Sound Design and Selection for Improvisational Live Techno
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- čas přidán 22. 04. 2022
- This video is about selecting and organizing sounds for improvised live performance on synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines
How I Play: Improvisation vs Pre Planned Live Sets
My live playing style comes from my decades of DJ experience. I would pull a crate of music that I may or may not use before a show, then I’d weave those sounds into a journey based on the energy of the room. Nothing pre planned or pre recorded (other than the tracks I played ;) ). DJ sets and playing live can both be done in this improvised style in the moment, or they can be pre-planned, programmed, and launched on cue (while playing with effects). Both can make for an amazing night of fun for the crowd you are playing for, and neither is ‘better’ than the other. I just enjoy the challenge and excitement of letting the vibe in the room dictate the direction of the set, rather than planning out the set ahead of time based on what Think the vibe will be. If I was going to just launch stems from a laptop using a controller and call it live, I would much rather be up front about playing pre recorded music and have fun DJing which I still love to do.
Sounds are the palette I paint from. I lay them out on my palette before I start, then I mix and match as the mood dictates. Just like Bob Ross has Happy little trees, I have constant inspirational happy accidents that change the direction of the performance. I don’t have any tracks or track structure before I begin, just quality building blocks. Everything is put together in the moment based on what I’m feeling and what inspires me. Because of this the sounds I use and how they are organized is really important for me to be able to use them when I need them.
Affiliate Links to the equipment I use:
Live Gear:
Digitakt: bit.ly/3518hyW
Digitone: bit.ly/3LSmnUm
Octatrack: bit.ly/3HYWAY1
Quadrantid Storm: bit.ly/3Obj1Nk
1010 Blackbox: bit.ly/37kKc7M
Analog Heat: bit.ly/3uEp05r
Strymon Big Sky: bit.ly/3vm8I0a
Eyesy: bit.ly/37QAtpr
Cooks DC7 Power Supply: bit.ly/3uGctP2
Audio Cables: bit.ly/3sOpL9V
Novation Launch Control XL: bit.ly/3I6HAaU
ecome a Patron: / ericbingham
Let's Connect!
Instagram: / surcolive
Facebook: / surcolive
My Music: www.beatport.com/artist/eric-...
Website: www.surcolive.com
My Label: www.clandestine-recordings.com - Hudba
I urge everyone to get involved with this community. Every one is pretty cool and SURCO is super generous with his help and advice, no such thing as a stupid question on this quest baby!!!!
Your content is pure gold! It’s helping me a lot 🙌🏽
Awesome. Thanks so ouch for checking it out! Glad to help!
Great suggestions. Subbed. Thank you!
Awesome. I’m glad it was helpful. Thanks so much for watching!
I follow you all the time. You're a great teacher. Thanks for giving your time to us
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch!
I can't tell you enough how good your videos are(content, delivery, etc..) and are very appreciated. Yourself and Analog Kitchen are invaluable for myself. I know there is no set amount and can vary easily but if you were to start from scratch on a new set how long would it take you to build your sound library?
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m really glad you get something positive from the videos. I usually build each show from scratch to make each one special. It takes me a couple of weeks to get to a place where I have the sounds I need to improvise. Thanks so much for watching!!
Thanks for sharing your learnings through your improvising journey! Many great tips to keep in mind & use. Love the "happy little accidents" turning into something better/bigger for the audience!
Thanks so much for watching!
you should come and join analog kitchen's discord... we're all about the live improv. direct, raw, reactionary.
in terms of paints... I get that so much. I view it as a tool kit, These are the tools I use (and know intimately, and have honed over years)
I'll check it out! Thanks so much for watching!
I love the paint analogy. That is one thing I definitely am trying to work towards and it's preparing a sound set that would be consistent through the performance but definitely needs to add more. I have learned so much from your videos and I don't have any of your gear (yet!).
You can do it!
Great video, just found your channel, subscribed. A lot of tips to keep in mind. I enjoy playing impro live performances myself also, been doing this for many years already.
Glad you liked it. Thanks so much for watching!
Great video! Thank you for explaining in such detail. This is probably the most helpful video series I've found for Elektron+Production+Live Performance.
You have a very unique prospective stemming from your background and experience.
Do you think you'll venture into more modular territory now that you have the Swarm in the set up?
Thank you! I’m really happy you found these helpful. It’s funny, I’ve been thinking about dipping my toe into modular lately, but not sure I want to take the time away from getting deeper into what I have. If I do, I’ll let you know! Thanks so much for watching!!
Thanks Eric great content. Do you use similar track sequences across patterns, or do they also build in intensity as you you move up pattern numbers?
I actually just put down a simple pattern just to get started and I edit the sequence live. Thanks so much for watching!
Great video once again 🙌. Question - what key do you use? And do you change this very much between patterns? I’ve keeping things to F minor just as it’s easier. But worry about a full set being in the one key.
I default everything to Cm for ease. It makes it so I can shift key on everything from the same base.
Great video! Does the blackbox and launchcontrol xl combination work together as is, or do they need somekind of usb midi host?
They work as is. The Black box has a USB host port. Super convenient!
Have you thought about using the 1010BB->Microcosm Hologram->DN instead or with the Big Sky?
It might make the drone/ambient/vocals samples go to very different and new foundations.
I'd love to, but I already had the Bigsky. ;)
Also... the setup is about to change anyway. I may eliminate the Bigsky now that external audio can be routed to the FX block int he Syntakt. I just need to hear how it sounds first.
@@SURCOlive That's a great use of that feature. It could be more compact and you get rid of the big sky with the built in FX block. Especially if it used to minimize the over sample to glue the rest segment together.
When looking at the "competition and/or interference" of sounds within the Low-thru-High Frequencies, do you look at these prior to sounds selection on your DAW (via spectral review), or, all by ear? Thank you!
I do each by ear in my live setup.
@@SURCOlive I guess with your amount of experience it makes it a little easier.
Still a little confused with the use of the Octatrack fader. Seems it controls mix from Left 100% Drums (Digitakt) to Right 100% Melodic (Digitone). So, are the audio channels for Swarm/Blackbox/BigSky direct to Output, or, are they routed to either Left or Right on Octatrack (for fader use)? Thank you!
The fader is not only for audio and it can be assigned at any time live. Sometimes it is fading in an effect and others it is fading between live output and a loop recorded live in a looper track.
@@SURCOlive Wow, seems it has a lot of programmable flexibility. Certainly like that feature. Still learning more on the Octatrack capabilities. Thank you!
@@LuisTorres-qz5kr - the fader is really flexible on the Octatrack, basically any parameter from any track can be assigned, from crossfading between inputs to filter sweeps. There’s no real limit to the parameters you can add, so that one movement of the fader can control multiple parameters.
On top of that, there are 16 sets of fader assignments that you can switch between. It’s crazy!
@@leftmono1016 Thank you very much for the insights! The Octatrack sounds like a winner!
What do you think of the new Electron Syntakt?
From what I’ve seen it looks like an ideal machine for what I do. I’ll let you know more when mine arrives on Monday! 😁
@@SURCOlive That's great! Now to decide what side of the left or right audio channel to put it through as it is both melodic and percussive. Decisions decisions. Lol
@@Number01 as of now it will certainly replace the Digitone. Who knows if I really love it I could see one on each side! 😁
@@SURCOlive I read it has a FM machine.
Is that different than the FM engine in the DN or the same one?
It's so new, I'm not sure how much you've had a chance to read up on it or how much information is out right now.
@@Number01 from what I understand it’s a slimmed down FM, but it can actually do both digital fm and analog fm. The digital fm engine is just one of over 30 different synth engines to chose from.
Can anyone please help.
I'm really genuinely at my Witts end here.
It's really getting me down.
I think I've made some really bad choices with my live set up rig.
I honestly don't think I will ever get to perform my first gig or even get a full set done.
Can anyone give me some advice or time or their opinion on my live set up.
My dream is to perform live without a laptop.
Happy to help if I can!
@@SURCOlive hello Sir SURCO,
My rig has taught me a lot about signal flow and sound design but now I'm ready for the next step forward and my gear is letting me down constantly.
Is there any of these bits of gear that in your opinion is worth sticking with.
Sequencer = Beatstep Pro and Keystep.
Volcas = Bass, Sample, Keys & Mix.
Synths = Crave and Monologue.
Fender reverb pedal & Zoom 2020 FX board .
Cheap Behringer mixer.
I'm finding that although I can get some sweet analog sounds from these machines ,, when it comes to improvising a live set it falls apart very quickly and I've spent nearly 2 years of trying my best
I feel as though I've chose all the wrong bits to try and do this but to sell it all would just cover the cost of getting an octrotrak.
I feel that I really need an octrotrak to start this next phase.
Sound sensible or what??
Please any advice would be amazing.
Love your techno .it really takes me places.
Thanks very much from nick Manchester UK
As far a gear goes, everything you have is good at doing certain things. An Octatrack does a bunch of stuff in one box, but is not a solution to most problems. It is super flexible and can be used for a lot of different things, but those things need to be chosen and set up, so it gets very complicated without a clear use case to start from. My guess would be structure and organization of midi may be an issue. Are Keystep and Beatstep sequencing specific machines that they are connected to exclusively, or they both sending midi to everything all the time? What is the 'brain' of the setup? Is there one, or are there multiple? (This can create midi conflicts and 'glitches' like hanging notes or synch issues). Is each piece of gear doing one particular job, or are they all doing multiple jobs (like bass, leads, percussion, drums, sample playback)? How is your midi routed (daisy chain or thru box)? Finally make sure that the midi settings are correct on everything, meaning if the beat step is only sending midi as the start point of the midi chain, make sure it is not set up to receive midi from something else that it is sending to. That can help alleviate conflicts as well. In general, the more simplified a signal path can be, the less errors that are likely to happen. I hope this helps a little. Thanks again for watching!
@@SURCOlive yes , thanks a lot, this has helped a lot. I have troubleshooted all my midi signal path and I use a quadta thru midi thru box and I don't daisy chain.
I've done everything I can on all machines to simplify the signal flow and I'm now convinced that this lot of gear isn't reliable enough for live performance.
I will keep the monologue and TR8.
The rest need to go.
You are spot on when you say these little wonder boxes must really only be used for a certain function as I literally have one machine just giving out a couple of beeps. Haha all that money for it to do just 2 beeps!!.
Thanks so much .I feel much more confident I actually know what I'm doing.
My rig just feels so friggin glitchy and doesn't work properly one day from the next.
Beatstep Pro , Volcas, keystep, monologue, crave , ...my only bit if gear that behaves itself is my drum machine.. a Roland TR8.
Glitchy in which signal path? Midi? Audio? Power?
@@SURCOlive midi.... It's like the arturia sequencers miss a beat or don't start exactly when I need them. It's such a drag.
And the other bits of gear seem to lock me into a loop that is super difficult to transition to something different.
Volcas getting "stuck notes" when used with keystep.
It's like a comedy of errors on a daily basis.
I'm very new to all this ((2years) and this is my first attempt at a live rig.
Please help. S O S. Mayday Mayday