You have a song, you want to play on live. This song has whatever of the thousands of digital synths outthere, like Pigments from Arturia for example, or kontakt libraries etc. And you want to play this song on a live setup.
Which are your options? (Please don't be sarcastic)

1-Use a Midi keyboard, connected to a computer (This option is obvious) and then to the source audio system of the gig place. OK
2-...
3-...

 

That or just play it as an audio recording.

 

2. You'd have to buy a synth to play a synth without a computer as far as I know.

 

you want to play the SONG (incl. synth)
or you want to play the synthesizer?? (midi keyboard etc)

1.MasterKeyboard +Laptop+Software
2.Gig Performer
3.Interface
4.Mixer

 

Last edited: Jan 29, 2024

1 is pretty much your only option, unless you have a sampling keyboard of some kind and make a live set for the song on it (live set is a mix of sampled sounds and whole sequences and you play chosen parts live). You would need a hefty hardware sampler for that, or a computer with a sampler, of course. Using just something like TAL-Sampler+TAL-Drum for playing WAVs is surely more stable/reliable than playing a ton of VSTi+VST.

 

Just buy an Akai MPC One, Live, X, or Key 61. Those are 4 standalone platforms that Akai makes. Multi-sample the synth plugins, and then you can play them live off the MPC.

 

In that case, what is commonly used, sample hardware?

But the sound would not be the same (not talking about the same digital / hardware thing, like Juno for example)

Just the synth.

Really good advise

 

I'd just use a DAW... heck, it's pretty much what Ableton was designed for, right? I use a VST host called Cantabile live. I use it mainly for synth control but it can also fire audio files as backing tracks or samples.

 

The usual answer (already given by Deadmaus years ago ... hypocrites didn't liked it ) : WE ALL PRESS PLAY !

Because you have only TWO hands, you are NOT going to play 10 instruments tracks at the same time.
Same with knobs : you need one hand to turn one knob, so basically you are not going to turn your 64 knobs control surface at the same time.
Only TWO knobs max at a time.

Take it or leave it.

Basically, ALL ppl playing live realize you need more ppl to play more instruments ... or just press PLAY and play real time one line, tweak two knobs max ...

About computers, most electro ppl do it for decades.

You just need redundancy for security, like two computers synced by MIDI, two soundcards and a BIG button to switch audio to the other computer if one crash.

 

I prefer to press PLAY, and find the sound I like, but also people wants the analog more "faked" visuals (like the one hundred pedals some guitarrist use) but computers on stage... A computer inside keyboard form maybe is accepted. Sampler? dangerous.

Just trying to figure out what is more convenient in terms of hardware / software on live sets. Also interested in gear for gigs in general.

I would like to sing live, using samples of my own mixes. And It doesn't look like "playback"

 

Or - although I do like some Deadmaus - you just try to approximate it live , give your best and don`t care if it sounds 100 % like a studio production . In a bandcontext this works for me . Depends on genre a bit of course

 

Kind of this, but more simple

 

What about using a looper? I'm not sure if/how many loops they can retain in memory or storage. I'm not a guitar player and that is the main target market; and why many of them are in pedalboard format. There were also those Boss samplers in pedal format. Or maybe there is a modern equivalent of SP-808...

 

Last edited: Jan 29, 2024

An arranger keyboard like Yamaha Genos that can also hold samples might be an option to do it without a computer. You can't host plugins, but you have guaranteed stability and no bad surprises live.

 

if it's just one synth part at a time, a VA synth with wavetable capability should covers it, as example the Korg Modwave or Waldorf Blofeld. Need a lot of preparation before the show to get things to sound right of course. Probably need a good selection of FX processor after, or a programmable MultiFX unit with presets.

If it's too many sounds at a time, parts are layered, and it's a one man show, using a sampler like those AKAI MPCs is more sensible choice but depends on the type of music. If you are looping epic buildup instrumental music using the sampler... it's weird, dont do it. More to a groovy hip hop or dance stuff maybe and you have to be busy doing something else that really matter, like singing or something, highly genre dependent. Like the video you posted if the guy didnt play the beat and being busy like that, in a 100+ crowd live setup, it probably cant hold more than 10 minutes attention from the crowd. Video is a different thing. Live show needs energy. Real raw energy. Except playing sad music for depressed crowd.

Another alternative should be all those "Workstation" type keyboard by Roland, Yamaha etc but gotta say it's a lame choice and make you seem older than you actually are. It works but the problem is it takes away the cool factor. Live music is 90% cool factor.

 

a friend of mine who stepped in as touring keys for a pretty big act at the time his rig was a midi controller ( if that's important to you i will ask him) and 2 macmini"s running backstage 2 because if main MM dies there is an instantaneous back up each had its own audio interface so can be selected by FOH

 

If you want to use audio computer programs then there is no other choice than using a computer (esp. with softsynth like Pigment which have no real hardware counterpart).

In 2005 a company released Neko :

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/open-labs-open-synth-neko-64

But it was too expensive, too heavy and not upgradable enough ... a commercial failure.

 

Last edited: Jan 30, 2024

Hardware sampler.
Or buy a hardware synth and program similar patches.

 

The Mini is fine, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence for it's road-ready durability. With everything on an external drive, they are nearly "hot-swappable" but them getting physically damaged could get pretty expensive replacing them. You could get a couple Akai S6000's for similar prices as the Minis, and they are close to indestructible. You'd want some spare parts like ram, psu, etc.

 

1010music nanobox tangerine ?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/1010music_nanobox_tangerine.htm

hardware sampler, I've got their "Blackbox" Sampler box which has sequencing and other stuff. Works well.