Optimizing project for live performance .

Hello, everybody

 

I'm quite a noobie in using mac live and son a gig is planned. I've searched for preparing laptop for live performance, and will definitely do it (anyway-your personal tips and experience are very welcome).

 

The plan is to use mac with logic pro x and MainStage as playback, guitar and vocal processor. 

 

1)We have beats programmed and another midi stuff - am I right to prepare wavs for each track - to decrease cpu and memory loading?

2)I plan also to automate MainStage presents-to be activated through prog change track from logic  - so here is the main question - is it better to open each project for every track - or it is ok to create a big one, contains all the backing tracks (prepared wavs), tempo changing in them etc. - and create a full concert presets list in MainStage?

 

Thanks a lot,

I have some answer for this but am leaving work now, will type up a reply tomorrow. 

I have some answer for this but am leaving work now, will type up a reply tomorrow. 

Thanks, will be waiting)

Are you planning on two computers, one running Logic and one running MainStage or one computer with both? If just one computer I would strongly advise against that. 

 

If two, here are my tips for Logic, many of these apply to MainStage.

 

Use Logic’s own plug in whenever possible, they are going to be more efficient and reliable than 3rd party stuff. 

 

If you don’t NEED a Space Designer reverb then use one of the smaller impact reverbs. (or something from Valhalla DSP, yes.. I know I just contradicted myself but the Valhalla reverbs are GREAT and don’t take a lot of CPU.)

 

Make live version of every project and delete every unused audio file, plug in, effect and anything else not necessary to perform that song that night. That will get you quicker loading times. 

 

Have consistency with the # of stem busses you use and set them up in the Arrange window in the same order for every project, that way if you have to change levels you always know where to look. 

 

If using EXS24 or any other sampler, delete every sample that isn’t being used. Live with fewer layers. And the layers that you do need, get rid of every sample that is outside the range you are playing. 

 

If you are going to load different projects instead of having everything in one (I load separate projects) save all of the projects to the same folder. (which means a folder for each project because do DO want to save all samples, impulses and audio file for each project WITH each project, even if that means redundant samples. It’s disk space, so cheap now) But then alias the actual project file (the song file) and save those in a folder of nothing but aliases. You can rename the alias to be in the playlist order and that means less mousing around on stage. For example

 

01 RedSunRising

02 RadioFlyer

03 Tel’Aran’Rhiod

 

etc….

 

There used to be a great little app called OnStage that let you open projects with a program change command. It would close your current project and launch whichever one you wanted. But Fluqe abandoned it’s users and I hope they all get some wasting venereal disease. I have now set up keyboard shortcuts and key commands on my Novation SL keyboard so that I can ‘close without saving’ a project, open the ‘Open’ dialog and using buttons on the keyboard navigate to the project I want. You could actually do this with any midi controller with enough creative programming. 

 

Test, test, test. and then test some more. If you get to a point in a song where Logic chokes on the CPU or disk demands, fix it (change plugs, freeze tracks, whatever). But the ONLY way to test your fix is to quit the project, reopen the project and start the song from the beginning. Plug ins will ‘sleep’ until used and so the 2nd time you play a song it might not choke at the same point even if you changed nothing. So to test you have to quit and start again. I actually quit Logic completely to be sure. 

 

I am not a person who likes to talk on stage. Hate it. In real life I will talk your ear off. To keep from having silence on stage I use a Roland SP-404 for samples and sound fx between songs. It’s also useful during the songs. 

 

While recording to the internal disk isn’t recommended I do prefer having my live set on the internal drive, especially now that we have SSD drives. One less point of failure in the chain. But have your set ALSO on an external. 

 

If you aren’t using Logic Remote turn off your wifi and turn off as many notifications as you can. You don’t want something popping up in the middle of a song that might screw with the system.

 

I try to not use software that requires a dongle on stage, I’ve almost lost it too many times. Plus e-licenser wants to be f$@%ing updated all of the damn time. 

 

Have legitimate versions of all of the plug-ins you are using. 

 

Make sure every cable, usb hub and whatever are 100%. screwing with a dodgy cable or hub on stage isn’t fun, and makes one look like a total amateur. 

 

 

This is what comes to mind for prep. I have a couple of posts here about how I use Logic on stage. It is a very useful tool and capable of more of a performance than most people realize. 

Wow...great package of useful info)Many thanks-defenetly will analyze how to apply to my tasks)

Why is that so: "If just one computer I would strongly advise against that" ?

Cos that was my primary plan...Want to have everything just in one place...don't want to dance on the pedalboard also... 

I think having two major programs at once is asking for trouble. But one of my friends has Ableton, a video program and heavy duty plugs running on his rig so I could be wrong. I'm a little conservative with how much I want to push a computer live. 

I think having two major programs at once is asking for trouble. But one of my friends has Ableton, a video program and heavy duty plugs running on his rig so I could be wrong. I'm a little conservative with how much I want to push a computer live. 

 Got your point..Anyway, many thanks again!)

redgreenblue ! Great post and advice! I am working on the live show using Logic Pro X and have implemented similar ideas you are talking about, but for some weird reason I cannot close an open project without saving it. Is there any command for closing an open project without saving it? And how would you assign such command to a button on a midi controller? MIDI Learn has been here for a while, but is there a way to implement such process regarding closing an open project WITHOUT saving it. I have applied the same concept with aliases, and it works like a charm, but can't figure out how to close an open project without saving it first. Any thoughts? Million thanks for help. Paul

sorry about not seeing this question. Make a key command for 'close without saving', you can then assign a midi CC for it. In fact I bet you can actually set a song to close itself when it gets to the end but drawing that key command at the end of a song. I use Automap and with that I can key strokes to the buttons and can open, navigate and close that way. I recently have finally started to see if an iPad has any use on stage and Touch OSC allows key commands to be assigned to buttons, so that might be a thing I try. Or if you are using Logic Remote you can probably assign 'close without saving' there.