The band musicians are re-creating the music they already practiced. That is different from recording/sequencing something, then cuing the recording/sequence later.
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SP-404 has been fun for live, I fit 10 tracks in the banks and bang it out!
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A comfortable meditation cushion, a cheap film clapboard, and a timer with large numbers. The score is 60 minutes, 0 seconds and itâs important to get in a public spat with the Cage estate over whether it is sufficiently derivative of 4â33â to drum up attention. (You kick them some bucks under the condition that they raise hell every time you try to perform it)
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sounds pretty efficient to me.
The drumset, as an instrument, evolved from being a series of musicians to just one.
Not sure where youre coming fromâŚwouldnt you prepare for a gig? practice? prepare? keep warm on your instrument? have a set list for a dj set?
By prepared material, I mean already recorded or sequenced material. Preparation, in the form of practice, is something different.
This is getting into a different thread entirelyâŚ
You can sequence before hand and arrange live. Full improv sequencing live isnât in the best interest of the audience per se. To me the important part is finding the balance between improvisation and having starting points with a solid basis that works.
Imho it makes no sense to practice the live programming of a thoroughly designed groove (as that will take some time even when youâre fast). It doesnât add anything for me or the audience. The arrangement, flow, morphing, changing, re-sequencing, etc. Is what makes something live as well. A part of a setup could be dedicated to live sequencing like a one knob per function drum machine as an extra layer.
Smallest possible setup for me would be DT+DN+DB4. Could do 3 hours with that. Even smaller would be just the Digitakt but it would impact the natural flow of transitions for me.
Edit: yeah probably best not to get into the what is live debate again haha.
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couldnt have said it betterâŚ
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For me, playing live is feeding the crowd. Sure, you need to have fun, but at the end they paid to have an awesome night. Coming âunpreparedâ and jam the **it out of your gear might be a lot of fun for you, but might not be for them.
Even the most jammy band-music out there is not unprepared. And tons of band have sequenced stuff running in the background. Starting with a click for the drummer, recorded parts of instruments the band is not able to play live (choirs, orchestras, for some rock bands synths etc).
The crowd does not care at all, if you would come there, press play on your sequencers song mode, and turn some random knobs for the show, if they have fun and you prepared the correct music for that moment. Use your creativity to arrange the parts you prepare in regards of the flow of the audience and dont waste your and their time with patching and programming boring stuff.
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To be fair, theyâd then have to play their guitars, not just hit a big green triangle âplayâ button and stand on stage adjusting their volume and tone knobs
For me adding a drum pad, vinyl deck, thumb piano, keyboard, or any device with a bit of visual playing action adds a lot for audience appreciation. Even if unnecessary and a bit of a gimmick (as you could just play a sample) Particularly if theyâve no idea what a groove box is.
Jeff Mills wouldnât agreeâŚ
Edit - I should add that I donât think it really matters (itâs early and I was being a bit combative). Horses for courses, do what makes you happy and hopefully the audience too.
Thatâs why I added having a drum machine dedicated to live sequence as part of the setup would be nice.
Would you like hearing someone sequence a 909 for one full hour? Iâd walk away because that gets boring very quickly. Even Jeff doesnât do that. Itâs part of his DJ sets.
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What is live?
Oh baby, donât hurt me
Donât hurt me
No more
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My smallest setup is an Octatrack (dare I say full of prepared loops and stems) controlled by a Launch Control XL and a Space Echo as a send effect. Already a lot on my hands with that. Actually gonna play an hour gig today with that!
Otherwise, I made a one hour live set with just a Digitone, but itâs much less flexible.
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Yeah. Its a boring debate.
Im a drummer, and also can play the guitar.
Ive done gigs on both instruments for years, as well as live electronic stuff.
Playing live electronic stuff is way harder in my experience, as thereâs no band mates to play with and bounce off.
Ive never done a premade press play set.
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Yeah there is a world of difference between having pre recorded backing tracks and manipulating individual pre made sequences live, obviously. With pre made sequences you can control the dynamics, ebb and flow, modify on the fly, build sets differently each time - the list goes on.
Anyone who thinks it is easy, that it has no improv element, and takes no skill does not know what they are talking about, and have clearly never tried it. Their loss.
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Iâm about to build a suitcase with akai force with akai midi mix into octatrack for looping, and scene action.
I plan to prepare sample loops on the force, not that much improvised stuff.
force allowes for huuuuuuuge sets due the ssd bay, octatrack allows proper live mangling.
An audience likes the flow more than unpredictable bleepy noise farts.
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Probably OT, just make some loops from eventual other synth you might have and perform by mashing them up.
I could probably also rock a set with OP-Z but thatâs only based on how familiar I am with it.
Edit:case and point: just remebred this 25 minute set i scraped up of me just playing some patterns on the OP-Z, could do 1 hour if i actually put some effort into it 
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I agree electronic is way harder, one wrong move can be much worse than a bum note on a guitar
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