Logic and live performance

[djals]

Vague question.

 

I've been reading around the forums and mags lately and it seems to be a common fact that many of todays 'hits' are being produced in Logic using alot of its own effects and instruments.

 

I was just wondering what happens when these tracks are played in a live situation? Is the Mac so stable that it can be used to process real-time? How is Logic incorporated into todays live performances?

[David Nahmani]

A lot of people use Logic live, and an even larger population uses Mac computers live, with Logic or other software (Live, Pro Tools...). Some acts take precautions. For example, I saw KMFDM live and they had two powerbook G4s synced and playing back Pro Tools LE at the same time. If one of them crashed, it was a simple matter of unmuting the inputs of the other one for the sound guy!

 

But most acts don't take that many precautions. A lot of smaller acts rely on just a single computer for live performances.

 

I was always too chicken to do it myself, and used a Fostex Digital disk-based ADAT machine to play back synth tracks when my band played live. Now I would take the Mac Book Pro (the one I'm going to buy very soon) and have fun with it on stage!!

[shivermetimbers]

Computers! Can't live with em, can't live witout em.

 

It is bad enough trying to record in a home studio without problems. Once you are ready to play out, you have an etire new set of things to worry about.

 

You have to be prepared to fail. There are many 'what if's' to deal with and you know at some point something is going to go wrong.

 

Pre-recording is a safer way but there is still the element of the computer. Using Logic as a full blown control/production system when playing live is like tight rope walking without a safety net. Anything can break at anytime whether it's the computer, the amps, or the guitar string. You are out of luck without the back up.

 

It wouldn't be fun anymore if all was perfect.

[djals]

Well, i guess the feeling that i got when i first started thinking about this topic was pretty much spot on........be afraid, be very afraid.

 

Still, all that added adrenaline and tension might add something to the performance!

 

So, just to dive back in more specifically, if an artist, lets say Fallout Boy (which is where this chain of thought began actually...i was watching that Scott Wilkie seminar, where he demonstrates Audio production in Logic, using one of Fallout Boys' tracks) has to play live and the guitars been effected with Space Designer and the drums have been compressed etc, would the sound engineers use the plug-ins live? If not how would they reproduce those effects?

[David Nahmani]

In my opinion, I wouldn''t be more afraid of the computer crashing than I would be of the guitar amp crapping out, a speaker blowing, a string breaking, a cable unplugging, or any of the millions of horror stories that could happen during a live performance.

 

The problem is if the whole show depends on the computer. You have to determine what would happen if the computer crashes, and prepare for the possibility: does that stop your show, or can you finish the song? How much time does it take your computer to restart and relaunch the song(s)?