So, in my live rig i don’t use any laptops, just drum machines, sequencer and synths. The workflow is a lot better, no mouse, big screens and no office face
But the main problem in avoid a computer is on the final stage of processing of the songs. On a computer you have a lot of tools to improve the mixdown / mastering and make the track sound a lot better; tools you usually don’t have in a live dawless setup (unless of course you are a very rich guy, so this topic is not for you ). The risk is your dawless tracks ending up sound ‘worst’ than the mastered tracks a DJ plays before you in a live gig, for instance. In fact, in my first dawless live show i went thru this exact situation.
To handle this issue now i have an Analog Heat on the final of my audio chain, using the Clean boost circuit to warm up the sound a bit. And also i use the Octatrack as ‘mastering’ device by inserting two compressors on the master track. The idea is using the first as ‘glue’ compressor with subtle ratio, and the second as a limiter so i can achieve a better final volume reducing the dynamics.
Does anyone also use something similar ? Let me know your thoughts about this subject.
For the first time in ages recently i opened Reason and noticed that there is a short reverb, an almost unnoticeable delay and yes compression strapped over the Master stereo bus of blank templates (or on an AUX i forget). I was testing what the DT sounded like using OB in Reason and those simple settings (with no tweaks) made the DT sound massive compared to a blank template in FL. The sound was definitely more “finished” sounding than any of my out of the box ventures or in the box ventures with FL…
You could try downloading a demo of Reason, writing down the settings of the master bus effects and try to translate the sound to octatrack / heat land? I mean other than those elements there is only stereo widening which doesn’t help for live anyway…???
I had my first live Show a couple of weeks ago. Used the OT and a small eurorack case.
On OT’s master track, I used Filter and Reverb as FX.
My Show was great, I liked the sound even more than on my speakers at home.
Truth is you don’t need Mastering!!
I do really careful !!!GAINSTAGING!!!,
using my monitors, JBL Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
Also mix your stuff right, especially the low mids.
I think for an audience, sounding worst just mean lower master volume. The sound coming from Elektron machines sound very punchy without any mastering tool.
I think you made the right choice of using the AH in the end of chain to boost volume and maybe adjust bass and high according to the room acoustic.
The art of dawless live artist is to mix on the fly to sound good for your audience. Almost every machine have the track volume knob easily accessible.
I played a live set with my friend a few weeks ago . And there was no master processing . Only mixing with OT and a little bit of Dark Reverb and Parell compression on OT master Track. People were saying that our sound was better than the mastered tracks the DJs played after us
Of course, and they were probaly right. Mastering is the process of adapting a finished recording to the dynamic response of the destination media and the standard listening conditions where that media will be used. If it’s a CD it’s another mastering that’s needed than for a vinyl or for contempory streaming services (hence all the “remastered” issues of classic recordings we are seeing each time the mainstream media is seeing a major change). A full-fledged PA system has the most dynamics and the largest frequency response of all media, and all mastering applied for another media and other conditions (loudness specifically=> see Fletcher-Munson curves) will sound inadequate compared to non-mastered versions of the same. As a (retired) audio engineer I’d indeed advise to NOT attempt to apply any mastering processing on a production that is to be performed live on a high dynamics, extended bandwith PA system.
And I would like to add: it’s common practice to outsource mastering to a specialized engineer that was NOT involved in the recording and mixing process.
I never apply mastering or try to do that by myself. I just mix down my tracks an leave some headroom . But you are fully right with dynamics on PA systems . We sometimes practice in a relatively big PA and it’s a big difference that listening to the recordings afterwards on small speakers . But if the recording sounds right on the PA it often sounds right too on smaller speakers. For the YouTube video I just increase the loudness an roll off some of the very deep frequencies
I’d want a gentle compressor on the end of the chain, plus an Eq to generally shape/control the sound. I’d use a 3 or 4 band eq maximum, anything surgical leave to the PA’s engineer.
Compression, I’d use a max of 4:1 ratio and not have more than 3-5dB of comp/gain reduction.
That would be enough to glue things together.
I don’t have an Analog Heat so can’t talk for that, but I’d avoid saturation in a live setting, unless it was for particular effect.
I agree, probably the main issue with non mastered dawless tracks is about the dynamics. With no compression / limiter on the end of the chain, the overall volume perceived will be lower than mastered tracks, even if you apply some gain on you tracks ; specially on my style (house / techno with drums).
My experience told me that a bit of compression on the master chain is mandatory to get more ‘professional’ sounding. But i’m talking about my audicence which is basically clubs and usually i play my live set between DJ sets. As you know, mastered dance tracks have a LOT of volume due to the infamous loudness wars.
For a while i’ve used a FMR RNC compressor, but i did not see much difference with Octa’s compressor and it was one more box to carry around.
So far i’m happy with the results of the two compressor + analog heat setup.
Still won’t sound exactly like (well) mastered tracks but it’s enough for a live set.
I think a bit of compressor is indeed nice to have but also you dont want to kill your dynamics, I would think you could just play louder to get the same perceived volume as the DJ but it might be more on the sound guy at the venue than you to make this happen.
). The risk is your dawless tracks ending up sound ‘worst’ than the mastered tracks a DJ plays before you in a live gig, for instance. In fact, in my first dawless live show i went thru this exact situation.