also plug into the mixer via J2J. Then you can keep your headphones off and just put them on occasionally to make sure everything sounds perfect.

Like the other dude said you'll only need three input channels: mic, audio interface and drum pads.

[ryanoliver]

I don't have an external sound card. only the on board one inside the laptop.

I was looking on buying this audio interface:

https://store.focusrite.com/product/sca ... gJyFvD_BwE

if my midi keyboard is usually connected to my laptop to trigger different presets won't it be better off just connected to that and having ableton connected to the audio interface (i'm really new to this)?

I read somewhere you literally just have everything plugged into the D.I boxes they can provide and into their P.A speakers. As i said before i'm really new to the live performing as it's my first gig.

The venue is the Zanzibar, in Liverpool if you wish to check out the size on google images. It's fairly small and I believe other bands will be playing their own sets aside me on my own at mine. I'm just really confused. Thanks for the help so far though.

[oddstep]

I recommend keeping your set up exactly as it is now. that way you'll be more confident and it'll be easier to perform. I wouldn't add a new soundcard into the mix unless you have time to practice using it. generally controllers are plugged into a usb port on the laptop and then the soundcard card goes into a different usb port, I'd only plug a midi controller into a soundcard if it used a 5 pin din connector.
I only use headphones in a live performance if there is no monitoring and I can't hear the PA well. if you are doing any thing beyond djing premastered tracks your sound will be radically different coming out of a PA, more extreme, more compressed and probably way more bassy - if the venue has monitors it'll be better to use them as they will give you a clearer picture of what your live sound is like.

enjoy yourself.

[marlonzuri]

Firstly, you've got too much going on to just plug everything into the speakers unfortunately, that being said its much nicer to have all the control a mixer gives you anyway.

With regards to getting the audio interface id going to respectfully disagree with oddstep and say get it, the Scarlett solo is simple and intuitive, I doubt you'll have any issues. Also if your keyboard if plugged into your audio interface you'll still get all your presets. Using an audio interface just sounds better quality and is way more reliable, its good to just get in the habit of using it.

And for the venue size, yeah you could use monitors they're nice to have so you have a proper understanding of what the audience is hearing. Headphones are good if you want a metronome or a backing track though.

I've been to the Zanzibar before myself (not to play), enjoy!

[jestermgee]

If you have a few weeks to prepare then look at an audio interface that's professional and well reviewed then test it out extensively. Don't make any updates or changes the week before that could possibly cause an issue (software/system/driver updates etc). Reason for caution on adding anything new is you just don't know what issues it could cause not having used it for an extensive period so make sure you stress test your whole setup.

Local mixer will be very helpful especially one that is designed for proper mixing applications (not a DJ mixer) that has maybe busses or at least monitor mix outs with headphone monitoring. It will allow you to easily patch anything in locally (including a phone or something as a backup just in case something goes wrong, you can flick to a pre-recorded track) and it allows you some ability to easily adjust volume or EQ if you hear something that needs attention. I personally use a Mackie 1402 which I love for quality v price but there are loads of options.

Also what hasn't been mentioned is cables and converters. Make sure you have everything you need right up to the XLR connections they will have available for you... then if possible take a second set of everything. I don't perform in big venues, I run my own show with my own gear, but I know audio engineers and they seldom like to lend you a spare anything as it never makes it back.

Good luck.