Thought this could be a nice topic and haven’t seen anything recently in this forum. If I missed it, shut this down!
I do a weekly residency playing mostly IDM for lack of a better term. Some topics could easily include gear selection, visuals, guest performers/collaborations, improvisation vs pre planned, how often you rotate gear, etc.
I often bring in a violinist to improvise with, have used eurorack live, mostly use Syntakt/Octatrack/looper/fx/bass vi, but lately have been using an MPC Live2 with an additional synth or two.
Hmm, I guess no interest in this topic. I’ll share one story and see how it resonates.
Did one show where I brought out my 7U eurorack, Keystep Pro to sequence Eurorack, bass vi, pedals, looper, Syntakt and Octatrack. The first piece was ambitious. Improvised violin going through the eurorack along with a sequenced synth part and a part I’d play on the KSP, all sync’d to the Syntakt and OT. Rehearsals went very well. When we got to the gig, almost nothing worked right. The Keystep Pro shit the bed and just wouldn’t work. So the violinist improvised to some stuff I had on Syntakt and really the only part of the eurorack that worked was her going through an Instruo Arbahr into a MN Mimeophon, un sync’d. The rest of the set was just me playing the Syntakt and a little bass vi. Lots of folks thought it was my best gig there just because they saw all that gear and didn’t notice it wasn’t even working
Now I’m not about to bring the eurorack every time, just for looks, but it made me realize the power of perception.
Im interested too but also dont play out live…
but i would, just dont have anything together, nor have i been playing with other humans. I would imagine that improvisations with electronics would be a part of it, and also more fleshed out tunes. Drumset would definitely be a part of it.
But its all up in the air for right now…
hopefully something lands
Really interested in this thread, but as others have said, I don’t play live - or at least haven’t yet.
I am very interested in your set up though as I am currently using something very similar (OT, ST, Guitar/bass and SP404mk2) considering adding a looper after I foolishly got rid of the rc505mk2 when I got the OT.
That is quite a big set up for live use you have going on, how do you stay on top of all of that in a live setting?
Yeah, there’s so many ways to go about putting a live show together it can be daunting. Some weeks I just use an MPC and a synth of some sort, so it can also be easier like that, though not much of a ‘show.’ I’m trying to put something together that would make for a bigger, more interesting visual presentation. Just trying a bunch of different ideas in my free time for now.
So no venues in your area? A buddy of mine just asked a local coffee shop if he could set up his rig (small modular setup + AR MK2) and do his thing for tips. He does super chill, elegant sounding techno. My stuff might be a bit ‘much’ for that kind of setting
Honestly, I don’t stay on top of a large set up very well live, which is part of the reason I started this thread!
I had the rc505mk2 briefly. Loved so many things about it but just encountered too many mystery issues live. I’ve used the OT for looping bass/guitar, but honestly it just stresses me out so I got an Aeros Loop Studio. Not perfect, but syncs really well and is straightforward to use. Once I learn the MPC a bit better I might try its looper function and see how that goes. My ‘day job’ is I’m a touring bassist and session player and time has been a bit limited to learn new systems. Next week I’ll likely just use the MPC and a basic synth like either the UNO Synth Pro X or the Liven Ambient 0. The way I’m using the MPC currently, it’s tough to sync it to anything as master or slave. Still need to sort that out.
For you folks who don’t currently play out live…do you ‘perform’ at home? Meaning, play back your jams in real time? I tend do do that for practice at home.
License for live weekly electronic experimentation - Congrats, sounds like a nice thing you’ve been able to set up there. If you feel like sharing when and where it’s happening I’d imagine some on here would be very interested if they’re within range. Also possible live collabs.
Meanwhile admire the ambition with the complexed set ups but seems like you’re coming to the conclusion that less might be more? Or maybe you enjoy the chaos and challenge
Yep, that is pretty much exactly what I do. Largely based on improvising stuff and recording the result to fill YouTube and Instagram with more unnecessary DAWLess videos!!! I do enjoy the process though so why not!?
I would like to start being better at producing and ‘finishing’ tracks and also playing live. Perhaps a goal for next year. I still feel like I am trying to find my ‘voice’ with electronic instruments, having come from a more ‘traditional’ guitar music background.
Oh, I get that. I’m older than you by a fair amount, so not trying to ‘make it’ in electronic music. I just enjoy it and to my shock, some other folks seem to as well.
My background is largely the same, with a few odd twists and turns through the years where I got commissioned to do the odd electronic piece for tv or whatever.
As for producing and ‘finishing’ songs (are they ever finished?!), I’d like to think I’m pretty decent at that as it’s part of how I make my living, BUT, with the live sets I intentionally keep em a bit unfinished. I have general ideas about how I’m going to get in and out of a piece and usually a couple strong main ideas, but try to improvise my way through it.
I should point out, in some ways my weekly gig is really easy. I’m off to the side of the stage in a sort DJ booth setup. There are 4-5 musical acts (different styles of rock, Americana, etc) and my job is to play electronic stuff while one band is tearing down and the next one is setting up. I can’t really do pre written/arranged tunes since I have no idea how long the changeover will be. Sometimes I’ll do just one long piece and other times it could be 2-3 shorter pieces, assuming I have a decent idea how to make the transitions but I usually do have some idea. The gig takes place in East Nashville, TN
Thanks.
Er, OT,DN,TR8S. Bunch of analogue synths, some newish, some vintage. Some modular. some outboard effects. Mixer. Everything is midi connected and audio to mixer. I just record live takes straight from the mixer on to a tascam feild recorder. Then I put the recordings in ableton for final spit and polish. This used to consist of Ozone. But is now AH and Dannysound Dynamics, and a limiter on the end.
