Hi. Im doing my 1st live set next month. Im thinking the set up will be MD, OCTATRACK, and A4. Maybe Moog Slim Phatty too.
Just wondering if anyone has any advice on the subject or my set up. Im thinking both the A4 and MD into the Octatrack as a mixer/effects/long samples device.
Not really too knowledgeable about PARTS in the OCTATRACK and I want to avoid sharp changes throughout the set. As smooth as possible.
Ant suggestions much appreciated:) Thanks
As it’s your first liveset, I’d try to keep things simple. Live situations can be a bit chaotic and you can easily get lost if you’re unexperienced.
So, maybe leave the Slim Phatty home, unless you absolutely need it. If it does important basslines or something, maybe sample those to your OT and play them from there. A4, OT and MD is plenty of gear already, controlling all of those in real time can get sweatty!
Also, and I know I said it already, keep it simple! Stripped down arrangements, low track count etc. If things are complicated it’s REALLY difficult to keep track of things while playing live.
Ye Thanks. Im thinking stripped back too myself so as not to complicate things. Moog will probably not come in the end.
Some general live playing tips here:
Very Informative Tarekith, I was reading your other post today. This one:
http://tarekith.com/elektron-live-pa-rundown/
Im most concerned about transitions from track to track. Just want thing to be smooth as hell.
FWIW, I spent years laying awake at night trying to think of the best ways to do this depending on the gear I was using at the time. You’re not alone 
Im thinking empty sequences with no trigs. Let the music fade out that way. Volume down, Then change kit or whatever and then fade back in.
Might work for A4 but OCTATRACK will be trickier
Make sure you are able to do a sound check…
Bring a flashlight (torch)…
Bring spare cables…
Bring power bar and extension lead…
Have a back up plan if something fails…
Bring a lamp or make sure you practice in low lighting conditions… Not having enough illumination can really hinder you…
As can too much if you have to play in the sun. The Elektron LEDs are almost invisible then.
Jamming on the patio this weekend it became noticeable very quickly that I need visual feedback with the OT.
Just jamming a bit now, but how do you switch projects in the OCTATRACK without everything switching everything off?
Don’t know the Octatrack but if it has a delay fx like the MD turn the feedback up for it to drone and then enter to your next project and or pattern… I have seen some acts just stop and go into a new track but I imagine you want seamless DJ style…
ye exactly. Will try that so.
This is from a fan vs performer… please do not use too much reverb. The club atmosphere will provide enough natural reverberation, if you use reverb, it’ll sound muddy. You could almost completely do away with it (with the exception of transitions etc).
Another thing to consider; the machinedrum’s kicks are absolutely menacing. Even though your levels may be far from clipping, they thud too much. If you can sound check, listen to a few tracks, you may need to do a minor low end EQ cut on the MDUW to keep the kicks from stealing the show.
I’ll take everything you said on board. And tks for the input.
Tarekith strikes again:
I perform live regularly with OT, md, and a4 … Alongside my buddy with a md and a4 as well. We play all improvisation sets, so our workflow probably won’t work for you, especially if its your first time. That said, just think of them as instruments and not Dj “decks”. Play with them, and experiment. Let the machines do the work as you gently guide them along.
As said earlier, keep it simple and don’t over think anything. If you have predetermined patterns laid out, I highly recommend getting a handle on synced pattern switching. Set up some good fx scenes, learn to love the delay freeze, and the transitions will pretty much happen organically.
Plenty of other great tidbits of info worth going over, but you will learn as you go. My last suggestion though, for a first time live pa, is stay away from live sampling unless you really know what’s going on. It can be one of the hardest things to master (IMO) and doing it live without true confidence can really get frustrating.
Best of luck, and remember to RECORD EVERYTHING. I’m sure we’d all love to hear it.
Thanks man I’ll take that all on board.
I have the MD and A4 into the Octatrack, trying to sample both but when I go over to SCENE B it doesnt seem to record because when I turn down the A4 to change pattern you can hear it when Im on SCENE B. Any ideas?