Starting performing

[glamengine]

Hi! So right now I'm in the process of finishing up writing/recording my album but would like to start performing relatively soon (maybe over the Summer). I just don't really know exactly what I need for a live show.

 

It would most likely be an entirely solo show. I write, sing, and produce all my own music. All of my music is produced with Logic, and I was wondering people's advice on how to perform. I want to use all the instrumental tracks I have either as MP3 or through Logic itself, with backing vocals. I currently have no equipment for performing live and want to know what I need. So far I know I need a decent mic, keyboard, and ways to amplify their sound. I've heard a lot of people just using a keyboard amp for vocals but other people saying you should use a PA system. What equipment would I need to be able to play my instrumentals/backing vocals, and amplify voice and keyboard for relatively small venues (clubs, bars, etc.)? Most of my music is electronic pop and some alternative pop.

 

Thanks!!!

[pogo97]

Other folk can address backing tracks. If you're using Logic, then you probably have Mainstage. That's the matching live performance app.

 

I play keyboard and sing and wouldn't even consider singing through a keyboard amp. In fact, I send both keys and vocals to a powered monitor (an Electrovoice ZLX12P). You'd need a mixer for your tracks and likely a second powered speaker if you're playing venues where you're competing with talking/shouting/laughing. You may need 15 inch speakers if you want solid bass, or a subwoofer. But keep in mind who's going to be hauling this stuff around and storing it when it's not in use.

 

Spend some time checking out mic stands and keyboard stands etc etc. For keys, you'll need a boom stand that doesn't droop and a steady keyboard stand and a good adjustable bench or maybe a drummer's throne. Buy good cables. Since you're setting up for the first time, this is your chance to get the little things right. You can do worse than getting a good old Shure SM58 as a mic. If you learn how to use that mic, you'll know how to use the majority of mics you'll ever see.

[kbeaumont]

Yes that's what I do. Take your music, mute the tracks you want to do live and export it to the highest quality mp3. I would also advise adding a count in to the track say 4 closed high hat hits at low volume. To give you time to start after selecting 'play'.

Use Mainstage , your laptop, a cheap audio interface and a small mixer with built in effects with a couple powered speakers. Mainstage will allow you to play the same VSTs you recorded with. I like to use lounge lizard for EP and pianoteq stage for acoutic piano. Though Mainstage has all the sound that come with Logic. I would also highly recommend you invest in lighting this does a lot to enhance the audiences perception of the performance. What I like about Mainstage is you can load it up with a sets worth of songs with backing tracks and have all of your plugins loaded. Just select a song in performance mode and press play.

 

I have sets I do with keyboard and others with acoustic guitar. For the guitar I play the track and my guitar is plugged into pre-amp and then the mixer. The vocal goes to the mixer with a little reverb, you could also go into the interface and setup a channel input and use plugin effects.

I monitor using a cheap in ear system (Galaxy AS-900). This allows me to use a condenser vocal mic without worrying about feedback from monitors. If your using a dynamic mic you probably won't need it.

 

As a backup load your tracks into a phone or ipad and use a keyboard that has on board sounds not just a controller. If the computer fails you can still play. For most gigs a simple set of speakers or speaker works well. I use 2 JBL EON610s. A Mackie Reach or Bose L1 single speaker system would also probably work well for small to medium sized rooms 10 to 100 people.