OK...so like a hundred other guys on these forums I am a bass player & singer in a Rush cover band. We want to stay a trio and don't want to get a keyboardist. So, I went with a Roland GR20 midi synth module and figured I'd play simpler keyboard/event sounds and then use the GR20 to trigger more complex external things.
Here is part of the problem...the GR20 plays great in real-time now that I have the GK3B pickup profesionally installed and calibrated...that's all good. But the GR20 SUCKS at triggering external MIDI sources...the latency is killing me.
Soooooo...I got myself some Roland PK5A pedals like Ged uses. These seem great. (I just saw Rush last week and noticed they have gotten to the point of most backup vocals/song intro sounds/background synth sounds are simply recorded and stored backstage with Geddy and Alex simply tirggering them with pedals.)
My question is basically this...now that we want to play more sound complicated Rush tunes like on Presto/Hold Your Fire etc, I am looking for the best way to go to edit and play these live.
If I go the keyboard route, what keyboard/sound module setup would allow me to edit and store then easily trigger sounds with the pedals and also maybe add more sounds to the GR20? Funny thing is if I can get it working the way I hope I am conveying here, the keyboard would never be touched...I don't want to play keys but thought a keyboard would look better than just a stand with a laptop sitting in front of me hooked up to the pedals (most hardcore Rush fans would probably boo me off stage with that...I'd probably be better off not having anything in front me but on the floor, and the mic, and have the laptop or sound module sit with the PA and sound guy.) I like the sound module idea but again how would I then edit down the songs to just the small pieces I need to trigger.
That brings me to my second question/option...if I don't touch a keyboard, what would I need for just the computer? What software to edit just the song part I need to trigger? What software to use to actually trigger live? What cable/interface is best for no lag playing live to both the pedals and also maybe the GR20? Again to add more sounds to it.
I hope this all makes sense...basically which way to go to play live real-time synth sounds thru a GR20 bass setup, and also edit then trigger other sound events with PK5A pedals with some source (keyboard, keyboard and computer, computer?)
Thanks all!
Here is part of the problem...the GR20 plays great in real-time now that I have the GK3B pickup profesionally installed and calibrated...that's all good. But the GR20 SUCKS at triggering external MIDI sources...the latency is killing me.
Soooooo...I got myself some Roland PK5A pedals like Ged uses. These seem great. (I just saw Rush last week and noticed they have gotten to the point of most backup vocals/song intro sounds/background synth sounds are simply recorded and stored backstage with Geddy and Alex simply tirggering them with pedals.)
My question is basically this...now that we want to play more sound complicated Rush tunes like on Presto/Hold Your Fire etc, I am looking for the best way to go to edit and play these live.
If I go the keyboard route, what keyboard/sound module setup would allow me to edit and store then easily trigger sounds with the pedals and also maybe add more sounds to the GR20? Funny thing is if I can get it working the way I hope I am conveying here, the keyboard would never be touched...I don't want to play keys but thought a keyboard would look better than just a stand with a laptop sitting in front of me hooked up to the pedals (most hardcore Rush fans would probably boo me off stage with that...I'd probably be better off not having anything in front me but on the floor, and the mic, and have the laptop or sound module sit with the PA and sound guy.) I like the sound module idea but again how would I then edit down the songs to just the small pieces I need to trigger.
That brings me to my second question/option...if I don't touch a keyboard, what would I need for just the computer? What software to edit just the song part I need to trigger? What software to use to actually trigger live? What cable/interface is best for no lag playing live to both the pedals and also maybe the GR20? Again to add more sounds to it.
I hope this all makes sense...basically which way to go to play live real-time synth sounds thru a GR20 bass setup, and also edit then trigger other sound events with PK5A pedals with some source (keyboard, keyboard and computer, computer?)
Thanks all!
