does anyone work live with another Live user?

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Wed May 03, 2006 4:36 pm

Hi all,
I've been wondering for a while if anyone performs as an Ableton Live duo or trio?
IE two guys with laptops with Live on, each has their own controllers and they both route to an an-stage desk to simply balance their levels / mute stuff.

I used to perform like this (pre-Live) where I had to do the computer beats, and we had a two guys using two Alesis mmt8 (and your trad analogue sequencers)
Way back then it was the only way round the 'how do I get from one song to another' issue, to me it seems the same now for Live as I don't really like the 'great big set' solution.

But primarily it was fun! You can come in with some percussion on one machine over the top of the main beats of the other and bring the track in naturally. Of course you can do this with the 'one big set', but it's a bit more fun (and flexible) with two people on the job, especially if you dont clock-lock the two machines and do it by ear ...I believe you youngsters may call this 'beatmatching'.

So, does anyone do this? or are you all either one-person-shows, or 'the techy guy' in a band?

Cache · Post by **Cache** » Wed May 03, 2006 5:46 pm

i've done both single and duo performances. i'm starting to get more involved now with a duo performance. we are using MIDI clock - but as of writing haven't had extensive rehearsals yet so can't say if it drifts with 5.2 or not.

i found beatmatching by ear is fine if you have decent monitors, but if you're using the PA then you're going to be milliseconds off.

using headphones is OK but you're sort of isolated from the crowd

we use a structure track based performance. each track is made up of scenes with stops in between for audience acclaim!
i dont want to be loading new sets each time - why not just put it alll in one set.

Michael-SW · Post by **Michael-SW** » Wed May 03, 2006 6:47 pm

I've performed together with another Live user a couple of times, both beat based and total abstract stuff (and going back and forth...). Great great fun. Just getting together and jamming (aka rehearsing) is also very cool.

If you know your Live and has a couple of staple loops/patches/effect combos/etc you can do it without any preparation at all. That way you have a foundation to start from and once you got a good groove going, you can start improvising for real.

d-rektional · Post by **d-rektional** » Wed May 03, 2006 6:50 pm

I use Live live, I am the tech guy in the band , I have tried running wholes sets loaded in one set but the patch changing for plugins seemed to take more time messing around so I found I can load each song individually relatively quicker. it still is an issue with the load time,(if only you could load a set in the background while playing another). i get around this by having 3 other musicians (drums bass gtr)to fill the void, plus using an mpc2000xl with loops and samples, this is also good for external sync so when the unwanted glitches suprise you every now and then at random for no explainable reason , at least the external clock from the mpc keeps rolling and ableton finds its way back in time with the groove where the band is on. always trying new ways to construct sets to create an organic flow.
I love improvising and thats why I use Live.

nobbystylus · Post by **nobbystylus** » Wed May 03, 2006 6:55 pm

yep we've been doing a back 2 back style LIVE set since Version 1.5... controllers for each machine (UC33e, and Doepfer pocket fader, plus oxygen

, fed into the DJ mixer, and away we go... thinking about integrating visuals next (using modul8)....

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Wed May 03, 2006 7:10 pm

I've been jamming with many live users over the past few years - sometimes two controllers one machine, sometimes two machines, sometimes two machines and a live band, sometimes one machine and a live band...

I'm doing a jam on sunday, and for the first time (ever, I think) I'll have a totally defined role: Bass, chords, fx and live processing - no drums/loops/whatever, no "the sound from the band is a bit thin in this part, could you maybe..."

Taking away the "pressure" to keep the percussion varied and to-the-point is quite a relief!

I'll be very interested in hearing how people "share" the sound between two machines (and no, PitchBlack, don't copy-paste in here

)

LJ Martin · Post by **LJ Martin** » Wed May 03, 2006 7:10 pm

Yep, using midi clock, one of us does beats, the other does everything else. We render all parts as audio and only run minimal fx and an outboard verb. No drift as far as I can tell... get a click going from each lappy and sync them up using the sync offset in midi prefs.

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Wed May 03, 2006 9:56 pm

*goes back to program Live set and controllers furiously*

abrac · Post by **abrac** » Thu May 04, 2006 4:11 am

i was playing with actually 2 other live players once. we each hooked up a midi controller assigned to various effects and volumes. but... we gave the controllers to each other. i could control the effects of person a, person a could control person b and b could control me.

both of em were keyboard players, 1 took bass/chords, 1 took soloing/chords. I was programming drums, and texture atmosphere stuff. It was really cool. As far as chords went, they would like, shut off the otherones chord changes, and supplement there own, and just, it was really cool.

they were brothers, so had been playing together for a long time. both of them jazzheads too, so they knew how to listen, i wish i could do that every night. The music was nuts.

anyway, when you find someone who you would trust with your life try that.

D K · Post by **D K** » Thu May 04, 2006 5:34 am

my band (see link in sig) usually has 3 performers using ableton simultaneously...
all playing loops, samples, controlling video, and even running instruments through live for looping and fx. best part is we don't use midi or any sync between the computers, it's like playing instruments...you've gotta hear it and hit it right. we just make sure to share bpm info alot...lots of live recordings on the afore mentioned site for download as examples.

Coupe70 · Post by **Coupe70** » Thu May 04, 2006 12:13 pm

I am playing in a duo. 2 laptops, both running Live (no MIDI clock), connected to a DJ mixer. Both laptops also control lights and visuals.
One of us plays the main loops and sounds, the other comes in with
some details. We change parts every few minutes. It´s fun because you never know where the other one is going next. We always perform with changing jazz instrumentalists (sax, git, tr, perc...) - there are no rehearsals before the shows so everything is very open and there has to be a lot of non-verbal communication on stage.
If you like go to http://www.phongemeinschaft.com
and check out "Kosmonautica" or "Discotracking" to get an impression.