What Hybrid Set up Are Kraftwerk playing Here?

To me it looks like an MPC X with Keys? Or very close. Theres a Computer, Pads, Sliders, and a few Knobs. No Analogue hardware which shows it doesn’t matter to the audience. Ive never seen a console unit like this before?

Any ideas.

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Kraftwerk’s modern stage show consoles are custom-built. Those might be MPC components, but they’re probably just being used as MIDI controllers. IIRC, they’re mostly crammed with PCs running Cubasis and some Native Instruments softsynths.

As for using analogue gear: it would have been cool to see, but if you read anything about Kraftwerk’s original tours in the 1970s and 80s, touring with early synth gear and DIY drum machines was a nightmare.

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The keyboard is a Doepfer custom caseless job from looks of it

Other stuff is prob ipads etc

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QuNeo spotted in thumbnail too

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Yep, the pad controller is definitely a QuNeo. That orange and green backlighting is a dead giveaway.

As for using analogue gear: it would have been cool to see, but if you read anything about Kraftwerk’s original tours in the 1970s and 80s, touring with early synth gear and DIY drum machines was a nightmare.

Also, going computer-based has made it easier for them to collaborate remotely, and to have lights and visuals and robots and more that are all accurately synced to the music.

I would have loved to see them in the era when they were still using analog gear, but I’ve seen them live twice in this computer-based era and it’s an absolutely fantastic show. A complete and immersive experience. Don’t miss it if you have the chance!

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Me too, LA and Phoenix. And the sound was INCREDIBLE.

It’s very much live, I heard Hutter make a few minor mistakes, once he came in a bar too soon on a lead.

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I believe the screens are Microsoft Surface, or a similar touchscreen PC. The left of the screen shown here appears to be running a patch in Cycling74 Max.

As @Musement mentioned, they also rely heavily on Native Instruments software.

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They were very early adopters of live laptops. Always ahead of the curve those guys.

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Henning has a Novation Zero Sl 2 and looks like an M-Audio Oxygen k/b. Fritz has a Maschine controller.

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Sure. Also ipads. Here’s one with the old iRig MIDI attached.

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I’m 99.9% certain that is an M-Audio Oxygen 8 (original), which was my first midi controller like 20 years ago. It’s amazing he is still rocking it :smiley:

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It’s definitely not as impressive as it was in the old days :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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That was my first controller, too! Got the Absynth Edition one in a bundle with Absynth, a blue Oxygen8, and a M-Audio backpack that could carry my laptop and the O8 together. At the time, it was world-changing for me. The sweet beginning of my adventures into portable music-making.

OK, back on topic…found myself thinking more about this comment from @Landings:

No Analogue hardware which shows it doesn’t matter to the audience.

I think we as artists often obsess and nitpick over things that don’t really matter to an audience. (I mean, I literally just came here from doing so in another thread. :D)

It can sometimes seem like we’re obliged to do certain things to maintain our artistic consistency or integrity, but Kraftwerk are the perfect exemplars that as long as you are providing an experience they enjoy, your audience will come along with you as you evolve as an artist.

Nobody has to be trapped in a rut.

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Not that they are “rutted”, but their show is EXACTLY the same each time. For YEARS. I have the DVD of a show from 2003ish and you could [before they all died] go to a live show, as I did in Hollywood, Hollywood Bowl, and sec for sec of the show was identical.

Kinda made me think it was all preprogrammed. And the consoles are doing video and light werk, with some SFX.

:man_shrugging:t5:

It still was super good to hear it live, outside with MASSIVE bass on an amazing system. The viz is awesome too.

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The vocals may change a bit :slight_smile:

I don’t agree. I‘ve seen them twice, in 2011 and 2019. Sure, a lot of elements were similar. But the show in 2019 was 3D and all of the visuals as well as the setlist got a complete overhaul. Some tracks and design elements were taken from their older shows, but a lot was new and different. The suits and robots were also different.

I hear people about the „analog/equipment doesn’t matter“, but I think that’s also because of the fact that the music is just one part of the whole Kraftwerk experience. The visuals and presentation are as important. Their whole catalogue is about boiling down a concept to its essentials and then carry it out with maximum effect. What gear they’re using becomes quite irrelevant as a result. Still interesting to see what they’re actually using on stage.

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To the masses of fans, which in my opinion are only into shallow art.
I see this set up and it looks to me like every kids set up at many dive bar electronic nights.
Personally I know exactly what all this is, doesn’t make it less impressive to others but I personally am less than impressed.
I love Kraftwerk and what they mean and how they did it.
Without that, no one would care about these current shows though.
Looks like something you’d see at Epcot center once and go, “that was cool remember that”

No need to diss Kraftwerk fans. I also think you’re pretty wrong here. Kraftwerk have always been more of a musicians/artists group that most people know nothing from except for The Model. When they’re playing at big festivals though, people who deeply care about Kraftwerk and electronic music as well as people who never listen to electronic music or such old stuff are fascinated. Against all the odds of four stiff old guys with centuries old artwork and music and a German accent „checking their Emails on their computers“, all kinds of different people are surprised they like that stuff. It’s a testament to how transcendent their art is and how good the shows are imo.

Edit: Still thinking about how odd your description is for Kraftwerk. You don’t have to like them or their fans, but they semi-invented and popularized most of the genres that are the most influential nowadays. So weird to say people who like them are only into „shallow art“.

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I love Kraftwerk and I’m also a huge fan of stand still artists who could be checking their email (Convextion comes to mind).
I have no issue with Kraftwerk fans either, which is most everyone I know.
I think the masses are dumb tho, especially in greater numbers.
In a sense I’m really only thinking of Americans, and the deifying of pop music.

Again tho, people go see the current Kraftwerk because of what they did, not what they are doing.
And sure, because of what they did, people remain interested even if their show is kinda meh.
It’s just my observation that there’s more interesting stuff going down by broke artists getting creative in spite of that.
But it is Kraftwerk, at least one member is still an OG I think.