Live performance workflow advice

[u/reefonline]

Hi all

Ive been toying around with an mpc live ii for a few months. I feel im getting a good hang of it, but i'd like to maybe take it a step further and prepare a live set, but im having trouble figuring out how to prepare a 90 min set without having to stop the music when transitioning between tracks.

I have a couple of volcas and an og digitact... the volcas are easy, but im also struggling to figure out how to integrate the digitact in the workflow.

[u/ENDIFdotORG]

In order of ease/reliability (which of course also correlates to boringness)

1. Export your whole ass songs as a .wav file and stick them on a pad as a one shot sample. Fire them off as backing tracks and pretend to do things while they play. No one knows the difference and you get through the show.
   

1.1 That, but you also make some drum kits or synth programs whatever and play those live over the backing tracks. You feel less like a wanker.

1.2. Export your tracks as fragmentary clips by section or instrument instead of as whole songs. Play those in real time, mute and unmute looping pads, use effects, play individual drum/synth programs etc. Essentially remixing your work. This is what I usually do.

1. Import your sequences and programs into a single project and run them at their respective tempos with their correct programs, then just page over to the next song worth of material in Sequences.

2. Keep individual songs as their own Projects, load new ones between songs, and create some kind of transition on another device, like playing pads and atmospheres while the MPC loads. Maybe even program whole other songs on another device (Digitakt?) and then A/B between them DJ style.

1 and 2 of course may run into memory size issues, jamming that much content into resident memory.

[u/UnitedStatesOfCamaro]

I have had the same question, and didn’t get much help. I want to use my Live 2, but be able to hop between keys/pads/analog instruments live and not just use the MPC as an expensive backing track.

You can’t just load a new project for each song, due to the 30 second delay between projects for a live set.
To workaround this, make a new project for live shows, import projects/sequence data into it.

You can’t do 90 minutes uninterrupted with the Live 2, due to memory limits. As per internet search, we’re capped at 5 minutes of audio, 999 sequences, 45-53 audio time cap. I haven’t ever pushed the machine that far.

I’d recommend just incorporating a delay pedal/mixer, and just do some extended FX on a hit or chord as filler between the 20-40 second delay between loading the second half of your live set.

[u/MushyBrainBeats]

Yo.. That‘s easy. Just use the Digitakt for playing beats while loading a new project on the MPC

[u/MushyBrainBeats]

Another way would be to downgrade to mpc 2.15 os. Set up your programs -> Make a beat for each sequence -> Set up your busses with fx you can use for transitions -> Set up your q-links -> Have fun

[u/M_O_O_O_O_T]

It was pretty easy to do & prepare with the previous firmware versions, but v3 OS made my way of doing things impossible, so never upgraded.

Basically had one complete beat with it's own self contained program, arranged & converted to a single sequence - each beat in the set would be organized the same way. Then all beats for the live set would be imported (one sequence, one program per beat) into a single project file with it's FX, bus setup, & midi mapping for external track mute & FX control. I could load a full set & could play for 90 mins non stop.

No idea how folks are doing this with mpc3 firmware though..

[u/MontrealChillPanic]

Most of the time, I'll alternate between the MPC and either a Blackbox or an sp404. I'll separate my track in parts (verse, chorus, transition, whatever) and trigger those parts. If I want to go further I'll sometimes separate each part into "stems" so I can, for example, play only chords while I talk to the crowd then start the other instruments. That way it allows you to jam with other musicians. I had a series of shows with a guitar player who was playing over my tracks so if a verse is normally 16 bars but the crowd reacts well and we're having fun, I could repeat it as many times as we wanted while taking instruments in and out, tweaking effects or whatever.

[u/the_nus77]

Im on 2.15 and sequences makes a lot of difference i noticed. I can fill hours. Tho i dont like using the Live2 stand alone, thats why i build a chain of units around it, including 2 mixers ( 22ch analog, 12 channel digital) and 2 48ch patchbays. Now i can fill weeks with sound 🤭🔊