Post your software instrument live setup!

[FredOnEarth]

Hi everybody!

I'm a keyboard player who's been using hardware instruments for a long time, but I've started to explore the software world to make my live setup more portable and flexible. I'm trying to get a grip on pretty much all the variables at once, from audio interfaces to computer specs to software hosts... So if you're a performing keyboard player with a working software live rig, I would love to hear what you are using and what your experiences are!

And if you have pictures, please post them - it's always more fun to see it all set up! (Good for getting inspiration regarding stands, placement, practical solutions, etc...)

(Wasn't shure if I should've posted this in the Computer sub forum...)

If anyone's interested, this is what I've been taking my first small steps with:
Mac Mini late 2012 quad core i7 (upgraded to 16GB RAM and 2 SSD's)
Focusrite Clarett 8pre
Ableton Live Suite 9
Spitfire Audio string library Sable Ensemble (in Kontakt 5)

So far, I've only used this setup with my pop band, and only added two sounds to the show (the Spitfire strings for more realism and a pad from Massive that was hard to copy in my hardware). I'm still using my Korg Kronos 88 for the majority of the sounds and the backtracks, so I've used that as my controller keyboard as well. One of the backtracks we wanted to keep in a free form, so that's why I've been using Ableton, to get the non-linear backtracks from their session view.

I already own MainStage, but I've only used it one time. I know it's the most popular host, so I'm thinking I have to learn it and give it a try. Also thinking about the new Gig Performer, it sounds promising that it can load instruments as you're going along the set list and not need to have them all loaded all the time.

I have been encountering some situations where I think I'm straining my computer. Maybe quad core/16GB RAM isn't that capable? I thought so at first, but reading about the rigs of the pros, I'm seeing 8 core computers with more than 16GB RAM... What are your specs, and have you been forced to improve them at some point?

[Doug1978]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=204964


It sounds like a good set you have there.
If you want portability, check out Gospel Musicians new software project for a good range of really well sampled keyboards:
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=475197

[BBFG#]

Since you're on mac, I would suggest you keep it simple and use Alchemy 2. Alchemy compliments the Kronos quite well IMO (I use v1 on PC with my Kronos). For more pianos, I use Pianoteq 5 because of its variety and ultra-low footprint. Zebra compliments and adds an extra depth to those for me. But Massive would be adequate for that too. (I find it to be 'just okay' for my tastes.)

Lately though, I find HALion 6 &/or Sonic to be mostly enough to get by on.
(Although the pianos can be weak if played without some layering.)

[evilantal]

My current live setup (progressive/post rock band). Runs like a dream @48kHZ and super versatile

Hardware:
Lenovo Z500 (quad-core i7 3632QM, 16GB DDR3 RAM, 2 Samsung SSD's)
Windows 10 64bit
RME BabyFace
ART DTI transformer/isolator
Kawai ES100 and Kurzweil PC2 (daisy-chained and connected via MIDI to the BabyFace)

Host:
brainspawn forte
Bome MIDI Translator Pro

Software:
u-he ZebraHZ,
u-he Diva
u-he Bazille
NI Kontakt 5
Modartt Pianoteq Standard 5
Camel Alchemy
Omnisphere 2
GSi VB3
Fielding Reviver
ValhallaShimmer
ValhallaRoom
Eventide Blackhole
CamelSpace
kiloHearts Faturator
Melda MVintageRotary
Sonimus Satson
FXpansion DCAM FreeComp
Blue Cat's Gain Suite
u-he Uhbik-D

I chose the PC2 because of the many connection options. And both for their key action. I use König&Meyer Spider Pro stand with the Kawai ES100 on the bottom and the PC2 on top.
I then fit a pedalboard between the legs with 2 continuous pedals, 1 piano style sustain pedal and 2 footswitches. I also use the Kurzweil ribbon controller.
I don't use any built-in sounds anymore, only relying on VSTs. But I prefer to use boards with built-in sounds anyway, in case of calamity.

I find, with this many realtime controllers (also aftertouch, modwheel and pitchbend), that I rarely (have to) twiddle knobs anymore.

[cyferdyne]

Ours are about as simple as it gets so no need for pictures!

2011 13" MacBook Pro with Sylenth1 inside Ableton (with a few of the MIDI effects e.g. Scale).
M-Audio Keystation 49
Built In MacBook audio straight into a DI.

Hey, it works fine for an accompaniment!

We also just tested a few synths on the iPad using the Korg PlugKey as an audio and MIDI interface and we were very happy with the sound! Sunrizer works nicely for our ham-fisted supersaw leads - and sat in the live mix a little better than Sylenth1 to our ears.

[FredOnEarth]

My current live setup (progressive/post rock band). Runs like a dream @48kHZ and super versatile

Hardware:
Lenovo Z500 (quad-core i7 3632QM, 16GB DDR3 RAM, 2 Samsung SSD's)
Windows 10 64bit
RME BabyFace
ART DTI transformer/isolator
Kawai ES100 and Kurzweil PC2 (daisy-chained and connected via MIDI to the BabyFace)

Host:
brainspawn forte
Bome MIDI Translator Pro

Software:
u-he ZebraHZ,
u-he Diva
u-he Bazille
NI Kontakt 5
Modartt Pianoteq Standard 5
Camel Alchemy
Omnisphere 2
GSi VB3
Fielding Reviver
ValhallaShimmer
ValhallaRoom
Eventide Blackhole
CamelSpace
kiloHearts Faturator
Melda MVintageRotary
Sonimus Satson
FXpansion DCAM FreeComp
Blue Cat's Gain Suite
u-he Uhbik-D

I chose the PC2 because of the many connection options. And both for their key action. I use König&Meyer Spider Pro stand with the Kawai ES100 on the bottom and the PC2 on top.
I then fit a pedalboard between the legs with 2 continuous pedals, 1 piano style sustain pedal and 2 footswitches. I also use the Kurzweil ribbon controller.
I don't use any built-in sounds anymore, only relying on VSTs. But I prefer to use boards with built-in sounds anyway, in case of calamity.

I find, with this many realtime controllers (also aftertouch, modwheel and pitchbend), that I rarely (have to) twiddle knobs anymore.

Really nice to get a peek into your setup! The PC/Mac environment of course differs a bit, but very interesting to hear about your choices. Also fun to see some pictures! I actually hadn't thought of using an isolator box. Did you face many situations that prompted you to start using one?

Never heard of Brainspawn Forte before! (Probably also because of the Windows only thing) Just a question; does it load all the plug-ins you're gonna use for a concert at the same time? So they're all running all the time and you just switch which of them you're sending notes to? Or does Forte only load the plug-ins active for the current (and maybe next) slot in the set list?

The Bome MIDI Translator was also new to me. What's its main function in your rig? What does it do that couldn't be solved between your controllers and Forte?

A lot of plug-ins were also new to me - have to spend some time with your list!

Cool to see another Spider Pro user. Although I'm not in love with the quality and stability, I have yet to find another stand that can match its portability and pedal space. And build-on options!

[FredOnEarth]

Ours are about as simple as it gets so no need for pictures!

2011 13" MacBook Pro with Sylenth1 inside Ableton (with a few of the MIDI effects e.g. Scale).
M-Audio Keystation 49
Built In MacBook audio straight into a DI.

Hey, it works fine for an accompaniment!

We also just tested a few synths on the iPad using the Korg PlugKey as an audio and MIDI interface and we were very happy with the sound! Sunrizer works nicely for our ham-fisted supersaw leads - and sat in the live mix a little better than Sylenth1 to our ears.

Interesting to hear! He he, the ones who's needs is met by a small and simple rig should only be happy! It's us who's determined to go too over the top and do all too much at the same time on stage that has to struggle with all the problems and expenses!

[FredOnEarth]

Since you're on mac, I would suggest you keep it simple and use Alchemy 2. Alchemy compliments the Kronos quite well IMO (I use v1 on PC with my Kronos). For more pianos, I use Pianoteq 5 because of its variety and ultra-low footprint. Zebra compliments and adds an extra depth to those for me. But Massive would be adequate for that too. (I find it to be 'just okay' for my tastes.)

Lately though, I find HALion 6 &/or Sonic to be mostly enough to get by on.
(Although the pianos can be weak if played without some layering.)

Thanks for the advice!

[evilantal]

Really nice to get a peek into your setup! The PC/Mac environment of course differs a bit, but very interesting to hear about your choices. Also fun to see some pictures! I actually hadn't thought of using an isolator box. Did you face many situations that prompted you to start using one?

Never heard of Brainspawn Forte before! (Probably also because of the Windows only thing) Just a question; does it load all the plug-ins you're gonna use for a concert at the same time? So they're all running all the time and you just switch which of them you're sending notes to? Or does Forte only load the plug-ins active for the current (and maybe next) slot in the set list?

The Bome MIDI Translator was also new to me. What's its main function in your rig? What does it do that couldn't be solved between your controllers and Forte?

A lot of plug-ins were also new to me - have to spend some time with your list!

Cool to see another Spider Pro user. Although I'm not in love with the quality and stability, I have yet to find another stand that can match its portability and pedal space. And build-on options!

Thanks and you're welcome

Yes, forte is like a Windows counterpart of Mainstage. All the plugins are loaded in a plugin rack at the same time. You set up a scene with the plugins you need for a particular part enabled, MIDI routings as needed and loaded with the sounds needed for a song-part and the rest muted. Then you take a snapshot. Then you create a different set of enabled plugins, MIDI routings and loaded sounds and take another snapshot. You can then cycle through those snapshots as you go from song to song or from part to part within a song. I have the rightmost footswitch on my pedalboard dedicated to "advance to next snapshot". One song can consist of between a single snapshot to as many as 10 in my case.
So I can go instantly from a top keyboard B3 + bottom keyboard 3 layer pad with a split for triggering samples on the lower octave to a top keyboard Moog lead + bottom keyboard piano and strings layer without taking my hands off the keys. Pretty handy in my genre!

The muted plugs don't use any cpu cycles, so it's very efficient. I actually have multiple instances of ZebraHZ (3), Diva (2), Alchemy (2) and Pianoteq (2) loaded in my rack for easy layering or fast switching between different sounds in one song.

I use Bome as a multi-purpose tool, but mainly as a failsafe against USB unplugging. I connect my physical MIDI ports to virtual MIDI ports through Bome. The virtual ports are what are actually connected to the VST host, so they are always available to the computer. In the case of accidental unplugging, I can hotplug it back in again without having to restart my host to rediscover the disconnected port. And it makes it easy to connect any MIDI controller to the same virtual port, should a board break and I need to borrow a spare. I also use it to do stuff like convert MIDI CC's to keystrokes.

Plugin-wise, I'll be retiring Alchemy (not updated/supported anymore) and replacing with UVI Falcon and OP-X PRO II.

Yeah, love the spider. As column stands go it's pretty stable. Not as solid as some other options, but the coolness factor counts in a rockband. Quick setup is also essential when you play a lot of (smaller) festivals.

The isolator is more like another failsafe. Should hum be encountered or a venue's DI's aren't up to snuff, I can pull it out. Also, a lot of venue's can't deal with the 2x XLR out from the BabyFace. So I can also use it to replace their DI's that only have TRS in's. The sound coloring from the transformer part can't really be heard in a live situation, so I don't use it for that alone.

You said you were getting glitches with similar hardware (quad-core i7, SSD's, 16GB RAM), any idea what the bottleneck might be? You should be able to handle that stuff easily.

[waltercruz]

Hi! I play live with soft-synths since... 2011, I guess. I play in a Pink Floyd cover band, and some autoral bands. I'm a gigging musician in general, have played in blues bands, a Rolling Stones cover band, and many more.

Until last year, my setup was a mid-2010 core2 duo macbook pro, with 8GB RAM and 512 hard drive. It seems scary, but it worked well. Most of time I use Mainstage. In some projects, where I need to perform loops, I use Ableton + APC-20.

In september last year I got a update, a 2013 i7 macbook pro, width 256 SSD drive. Main problem to me is drive size, but now I feel more safe when playing than with the core 2 duo.

Main synths: Zebra, Symthmaster. I use a lot of Kontakt too. My goto piano is Pianoteq.

I think that your computer is completely ok for live playing. Can you explain more the situations where you find you're straining it?

[Silaris]

As a bassist (semi-professionally play guitar as well), I receive a lot of work because I can also competently play synth bass in addition to the 5-string electric and acoustic double bass, which is important for the types of music scenes in which I am active (Gospel, old school Funk, R&B/Soul and Jazz Fusion).

I seriously considered whether or not to implement soft synths for live situations, but ultimately reached the conclusion that my setup is more manageable and simplified by using a hardware synth, a 44-key monophonic DSI Mopho SE is my synth of choice most of the time, and plugging it into an A/B box along with the bass guitar that I bring for the occasion. The A/B box is connect to my bass amp head and gives me the ability to readily switch between both instruments.

With that said, I would love to have a hardware version of Rob Papen's SubBoomBass synth, as it was the software synth that I was mostly likely going to use in my setup.

[FredOnEarth]

Thanks and you're welcome

Yes, forte is like a Windows counterpart of Mainstage. All the plugins are loaded in a plugin rack at the same time. You set up a scene with the plugins you need for a particular part enabled, MIDI routings as needed and loaded with the sounds needed for a song-part and the rest muted. Then you take a snapshot. Then you create a different set of enabled plugins, MIDI routings and loaded sounds and take another snapshot. You can then cycle through those snapshots as you go from song to song or from part to part within a song. I have the rightmost footswitch on my pedalboard dedicated to "advance to next snapshot". One song can consist of between a single snapshot to as many as 10 in my case.
So I can go instantly from a top keyboard B3 + bottom keyboard 3 layer pad with a split for triggering samples on the lower octave to a top keyboard Moog lead + bottom keyboard piano and strings layer without taking my hands off the keys. Pretty handy in my genre!

The muted plugs don't use any cpu cycles, so it's very efficient. I actually have multiple instances of ZebraHZ (3), Diva (2), Alchemy (2) and Pianoteq (2) loaded in my rack for easy layering or fast switching between different sounds in one song.

I use Bome as a multi-purpose tool, but mainly as a failsafe against USB unplugging. I connect my physical MIDI ports to virtual MIDI ports through Bome. The virtual ports are what are actually connected to the VST host, so they are always available to the computer. In the case of accidental unplugging, I can hotplug it back in again without having to restart my host to rediscover the disconnected port. And it makes it easy to connect any MIDI controller to the same virtual port, should a board break and I need to borrow a spare. I also use it to do stuff like convert MIDI CC's to keystrokes.

Plugin-wise, I'll be retiring Alchemy (not updated/supported anymore) and replacing with UVI Falcon and OP-X PRO II.

Yeah, love the spider. As column stands go it's pretty stable. Not as solid as some other options, but the coolness factor counts in a rockband. Quick setup is also essential when you play a lot of (smaller) festivals.

The isolator is more like another failsafe. Should hum be encountered or a venue's DI's aren't up to snuff, I can pull it out. Also, a lot of venue's can't deal with the 2x XLR out from the BabyFace. So I can also use it to replace their DI's that only have TRS in's. The sound coloring from the transformer part can't really be heard in a live situation, so I don't use it for that alone.

Interesting to hear about Forte, Bome and the isolator! Lots of useful info there.

You said you were getting glitches with similar hardware (quad-core i7, SSD's, 16GB RAM), any idea what the bottleneck might be? You should be able to handle that stuff easily.

I think that your computer is completely ok for live playing. Can you explain more the situations where you find you're straining it?

Yeah, I really thought I had gone for specs a bit over the top, just to let me layer pretty much whatever I wanted, but apparently not... In Ableton, I layered the Spitfire strings (loaded in Kontakt 5) with Pianoteq 5 (trial version) and two Massive sounds. Buffer at 128, roundtrip latency at 6,73ms according to Ableton. To be fair, I activated all four microphones in the Spitfire library, presumably putting a quite heavy load on both CPU and RAM.

This friday, I'll re-install my whole computer and all the plug-ins. I'll return here when I've done some testing again!

[FredOnEarth]

Hi! I play live with soft-synths since... 2011, I guess. I play in a Pink Floyd cover band, and some autoral bands. I'm a gigging musician in general, have played in blues bands, a Rolling Stones cover band, and many more.

Until last year, my setup was a mid-2010 core2 duo macbook pro, with 8GB RAM and 512 hard drive. It seems scary, but it worked well. Most of time I use Mainstage. In some projects, where I need to perform loops, I use Ableton + APC-20.

In september last year I got a update, a 2013 i7 macbook pro, width 256 SSD drive. Main problem to me is drive size, but now I feel more safe when playing than with the core 2 duo.

Main synths: Zebra, Symthmaster. I use a lot of Kontakt too. My goto piano is Pianoteq.

Thanks for sharing your setup! Sounds portable and nice! Yeah, drive space is a never ending hassle...

[waltercruz]

Yeah, I really thought I had gone for specs a bit over the top, just to let me layer pretty much whatever I wanted, but apparently not... In Ableton, I layered the Spitfire strings (loaded in Kontakt 5) with Pianoteq 5 (trial version) and two Massive sounds. Buffer at 128, roundtrip latency at 6,73ms according to Ableton. To be fair, I activated all four microphones in the Spitfire library, presumably putting a quite heavy load on both CPU and RAM.

This friday, I'll re-install my whole computer and all the plug-ins. I'll return here when I've done some testing again!

Maybe your buffer setting is too low?

[evilantal]

Going to a higher buffer setting isn't really adviseable for live playing as the latency will get really noticeable. Especially when playing percussive instruments like piano (as opposed to pads).

Can you isolate if it's a single plugin doing the glitching or if it's the whole audio buffer.
I would suspect Kontakt first as it has the most stuff you can tweak for performance.

What are your buffer size settings and selected multicore settings in Kontakt 5 (I presume) ?

Do you really need all the mic positions at once for Sable? Because that can add up to a lot of voices playing at the same time in Kontakt, which could be stressing your CPU or the voice count / IO throughput of your SSD.
Maybe try with just the close mics and an algorithmic reverb plugin.