I don’t play out with a laptop.
Most people already know that. What I do play out with is a pile of different devices (pedals, synths, mixers, samplers, whatever else) all connected together. As a dude with a pile of stuff who is often playing with other acts who just have a laptop, I try to keep my setup as self-contained as possible. I want to be able– like a laptop artist– to just plug in power, plug in L/R audio, and rock. So, I have everything in a road case, all connected up, with just power leads coming out, and master L/R audio coming out. Check out the setup I was using in January of last year.
See how nice and compact that is? Iphone to run the samples (Beatmaker FTW), pedals to process samples or do feedback loops, and the DJ mixer to mix and route everything. Nice.
Eventually, I got interested in the Nord modular synth line, and decided that would be a fun thing to integrate. The idea of the Nord modular stuff is that it’s a complete virtual modular synth with oscillators, filters, shapers, mixers, FX, everything. You set up devices made from those modules by using a computer editor, but then you save them in the box, and you can use them without the computer. I got a Nord Micro Modular and added it to the mix. Check it out.
Ok, the Nord really flipped the script. I loved it so damn much! I wanted more Nord Modular power, so I upgraded to a Nord Modular G2 Engine. The G2 line adds some awesome new modules (including delay, which is nice), upgraded sound, and the Engine has room for 4 patches instead of just 1 on the Micro Modular. Wow. I got the bright idea to bulid a custom virtual mixer inside the G2 engine, to do what my DJ mixer had been doing. So I had basically the same setup, but much smaller, because instead of the mixer, I just needed the Engine, plus a MIDI controller to control it. Check out what I used for the show last month.
Tiny! Awesome, right?! Nah, not really. I made it work for that show, but ultimatley, I missed my mixer. The virtual mixer was a good idea on paper, but I didn’t feel like I had the same control. Also during my set, the MIDI controller lost power for a second (damn my eternal thrashing about) so the controls lost their sync with the actual values and it was a bit of a mess for a minute. Again, nothing tragic, but I had to have my mixer back.
Ok, fine, so back to the bigger setup, but with the Engine instead of the Micro, right? I wish. Unfortunatley, the DJ mixer and the Engine don’t fit together in the case that I have. They are exactly 3/4″ too big. And this is why I stress so hard that I need my seutp to be already connected in a box. I could use the Engine with the Mixer just slapped up on a table, but it would take FOREVER to get it up and running at the show. What I really need is a bigger box. And I’ll get one. But for now, what am I going to do? I’ve got a show coming up next weekend and I need to figure out a setup. Well, I’m going to do a throwback. No Nord stuff, just samples, pedals, and mixer. There’s no photo, because it looks almost exactly like the first setup. I’m excited, and you should be, too. It’s going to rule.
But after that, once I have a bigger box, expect a whole new thing from me. But that’s another post. . .
