Using Laptops live

nobodythere

I started messing around a while back with using my laptop as a synth/sampler live to save me the sickening amount of money it costs to get analog synthesisers.

I'm using a free program called Plogue which you can plug VST'S into and re-route them in different ways. It's good, but I have a few problems with it. It's kind of unstable and crashes quite a bit, it hogs resources unnecessarily and trying to configure it with different patches is very unintuitive, a frickin nightmare when it comes to playing live.

This was all fine when I was just fiddling about, but I'm playing a gig with a band at the end of May and it needs to be replaced.

Ableton doesn't suit due to lack of VST support and is seemingly limited when it comes to more advanced configurations.

Can anyone suggest an alternative?

cornbb

Ableton Live does have VST support. Hmm. I'm not sure what else to suggest - you could try EnergyXT, its not designed for live performances but it would still do the trick, its cheap, reliable, and has great routing capabilities.

Frankiestylee

Is Ableton live the generally recommended software for this sorta stuff? I have it but never really got down to using it, but I feel the time for live synth action may once again be upon us.

cornbb

It is popular yes, but its not a 100% universally useful solution. Live is a really great piece of kit but it can't do everything. Those with a more adventurous DIY approach might prefer something like Bidule or Reaktor, or anyone interested in more serious programming might want to check out Max/MSP or Pure Data.

jimi_t

grasshopa wrote:

Ableton doesn't suit due to lack of VST support and is seemingly limited when it comes to more advanced configurations.

I'm sorry to pull you up on this mate, but you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Why don't you go onto the ableton site or just google it for tips. It's exactly what you need.

nobodythere

Thanks jimi_t, I must have misunderstood completely, when I googled it I got

I try to use my VST instruments in Live, but they don't show up in the VST Plug-in-Window.
Unfortunately, you can't use VST instruments within Live. Any VST instruments in your Plug-in directory will be ignored when you launch the program.

I'll have a look into it but I'm still not sure if it's what I'm after.

Thanks all

ogy

wherever that quotes from is way off the ball, vsts in ableton work great

eddyc

ogy wrote:

wherever that quotes from is way off the ball, vsts in ableton work great

Live has had VSTi support since version 5 I think.

Regardless of this it is still pretty risky enabling VSTi's for playing a gig, you are running this risk of another thing going wrong and taking your whole system down.

If you have to use VSTi's I'd recommend using a second laptop to host them and syncing them via midi if you have to.

Otherwise , use a hardware synth or loops or both. Its the least risky setup.

jimi_t

eddyc wrote:

Regardless of this it is still pretty risky enabling VSTi's for playing a gig, you are running this risk of another thing going wrong and taking your whole system down.

Ableton is very stable once you have your OS configured and stripped to the bare bones. Many prominent artists and DJs use it week in-week out.

Otherwise , use a hardware synth...

Grasshopa wrote:

I started messing around a while back with using my laptop as a synth/sampler live to save me the sickening amount of money it costs to get analog synthesisers.

Now, *vintage* analog synthesisers are expensive, but analog synthesisers in themselves aren't that bad. You can get a fantastic new 3 Osc monophonic with built-in step sequencer (and warranty) for 469 shipped from Thomann (MFB)



Or if you need polyphony there are a ton of fantastic VA (Virtual Analog; digital synths emulating analog basically) out there. The Korg MS2000 or Microkorg, the Alesis Ion or Micron, the Novation K-Station/Xio... the list literally goes on and on.

In fact, depending on what you're using it for, one of these would might suit you extremely well

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/feb96/akaisg01.html

I've one for sale on adverts at the moment as I recently bought both the Korg MS2000 and the Alesis Micron.

eddyc

jimi_t wrote:

Ableton is very stable once you have your OS configured and stripped to the bare bones

Its not Ableton I'd be worried about, its the VSTis you'd be loading it up with, some are solid enough, but there are a few (Stylus RMX for example) that tend to crap out and take Live with them sometimes.

jimi_t

eddyc wrote:

Its not Ableton I'd be worried about, its the VSTis you'd be loading it up with, some are solid enough, but there are a few (Stylus RMX for example) that tend to crap out and take Live with them sometimes.

True, especially those made with synthedit imo. Another option might be to use one of the few standalone ones - Minimogue VA for example is superb.

frobisher

Computers live should also be expected to cause problems. Be prepared. I used to gig with usually rock solid PC tower set up that when on the road crashed far more. I then got a mac ibook. Guess what? It crashed at gigs. I was saved more than once by having all my backing and midi tracks on a minidisc with a portable player.

Savman

The only time I've used laptop at gigs was for playing background music etc. and safe to say never in a million years would I rely on one to do anything remotely important. These things have a mind of their own, if (or "when") it crashes it could take 10mins to get it back up and running, if it comes back at all.
I don't think laptops are designed to withstand severe shock and vibrations that comes from live speakers, particularly PA subwoofers, Bass Amps and Bass drums - all of which generate massive sound waves that travel further and physically move stuff along the way.
Logic would lead one to assume all that vibrating has to have some kind of effect on the internal workings of a laptop and all it takes is for one small thing to go and yer fooked.

Laptops live? Not for me thanks.

unclebill98

Well Savman...twas not a mac. I've seen tons of bands use laptops live and theres always a gig where it does do its thing. BellX1, SFA, 1000's of dance acts. The Sub's of a PA can knock the arm off the hard drive thus stalling the computer. If you gotta use one, try a small 12" screen one, they tend to be more sturdy and place it on them air bed things that you use for decks. But when it fails dont say you where not warned....

Anima

I think heat would be a big problem for enclosed places. Most laptops aren't designed to work in a sauna

thebookofbob

I spent a good while trying to come up with a cooling solution for my laptop if it were to end up in a live situation with gut wrenching bass & 40C plus 90% humidity.. I thought of papst fan blowers & house vacuum tubes blowing cold air on it among other solutions like large desk fan blowers etc.. but the obvious answer was there all along..

If your in a club there's gonna be 240v .. a laptop is a compromise scenario from day 1.. most drives are 5400rpm , hard-drives are smaller .. processors are normally slower etc..etc.. & at full chug things are going to go wrong. It's a fragile bit of kit ( unless you get the milspec aluminium case stuff )

Why not a small form factor PC like a Dell GX260 or similar.. with a couple of extra fans, **** load of memory & a 15 or 17" LCD.. I can carry this setup around with out much bother. It's a cheaper solution to a laptop , it's not a fragile & if something goes wrong then at least I can take the thing apart & replace the bits.

Ok so it may not score well if you're trying to look cool but how cool is having to reboot the entire setup while the people in front of you take the p!ss

I'd also recommend something that has an inbuilt midi interface like an audiophile 2496 rather than use a USB cable to a midi controller as if it comes out mid set ( in cubase , not sure about live ) you'll find yourself re-starting the program as your effectively removing the device.. Card built in midi won't do this, if the cable comes out, plug it back in , you've lost a few notes not 2 or 3 mins.

ogy

bit off topic, but ive always been a bit hesitant about using a laptop live for the obvious reasons, as a kind of compromise ive been thinking of getting an akai mpc1000 to use as a live sequencer/sampler, anyone have any experience with these things?