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MIDI sequencing live?


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Has anyone here wver used sequenced keyboard parts in a live performance environment? What have you used, and what was good/bad/ugly about it?

 

I have a mini-tour coming up that will require sequencing for a few numbers (it's scored that way, and no budget to add another player for just a few songs), and while I've done this in a studio situation, I've never dealt with it in live performance, so looking for recommendations and/or warnings.

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Although I've never seen that come up as an issue' date=' I would worry about drive sensitivity to loud music.[/quote']

 

That could be an issue, but my laptop has a solid-state drive.

 

I'm more concerned about the basic issues with having to use mouse clicks or a touchpad during a time-sensitive performance in a dark orchestra pit. Big buttons that are easy to see and ID are very helpful in this sort of application.

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I would use ableton live and push. You can select various midi scenes in real time using the push controller. Large lighted buttons and made for live performance. https://www.ableton.com/en/push/

 

 

Its not just for beats or EM music, this can be used for much more than that.

 

Does Ableton allow you to enter and view parts on a standard score? Everything I've seen of it online seems to be oriented to everything BUT standard orchestral score notation.

 

I've got several hundred pages of multi-staff orchestral score to track against, so I really need that capability....

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Does Ableton allow you to enter and view parts on a standard score? Everything I've seen of it online seems to be oriented to everything BUT standard orchestral score notation.

 

I've got several hundred pages of multi-staff orchestral score to track against, so I really need that capability....

 

Unfortunately it doesn't. There are editors for creating scores that also play back parts as midi data. You could use Sibelius http://www.avid.com/sibelius/features (look at play, perform , share) If you can import the score, it can play back as midi. And it can be integrated into a DAW such as Protools where you could choose the instrument plugin and ad any effects like eq compression etc, for the best sound. Getting it into Sibelius might be a challenge but if the score is already in electronic format from some other score editor, then it can be converted to MusicXML. Once that is accomplished then it seems it would be fairly straight forward to import the score and lay it back as you play your part with it. The other sequenced parts should come up when the should. I have never used these types of products so I'm only making assumptions based on what I have read. Whatever you do come up with please post back what you came up with. Good luck!

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IHaveS EUSED COUNLESS MIDU KEY BOARS AND MIDI SOUNd MODULES LIVE

MIDI FILE IS SNT TO ANIDI KEYBOARD OR MIDI SOUND MODULE A MIDI SOUNd MODULE IS THE RACK MOUNT VERSION OF YHE KEYBOARD SUCH AS KORG TRITON RACK ROLANDFANTOM yamahamptif RACK YOU EITHRT GET THE MIDI KEYBOARD IRSELF OR S MIDI KEYBOERD CONTROLLER AND A RACK MODULE

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USIBG VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS LIVE IS PRONE TO ERROR BECAUSE SOFTWARE INSTRUMENTS ARE TRYING TO MOVE HUGE WAV FILES AROUND IN MILLISECONDS BUT MIDI LILES ARE EASY TO MOVE FST THSTS WHY A MIDI KEYBOARD OR MIDI RACK MODULE WORKS U ONLY MOVE THE MIDI FILE IT GOES FROM THE DAW SEQUENCER TO THE MIDI KEYBOARD OR RACK MODULE U ALSO NEED A USB MDI INERFACE FOR COMPUTER SEQUEBCER TO GO TO MODULE IE MAUDIO MIDISPORT USB

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I've done sequenced background tracks live for many years. I've gone through a lot of various hardware/keyboard setups but always at the root of it I've used Digital Performer. It would turn into a novel if I tried to get into specifics of setups and lessons learned over the years but I've recently just completed my latest major update where I eliminated a rack mount synth and line mixer reducing my rack case from an 8 space to a 4. I switched to using a newer MBP with solid state drive, added a thunderbolt external SSD and replaced the MOTU 828mk3 with an 828x. I eliminated the midi interface a couple years ago and the two keyboards I use are connected via USB.

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Does Ableton allow you to enter and view parts on a standard score? Everything I've seen of it online seems to be oriented to everything BUT standard orchestral score notation.

 

I've got several hundred pages of multi-staff orchestral score to track against, so I really need that capability....

 

you might look at band in a box. protools has score editing as does digital performer and others.

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I've done sequenced background tracks live for many years. I've gone through a lot of various hardware/keyboard setups but always at the root of it I've used Digital Performer. It would turn into a novel if I tried to get into specifics of setups and lessons learned over the years but I've recently just completed my latest major update where I eliminated a rack mount synth and line mixer reducing my rack case from an 8 space to a 4. I switched to using a newer MBP with solid state drive' date=' added a thunderbolt external SSD and replaced the MOTU 828mk3 with an 828x. I eliminated the midi interface a couple years ago and the two keyboards I use are connected via USB.[/quote']

 

I'd been using midt tracks since the early 90s. I too went through different setups and keyboards, I stopped using them about 10 years ago and don't really feel the need any more. the customers of my solo act prefer the striped down version anyway. i have a band now to get those YA-YA's out,

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I'd been using midt tracks since the early 90s. I too went through different setups and keyboards, I stopped using them about 10 years ago and don't really feel the need any more. the customers of my solo act prefer the striped down version anyway. i have a band now to get those YA-YA's out,

 

I've always done it with a band, never used it for solo. I'm getting wore out on all this though and I'd like to get out of it but damn, is it ever hard to find a replacement!

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A big concern is timing. Are you going to play to a click/cue track?

 

A programable MIDI foot controller such as the Yamaha MFC10 may help you trigger the parts in real time.

 

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I would use ableton live and push. You can select various midi scenes in real time using the push controller. Large lighted buttons and made for live performance. https://www.ableton.com/en/push/

 

 

Its not just for beats or EM music, this can be used for much more than that.

 

And the best thing about Live is that the engine is utterly reliable - it just works. I don't think I've ever even talked to anyone who's experienced a crash - and that's absolutely crucial in a live performance situation...

 

That, plus a large-button MIDI foot controller for triggering like onelife mentioned would be my recommendation.

 

 

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you might look at band in a box. protools has score editing as does digital performer and others.

 

Pro Tools does allow you to edit using standard notation, but I still think C-Lab / Emagic did it better with Notator on the Atari ST back in the late 80s - MIDI has never been the strongest area of PT, although it certainly got better after versions 7-9. Nothing beats it IMO for audio editing though.

 

Steinbergerhack, are you running a Mac or a PC?

 

 

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And the best thing about Live is that the engine is utterly reliable - it just works. I don't think I've ever even talked to anyone who's experienced a crash - and that's absolutely crucial in a live performance situation...

 

That, plus a large-button MIDI foot controller for triggering like onelife mentioned would be my recommendation.

 

 

I've always wanted to like Live, I have version 8 yet. To the best of my knowledge it and DP are the only two programs that will allow you to have a whole list of independent multi-track sequences within one file. I seriously considered switching to Live at one point when I was rearranging/updating my keyboard rig but ran into a snag trying to send control/patch changes or sysex to one of my keyboards, I don't even recall the details now but ended up back with DP because I'm always crunched for time.

 

Recently I wanted to try it again when I needed a program for some sampling on a one off gig. I soon discovered that in order to get the multi-sampling that I needed I'd have to have the Suite version or get the add-on. Enter Reason 8 which I already had and with the ease of NN-XT (which I'd never actually dug into before) I got the job done with minimal fuss and no additional expense. Make no mistake that DP and Reason are also road tested solid programs.

 

Ironically I have found Live to be useful but it's more for the great time/pitch stretching capabilities it has when trying to work up songs while at home!

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A big concern is timing. Are you going to play to a click/cue track?

 

A programable MIDI foot controller such as the Yamaha MFC10 may help you trigger the parts in real time.

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"9401737_800.jpg","data-attachmentid":32175488}[/ATTACH]

 

Good thought! I have an ADA MIDI board that I generally use for my guitar rig, but might be able to get by without for this gig. I'm only playing a few of the tunes, conducting the majority.

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Pro Tools does allow you to edit using standard notation, but I still think C-Lab / Emagic did it better with Notator on the Atari ST back in the late 80s - MIDI has never been the strongest area of PT, although it certainly got better after versions 7-9. Nothing beats it IMO for audio editing though.

 

Steinbergerhack, are you running a Mac or a PC?

 

 

PC

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How many songs do you need to sequence' date=' and how many parts per song?[/quote']

 

5 songs, 2 or 3 tracks per.

 

Would a hardware sequencer (like say, a used Alesis MMT-8) be able to meet your needs?[

 

Maybe, if I can program it easily and validate against the score

 

Will you be creating the sequences in advance or live on the spot?

All in advance, and they need to be very precise and timing must be predictable.

 

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What about a cue feed for the drummer and / or rest of the band? If you're all going to play with sequences, that's absolutely essential...

 

The downside to a hardware sequencer is you won't be able to use standard notation with it unless you use a computer sequencer and then transfer the parts to the hardware sequencer.

 

 

 

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What about a cue feed for the drummer and / or rest of the band? If you're all going to play with sequences' date=' that's absolutely essential...[/quote']

 

We have two individual monitors for the pit, and we're using a Behringer X32 console so we can set mix easily. Shouldn't be a problem (famous last words before disaster strikes....).

 

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