I'M SICK OF IT

landrvr1 · Post by **landrvr1** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:49 am

TITBAG I'm a chick and I love you.

...

pribeh_tom · Post by **pribeh_tom** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 3:06 am

I play live with the MPC 1000. I will be switching to the Linndrum 2 when it is released. I suggest all those fed up with the fragility of Live in a live setting to switch to this machine once it is released as well.

http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/products/linndrum2/

quandry · Post by **quandry** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:46 am

do you use an external firewire drive for your audio files when you play live? Can make a big difference in both general computer performance and heat generated. If you are streaming lots of audio files from your laptop's internal drive, it is doing double-duty streaming tracks and making the software run, and generates a lot of heat.

I have gigged extensively with pc laptops and never had a crash. I use and external drive, a cooling pad if need be. Maybe post your rig (computer, soundcard, etc.) and people might be able to offer more specific advice. Some laptops can get clogged up near the fans on the heatsink fins--cleaning the dust/hair bunnies out can really improve performance. Are you sure your crashes are strictly heat-related. As far as I know, heat-related laptop crashes cause the laptop screen to instantly go black, since the computer shuts itself down to save the processor from heat damage. Unless your crashes are like this, they are not 100% related to heat.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:16 am

pribeh_tom wrote:I play live with the MPC 1000. I will be switching to the Linndrum 2 when it is released. I suggest all those fed up with the fragility of Live in a live setting to switch to this machine once it is released as well.

http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/products/linndrum2/

you're convinced it's for you? I haven't been able to find even one audio demo of it yet. who knows what it's gonna sound like?

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:17 am

quandry wrote: As far as I know, heat-related laptop crashes cause the laptop screen to instantly go black, since the computer shuts itself down to save the processor from heat damage. Unless your crashes are like this, they are not 100% related to heat.

I can confirm this symptom of a heat-related crash on a powerbook - fucker (sorry, I mean Lovely Mac) wouldn't start up until the next morning.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:49 am

Computers can be as reliable as you make them.

If not crashing is important to you, that may mean throtlling back and not pushing them to the edge, having a rehearsed backup system, streamlining drives & software, and proper maintenance. It ain't rocket science.

And not bashing them or throwing them around, too. Common sense. That's what rugged MIDI controllers are for.

rikhyray · Post by **rikhyray** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:27 am

hambone1 wrote:Computers can be as reliable as you make them.

If not crashing is important to you, that may mean throtlling back and not pushing them to the edge, having a rehearsed backup system, streamlining drives software, and proper maintenance. It ain't rocket science.

And not bashing them or throwing them around, too. Common sense. That's what rugged MIDI controllers are for.

Exactly.
Precautions- my notebooks are are ALWAYS on stands- hepls cooling and of course the very nature of liquids to always spill in wrong time wrong place.
Used to use only Vaio and/or Mac because their are better build then the rest but recently discovered that Thinkpads are even better (alu cage covered with plastic) no as pretty and inferior display but better for stage abuse. Actually main factor for me was the temperatures, unlike Apple and Sony that save on space in their race lighter and smaller, Thinkpads design keeps those few mm here and there so there is better airflow, cooling. HD for example kind of floats in the air, touching the chassis only on the edges suspended on rubber- good against vibrations too. Heat wasn't ever problem with audio but working with video it is issue ( couldn't run 4-5 hours show without MBP on extra cooler)
Then the are the Panasonic Toughbooks, expensive but truly though.
MPC crashproof? You dreaming.

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:03 am

I used to play live using an mpc2000 and an mpc2000xl at the heart of our rig - neither of them ever crashed.

Now I use a dell laptop. That's never crashed either (touches nearest wooden object).

smartass303 · Post by **smartass303** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:36 pm

+1 for thinkpads,
never crashed mine on stage. I dont use a stand or cooling pad but a box of ciggies to tilt it a little...
No problems whatsoever. Especially since im using Björn Vayner`s arcane magic to brew my total MIDI (ok, there are two audio tracks...=) Live Set up.
Thanks for sharing that Björn!

303

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:37 pm

Laura_Live wrote:I am not a ... chick

if I play live, I want to jump around and not worry about my system crashing

an MPC doesn't crash when shaken

not true, i used to have a MPC 2000xl and managed to crash / freeze it several times and not just on stage.

and to computers a laptopstand, like a griffin elevator will do wonders keeping the hhd save from vibration and helping cooling the unit. my laptop did not ever crashed in two years.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:20 pm

Meh! This thread has gone all trannies and tits!

(it's a new phrase that I'm hoping will catch on!)

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:21 pm

Also, Live has never crashed on me on stage...of course, before a gig, I'll carefully setup my laptop to not have any troublesome plugs...and when possible, I'll either render sounds or repatch synths to Operator or Sampler, and effects to Live native plugs, so that I minimize any possible issues.

Aequitas123 · Post by **Aequitas123** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:23 pm

nebulae wrote:Also, Live has never crashed on me on stage...of course, before a gig, I'll carefully setup my laptop to not have any troublesome plugs...and when possible, I'll either render sounds or repatch synths to Operator or Sampler, and effects to Live native plugs, so that I minimize any possible issues.

What do you mean by "repatch synths to Operator or Sampler"?

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:27 pm

Aequitas123 wrote:
nebulae wrote:Also, Live has never crashed on me on stage...of course, before a gig, I'll carefully setup my laptop to not have any troublesome plugs...and when possible, I'll either render sounds or repatch synths to Operator or Sampler, and effects to Live native plugs, so that I minimize any possible issues.
What do you mean by "repatch synths to Operator or Sampler"?

I mean that if I created a sound in Sylenth or Z3ta that's easy to recreate in Operator, I'll do it. If it's too complex and needs to stay in Sylenth or Z3ta, I'll test it thoroughly to make sure that there's no setting or something crazy that might crash live. And if possible, I'll render it to audio whenever possible. My basic philosophy is to go on stage with as conservative a Liveset as possible so as to minimize any crashing.

Check out my latest liveset, Outsourced. The second song (around 7 minutes into the set) has some synths that I'm playing live. I originally created the sound in Z3ta, but then I repatched it to Operator. I also took out Nitro, which was inserted after Z3ta and created a 2-pole simple filter using EQ8 in HQ mode. The sound was similar enough that I opted for the safer "in-house" solution over the external synths/plugs.

silicon1138 · Post by **silicon1138** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:01 pm

I've had an mpc2000 go ape shit on me in front of several thousand people.
I've had total HD failure on stage too.
The vibration issue can really cause problems.
The last few gigs i've done i've used a 4 gig USB key into my macbook/live 7.
The gigs went well and i think i heard one or two slight problems with the USB key/port dragging it's heels just for a split second, but overall i think i'll stick with the key idea. I can also keep my installers on it for the plugs i use, so if the laptop dies, maybe i can find someone dealing with the gig with another macbook/live (common in my circles) and install my plugs on their lappy sort of thing.

Playing in LOUD sweaty smokey clubs is not the ideal place for a laptop - that's just the hand we're dealt.

Laptops have limits, you just have to skate around them a bit.