Any Live Labtop/notebook Users

[attic-keys]

Hello,
I resently bought a notebook and stuffed it with vst instruments,...
(native instruments,arturia minimoog enz , all running via cubase sx hooked to kurzweil K2500s)
Now I still need to find out which of the software sounds I'm going to use for the band's next performes...

But I was curious how many people already use software live,... and what do they use ???

[HammondToby]

I sometimes use my PowerBook for some sounds: the rhodessound from Scarbee and Hammondsounds from NI B4II, controlled from my PC88 and a Voce MIDI-Drawbars... no synthsounds, just vintagekeyboards and only the few times, when my Nord is not available. It's a brainthing, but on stage I still depend on hardware.

best regards
HammondToby

[jeebustrain]

I've used Ableton Live onstage for almost 2 years now. It's never failed me. I use VST instruments, samples, loops, and sequences. I also use it to control patch changes on my hardware gear. I've done this both as a keyboard player and as a drummer.

[mdsonic]

I use live along with my rig consisting of Triton, Motif, SH201 and Xp30. I use live to run samples and loops as well as hosting VST synths. We do Progressive Rock and I found it easier to load and run samples than using either the Motif or Korg...it's been very stable......www.venndiagram.net

[Spacehog]

I have a live vst solution (laptop, midi interface, softsynths, Brainspawn Forte to host them) but as I work in IT support I know full well what PC's are like, so unless I was absolutely certain of the conditions I was playing in (I'd use them at church, for instance), I'd never risk it. Too many variables, and if it all falls down you can look like an idiot. No problem with using it as an additional thing, but certainly I could never run the risk of getting my main sounds from a PC.

[attic-keys]

Nice reply's,

But spacehog , I don't want to use the labtop for main sounds, well atleast not all the time.
What I have for instance is a nice pad/string layer in the left hand that comes from the notebook, and with the right hand I still have the piano patch from the kurzweil. This works beautiful. (but you will have to tweak between the volumes of both machines)

This tweaking doesn' t really bother me , because when it's perfect I just save the file and the exact volume and settings return.

But the main problem now is switching sounds (vst sounds) with a pedal. It doesn't matter what channel I'm playing on the keyboard, you will allways hear the selected Cubase channel. For instance if I play on channel 1, and channel 4 is selected in cubase, you will hear channel four (which is connected to a vst) but when I switch to channel 2 you will still hear the same vst. I didn't really tried eveything so whether it is really possible or not I don't know. I haven't got much time lately to sit down behind the keys.

But if this works it would be nice , but then you would still limited to use only 16 vst insruments because of 16 channels.

And some of the vst's I have I really worth using live ,NI's B4II or Absynth, I even would be able to use nice guitars from NI's guitar rig to support our guitarist during a solo...

Let's hope that time will bring me this possibilities

christ what a long reply....

[Spacehog]

Seriously, investigate Forte by Brainspawn (http://www.brainspawn.com) - this will let you run VSTs in a live environment, switch synths and patches at will. Mark Kelly from Marillion uses it, and I've found it to be pretty easy to use and ultra reliable.

[stealth]

2nd the forte recommendation, especially now that they released the EHCo (external hardware control) plugin. I don't think there's a more comprehensive control solution on the market.

[FRETPICK]

Don't know if this can be a help to ya but it mite be of use.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--KRZME1

[Athox]

I resently bought a notebook and stuffed it with vst instruments,...

Now, that sentence right there just cracked me up. :biggrin:

[NiceKidDoRoxx]

are there any forte-like software for mac? :confused:

[rlainhart]

are there any forte-like software for mac? :confused:

I use Rax (http://plasq.com/rax) on OS X - it works beautifully for me.

[attic-keys]

Rax looks awesome richard, but...
unfortunatly I don't own a mac , I think I'm gonna check out forte