I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to perform my songs in a live setting, and I was just curious to hear some different live rig setups.
Right now I can play my songs straight out the OT, but that would be boring for me and the people watching, so I’m considering something like the MPX16 for triggering one hits and stuff. Also maybe a basic mixer/EQ for doing shows where there’s not a sound guy.
So what’s your setup?
Viola into mic input of mixer. Mixer aux send to EHX DMM550TT analog delay then to Octatrack. Octatrack outputs to stereo line inputs of mixer.
That’s pretty much it. I play with an experimental/drone/free improv band. Octatrack serves as glitch machine/looper/multi effects for the viola. I’ve also had the OT sending MIDI clock to Bassbot TT-303 for past shows.
This is something I’m constantly thinking about.
I have all 5 Elektrons & Cirklon driving a Modular setup alongside a Virus Ti & OP-1.
Taking all that out live is gonna be troublesome to say the least.
I’ve messed about using just the Dark Trinity, OT triggering samples from the modular/Virus, MD & MM.
It’s practical & makes sense, keeping things to a minimum.
Somehow though I feel something is lacking, maybe it’s just an ego thing, hmm, I love the idea of live modular, the internal battle rages on, lol
i run MPC + OP-1 + OT in a live looping kind of setup.
( see vid over here: https://vimeo.com/107909936 )
i have done sets with just the OT, and with just the MPC. I’ve also done sets with just a gameboy and LSDJ.
i guess it doesn’t matter too much what you use, but how it sounds.
it depends a bit on the crowd - a more ‘educated’ (about electronic music) crowd might not enjoy a ‘just press play’ type of setup, whereas a dance focused environment (club etc) might not really care.
for me it’s a sliding scale between how much i want to do (which is basically everything totally live always) and how much is practical to do.
bluewolf - sounds like a helluva setup! but i’m sure the dark trinity will be loads to work with in a live context.
governor - live viola mashing eh? nice! pick-up or flex?
buster - digging that record you made that elektron plugged, some real nice stuff on there. i’m sure you’ll find a way to translate it live. or maybe do something totally different… either way!
…you guys must have roadies or you just play a handful of gigs a year…
i try to keep live rigs as simple as possible…
and with the octatrack, which means end of the day, computer, interface and controler in ONE was THE solution to cut down finally for real…
my ot is is fixed on top in a toploader 19" rack with the rack ears…and is joined by a little mackie mixer, two line6 m5 stompmodeler pedals, one little meeblip anode synth, a tc helicon voice live 2, one shure wireless mic system…all fixed on rack pullouts underneath the ot…all is costumized cabled and ready to rumble with one master power switch…
i got one akai mpx 8, which is doing that drop a sample here and there job you mentioned, which joins the ot in the top of the rack…and the mpx8 is more than enough for that job…so really no need for this bigger mpx16 brother…
but i don’t like it…and i will replace it soon with a new electribe…if the synth engine in there can be triggred by ot’s midi sequencer separately…dunno yet…can’t figure it out by now because that box is still not available…
but if that worx, it’ll be a perfect match…
i do this, because with just the meeblip, ot’s midi capabilties are not near to what’s possible here, hand in hand from one interface…
if you think you miss some interaction, you better take another closer look at your ot…
just watching it playing your tracks like with a computer, is really a pity…
there is so much stuff you can do with your material on the fly…and so much options to perform your pre fixed stuff really LIVE!..means just take it from there and go beyond with it…the ot is the only thing on the planet that let us guys fool around with audio as like a guitar hero is dropping a solo…
dude…
that ain’t simple. 
…er, true…
but compared to the computer setup, it surley is…
and hmmpf…now that i mentioned roadies…i must admit…i can’t carry that monster of a rack without a helping hand…
but that’s the price for just switching on…no cableing each time…i guess…
I’m doing 150+ gigs a year in various capacities. Some guitar playing, some live electronics with other musos, a lot of engineering.
The engineering gigs have a major budget due to a rather healthy back catalog & international sales that can only be dreamt of in this day & age. As a result & b’cos baggage can be split amongst 8 people, carrying a reasonable amount of smaller kit isn’t an issue.
The electronic hardware stuff I’m leaning towards has a following of about 80 people worldwide, hardly the same ball park lol.
For fly out shows carrying all the aforementioned would be impossible but the temptation is there to take the modular to UK shows.
Soundchecks or lack of & space on stage will be limiting factors however.
It’s gonna be 3 Elektrons, yep, might go MM instead of A4 though.
but i don’t like it…and i will replace it soon with a new electribe…if the synth engine in there can be triggred by ot’s midi sequencer separately…dunno yet…can’t figure it out by now because that box is still not available…
Yeah, that Electribe sampler looks really good. I was hoping the MPX would be decent enough to hold me off until it comes out. What don’t you like about it?
if you think you miss some interaction, you better take another closer look at your ot…
just watching it playing your tracks like with a computer, is really a pity…
there is so much stuff you can do with your material on the fly…and so much options to perform your pre fixed stuff really LIVE!..means just take it from there and go beyond with it…the ot is the only thing on the planet that let us guys fool around with audio as like a guitar hero is dropping a solo…
Yeah man, definitely still learning my way around this thing. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface.
Dude, that setup is sick. Nice music too. Real relaxing, good vibes. How do you like the MPC + OT combo? Thanks for the kind words on the album by the way. Really appreciate it.
I tried more complicated setups (OT+Sherman Restyler+Eventide Space+SP-404+Minitaur) but just couldn’t manage it live. I just played my best electronic show with my Rytm alone. I’ve sold most of my other gear, but the plan is to do Rytm+OT shows in the future. That’s about all I can deal with at once.
Oh and the Oktakontrol.
OT, AR, Blofeld (module), RMX 1000, VT-3, and possibly beatstep.
they are all small machines, it all goes to the ot, the ar gets 2 channels, the blofeld and vt 3 1. the cue out goes to the rmx 1000. only downside to this is that you can’t do main -> cue transition with the crossfader using only one track, 2 have to be used. so then i have parts that double specific tracks to use the full potential of the setup. (6 tracks or all 8 if neigbour machines are used means no samples from the ot…)
beatstep can sequence the ar or the blofeld. the ot mangles it all a bit. love the vocoder to the echo freeze, mountain of fun.
I dont like to take it all to low profile gigs, then i take the AR or the OT, depends on the task at hand… And hooking up just 3 cables (2 out and 1 dc) is a weight off my shoulders. (used to take about an hour to hook up all my stuff just for a dj set! and the same amount of time to unhook it all…)
This is my ‘mobile’ setup. Left side (KP3 + Akai XR20) is just optional add-on, if I’m in the mood for extra beefier beats layer. Normally it’s just OT, LXR, KP3+, UC33e and iConnect MIDI 4+. All fits into one gigbag and small alu-case.
In some patterns I have one dedicated track for sliced one shots, which can be triggered manually.
P.S.: App used for routing drawings is Java based yED. Pretty neat features.
Great share 
Absolutely, there’s no doubting the OTs ability to tear it up live & give you masses of sonic options.
That said, manipulating a sample of say the MM is never gonna sound remotely like dialing in WOFS & BOFS live, working the Arp or the other multitude of things that are lost once it’s set in (pliable), stone
The same is true for the modular stuff. Live manipulation of a Wogglebug driving a DPO into Phonogene with all kinds of modulation going is a different world compared to manipulating a sample.
Herein lies my dilemma.
Having said that, live patching of a modular rig to cover all bases, no matter how proficient you are, is gonna be a headache.
My word for the day is gonna have to be compromise
…i’d go mad within seconds if i’d have to repatch something real modular aiming some certain result in a live situation…omg.
live elctronics is always a compromise…and with the ot i can take the most simple sample manipulation to a point where it really fulfil some serious live aproach…
thanks for that…never had that with ableton…no matter what i did with it…
but even in my studio with just that little and only real modular pittsbourgh equipment i got, i get lost pretty easily…and still be surprised about the results each time i touch it…
Dude, that setup is sick. Nice music too. Real relaxing, good vibes. How do you like the MPC + OT combo? Thanks for the kind words on the album by the way. Really appreciate it.[/quote]
word, thanks brother - glad you’re feeling it.
MPC + OT is brilliant… really love it.
MPC is amazing as a sequencer - having the more than a single voice per track (i.e. drum sounds/samples don’t cut each other out as on the OT) means a lot more flexibility. And the JJOS is just king in terms of feature set. chopping breaks/samples is so quick and easy…
but as i get further along i am recording samples straight into the OT for further manipulation as the MPC effects are total rubbish. and the OT just handles business totally differently which has been really good for me.
a change is as good as a holiday… or so they say.
cheers
nice.
the LXR is analog yeah?
can’t see what the XR20 is giving you that the OT can’t handle… they’re all samples in that thing yeah?
p.s. it’d be wicked if everyone could post examples of their live sets too, just to see how these setups come together sonically. vids/audio/soundcloud links… anything you like
below is the last set i worked out — it’s the first run of it, so it’s a bit rough. working on a new one now.
…the lxr is a beast of it’s own…
full on digital, but the most knocking kicks straight out of the box i know…
and, er, a real machine drum killer, if i can say that here…
