Playing trip hop live... Which gear would you buy?

Elektron Gear
#1

Hi,

Suppose that you join a trip hop band where there are a singer, a drummer, a bassist and a guitarist that needs some extra stuff to fill the ambience, which gears will you bring in the setup?

I was thinking to buy a Digitakt, but maybe is too limited for a live setup (especially because of mono sampling and tricky polyphony), so maybe an Octatrack would be better, but… Or maybe an Analog Four? Or maybe… Ok, you got that I am pretty undecided! :relaxed:

Just to give some info about myself: I am not a real keyboard player, I just know basic music stuff, so I cannot jump quickly from a chord to another or play complex melody, so I was trying to avoid some keyboarded synth.

I have already a Model:Cycles (used few times) and I have a modular rack, but I am not yet confident to bring in a live performance. So I was looking for a single machine solution (along with Model:Cycles since is already here :wink:)

What would be your choice?

Thanks

#2

I guess it depends on what your role in the band is and what the extra stuff is.
For trip hop, my brain would automatically go to an MPC of some sort, but then in a full band situation, an octatrack might be more suitable due to the live looping capabilities.
Depending on the sound you’re going for, you could just plug a looper and a bunch of FX pedals into the mixer and loop/mess about with the singer/guitarist and maybe a small synth, but then the Octatrack does all that in one box.

Get the octatrack.

4 Likes
#3

Yes with OT you can record up to 8m28s stereo samples, and play VERY long stereo samples from the CF card (up to 3h30mn!).
Pads for example.
DT is limited to around 30 sec mono recording.

A MC/MS would be also interesting for sure, even if I prefer DN/DT one.

1 Like
#4

I make trip hop regularly (and it’s kinda in my blood being from Bristol). Using dusty samples is definitely the way to go (not a synth). You need atmosphere and lo-fi FX. Octatrack has all this in spades, plus as others have said, maybe you can live sample some of the other players and twist their creations into something else for breakdowns, transitions, special FX etc. The other option is to go full Portishead and bring some desks and old vinyl into the mix :wink:

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#5

For trip-hop and with the musicians you already have in the band, just a turntable or 2 playing back sampled stuff, maybe dubplates even … would be sweeet, combo with OT for extra live chopchopchop :man_cook:

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#6

Ninja Tune Zen Delay.

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#7

Turntables, mixer and some effects

If turntablism isn’t your thing definitely a sampler with pads and fx

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#8

Thanks for all your replies.

I think I will consider the OT, it seems to have all the features that I need, maybe it doesn’t excel in fx (as I understood from some reviews), but it has lot of flexibility and features that it’s difficult to find in any other machines or fx pedals.

P.S.:
I forgot to mention also the OP-1 in my previous indecision list, but anyway I think it is not ideal for trip hop and also it has only one input.

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#9

Good choice. I think the FX are fine to be honest. You don’t want crystal clear modern FX for trip hop. The filter (with its extra distortion on the second page) is great, same for the lo-fi with bitcrusher/sample rate reduction and more distortion and then my absolute favourite reverb, the Dark Reverb! Not to mention chorus, comb filter, delay, etc etc :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes
#10

Compressor! Eqs works well too.

Some OT fx are deceiving if you use it in a basic non creative way, without modulation, crossfader tweaking, but you can chain up to 8 fx (16 with trickery), plock parameters to sequence them…Game changer.

As OT can sample/resample/play directly with feedback you can make high quality crazy fx, combined with on-board fx.

Examples with sampling / feedback.

Drumloop

No sample, recording inputs without anything plugged.

Shimmer reverb

2 Likes
#11

I like OP-1 w/ Model Cycles combo. One thing to consider is how to sync up with the drummer. With OP-1 tape you can trigger/restart the loop whenever making it easier to live sync, nudge stuff etc.
Octatrack would be cool too as a mixer/efx box but I’d be nervous running the sequencer unless the band plays to a click. Octatrack has nice separate headphone level though, super handy!

Live band + sequencers = tricky

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#12

Very good point! I imagine manually triggering one shots would be the best way to go in this case. It’d make it more interactive too

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#13

Nord lead

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#14

With Massive Attack? :content:
Yes, a click/track for the drummer seems obvious or…no drummer.

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#15

MPC Live :+1:

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#16

I would say ot and then some supporting bits. Maybe an OT/Samples then you have the contrast.

#17

Ooh damn… Massive Attack :slightly_smiling_face:

#18

Any MPC with some interesting samples.

#19

If everything but synth duties are not taken, a DN/DN Keys? Or an A4 with MIDI keyboard?

DN and A4 can do neat rhythmic stuff and have deep soundscapes.

If you just want to playback samples and use a crossfader, the OT as mentioned would be great, but I feel like an actual synth would be ideal.

However, that’s just me.

#20

I would get something like an mpc2000 + some fuzz pedal, reverb, delay. Use the 8 outputs into a mixer that you have control of.
I wouldnt get something that is mainly used as a sequencer. Since there’s already a drummer.