RT60 Live Shows Process #2...

After a weekend of experimentation with the rig I had pretty much decided on by the last post, I’m having serious misgivings. I’m finding that MainStage 2 is a bit of a resource hog; the same exact samples loaded in to Live’s Sampler, with the same exact input channels open and the same exact plug-ins uses about 5-10% CPU in Live, where I’m regularly pegging the CPU in MainStage. Which, I’ll grant, is no surprise, given the state of the entirety of the Logic 9 suite right now. Apple really screwed the pooch with this release, in my opinion.

(Which is largely based upon support emails from customers, given that I don’t actually use Logic in any professional endeavor, other than my current experimentation with MainStage.)

The problem is thus: I don’t get the graceful layout switching in Live that I get in MainStage, as I have to make a shitload of ridiculous dummy clips for preset and send level changes. It isn’t designed to act as a mixer for a DAW, never mind in a live setting, and really is a long way from my first choice for such a context.

I could easily set something up in Cubase 4 or 5, and use the Arrange track and the automation lanes to make the necessary changes, but then I have that fucking Syncrosoft dongle hanging off the side of my computer, which is a recipe for disaster no matter how you look at it.

The other products I have licenses for that would theoretically work in this context are DP6, energyXT, Rax, Bidule, and Pd. I am not familiar enough with DP6 to pull it off with that DAW, and that’s a fact. energyXT doesn’t have the sophisticated MIDI implementation, being more designed with slinging loops around, Rax is a complete disaster area, and Bidule, well, it’s Bidule. Pd is more trouble than it’s worth in this area as well.

So. I’m not saying I’ve decided for certain because it’ll be a bit of a mess both financially and mentally at this late stage, but I am pondering going 100% hardware. This is a complete pain for several reasons. They are, in no particular order:

1. The TX802’s output is very low, as is common with that breed. It needs a compressor and a fair slice of EQ to get it to hang out with the analog stuff. Easy in a DAW. A pain in the rack.

2. I need a vocoder for three of the songs. Again, easy in a DAW (I just strapped EVOC on the MKS80 inputs, sent the mic to the sidechain, bussed the MKS to the secondary outputs, problem solved) but a pain in real life, as I don’t actually own a hardware vocoder that is worth a shit.

3. Piano sounds become a problem. As I mentioned in the last post, the P85 I’m using as a controller has shit internal sounds, and no outputs, so I have to take output from the headphone jack. Doublepluslame.

So, if I decide to go 100% hardware I need a rackmount 3U (or less) mixer that doesn’t suck, has aux sends and a stereo return, and isn’t expensive, a rackmount reverb that can at least hang with Eos and isn’t expensive, a stereo compressor/gate scenario for the TX802, and I need to replace the P85 with something along the lines of a PC88. Too bad the K250 is so janky mechanically, as it’d be perfectly t3h awesome.

Sigh. Ain’t nothin’ easy in this world.