On stage: Mac Mini...or Receptor...or...?

[vihreamies]

Hi all,

 

Does anybody have experience using Mac Mini on stage? Does it necessarily need monitor or keyboard, if you set it up properly at home? Or is this too hazard solution anyway? I'd be using Mainstage.

 

I've been looking for a Receptor too, but it feels a little too much for me. I would only need 3 instruments. Piano, Wurly and Mellotron samples. I have Scarbee already for Wurly and been thinking about M-Tron Pro for Mellotron. Piano plug-in is still under investigation. Would older Receptor be enough (Rev C?)? And how they have worked?

 

There's another hardware plug-in player coming from Sm Pro Audio called V-Rack, but it still hasn't come to markets, and it's little brother called V-Machine have had major problems, I've heard.

 

***

 

Hope someone can help,

best,

-Vm

 

 

[Joe Muscara]

I think you'd need a monitor (and input device) with MainStage. I could be wrong.

[Nicky]

I've been think about a Mini too for gigging. You don't really need a monitor or computer keybd if you've set it up in advance. Being that your setup is pretty simple I would think a mini would work great. You would set it up so that upon powering up, the computer would automatically launch Mainstage and load your setup.....but Mainstage is not crash free. I have had to quit Mainstage and re launch in the middle of a gig....using a Mini you would have to restart the computer.

But I also heard that you can use a Iphone app to see your computer screen, so that might be the solution if you have to "get to the computer" during a gig.

 

[MoodyBluesKeys]

There are also BlackBerry apps that will make remote connection to a computer, not sure if Mac available. Both this and the iPhone would require some form of connection to the Mini - the built-in Bluetooth would probably be simplest, although the new BlackBerry Storm2 has Wi-Fi built in as well as Bluetooth.

 

Small screen size on either phone; but probably enough to reload. If you want something larger, try using a netbook. For that matter, there are some pretty small monitors and keyboards made for the business POS (point of sale) market.

[Jonathan Hughes]

There are a bunch of cheap small monitors that connect via USB that probably be fine for launching applications and doing minor mucking around at a gig:

 

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/02/mini-usb-monito/

[mate stubb]

Monitors? iPhones? Computer keyboards? On stage? Really?

 

I don't see how you can rock when you have to be a computer jockey on stage. I'd much rather have a computer appliance like a Receptor, with a well set up master controller.

[midinut]

And since Receptor has been mentioned you should also be aware that there is a new kid in town. SoundSlate from Open Labs. $1999 plus $399 for a little touch-screen and you are in business.

 

http://www.openlabs.com/soundslate.html

 

[fjzingo]

V-machine is another solution, much cheaper than the others.

 

http://www.smproaudio.com/produkte/v-machines/v-machine.html

 

Fred

[vihreamies]

Thanks fellows,

 

I agree with Mate Stubb, that, atleast in this situation, I couldn't really rock with monitor. I need to have simplest solution possible since I'm leading the band and singing also.

 

I was thinking about the Mini, cause I could save money for not buying a Receptor. I have Mainstage already etc. But does anyone have experience on older Receptors? For example, if I we're using Scarbees, Ivory and M-tron Pro, would older Muse be enough?

 

Yea, I discovered Soundslate yesterday. Interesting...but where are the knobs for volume and patch change (I guess those could be done via midi)? And also there wasn't that much info on the website...?

 

-Vm

[mate stubb]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

 

Tony has mucho Receptor experience, maybe he will chime in here.

[GovernorSilver]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

 

Orren (kanker's co-author of the Logic Power books) uses Mainstage.

 

Perhaps you are referring to another product?

[Nicky]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

there's a ton of people using Mainstage-it's very real.

[ADino]

A lot using Receptor also..I use a Rectr, I dont want to use a monitor on stage...I think a laptop would be good, but again, taking into account equipment, as a lot of gigs I do are quick ins n outs, Id rather use less. I dont take the Recptr out all of the time as I only use Ivory, so its plug n play..and lately since getting a gx I use it less. The Rec/Ivory is better than the gx, but the gx is closer than my previous board.

[ADino]

These other vst players look good, does anyone here have any experience first hand with the 2 mentioned? V Machine..open Labs?

[Mike Davis]

There are a lot of rumors about a new tablet from Apple. May or may not be powerful enough, but I'd certainly wait and check it out. End of January, so say the rumors

[Aidan]

The Mac tablet has been mooted so many times, it's acquired mythic status close to the unicorn. Maybe this time we'll see it, but I've seen the Apple community hype this one up time and again and Jobs hasn't come up with what they wanted. January 26 is the slated date for this upcoming "special event", so I'd agree with Mike that the OP should at least hold fire until then.

 

For me, the main disincentive to use Mainstage would not be the technology or interface, but the fact that it involves leaving a very nickable Apple computer around. If you can secure the stage, no problem, but that's very rarely possible in the gigs I work.

[Mike Davis]

January 26 is the slated date . . .

 

you said 'slated.' You must know something!!!

[Aidan]

I picked that up on the Apple Nova forum. Apparently, Apple have booked some venue for one of their "special events" on that day. But that can be anything from the magnitude of, say, the iPhone launch, to "we're putting a bunch of new processors inside these here iMacs".

 

 

[ADino]

The thing about Apple, LogicPro is used by so many people for so many apps, that they of all people should be looking into their own vstplayer...tadaa, the Apple AU player..or something like that...but..it would probably only play Logic instruments, so that wouldnt work for me...unless they came up w/a Steiner grand that would make me want to abandon Ivory...yea, right...

[jarrell]

For me, the main disincentive to use Mainstage would not be the technology or interface, but the fact that it involves leaving a very nickable Apple computer around. If you can secure the stage, no problem, but that's very rarely possible in the gigs I work.

Aidan, you hit one of the Mainstage problems on the head... Rackmounted gear is much less likely to get stolen, due to it's size and weight, than a laptop (or Mac Mini).

 

[Mike Davis]

I picked that up on the Apple Nova forum. Apparently, Apple have booked some venue for one of their "special events" on that day. But that can be anything from the magnitude of, say, the iPhone launch, to "we're putting a bunch of new processors inside these here iMacs".

 

 

Right, I thought you were making a pun on 'iSlate,' which is one of the names that the rumor mill is kicking about. Or should I say 'rumour mill?'

[vihreamies]

Yea, I have had Macbook on stage couple of times, and I always had the feeling, that something is gonna happen to it...now decided that never take a laptop to stage anymore, even it was a dream sounding instrument having all my fav sounds around, and all really went well after all.

 

So sad, I think music instrument industry have been sleeping, cause there's only these opportunities for hardware plug-in players available. In 5 years I predict it'll change...hopefully.

 

After tasting this opportunity having an open system with all plug-ins in the world, it's difficult to get back to modules and keyboards that have sounds more or less written in the stone.

 

-Vm

 

 

[BP3]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

Eddie Jobson uses Mainstage live (not that he plays out very often).

[midinut]

 

After tasting this opportunity having an open system with all plug-ins in the world, it's difficult to get back to modules and keyboards that have sounds more or less written in the stone.

 

I agree. Sometimes it's hard for me as well. When I sit with my DAW in front of me I have this vast amount of VST instruments at my disposal. When I go out live I have my ES6 and/or M3. Not complaining about the technology I'm lucky enough to have but on stage I'm always wishing I had all or parts of my DAW rig with me in a portable form. THAT is what makes the SoundSlate appeal to me. Not only can I load my VSTs but also my DAW(s). Imagine having a portable Pro Tools/Logic/Cubase/Ableton/Sonar rig that you could also pair with a MIDI controller and take back to your room and write. The little 8.5" Controller II touchscreen comes close to having a monitor, keyboard, and mouse without having a monitor, keyboard and mouse. 8.5" is not much bigger than the LCD on my M3... yet it could feasably control my entire rig. It also would seem that you could pull up your DAW and play just the tracks you wanted to accompany you and play along. That to me would be so much more do-able than playing against live MIDI tracks. For big productions, it's already being touted as the way to handle pre-programmed tracks.

 

I'm with you guys about secure stages and using a monitor onstage. I tried the laptop thing once or twice and had more noise issues than anything (probably from improper grounding of stage lights) and using the battery for me was not an option. Good idea - bad experience.

[Synthoid]

Monitors? iPhones? Computer keyboards? On stage? Really?

 

I don't see how you can rock when you have to be a computer jockey on stage.

 

+1

[Hobo]

I've been using Mainstage live since it came out, and am very happy with it's sheer flexibility. Only just switched to using a Macbook pro but before that I used a 1.66 Mac Mini with a 7" touchscreen all tucked neatly into a box I made.

[Aidan]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

Eddie Jobson uses Mainstage live (not that he plays out very often).

 

And when he does, you can bet there's someone there to see no-one swipes his Macbook.

[e-keys]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

Eddie Jobson uses Mainstage live (not that he plays out very often).

 

And when he does, you can bet there's someone there to see no-one swipes his Macbook.

 

And someone to help set up a plan B if the computer crashes. (i.g. pull out the rack module) Hint: don't sell your old gear just yet

 

 

[mate stubb]

Mainstage is still vaporware at this point - nobody has seen one in the wild.

 

Aargh. Meant to say: SoundSlate is still vaporware, not Mainstage.

[Mark Schmieder]

Another thing to consider with all the options available is latency.

 

My guess would be that Receptor is the only device approaching the reactivity of a dedicated hardware instrument.