Now you've really piqued my interest. What software do you use? MIDI>DMX? What DMX hardware interfaces do you have experience with? Maybe this is a new thread?
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Does your band use tracks? (Poll)
- Thread starter BassAndReeds
- Start date
Now you've really piqued my interest. What software do you use? MIDI>DMX? What DMX hardware interfaces do you have experience with? Maybe this is a new thread?
No thank God. I played in a band that used them a lot. it made me roll my eyes, and I stayed less than 6 months. I don't go in for fakery. Sound effects is one thing (eg, like the bell gongs in the beginning of Hell's Bells. I'm fine with that). Adding in entire instruments that aren't actually in the band or backing vocals? you're halfway to being a karaoke act, IMHO
I used to borrow a friend's pa when he was setting up for his performances as it was a lot bigger than mine so I could check balance of the sounds. It can sound great at home and terrible loud. I wonder if there is some plug in that could help in a DAW. I don't think IR would cut it.
I use QLC+ for DMX. It supports playing audio and video too. It's a little but idiosyncratic but all the DMX systems are. What it lacks is 3D visualisation. There's a new revision coming. One nice thing is you can run it in webserver mode near to where the DMX, audio and video feeds need to be then create an ad hoc network to a tablet and wander around checking stuff. If needs be you could even put laptop 1 on stage and use multiple in/out sound interface and use a long ether net cable (I wouldn't trust wireless in a venue) along with additional automation to also automate mixing. I've done similar things.
Probably a good topic for another thread.
We use Ableton Live to sequence and sync DMX lighting, cameras and video. Invalid Link Removed and Invalid Link Removed work really well for the lighting, and Invalid Link Removed works great for sequencing and controlling video and cameras.
And the only backing track required is a click for your drummer. Or, 'play' the lights, cameras and video live with a MIDI or OSC controller. We used h e x l e r . n e t | TouchOSC to build a custom wireless iPad controller.
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Indeed, but the opposite is also true - bad at home sounds great in the PA. I've got some VSTI and mastering settings figured out, as in an overall EQ and MS compressor that leave space in the mix for the live bits, essentially piano/keys, bass and 2x vox. I suppose I've done so many now that I know how 'good when loud in our PA' translates to the studio headphones, NF monitors, car stereo and Sony Bluetooth... Often it ain't pretty!
True, but I mostly have to mix at home, and I don't tend to get to play with my PA at full volume at home, and then it might not be my PA it goes through. An example would be the tracks that had been fine at home or my PA and other PAs for venues up to 200 or so and theatre PAs that when they went through a PA at a 1000 capacity venue with big subs was a mess. Solutuon: subs off. It nearly got tested at a 200 capacity location with subs except that day I was sorting out the venues PA (dry hire, very nice cost) and couldn't work out how to turn the subs on...
Back in the mid 80s, I tried using tracks for the first time as a solo. I recorded extra keys, drum machines and backing voices to a bunch of songs. All using a Fostex fourtrack cassette. It sounded brilliant, but it didn't last. I ended up just using guitar after the first couple gigs. It just felt silly. I would be playing the lead guitar part to Peg on a prophet 5 and everything else was canned. So I gave it up and got a lot more work.
Fast forward to the mid 1990s. This time I tried again using a bunch of keys and a Roland Micro composer sequencer. Again, it sounded brilliant, but this time the MC500 took a dump during the second gig and I was back to just playing the guitar again...
Currently, half the gigs I do are solo gigs. I just bring my old Martin and a Godin gut string. I do songs that most full cover bands won't attempt (Won't Get Fooled Again, I am the Walrus, etc.) people love it. In stead of concentrating on recreating the original with tracks, I put my time into getting the best sounding guitar and vocals and arrange it so people forget it's just one guitar and a voice.
Fast forward to the mid 1990s. This time I tried again using a bunch of keys and a Roland Micro composer sequencer. Again, it sounded brilliant, but this time the MC500 took a dump during the second gig and I was back to just playing the guitar again...
Currently, half the gigs I do are solo gigs. I just bring my old Martin and a Godin gut string. I do songs that most full cover bands won't attempt (Won't Get Fooled Again, I am the Walrus, etc.) people love it. In stead of concentrating on recreating the original with tracks, I put my time into getting the best sounding guitar and vocals and arrange it so people forget it's just one guitar and a voice.
I've never played with tracks, but I have played on the wrong side of the tracks a few times.
I can (admittedly grudgingly) accept a band using loops as long as they're "played" in realtime with something like a Novation Launchpad.
I can accept keyboard players using programmed sequences and arpeggiators.
But I don't at all care for bands who are using prerecorded tracks. That to me is just a fancy form of karaoke.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I'm just saying I personally don't like it.
I can accept keyboard players using programmed sequences and arpeggiators.
But I don't at all care for bands who are using prerecorded tracks. That to me is just a fancy form of karaoke.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I'm just saying I personally don't like it.
Good point.
And in my area, Keyboard players are at a premium price. The good ones are working a ton, and won't start new or up-and-coming bands. But you need them to cover Top 40 material that a guitar can't cover. And one might not be enough anyhow. Let alone trying to find and pay two.
Sometimes there isn't much of a choice, this day and age of music overproduction.
We don't use tracks. We do have a keyboard guy that does a lot of stuff. Everything we do is live. When we did "Thriller" for a Halloween gig, he lifted the Vincent Price thing at the end on his MacBook. He "triggered" it and we played underneath it and did the ending lick in time to end the tune. It was pretty cool. That's as close as we have come to using a "track" live.
Nothing! Except the track has more personality! <Bah Dum Dum Crash>
<Ducks from flying keyboards thrown by angry keyboard players>
There's room in the market for all of it. Last band I was in about 30% of pieces had a track, although that had multiple parts in, but was still less than 50% of all parts in each piece, plus some additional linking tracks to cover instrument changes.
Drum machines... Those have come up several times.
I prefer live, but if I wanted a string quartet sound then unless a keyboard player can do a version with a mellotron sound that's tricky. If it's a whole load of complex audio atmosphere then either live has to be very different, or use a track. What I do next will depend on whether I get my ass into gear for my next project. I probably need to tidy the music room first!
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