your setup / file management / work techniques

[lu2c]

how does your live setup look like ?

playing a live act , do you arrange your files from scratch live , do you open different instances of the program or do you have one live set filled up with hundreds of files at once ?

[FORMAT]

I'd be interested about this subject too. Will anyone elaborate please?

[Stiffy]

I have a core set of about 20 files- some beats, some pads, some abstract noise - that I keep in the session view. Most of these are sounds are related to previously recorded sessions. I have sub-folders with "soundsets" that are actually full of sounds that are related, either by style or by their relation to a previously recorded (self-contained) performance. By pollenating my core set with a solid base of clips, I can re-create and/or improvise on any previously recorded performance by dragging them into the session view and deleting them when they are no longer active or needed. If I use Reason - which can be quite a CPU drain, at least on my system - I keep one track free to capture any sounds that I want. I just load up a rack of Dr.REx modules with loops or pre-structured textures and mix it in. (NOTE: Watch those tempos!) There is certainly a margin for error in all of this but I have found that many times, accidents are more interesting than what I had planned. Anyone else?

[tjwett]

i just posted my setup in the "Mac or PC" thread so i won't do that again but when i perform live sets i usually have the main changes and parts practiced and then i ReWire Reason and jam the melody with a variety of instruments and Absynth too. i also hide microphones in the bar/club so i can capture people's voices and run them thru effects and stuff and drop them in the mix. the crowd seems to like it. i also record every set in Live's arranger and bring a FireWire CD Burner so if people like the set i can burn them a copy right on the spot. i think this is a cool way to get fans interested...give them free stuff! anyone else?

[Guest]

tj,
that's a great friggin idea with the burner!! (i might do the same )

for my live setup i just run live. i have an iBook 500 i just use the built in outs (as i spent all my money on software )

but either i run just custom reaktor instruments, supercollider scripts, or live (sometimes if i'm a glutton for punishment i'll run MAX/MSP).. i never run them as a combo cuz the computer can't seem to cut the mustard

mostly i just use live from loops and samples i've made previous. i would like to run a second machine and output live into SC or reaktor to do some krazy processing but alas, i'm short a portable computer the hell if i'm taking my big DAW out live.

but i do pretty much what stiffy does with the files.. have them grouped by catagory, like pad, beat loop, single shot effect, etc.. then go crazy!

[Mikra]

so what kind of music are you guys/gals doing, how would you classify it?
are they actually songs or is it more experimental, or is it Dj'ing or what?
just trying to get a feel for the kind of artist that mostly gravitate towards using live.

peace

[tjwett]

people here in NYC seem to call it "drum n' whatever". pretty experimental but has it's moments of groove. it also has a lot of jazz and fusion elements as well like fretless bass and Weather Report-ish synth stuff. i don't really play anyone else's music other than a little Kool Keith while i'm setting up my equipment. on the whole it appears that Live is liked by a large number of experimental artists. just fom listening to peoples tunes from this board i've heard alot of really interesting things. Live is a very playful program. it takes experimentation to really get the most enjoyment out of it. for me atleast. i spend hours just mangling sounds and going off with it. Live rules.

[Rhythm Logic]

I've only just begun using Ableton in my live set-up. I perform various forms of electronic music, from ambient/chill beats to hard techno...mainly doing sets of hard techno/trance/acid. My first gig that I will be using Ableton at will be July 26th - so I'll see how it goes. Ableton will be replacing my Akai S-1100 in my rig so I'm hoping that it will allow me much more flexibility in the way I incorporate samples into my sets - especially loops that had to be tuned to a certain tempo with the S-1100 and it always sucks when you want to run at a different tempo but can't because all your loops are tuned for a certain bpm.

At this point, I am using Ableton as the master clock - which in turn drives a Yamaha RM1x. I use the RM1x to sequence the rest of my gear (hardware), with the exception of the FR-777, TR-606 and ER-1 (which run on their own internal sequencers). So far this set-up seems to work well, but I'm holding my breath until I've actually gigged with it a couple of times.

My Ableton live set is organized first of all into folders of samples: drum loops, synths, sound effects and vocal samples. Each sample file name has some sort of trigger as to what it sounds like or if it "goes" with something else (ie. a synth sequence on the RM1x). I keep a core base of samples loaded, along with effects that work well with each track - but as I like to keep things moving "on the fly" I'll drag in samples from the various folders to use and I try to avoid having pre-set scenes of samples at the ready.

If anyone else here is in the Toronto (Canada) area - let me know and I'll post some event details.

[outershpongolia]

I bet this guy's a little emo kid!