Ok, I'll try. The main thing will be the "big" setup and it'll look like this (or really similar, haven't decided on a few things yet).PaulG wrote: You're doing a PC-based "live" rig?
Do tell what it consists of - laptop? Sound card? Amp sims? Footswitches to control too? Or sound switching through the PC's MIDI?
- PC laptop (not sure yet whether I'm gonna use my current one because it's my net/office/test machine, so I may just buy a more powerful new one some day soon).
- Echo Indigo soundcard (PCMCIA). Best choice for lowest latencies on laptops (assuming there's a PCMCIA slot).
- Boogie V-Twin preamp. I just like the tones of it, and as I have it anyways I'm gonna use it.
- M-Audio Audiobuddy. Will be used to bring the signal not running into the V-Twin to line level.
- A split box to send the guitar signal into both the V-Twin and the Audiobuddy. Not sure yet which one I'll get, perhaps a simple high quality passive one will just do.
- A MIDI switcher. Again, I'm not sure which one to get. I have a Rolls one, but I could do with a much smaller thing. Will only be used to switch the V-Twins channels.
- A MIDI floor controller. I already have a Rolls Midibuddy, but it offers no controller access, so I may have to get a new one.
- Native Instruments Kore Control. I will use this for "global control". More on that below.
All these things (but the floor pedal) will sit in a rack, with the Kore controller on top of it. The good thing being that I can just boot the laptop, then close it and put it inside the rack on a caddy (one of the reasons I won't be using my Macbook for these things, Mac laptops will always go into standby mode once you close them).
The guitar signal will run into the splitter, then parallely into the V-Twin and the Audiobuddy.
Thw two signals will then tun into the L/R ins of the Indigo.
Softwarewise, Kore will be my host.
The good thing about Kore is that I don't have to switch programs via program messages but I can switch between "performances", which are just, hm, sort of a "status" of what's already running.
Having said that, each and every sound I need will already be pre-loaded. I guess I will basically set it up like a 3 or 4 channel amp and just switch the on/off statuses of whatever channel and FX. Same goes for possible "modifiers", such as a channel booster or so.
You may now ask why I would be doing it like that. Easy. What I hate about programmable amps and stuff is the fact that I can't easily change something globally. Let's say all of my clean sounds need more volume. Quite a laborious task to reprogram them all. In a 3 channel amp setup it's done by turning one single knob. Same goes for FX sends, reverb amounts, gain, etc etc.
With the setup described above I will be able to do just that using the Kore controller and still have access to a shitload of sounds by simply modifying those 3-4 basic channels and a bunch of FX.
I have already set up things sort of as described and a few things (such as program change assignments) are still puzzling me. That's one of the reasons why I still haven't decided on the final hardware selection yet.
I'm even thinking about entirely skipping the V-Twin preamp - things would be much easier and smaller without it. But so far I still like the sound a lot, even if Revalver is something that could probably do the entire amp job on its own, epecially when enhanced by whatever EQs, compressors, boosters and what not.
Oh btw, I'm also absolutely undecided about the final amplification. I may just use my Twin (even if I hate its weight) for now, but as a future solution I may as well want to go stereo and fullrange (funny, I once had a stereo setup and learned to hate it with a passion...). Quite an expensive solution if you want to keep up with loud drummers and bass players.
Yeah, sure. But for now I think I just need the basic sounds to be done. Not as easy as it seems. Software still isn't up to the task in all aspects (for example, the clean sounds of both my Twin and my Mark IV are absolutely tough to get right with software) and I actually prefer some sort of "homogenic" sound. I really don't need to switch from hyperclean, compressed, chorussed to whatever hard driven sound instantly, I usually prefer to work a lot with the volume pot (another thing software amp sims still don't do too great).This sounds really cool and the possiblities REALLY open up some creative performance things here...
To be honest, in case I haven't been betatesting software or using something obviously unstable, I haven't experienced any BSODs or system freezings since ages. Add to this that I will obviously strip the live machine down as much as possible (no net stuff, no other software, whatever). Should be pretty much a solid system then.Also - how are you going to try to combat BSOD's?
Actually, the thing I'm scared most about is any sort of liquids getting near to the laptop. It's not that I'm playing a lot in clubs with a high frequency of beers flying through the air these days anymore, but that's still why I really want it to be hidden in the rack.
Sorry for the lengthy explanation, but well...
