An idea + questions about MIDI mapping for live performance

[hudson]

So I wondering how I could set up a few MIDI controllers for a live performance-type thing. My idea was to play a song via MIDI by triggering different parts and controlling filters, lfos, delays, reverb, etc. in the DAW with an external controller. After thinking about how to do this for a few minutes, it seems like the best way to do this would be to create a loop containing every part of the song and mute/unmute/fade in tracks accordingly with my Numark Mixtrack (and probably a midi keyboard and midi pads in the future).
Anyways, I have a few questions before I try to set this up:
Which DAW is best suited for this? I have Reaper and Reason. I prefer Reaper for workflow, but I love the sounds in Reason and I often rewire.

How I could get started setting this up? Like, mapping my controller to certain effect parameters and such (which I know how to do in Reason, but not Reaper). Once again, I currently only have a Numark Mixtrack, but I'm hoping to pick up a new keyboard soon as well as some pads.

And finally, has anyone here done this? How did you do it and what were the advantages/disadvantages?

I literally just had this idea, so excuse me if it's not thought through very well I am searching around for info on Google too, but I thought it'd be helpful to actually talk to people.

Thanks

[like spinning plates]

+1

I'd love to play properly live but I haven't a clue how to go about it. Also using Reaper

[hudson]

+1

I'd love to play properly live but I haven't a clue how to go about it. Also using Reaper

I wouldn't call it playing properly, but it's a step closer from just playing the song. It'd be cool to play the synth and drum parts with a keyboard/pads, but I don't have either of those anymore
I do have a guitar, many effects and a usb interface though, so that could definitely be incorporated.

[ezeckial]

APC40/Launchpad + Ableton

Pretty good way of doing it if you can afford it!

[hudson]

I definitely can't...
Why Ableton though?

[RandoRando]

ot my understanding, ableton is the only DAW where you can produce and successfly dj with,someone correct me if im wrong,

[Ldizzy]

rando, nah,

reaktor provides a set of very intricate live mangling tools, and i know some people who do live gigs with fl studio... it all depends on how u manage your stuff... and on how creative you are... wasn't booka shade on reaktor+maschine... u can do crazy live stuff without it..

altho OP, the description you made is exactly what ableton live is... loops, being triggered...

watch some apc/launchpad/monome videos of people playing with ableton...

[RandoRando]

damn, i just dont understand how you can do all this shit on maschine and it only has those two tiny screens, and no keyboard

[symmetricalsounds]

damn, i just dont understand how you can do all this shit on maschine and it only has those two tiny screens, and no keyboard

i'm guessing would probably use the software side of it on screen to make navigating it all easier and have lots of banks of things being triggered by the pads thus negating the need for the keyboard.

[Ldizzy]

and they used to do shit without a single screen :\

[silkpantsman]

MPC and Keys (playing the music) with ableton...whos doing that shit, lets talk!!!

[The Wests]

From your description of your idea, you really do need ableton mate, I was like thinking “ableton, ableton, ableton….hang wtf…he is talking about using Reason to do this”

We use reason along side other things and it is not a live performance tool really…I know Vibert uses it live, but muting the mixer seems very strange and ungainly…. I mean is EVERYTHING already in the right tempo for example? Or are you planning on automating the transport bar???? Or what???? Maybe you could create loops of the tunes in reason then get freaky with the loop markers?…. I think using reason live is a bad idea…. I think using a DAW live is a bad idea, way too many things can go wrong!

I suppose though, thinking about it you could maybe do it in a really boring un interactive way, by lining everything up in a linear way, in the same tempo and just let it play through, pretty boring that though, although if you did that you could get proper freaky with the effects on the aux busses as well as say having a “Master FX/samples sampler” you could then assign the sampler keys to individual loops, fx and hits, for example a drum break that you can trigger on the fly….” If you do it the way I have said you are going need NUFF extra stuff, loops, hits, vocals etc etc ready to go in them samplers or it is just in effect you playing a real real long song in reason with nothing being done to it….

Cop ableton for sure if you are serious about laptop djaying…. Or traktor….

[ComfiStile]

You can set up 'live mode' in FL studio, which means you can assign midi presses to each loop, while also being able to control other parameters and effects.

[Sharmaji]

ableton, and use scenes for each section of your tune.

[hudson]

From your description of your idea, you really do need ableton mate, I was like thinking “ableton, ableton, ableton….hang wtf…he is talking about using Reason to do this”

We use reason along side other things and it is not a live performance tool really…I know Vibert uses it live, but muting the mixer seems very strange and ungainly…. I mean is EVERYTHING already in the right tempo for example? Or are you planning on automating the transport bar???? Or what???? Maybe you could create loops of the tunes in reason then get freaky with the loop markers?…. I think using reason live is a bad idea…. I think using a DAW live is a bad idea, way too many things can go wrong!

I suppose though, thinking about it you could maybe do it in a really boring un interactive way, by lining everything up in a linear way, in the same tempo and just let it play through, pretty boring that though, although if you did that you could get proper freaky with the effects on the aux busses as well as say having a “Master FX/samples sampler” you could then assign the sampler keys to individual loops, fx and hits, for example a drum break that you can trigger on the fly….” If you do it the way I have said you are going need NUFF extra stuff, loops, hits, vocals etc etc ready to go in them samplers or it is just in effect you playing a real real long song in reason with nothing being done to it….

Cop ableton for sure if you are serious about laptop djaying…. Or traktor….

I was more talking about Reason Rewired into Reaper, but yeah, thanks for all the tips.

[badeshi]

+1 on ableton it is pretty stable and easy to get your rewired stuff into live format.
what I like is that it is quite customisable and you can kinda think what you wanna do then work out a way of doing it

you might find this interesting
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/07/t ... m-artists/

bit of a wobbly cam but Mark De Clive Lowe is nuts live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRH1RM5q ... re=related