Live Bands??

draff · Post by **draff** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:04 am

It seems that 99.9% of Live users revolve around trance/house/techno sort of music. While I truly enjoy that style, among many others, I wonder...

Does anyone here use Live to record or augment a traditional live band? I ask because I am in a cover band that does parties, weddings, corporate, etc. I use Live to do all of our demo stuff, plus I use it on stage to drop in loops that the band plays along with when we do certain hip hop and R&B songs.

Before you judge me as the "cheesy wedding singer", check out our website (see link in profile). We are a fun, great band. And I make LOTS of money doing what I LOVE to do.

Anyway, I would love to hear some stories of similar users of Live. I can't be the only one, can I?!?

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:13 am

I now use live exclusively for everything... from tracking to video score to VJ...
I have recorded live bands with it ( actually 24 simultaneous tracks at 44.1khz through a motu 24i/o ) ....
I was having this competittion with my partner (who had been a fanatic cubase sx user) I told him it was a lot easier , and faster to use live in the studio for recording.... and I was right... I finish a take choose all tracks, duplicate them, and turn all recorded clips in arrangement OFF (very immprotant). ready for next take....

Don't forget to un-warp everything before you play it for the band...or mix...

cressy · Post by **cressy** » Fri May 25, 2007 9:04 am

My band makes electro/housey/quirky kind of stuff. When we play live it's usaully two of us running synced up ableton, so we can fire off samples and synth loops, and I run my guitar though a cheapo multi effects pedal and into live. Then we have (a varying combination of..) a drummer playing along (no click track, he just has to pick up the beat, mwah haha), a bass player and a percussion/trumpet guy.

It works pretty well, the crowd always seems to go for it cos it looks pretty cool - but I always think we sound pretty terrible, and cluttered. Still, it's lotsa fun, and we don't play very often.

hacktheplanet · Post by **hacktheplanet** » Fri May 25, 2007 10:38 am

Lately I've been jamming out with two of my friends. One plays drums, the other plays keys. I play bass and keys. It's fun. We have been sequencing some stuff, but mostly just jamming out and playing live in the bedroom. It's fun.

Some stuff is sequenced, but most of it is live. Live is being used as a big effects device mostly. Recording some stuff, like a 4/4 kick, and adding complicated percussion fills and shit. It's fun.

jayp · Post by **jayp** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:05 pm

I've recorded two full bands with all live instruments using Live. No issues...

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:17 pm

Be proud of what you do!

It's the same with DJing. Not all of us are electro/techno/house DJs.

I'm a wedding/corporate DJ using Live. I enjoy it, and make four-figure sums for 4 hours of fun.

It pays for my gear lust...

DrXparaMental · Post by **DrXparaMental** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:23 pm

jayp wrote:I've recorded two full bands with all live instruments using Live. No issues...

I do pretty much nothing but....I really like groove oriented Techno & DJ work, but being attention deficit has it's advantages

I have to interact constantly. The trick with LIVE with respect to spontaneous interaction (live performance wise) is to get all midi foot controlled with it. Whether you are improving or performing with pre arranged compositions, LIVE rulez.

xxxmorphicxxx · Post by **xxxmorphicxxx** » Fri May 25, 2007 3:34 pm

I play in a hard rock band and we use Live exclusively for all of our samples and the click track for the drummer to play with.

electropoet · Post by **electropoet** » Fri May 25, 2007 4:34 pm

I agree most people are dj's looking to incorporate the new technology to their dj set's...spinning vinyl just isn't going to be enough in the future...to make a name you need to produce good tracks and find a way to innovate duing live performances...programs like live have pushed the scene in that direction...it was only a matter of time.

However.....Live is the 'shit' in more ways than one. In fact, while I use lots a different software...hands down live holds a special place due to its uniqueness. Having used to jam to a Roland 505 using the megamix function to gradual progress from track to track (i'm primarily a guitarist/bassed/singer/songwriter)...i've always been around playing live while doing whatever possible to retain the feel of live performance...otherwise jamming along to a pre-recorded set a backing tracks would be easier and sound a whole lot better...but that would be boring...even if the crowd doesn't know what the hell is going on.

When I got Live 2...I knew that this was it. Once they introduced Midi as well...it was over. If you don't know...using the IAC feature on Mac's, you can use midi clips to trigger slots to record/automate...whatever in any prearranged way you want. I'll admit, the choregraphy required can be a pain and very tedious...but this has allowed Live to become the Ulitmate program for live use. With no footpedal...just a click track running out to anyone who is going to dictate the beat (I use IEM's for this) and you can loop in prearranger segments the entire band...so its possible to have extremely complex arrangements which change (ala A-B-A-B-C-B type song arrangements)..with a minimal amount of players...in fact I do it as a 1 piece and it rocks.

So yes...mark my works...in the near future their will be alot more people using live to do some amazing shit on stage...the technology is here is it is fantastic.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Fri May 25, 2007 4:44 pm

I use Live for everything, including my tarnce, and including the multi-tracking rock bands I produce. I'm also working a collaboration with other Live users right now for a guitar-based rock project.

It ain't just for tarnce.

Stuff by The New at http://www.nebulae.com/music/rmx.html is all done on Live.

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:50 pm

I'm now using live for everything too. I'm recording my band, who I play bass for (and in the future might possibly be the singer too!).

Haven't recorded yet with Live, but I will be recording this Sunday when we rehearse.

However I did just get done slicing and dicing last weeks recordings (which I used Reaper for) and I have to say, it was very pleasant. See, we struggle at the moment with arrangement, so we have decided to record ideas in the studio, and do the arrangement outside of the studio. Basically to conserve time and energy in the studio, and so we don't get stressed.

There is a real danger of bands just doing the same type of arrangements over and over, purely because they feel like they're on a clock. Outside, you can sit down and mull things over, with a cup of tea obviously. Then you can cut up the audio parts, arrange them as you please, and have a song at the end of it.

I have heard that Kyuss used to record this way, but they didn't have Ableton Live to help ease the process

Our band: www.virb.com/waveform

SubQ · Post by **SubQ** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:59 pm

I'm recording our band's new album into Live. Everything.

It is sounding good. Recently I figured out that the differences from system to system are to narrow to make a expensive recording worth. Some notice the difference, but everybody listens 128 kbps mp3 on crappy ipod phones and notebook speakers today.

So, instead of using the studio to record 10 drums in a row, we're working every music from start to end, at reharsal room with my mobile setup: multiface-notebook-some pres and mics. A more personal aproach to each track.

Its working fine for my taste.

good luck

coelho

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:10 pm

SubQ wrote:I'm recording our band's new album into Live. Everything.

It is sounding good. Recently I figured out that the differences from system to system are to narrow to make a expensive recording worth. Some notice the difference, but everybody listens 128 kbps mp3 on crappy ipod phones and notebook speakers today.

So, instead of using the studio to record 10 drums in a row, we're working every music from start to end, at reharsal room with my mobile setup: multiface-notebook-some pres and mics. A more personal aproach to each track.

Its working fine for my taste.

good luck

coelho

Pretty much the same thing we're doing too. I have a iMac Core 2 Duo that I bought recently. And last week we recorded into Reaper, five channels. Three for the drumkit, one for guitar, and one for the bass. It worked well. In a small room its probably better to not whack 8 mics on the drums, you're only going to increase your bleed amount if you do, which is why we used three.

Also I Di'd the bass, which worked very well.

the ar · Post by **the ar** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:13 pm

I 'have' a band which I sample from.

SubQ · Post by **SubQ** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:44 pm

Amberience wrote

Pretty much the same thing we're doing too. I have a iMac Core 2 Duo that I bought recently. And last week we recorded into Reaper, five channels. Three for the drumkit, one for guitar, and one for the bass. It worked well. In a small room its probably better to not whack 8 mics on the drums, you're only going to increase your bleed amount if you do, which is why we used three.

Also I Di'd the bass, which worked very well.

Nice to know, Amberience. Btw, I guess i'm hitting London next year.

cheers
coelho

Live Bands??

Live Bands??

yes I do

Re: yes I do