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Performing VSTs live

BeneJ

BeneJ

Member
I know orchestral Kontakt libraries aren’t intended to be used live, but..

I’m looking for advice or experience from visionary pioneers who’ve built successful live systems to bring the magic of studio-based programming to the stage - ideally resulting in controllable velocity crossfade and articulation keyswitching : )

There are innumerable ways it could be done:
- mod wheel for velocity crossfade on long/legato articulations
- footpedal keyswitch for staccato articulation
(mod wheel is also keyswitch, so automatically becomes legato when moved)

or

- velocity crossfade is control by expression pedal
- staccato is selected by high key velocity

or

- sustain pedal is non-latching keyswitch for legato
- assignable buttons are alternative longs and shorts

So many ways! But does anybody have a winning formula?
(Does a thread address this topic already exist?)
Click to read more...
 
I always try to build my libraries to be playable in real-time, using a combination of the things you've already suggested.
 
Vangelis had this with his custom rig (performance starts around the 01:40 mark):

 
Two years ago I played a couple of theater shows on tour, where I had a cubase template open. Two or three tracks where playback cues with pre-produced complete tracks that me or a my fellow musician would trigger.

I had several Kontakt instances open to play live to our band. I worked with an older Acer Labtop and a Zoom UAC-2 as Interface and the smallest Akai Midicontroller ever. It was a cool setup. But not much automation and I had to do a lot by hand.
 
But I have to say, the setup was used to give the band a bigger sound, not as a standalone simulation of an orchestra.

Also, I partially used phrase based libraries like Sonokinetic's Sotto for a livelier sound.
 
Random thoughts ensue, sorry if some are low hanging fruit.

Keyboard splits with e. g. shorts on one half, long/legato on the other.

Macro fader that brings in/out instruments as needed. e. g. when CC is at 0, only soloist is playing, at 127 various sections are faded in to make tutti/layered sound.

If playing to click/backing, just program your patch changes ahead of time so all you have to do is play.

Feet are useful, maybe look at the Keith McMillen SoftStep to control many parameters at once.

Roll your own multis with a "ProjectSAM" kind of mentality, where they map certain patches a specific way to make the multi more expressive.

Try an auto divisi multiscript for having your chords orchestrated for you on the fly, based on your own criteria that you set ahead of time. Maybe too unreliable though?

TouchOsc or Lemur, make a separate page with all your needed CC's and articulation switches, macros, etc for each song, so you just have to hit the next button to switch to the verse/chorus/whatever.

Use scripting and/or osc to automate/consolidate a bunch of functions into a single key press, to get the most out of your osc template. e. g. have a button that cycles focus to the next project tab to easily switch song configurations in one press.
 
BeneJ said:
I know orchestral Kontakt libraries aren’t intended to be used live, but..

I’m looking for advice or experience from visionary pioneers who’ve built successful live systems to bring the magic of studio-based programming to the stage - ideally resulting in controllable velocity crossfade and articulation keyswitching : )

There are innumerable ways it could be done:
- mod wheel for velocity crossfade on long/legato articulations
- footpedal keyswitch for staccato articulation
(mod wheel is also keyswitch, so automatically becomes legato when moved)

or

- velocity crossfade is control by expression pedal
- staccato is selected by high key velocity

or

- sustain pedal is non-latching keyswitch for legato
- assignable buttons are alternative longs and shorts

So many ways! But does anybody have a winning formula?
(Does a thread address this topic already exist?)
Click to expand...

I recreate (with a drummer and bass player) an orchestra at live theater shows (with 9 singers) using; Macbook Pro hooked with Ethernet cable to a Mac mini going through a Zoom UAC interface, main stage with VEP Pro, 4 keyboards (Roland RD2000 as my main using the sliders constantly),Hornberg breath controller, 2 expression foot pedals, sustain pedal, multiple patches (some velocity controlled,etc) spread across each keyboard - It’s like being onstage in a laboratory = fun!

See below link in my signature for a live picture of my rig. It can be done, it just takes a lot of pre thought for each song.
 
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