Live sequencing...

[part1sts]

A few months ago, I was gonna buy something like a fantom because it has a sequencer built in. After a lot of researching and testing instruments out at shops, I have discovered that I like messing around with sounds more than just playing them. Now I am considering a nord keyboard. Maybe the electro or whatever. If I want to sequence during live performances, what would be one of the best ways to do so. Please scratch the idea of a computer, laptop or what not. That is not going to happen for me especially after buying an expensive synth. Even with the virus, I want to know the best way to sequence on stage.

Just to make it clear, Ill describe a scenario. Lets say for a specific song, I want middle C to be hit constantly for every 3 beats.... Obviously the sequencing will not be that simple, but I want to be able to trigger sounds, so I will be able to layer more of them.

[part1sts]

...???

[mwestenberg]

I know you said not computer, but.. uhh.. computer. My sequencer is a free Pentium100 running a free version of Cubasis (MIDI only). It is not hard to come up with cheap boxes at that performance level and MIDI doesn't need more, especially not for mere playback. You could probably even score a laptop with a minimal investment. Get a joystick/MIDI cable and you're set unless you get a laptop and then you'll probably need and interface.

[Sven Golly]

You could always check eBay for a hardware sequencer... look for Roland MC-50, Korg SQD-1, and the like. That's one option.

 

Cheers,

SG

[Super 8]

Originally posted by mwestenberg:

It is not hard to come up with cheap boxes at that performance level and MIDI doesn't need more, especially not for mere playback.

I used a 286 laptop that someone gave me, and ran Cakewalk 5 DOS. That worked great until the hard drive died. But then I found a Pentuim 500mhz laptop in someones garbage....so I'm back in business.

[Michelle ggurl]

Allow me to ask an elementary question:

 

When you guys use your old-generation computers and a program like Cakewalk, are you doing just MIDI sequencing -- controlling sounds of one of your keyboards, say -- or are you able to control WAV files, loops, etc. effectively and reliably as well?

 

I've been resisting the computer thing because of concerns of reliability onstage, live. Comments?

[billjv]

Hi all,

 

I have just been through all of this decision making as I prepare for my first gig with a new band, and we are running some sequences. Originally I would sequence the songs in Cubase or Cakewalk on my desktop computer and transfer the sequence to an Alesis Datadisk (don't laugh, I know it's an 80's box and uses floppys but it still works!) Then the Datadisk would send the entire sequence out via midi to my rig.

 

There were some significant disadvantages to just using the Datadisk, such as not being able to pause the sequence during rehearsals (we'd have to start the whole song over again!). So, after much consideration, I decided to get into the 21st century and buy a laptop. I got a new laptop that I'm happy with for under $1000. I'm using Cakewalk Pro 8 to edit sequences on it, and Cakewalk Pro 8 comes with this nifty utility called "Virtual Jukebox" which lets me play a setlist of Cakewalk sequence files one after the other. It also lets you select whether it will pause between songs, immediately start playing the next one, or wait for the spacebar to be pressed. It's a VERY handy utility, and apparently Sonar, Cubase, and several other programs now in existance do NOT have this utility. In fact, it's why I'm not using the Cubase program to run my sequences - there was no way to set up a setlist other than compiling all of my sequences into one long, linear file. I can't use something like Windows Media player or some other midi file player becuase the Cubase and Cakewalk software are assigning specific channels to specific MIDI ports (I'm using a Steinberg MIDISport 4x4), which does not happen with those simple MIDI players.

 

Anyway, as suggested by others, if you really want flexibility and reliability in sequence playback, get a laptop, especially if you are wanting to integrate VST softsynths or .wav file playback into your rig. You can carry a cloned hard-drive if you feel you need a backup, or even a CD player and audio CDs burned/mixed with the sequenced audio on one channel and a click track on the other, just in an emergency. If your computer fries during a song, get through the song and then just use the CDs to get you through the rest of the gig. It's much better knowing you have a backup, even if it means mono instead of stereo and low-tech vs. high tech.

 

We've also just decided to run our lighting from the laptop as well, via a spare MIDI channel. Now all of our songs will be guided by a click track (that's both a good and bad thing, but it's going to make our light show MUCH better!) Obviously, if we ever have to resort to using the audio CD backup solution then our lighting will not be controlled, but if there is some catastrophe like that then we have bigger problems than customized lighting.

 

Good luck, and if anyone else has any suggestions I'd be interested too.

 

BV

[mwestenberg]

Geekgurl,

I'm using my oldy but goody strictly for MIDI sequence playback. If I need to trigger samples I load them into a RAM card in my Alesis synth and trigger that with the MIDI sequence. Its possible to do it all in the box with an older computer if you have a sequencer program that is not terribly processor hungry, and you have a good amount of RAM and a faster hard drive. I think it would help too if your sequence did not have tons of samples or many playing back all at once.