Using DP for Live Performance - Suggestions?

[csiaudio]

Hey all!

I am putting together a band and have a slight plan of using DP and my Mac Pro while playing out. I would like to describe what equipment I will use and then ask some questions:

Mac Pro 3.0 Dual Quad w/6 Gig's RAM
UAD-2 (two cards)
UAD-1 (one card)
RME Fireface 800 with enough inputs for live

With the latency of the Mac Pro I can take it to 128 samples without any issue even while loading up most all the plugs I need using the UAD cards. The goal is to have a controlled, sweet mix using plugs like my Neve's compressors, 140 Plate Reverb, Neve 88 EQ et cetera --- for Guitars/Bass I will use Peavey's ReValver --- Drums I will bus to a Aux track which will compress and add verb.

So my question's are:
What would be the best way to change settings from one song to another? I thought of saving each 'mix' of the song as a separate DP file but there is load time in addition if you go into another song without stopping between. Obviously I would mainly do this for the guitar settings to change that's really the main reason.
Second question: If the computer does lock, which it has been extremely stable during sessions so that possibility is kind of low but it's still there. Anyway to have a 'plan B' that anyone has thought of?

Any other thoughts or issues that you fine folks have encountered?

Thanks for any insight that you may offer.

[dirty penguin]

What would be the best way to change settings from one song to another? I thought of saving each 'mix' of the song as a separate DP file but there is load time in addition if you go into another song without stopping between

I use DP live 3 nights a week. The way to go is by using chunks. Have each song a seperate chunk. The way I use it - each set is a different DP file. I have it set to "cue chunks" so when one song is finished, the next chunk will be cued up - and all I have to do is hit the space bar from my remote keyboard.

It sounds like you're using DP as an effects unit for guitars and bass- if that's the case - I can't help you with that. That's a ton of processing going on and a higher chance for disaster. I print any effects I'm using. I suggest keeping your live rig as simple as possible.

If possible, don't have anything pre-mixed. I send the outs from my 828 to a line mixer - where adjustments can be made. Different rooms need different mixes and being stuck with a mix inside DP won't give you any flexibility.

Second question: If the computer does lock, which it has been extremely stable during sessions so that possibility is kind of low but it's still there. Anyway to have a 'plan B' that anyone has thought of?

You're computer will crash live. It's Murphy's Law. I have a back up mp3 on my ipod ready to go always. I also have a back up hard drive with all my files I keep nearby. Some pro tours used to sync up digital tape of the sequences as a backup. Now i belive they all have 2 or more pc's running in sync. If that's not enough - I have cd audio copy and a CD player in the truck - in case the unforseen happens.

I highly reccomend using chunks. I don't think an audience would want to be waiting for each file to load. And if you're using DP as an effects unit - you may have to use a V-rack - something I rarely use - but others here use vracks all the time. Good luck to ya.

[SixStringGeek]

Hey all!

I am putting together a band and have a slight plan of using DP and my Mac Pro while playing out.....

Thanks for any insight that you may offer.

Your setup might be on the ambitious side. But I personally don't think DP is a very good live platform for a keyboardist - too complicated - which is why I wrote Jambalaya. I had playing keyboards and guitar in mind when I wrote it. Anyhow, you can get a free license to check it out through http://audiofreakshow.com

Its worth a look.

[ggm1960]

The setup you're talking about seems like a recipe for disaster in a live situation. Sure it's great equipment you have...........for the recording studio.

I played my first gig using the backing tracks I've created in DP last month. It went very well overall. I have all my sequences as chunks and use MIDI patch change messages from my Roland XP-30 (typically spinning the jog wheel) to change between songs. I try to rely on MIDI sent to external hardware synths for most of the heavy lifting and any soft synth stuff is bounced to audio to minimize processor strain. Additionally I'm sending sequenced patch change messages to my Digitech GSP1101 guitar processor, Antares AVP-1 vocal processor, Lexicon MX200 effects processor and there is also a MIDI track for the lighting controller.
The MIDI is dished out via a MIDI Timepiece AV which has a foot switch plugged in for play/stop that can be used as a "panic" button if the band gets out of sync (all our songs are playable without the backing tracks and we soldier on).

At our gig I only had to use the panic button about four times, not bad for a full four hour gig and the first time using this method to boot. Even then I had a weird problem occur with my new MBP. When we took our first break I closed the lid on the MBP and when we went back up I opened it up and the display stayed blank. I had to remove the battery for a hard reboot and didn't have any more problems. This problem had never occurred before and has not occurred since. It just goes to show that something is bound to go wrong.

[Martini Hill]

Hey ggm 1960. Congrats on your success with DP live. I am setting things up to do the same thing. Question......when you tweak a certain song (chunk) within your live project it gets saved within the "live" project not the original file. I had assumed that any tweaks or changes would be saved within the original file so that when I drag it into a new live project it will retain my changes. How do I get around this problem?

[ggm1960]

Hey ggm 1960. Congrats on your success with DP live. I am setting things up to do the same thing. Question......when you tweak a certain song (chunk) within your live project it gets saved within the "live" project not the original file. I had assumed that any tweaks or changes would be saved within the original file so that when I drag it into a new live project it will retain my changes. How do I get around this problem?

I'd built up all the songs we play as chunks within one large project file called LiveBand. For me there was no "original file" per se. There were a few instances where I imported audio from an OMF file that had been created in Sonar or an audio file from Reason, and a few times when I opened a different MIDI file, copied a MIDI track and then pasted it into my LiveBand project.
Some sequencer programs will allow for more than one open project at a time but not DP. As far as I'm aware, when working with a DP project the only things saved are the things within that particular project. Note that I'm only familiar with DP5.13, perhaps there is some other way in DP6.

[rainy-taxi]

I use DP 5.13 for live performances. I'm in a Genesis tribute band. I use DP for the drummachine parts and the occasional sequenced parts. And I also use it as a host for virtual instruments to be played live.

I did the last two gigs with it and it worked without a flaw! So what I actually did is use chunks (like already suggested before), though they aren;t cued up. I have an external apple keyboard attached to my macbook (white one, core solo, first model coming out). The function keys call up the chunks. Every song is a chunk.
I have a V-rack with a couple of instances of model 12 (great sampler!) which are loaded with the samples I need (linndrum, tr808 and some custom stuff like the clocks for no son of mine and sounds for a clicktrack). Also some aux tracks with the LA convolver plugin inserted (for various reverbs). These are always running.

Every chunk has it's own tracklist. Sometimes I have virtual instruments running in a chunk (which aren't needed for other songs—which is why I didn't put them in the V-rack). I can still process them with the reverbs from the V-rack and assign MIDI inputs to them if I want to play them live.

Every time we change song, I press one of the function keys and the song will be loaded. I use spacebar for start/stop and I use the arrows for marker forward/backward. The big 0 is for loop play on/off.
It works like a charm!

Using a presonus firestudio 26 as the interface. Stereo feed for the FOH (with the drummachine, effects on there), I have clicktrack feeds running to my own mixer and the drummer's mixer (so that he should stay on track and I can check the click) and there is a stereo feed for my mixer with the virtual instruments I play live. I highly recommend it. Its flexible and it works like a charm.

I remember that madonna used DP for the last tour. The whole concert was run from a g4, everything audio and MIDI tracks with processing. Even the whole band was recorded and could be swapped with sequenced versions when needed.