Electribe live?!

[Olivander12]

Hey folks,
a friend of mine listened to some tunes I made on my Emx, and he invited me to participate in some kind of electro gig in a club.
First of all, I wanted to reject his offer, but then I realized that this might be an interesting experience. Nevertheless, I have dozends of question, of which most deal with playing electronic music live in general. So maybe this thread may become some kind of tips and tricks section about playing with electribe lives, since there this issue is not that broadly discussed in general.

1.) Is it actually possible to use your emx live and to please the people? Sounds weird, but I have never been to a club where other things than turntables were used, even if youtube shows some examples how people make music with sequencers, etc.

2.) What about transitions? The only thing I know is to sample a beat with my kaoss pad, slice it slowly down to one beat, and then use the loop effect to create some kind of " half loop" feeling.

3.) What are you doing when it comes present your patterns? Is all you do mute, unmuting parts and turning some knobs, or something else?

Thanks in advance, it is very late, my concentration is very low, and I am a bit confused, since I use to make music only for myself, and know I have to show to other people. I hope you got my questions and deliver some helpful information, since you are the only people I can ask these things.

[Blankman8503]

I have used the EMX in a band in the past and it was a lot of fun. The first thing I can suggest is PATTERN SET. This tool will allow you to switch between patterns flawlessly. I was frustrated trying to play with a band until I discovered the PATTERN SET function. You can trigger the switch measures in advance and be able to focus on the knobs and such for the transition.

For transitions I would often make a pattern thats purpose was to transition from one to another. The KP3 can also offer you options as far as transition effects. Another option is to record motion sequences that transition between things.

As far as what you do with it live, it depends on your sound. I kept busy between drum muting/unmuting, controlling parameters on different synths, and jamming on the arp in combination with the mod parameters. Most of my songs have an EMX part thats purpose is live jamming with the arp if i want to. Live its one of the funnest things to do on the EMX, IMHO.

If you feel like the EMX is too minimal, remember you can load samples and such into your kaoss pad and have fun with them. One thing you'll learn quickly playing out with hardware is you don't have enough hands. There will be times with just and EMX and kaoss pad that you'll feel like there's nothing to do, but at other moments even just one piece of gear will be too much for your two hands.

[Olivander12]

Thanks for the fast reply.

I do some kind of very light house music. Some may call it minimal house, but it does feature partly basslines and more stronger sounds, so minimal is not the fitting term, but nevermind.

The arp did not please me that much since it seem to produce sounds that sound all the same. I have not used it very often, neither did I change the arp scale, but until now all i received were very stacatto like tunes I personally were not in favour of. Did you use fx in combination with the arp? I know electribe is all about diy, but maybe you could lead me on the right track concerning the arp.

I already integrated samples in my music, but only some voice samples which give the whole thing some kind if "epic atmosphere". I am wondering if i might also play some sampled synth sounds, but for that purpose I am about to buy a kaossilator pro sometime.

[hazabikit]

You can actually play arpeggios with the EMX arpeggiator.
It's not very elegant -- the arp on a standard keyboard synth is much easier to use -- but once you set up an arpeggio, you can use it with all of the synth parts in your pattern.

Here's how:
Select a synth part and then touch the arpeggiator with your left hand.
Then, with your right hand, play the notes in the arpeggio on the EMX "keyboard".
The order in which you press the keys is important, because you'll hear the notes of the arpeggio play in that order.
Now when you let go of the keys and the arp, the next time you play the arp, it will play that arpeggio.

And here's the cool thing about it: if you switch synth parts, the arpeggiator will still play the same notes, in the same order, using the new synth voice.
You have to stay in the same pattern, however; if you switch patterns, you lose your arpeggio.

[Olivander12]

You can actually play arpeggios with the EMX arpeggiator.
It's not very elegant -- the arp on a standard keyboard synth is much easier to use -- but once you set up an arpeggio, you can use it with all of the synth parts in your pattern.

Here's how:
Select a synth part and then touch the arpeggiator with your left hand.
Then, with your right hand, play the notes in the arpeggio on the EMX "keyboard".
The order in which you press the keys is important, because you'll hear the notes of the arpeggio play in that order.
Now when you let go of the keys and the arp, the next time you play the arp, it will play that arpeggio.

And here's the cool thing about it: if you switch synth parts, the arpeggiator
will still play the same notes, in the same order, using the new synth voice.
You have to stay in the same pattern, however; if you switch patterns, you lose your arpeggio.

Hm ok thanks. But the sounds are still very...maybe hectic is a fitting term. I was playing a 130 bpm house pattern, nothing special, and then the arp sounded like a machine gun. Well, I dont know...

[Wavemaker]

I use the electribes extensively for live electro gigs in clubs & bars.

I use esx,emx and mc909 for live continuous mixing and i mix the parts (16 on 909 and 14 on esx/emx) between the patterns that a write. On top of that i use additional arpeggios, phrases and loops all at real time at synced bpm from the synths/workstation.

It's actually so complicated that you need to have a laptop where everythinthing it's written on a chart (i.e. office excel) coz there so many parameters it's impossible to memorize! and you have to practise a lot at home keeping time for each track and total time . So it's quite similar to working as a dj, but mixing your own tracks and playing it all live at real time.

I recon it's very risky working just with one instrument, in this case the emx because you need continuity in mixing. So if you stop the track playing and no music is heard or you have large gasps people are gonna start throwing eggs on you....

If you have to present something live with just emx work it with a friend dj. Select your tracks/patterns and write down the bpm. Practice it with your friend at hone before going live and make a programm, so you'll now where to enter and when to mute (exit) yout tracks in cue with the cd/vinyl.

It is much easer to do if you have some dj experience.

No materr what do not let silence enter the building!

good luck!

[Olivander12]

I use the electribes extensively for live electro gigs in clubs & bars.

I use esx,emx and mc909 for live continuous mixing and i mix the parts (16 on 909 and 14 on esx/emx) between the patterns that a write. On top of that i use additional arpeggios, phrases and loops all at real time at synced bpm from the synths/workstation.

It's actually so complicated that you need to have a laptop where everythinthing it's written on a chart (i.e. office excel) coz there so many parameters it's impossible to memorize! and you have to practise a lot at home keeping time for each track and total time . So it's quite similar to working as a dj, but mixing your own tracks and playing it all live at real time.

I recon it's very risky working just with one instrument, in this case the emx because you need continuity in mixing. So if you stop the track playing and no music is heard or you have large gasps people are gonna start throwing eggs on you....

If you have to present something live with just emx work it with a friend dj. Select your tracks/patterns and write down the bpm. Practice it with your friend at hone before going live and make a programm, so you'll now where to enter and when to mute (exit) yout tracks in cue with the cd/vinyl.

It is much easer to do if you have some dj experience.

No materr what do not let silence enter the building!

good luck!

Good news is that I own a Kaoss Pad 3. Silence will therefore not occur, because I can sample a pattern, then load a new one on the emx, do some transitioning effect, and start the new pattern with most parts being muted. You seem to play live using three sequencers, so a dj set is not reuqired to do some awesome stuff. That is really motivating!
I was about to buy the Kaossilator Pro, but now I think i have to do it before my gig.
Another things is that you seem to have songs in your head, and then mix them live, so you eventually have to start everything in the right order. I only have one sequencers, and the only things I add to its sound are the fx and samples of the kaoss pad. So my job seems to be much easier than yours. I do not have to pay attention to when to start a pattern on another sequencer, I just have to play on one.

[Orpheus]

I use a combination of EMX, KP3, microphone, guitar and my mobile phone to make live improvisational / experimental music, together with another guy on retro synths and samplers, and a guy with a drumkit and some additional synth pads.

I usually create sounds on the spot using oscillators and samples - through a mixer to control my impact - working up to something that fits, and then either record it into a running (empty) pattern and adjust / expand, or sample into the KP3 and modify, then add a sample from my phone / voice / guitar to the KP3, add a new synth tone on the EMX, and so on. This takes some practice but the results can be very nice.

I'd say the EMX is a great instrument for live sonic hacking.

[Aciphecs]

I'm in a Live PA duo and we've been playing using one sequencer/sampler (ESX-1) and synths (R3 & Venom) for the last year. We just recently added another sequencer (ES-1) to the rig and it's makes a world of difference for adding depth to a set. It's not as complicated for us, we just set our pattern sets to match patterns that sound good together\complement eachother. Pattern 1 on my pattern set mixes good with pattern 1&2 on his. All the equipment runs into a DJ style mixer that sits between us, so we both have full control of EQ's, volume, effects (our mixer has some really good onboard, and we each have our 'tribes running into miniKPs for individual) So it is essentially a tag-team dj set now, with all original\live tracks (take the beatmatching out of the equation with MIDI synch and you have tons of time to tweak your sounds!) So much fun and highly recommended

[Olivander12]

Well, you all gave me some inspiring ideas. Aciphecs remmonded using a mixer, is that vital?
I have some issues with the level in general, some patterns are louder than others, samples do not always fit to the emx level, and I am not always sure if the Kaoss Pad 3 input volume is right. For example, using a synth programm creates a sound which is way louder than my emx, same goes with some fx, which dominate the whole sound. When I am going live, will there be any possibilty to check volume or do I have to rely on my ear.

I think the technical questions are more challenging than the question whether they like my music or not.

[hazabikit]

Yes, the KP3 is going to create some of those technical problems... a lot of the KP3 programs will add a resonance boost to the audio level, but it's impossible to tell from the instrument how much boost it's going to get.
That's where a mixer comes in handy -- you can watch the levels of the audio signals from all of your instruments, and adjust them as needed.

[Aciphecs]

Some artists use hardware compressors/limiters at the end of their audio chain to keep the overall sound from peaking and scaring the crowd accidentally

[chad9477]

I've played lots of livesets with EMX + KP3 -- they work super well together for what you're trying to do, and between the ribbon controller on the EMX and the Kaoss screen you have a couple of great tools for not just performance but showmanship. I've shelved my EMX for the most part but people still ask me about the KP3, people just love watching you jam with it.

There's lots of good advice already in previous posts. A few add'l tips I'll offer based on my gigs with this duo:

-Practice the tracks, yes, but focus on transitions between them as much as possible. Get a feel for what tracks lead well into others, and which don't. This will give your performance the kind of seamlessness that good DJs can achieve and which an audience unfamiliar with live PA will be expecting. It absolutely can be done with the sampler on your KP3 as you mention, but like a DJ with his record collection you need to know your tracks well enough to make them flow.
-Get organized in advance. This can be as important as practicing the performance itself. I like to have several variations of each pattern available saved with names describing the mutes and fills, function in the context of the performance (intro/outro/breakdown/etc.)
-Have a small sheet of paper pasted to your table, stand, etc. that tells you where every pattern (or set of patterns) that you plan to play can be found. Because you mention volume issues, you might also include a note about EMX master volume and BPM next to each. I find what I can remember easily at home might slip my mind onstage, and having a small cheat sheet lets me focus on performing.
-Practice making mistakes and getting yourself out of them without stopping the sequencer. The audience won't know something's wrong -- just keep smiling
-Lastly, practice the setup and knockdown process so you're able to do it without much thought. Have a few extra cables along with you so you can plug into both 1/4" and RCA inputs, if you're not sure what the mixer has. Label all your gear and carrying cases and don't let it out of your sight at the gig.

I know most of this sounds like it's ancillary to the actual performance, but I find that good prep in advance allows me to focus my energy and attention at the gig on the music rather than distractions, which means both I and the audience have a far better time.

So when you're up there, work it and have fun.

[Olivander12]

Thank you all for the very helpful information. Chad, especially your tipp to have the same pattern saved in different ways (muted/unmuted parts, etc,) is very helpful. I like to stick to patterns literally, and sometimes I need influence from outside to broaden my horizone.
Aciphecs hint at audio limiters was also very cool, a friens of mine will borrow me his, so the kp3s behaviour wont scare me.

Now that I have about 4 weeks until d-day, I am wondering what preparation would be the best.
I have about 10 patterns, which sound quite ok, at least that what some people said. I already did some practice of my live perfomance, and they will fill the 30 minutes I am on stage without getting boring, at least that is my impression. Now, should I concentrate more on how to performe them, or create some new tracks?
I recorded some tracks, maybe you will get an impression of my music. The things on video are some very ruff attempts, I hope your verdict wont crush me. To defend myself, I own both devices for about three months
This
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ8TSeuR ... ata_player
and that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRH55AvK ... ata_player

[chad9477]

I have about 10 patterns, which sound quite ok, at least that what some people said. I already did some practice of my live perfomance, and they will fill the 30 minutes I am on stage without getting boring, at least that is my impression. Now, should I concentrate more on how to performe them, or create some new tracks?

Trust your own judgment, sez me. If you're excited about your own music, other people will catch your vibe.

My advice above was mostly meant to help take the pressure off the actual live performance so that you can relax and be as in the moment as possible. Personally, I find that if I'm happy with the music as it stands, the best prep is to work on all the little details *around* the music -- that way I stay in the zone and nothing is likely to constrict my flow onstage.