Last week on the forum, members engaged in lively discussions about how emerging technologies are influencing music production. There was significant interest in tools that enhance live performance, particularly those that allow for more musician input. Another recurring theme was the logistical challenges of managing large-scale scoring setups, with members sharing strategies to streamline workflow. Additionally, the community exchanged tips on networking and managing gig schedules, highlighting the importance of organization in a musician’s career.
This Week’s Hot Topics
Building a looper that listens to you
This topic delves into creating a looper that adapts to the musician, offering a new level of interaction and creativity in live performances. Read more here
VEPro or freezing on huge scoring rigs
A practical discussion on whether to use Vienna Ensemble Pro or stick with freezing tracks to optimize large scoring projects. It’s a must-read for anyone dealing with complex compositions. Read more here
How I track gigs and contacts now
Members are sharing their updated methods for tracking gigs and contacts. This thread is packed with useful advice for staying organized in the fast-paced music industry. Read more here
Denver 500-cap on May 17 needs a push
A call to action for musicians and promoters interested in helping push a Denver venue event. It’s a great opportunity for networking and community support. Read more here
Looking forward to seeing more of your contributions and discussions in the coming week. Keep up the great work!
I’ve had good results in live sets by feeding a mono room mic into Logic’s Smart Tempo in “Adapt,” then sending that tempo out via MIDI to an RC‑505mkII so the looper follows the band. If the space is boomy, high‑pass that mic around 180 Hz or swap to a close hat mic so the detection stays solid.
We skipped mic-based followers and let the drummer tap an SPD‑SX Pro as master clock so the RC‑600 and Live follow over 5‑pin MIDI — it’s like giving the drummer the steering wheel. Small caveat: USB clock felt jittery on stage, so DIN or a hardware clock box kept it tight, @oliver6894.
@brianthompson56, when I want the looper to “listen,” I feed it a contact mic on the kick through a 120 Hz high‑pass and a fast gate, then set a -20 to -30 ms track delay so downbeats don’t land late. If you’re on iPad or hybrid rigs, Loopy Pro via Ableton Link keeps the rest in sync and I map a momentary footswitch to a tiny tempo “nudge” for emergencies (Ableton Link: Connect music making apps with Ableton Live | Ableton).
I had better luck sticking a cheap snare trigger into a Roland TM‑2 and mapping its MIDI out to my RC‑505’s tap — way steadier than audio detection for live starts, @susan_lee45; set the TM‑2 velocity curve to “hard” so ghost notes don’t register, but brushes can still throw it off.
On my RC‑505 mkII, I get solid “listening” starts by feeding a hat/rim mic into Input 2 through a tight 2 kHz-ish band‑pass and using Auto Rec with Sens Low and 1/16 quantize; it ignores stage rumble but can miss brush taps — @jessicamartin23, have you found a better filter spot?