Playing sample and loop based music as a live performance.

raindog.promo

Hey folks,

I'm too sure if this in the right section but here goes.
I came from a guitars/bass/drums tradition type of band setup but lately I've been putting together a setup which just includes myself and a singer. I'm playing guitar, bass with my feet and using drum loops.

1 or 2 of the songs are made entirely of loops and the singer wants to do them live. I can't figure out how to play these tunes live as it seems like just getting p and pressing play. I listen to dance bands and have seen Orbital and Underworld but still can't get my head around doing the tunes in a live setting.

Is it fading loops in and out, using filters in real time?
Thought this might get more replies here as bands & musicians section seems to be predominantly guitarists.
Any help and suggestions appreciated.

Thanks.

Neurojazz

Pretend like you're really busy or jam over the top.

krd

raindog.promo wrote: »

1 or 2 of the songs are made entirely of loops and the singer wants to do them live. I can't figure out how to play these tunes live as it seems like just getting p and pressing play. I listen to dance bands and have seen Orbital and Underworld but still can't get my head around doing the tunes in a live setting.

Well the singer will be live.

A lot of dance groups - and even those who aren't - play loops or whole pre-recorded tracks.

There are quite a few photos out there of musicians giving it loads to mixtures and filters on instruments, and you can clearly see the instruments are connected to nothing and sometimes they don't even have the power connected.

If the singer mimes it probably is cheating.

mordeith

You could always get an MPC and trigger the loops that way. At least it would be a 'live' performance in that you would actually be controlling when the loops come in and out and it leaves room for improvisation.

Radiosurfer

If you're playing the loops into a loop pedal then you are performing. Isn't that what KT Tunstall did when she blew the roof off Later with Jools all those years ago?
http://youtu.be/pdu_IWxSSk4
That is performing. Unless you can't reproduce what you're looping live? In that case I'd look into Ableton Live. Lots of possibilities for live manipulation to keep you busy.

Radiosurfer

Just re-read your post and say that your just talking about drum loops. Then look into Ableton, lot's of live performance possibilities.

raindog.promo

Thanks for the replies.

Here's my setup:



Basically, I got fed up of having to rely on unreliable people and people that wouldn't jam more than once a week for 2 or 3 hours. So, I'm doing the music and working with a vocalist.

I'm using Reason 6 at the moment. People recommend Ableton but right now I have no more money.
RC50 can (bottom left) can be used for live looping and controls tempo.
FCB1010 (bottom right) can be used to trigger loops/select instruments/volume changes [midi controls, basically]
PK5A (Middle) I use to play bass lines (Bass/moog or Organ at the moment).

I'm really making things up as I go along.
One tune has 3 loops going over and over through Reason with vocals being live looped through the RC50. You can have a listen here if you want:
http://soundcloud.com/dermotbohan/commarra-girl-m-loops-to

Another is just triggering drumloops through Reason and playing bass with the PK5A. Here:
http://soundcloud.com/dermotbohan/then-the-rains-come

As I said I'm just making it up as I go along, but want to make it as far from just pressing a button once while onstage. IE - I don't want to pretend to be giving it loads, and was wondering if the people on this forum knew how other bands that use loops mostly do it.

*incidently, I'm looking to work with someone who's into programming drums and playing them live too would be great. I'd rather have drum loops made from scratch than the standard ones I'm using sat the moment.

Radiosurfer

Wow, nice set up. I'll PM u my number and we can talk about programming drums. I've been playing a live set with Ableton Live for a couple of years now with various controllers and playing/building programmed drums live. Is that a fender jaguar?

mordeith

Holy **** balls! I've never seen so many foot switches in one place! Nice

raindog.promo

Radiosurfer wrote: »

Wow, nice set up. I'll PM u my number and we can talk about programming drums. I've been playing a live set with Ableton Live for a couple of years now with various controllers and playing/building programmed drums live. Is that a fender jaguar?

Sound, I should point out I'm in Dublin btw.
It's a Jaguar HH special. 2 Humbuckers. Not the best to be honest.

mordeith wrote: »

Holy **** balls! I've never seen so many foot switches in one place! Nice

Cheers. One drawback is that one leg ends up quite sore from having to take the weight of your body most of the time

electrogrimey

How about loading the drum samples onto something like this: http://www.thomann.de/ie/roland_spd_sx_sampling_pad.htm?sid=7976eed902a2007d0859271dd2423193

Playing them live, or having a drummer play them live, and loop them live with the loop pedal? Eliminates the need for a laptop, and makes it completely live.

raindog.promo

electrogrimey wrote: »

How about loading the drum samples onto something like this: http://www.thomann.de/ie/roland_spd_sx_sampling_pad.htm?sid=7976eed902a2007d0859271dd2423193

Playing them live, or having a drummer play them live, and loop them live with the loop pedal? Eliminates the need for a laptop, and makes it completely live.

Thanks, I'm looking into the possibility of getting a live drummer and I've no money for any new equipment. I do however have a V-drum kit which could also be used but want to avoid that as I've enough gear to be transporting as it is!

Dramatik

I see you've a midi keyboard there, you could just bounce your drums as loops, load them into one of the samplers in reason and use your midi keyboard to trigger the appropriate drum parts as loops. Or even if you need the keyboard to play musical parts you could split the keyboard, have your drums on the first octave and then have say an octave of an electric piano on the other. It should be easily done using the nn-xt sampler within reason.

hubiedubie

Get an Octatrack, should do all you need and more. Will give you the flexibility to 'play' and mangle the loops live. I can't recommend this device enough.

Radiosurfer

Two problems with the octatrack:
A) You'll need all your free time to work out how to use it. Looks incredibly deep and complex.
You'll need to sell all your other gear to afford one, they're over €1500 as I recall.

But hey, if I had loads of time and money I would be all over it. Unfortunately I have insufficient amounts of both.

hubiedubie

Radiosurfer wrote: »

Two problems with the octatrack:
A) You'll need all your free time to work out how to use it. Looks incredibly deep and complex.
You'll need to sell all your other gear to afford one, they're over €1500 as I recall.(

They're not cheap. But you can get them new for €1200. Second hand for less. Plenty of them sell on www.elektron-users.com.

It is very deep but it's pretty easy to get a tune going in it in a few minutes.

danabrism

Interesting setup there... can you preload your loops into the BC50 and just trigger them live, rather than creating them on the go?

For live electronic music, Ableton is the obvious choice - I've used it with a couple of launchpads (at least the bright flashing buttons make it more interesting for the audience, and the loops are triggered live, if nothing else).

What venues would you be playing at? Would definitely like to see your set once you get out and about... (would also like to start doing a few gigs myself, but not sure where to go...)