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| | | Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 5/3/2008 7:59 PM
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| The band I'm playing in is beginning to experiment with adding loops to our live mix. Right now we create the loops in GarageBand and then export them to an iPod and use that to trigger each loop. The problem is that it takes way too much effort to change anything during rehearsal (ie tempo or arrangement). GarageBand works good at changing things, but since you can't have more than one file open at a time it takes way too long to switch between songs for live performances.
Is there a piece of software that does everything we need it to - create loops, arrange loops, and play them in a manner conducive to live performance? It won't be a problem at all to have a computer on stage with us to do everything. |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 10:54 AM
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| Hi jparker, welcome to the forums!
For what you want to do on stage I'd recommend FL Studio. It's very flexible and you can control any kind of events through midi. If you don't have a midi interface you can still program the changes and locate them at the appropiated time (for example, you can define when an effect is triggered using the event editor for that effect). There are several ways for doing things like volume/pan changes, tempo variations and effect triggering: an automation clip, the event editor, the internal controller plugin, a midi remote control, etc. I suppose you are familiarized with FL Studio as you have worked with loops before, or if you're not there are many tutorials on the web, and the help files of the software are very detailed.
For song transition you could put all the songs one after another in the playlist (FL Studio also doesn't support more than a file open at a time) and set the start/end of each song through midi control or, if not using midi, you can just pause, go to the next bar and resume playback from there. The latter approach isn't difficult at all as you only need to press one or two keys on your computer. If your band is well sinchronized enough you can program the whole show and just let FL Studio run, for this you'll need a soundcard with multiple outputs and some individual monitors (in-ear or headphones), so through one output you send the loops to you and the audience and through a second output you send the click of the metronome and any start/stop message only to you (I mean, you and your bandmates).
I don't know if GarageBand has the same level of functionality as FL Studio as I've never used it, but with a fast computer, a multiple-output souncard (how is Mac's), several personal monitors and a lot of imagination you can do almost anything. And if you lack some of the gear you won't regret investing into it!
Opps, and if you have a Mac you'll need BootCamp. If you decide to bring a PC just remember not to use Windows Vista, the audio plays very choppy, stick with Windows XP.
My other drumset is a Steinway. |
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