Oh - one more quick up for the ERM stuff - I have rarely met more responsive developers. Their customer service is top-notch. As an example, I’ve suggested features a couple of times, which the ERM guys implemented within a couple days. They even sent me an unreleased beta firmware (happily currently running) that incorporated my feature suggestions, while they test it prior to public release.
That’s great to hear…I also record/overdub over other midi or audio tracks playing, ERM seems the solution.
Just to be sure, are you talking about the midiclock+ or the multiclock?
Thank you, and apologies if I’ve deviated a little from op.
This is indeed a problem. While we were talking about this I noticed how the Digitakt BPM moves between 132.9 and 133.1 while the Analog Rytm outputs at 133. 
I use the Multiclock. I also have an 8-way midi hub that I use to spilt my midi signals in various ways across my machines…
It’s expensive and is annoying to pay so much just for a clock, but it solves every sync/midi flutter issue I have experienced. I was hating my set up before I bought it simply because I couldn’t rely on my sync…
ooooo, tell me about these features 
Hehhe, I should call them bug fixes rather than features (nothing sexy here). A big one was notes being sent over usb AND midi ports simultaneously- that wasn’t actually in early firmware, believe it or not. I think that made it in by 1.06. Another was sysex not working over midi ports 3 and 4. That was fixed in this beta firmware I’m running. Not sure if they incorporated that into the public version yet, I haven’t checked out the E-RM website in a while. Right now I’m trying to convince them to allow multiple ports to be selected for sysex at the same time, instead of just one as currently allowed. This would let us send any sysex message to the multiclock, and have the right machine receive it, without having to go into midi mapper every time and select the desired port.
Last I’ll say about multiclock. Although it’s relevant, I don’t want to derail this thread too much.
Hey everybody! It’s been a while but I’ve played live almost a month ago I and though I could make a little report here since the original intent of this topic was to clear my confusion on what is playing electronic music live.
So after a few weeks of trial and error and some late changes, my chosen way of playing for this set was to be a blend of my tracks and some stuff made for this occasion only.
For my tracks I exported the stems of the melodic parts to be played on the Octatrack and recreated the drum patterns on my Model Samples. This way I was able to keep some of the subtleties of my arrangements while being able to change the mood with the freedom I had on the drums.
For the “live-er” parts I had a Digitone with me with prepared melodic patterns, coupled with drum patterns on the Model:Samples, so I could play for a while between the more prepared tracks.
To add to this, two loopers were setup on the octatrack so I could introduce a new drum pattern while the old one is still playing, or maybe keep a small melodic element running in the new track when the old one has ended.
Also the octatrack is controlled by a Launch Control XL and I only use one pattern to keep a consistency in the tracks volumes, I specifically wanted smooth fader transitions between my tracks.
Last but not least, a space echo as a send effect, and an EHX Platform as a compressor.
I am happy to report everything went well, had a blast playing like that, having access to the drums and to loopers meant I could have fun with my tracks and the Digitone is such a fun and good sounding machine that I made the pattern based loops last a bit too long
I must admit, I always have the feeling that playing with stems is “cheating” but I try to stop worrying about this, I have worked on the structure of my tracks and I would not be able to recreated it with a loop/pattern based approach, so I have chosen this approach considering this fact.
Anyway, sorry for the long post… And I know I’ve already posted it elsewhere, but if you want to hear, here’s the recording:
Cheers!
5 Likes
Interesting topic, especially the “canned” vs “live” ratio in a performance.
For the longest time, I was pre-planning so much and using a lot of samples, stems and loops in my sets, but it was feeling stagnant to me, and started sounding over-produced and rigid to my ears. Back in early May, I did a show with an MPC Live as the centerpiece and found myself feeling … boredom. I know it’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools, but I was getting away from expressing fresh musical ideas in a live setting and I don’t think the MPC’s “daw in a box” workflow was helping.
Since then, I made a conscious effort to get away from stems, clips or even samples for live performance, so because I liked my Circuit Mono Station’s way of sequencing and its parameter/patch locks, I decided I wanted more of that, but more powerful and flexible. So I picked up an Elektron Digitone and I immediately started creating sequenced material where even the drums are synthesized in realtime.
Since then, I’ve managed to do a couple of shows with just the Digitone and the Circuit Mono Station, along with an Arturia Keystep to play melodic and chord parts live. The whole thing is much more lively and free-form. I particularly enjoy all the hands-on tweaking and the mixing and matching parts between the Digitone and the Circuit Mono Station, then and jamming along in realtime. It’s great to once again have that feeling of really “making music” on stage.
Now that I have my head back on straight, I went ahead and added a Digitakt to my live setup. Because of the more musical sequence focus of the unit and the way it mates with the Digitone, I don’t think I’ll suffer the temptation to get back into layering clips anytime soon because I’m not in that headspace any more, but also because that’s not what the Digitakt is all about.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings, I’m off to read some more of this thread. Cheers.
6 Likes
I just played a show the other day and it felt good. I felt like for the first time in ten years, I actually achieved ’ keep it simple’. I had a a good time, the music sounded good, and people appeared to enjoy it.
Basic idea is I have my octatrack with a bunch of patterns written. Then I just noodle around and play with those patterns, even destroy them, or twist them into something new. Then I have a synth, and I improvise on that to add a layer into what I have crafted on the OT.
At the end of the gig I reload the set to return to the saved state and I am ready for the next gig. ( I wish you could turn auto save off!)
A totally improvised set would not work for me, and I dont enjoy listening to them. What I do enjoy is having a structure, then bending that structure in any way I want.
The most important element for me, is listen. Spend time listening. Then what ever I do after that, do it slowly. Then listen more.
Im really looking forward to my next gig!
2 Likes
As little gear as possible.
6 Likes
Is there video/audio of this performance?
I also would never pair more than 2 boxes together if playing in front of others - it starts to get confusing and is prone to operator errors. Also something that helps in the dark is cool. I love the tr-8s in that aspect, coloring your tracks is so much help.
Jamming at home is a different kind of thing.
1 Like
I just press play and collect love offers later! 
2 Likes
there is! a short 8 min segment of the whole thing here:
3 Likes
This is awesome! Followed 
i hosted an open mic every week for almost 3 years, and that was completely improvised every time.
i would bring whatever kit with me that I wanted to use for the night and then make everything up on the spot… hit or miss… it was live and it was fun.
for my DJ gigs I also bring the Octatrack and, lately, the op-z. i never pre-plan a set list. i just have a ton of tracks with me at all times and can vibe with the room’s energy level (or not).
once I’ve got something layered nicely, like 2 different tracks for instance, I can then resample that down to one track on the OT and start getting octatrack with it; be it simply repitching, adding fx, or re-sequencing until I’ve got something new going on. …add a lil op-z to keep it live and then continue on with the mix, wherever that leads me
Edit: forgot the philosophy part:
Do whatever YOU want to and keep it as fresh as you can, however you want to go about that.
1 Like
Yes I concur. I stick to 2 machines for a gig. When I’m writing and recording in the studio I will use up to four. I record everything live these days, so no that different to playing a show really.
1 Like
I make my music like I would play live, or I play live as I jam at home…
Ableton live is my audio mixer, looper, midi and fx processor. I use the AR, OT and DN, and have faderfox mx12 and pc12 to control various things in Ableton, OT and DN. I use the AK as masterkeyboard, but don’t use it as synth yet because I just got it. All the midi goes through live so I can record what I play/tweak in clips in ableton (I love this!!). I loop a lot of guitar, vocals and flutes, and I have pre recorded loops in the OT for when I don’t want to bring instruments or if there is no space for that…
I have everything I need in controls, so I only need a small screen to start the computer and open up live.
2 Likes
My goal is it, to go play live at some point. For the start, I do not want to improvise much to keep things simple. Plan is to use RYTM and Octatrack. Music is House / Tech House / Garagey House
At the moment I am producing the tracks. The tracks I have made so far have good use of vocals in them. So, I am thinking of producing some tracks to fill inbetween that don’t have much or any use of vocals in them. I dont want people to get hit by one vocal after the other, basically give the vocal tracks room to breathe (for lack of other terminoligy).
Wanted to ask what your experiences is with this? Is this overthought?
Been performing for a couple decades now, and my thought for new guys is perhaps record your live set, even practicing in studio. After experience, you may find ironically, some sets on playback where you were really feeling it at the time sounded sh-t and the ones you were very anxious about came out better than you thought.
So I built my entire approach around live recording, because live is what it’s all about: when you take it to the people in real time. First, working in composition of single tracks, and then working up to entire set compositions, with flow and tension/release, being both mindful of the moment and the presentation as a whole.
So, there is a point eventually when your skills are developed enough, especially with programmed music, to intentionally throw glitches in your own process to work out of, find a groove for a bit/form and repeated deconstruction/forming. It really hones mixing skills. Like with the OT live sampling or even arbitary switching out a sample/slot and tweaking to make it fit in the mix.
There’s going to be “accidents” and suprises, but only you are probably actually aware of them. Not only keep moving through them in a live situation, but making them a part of the creative process is key… the “art”.
1 Like