Anyone use Reason for live performance. Live keyboard playing.

[jlgrimes]

I'm looking at using Reason as a live keyboard solution.

Anybody doing this?

If so can I PM you.

Thanks.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

I don't however there are live players about as I have helped them with a few technical questions\requests.

Do you have any questions or issues you want to raise?


PoohBear

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[QVprod]

I've done it in the past. I prefer Mainstage now. What's your question?

[jlgrimes]

I don't however there are live players about as I have helped them with a few technical questions\requests.

Do you have any questions or issues you want to raise?


PoohBear

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T&T's viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7503909
My Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqCNsA ... p4cQF4j-8A
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My Soundcloud Page ....... Nektar Mappings
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I have a laptop, Reason, Live, various VSTis, and an Akai Advance with VIP software as well as Focusrite Scarlett. V

First thing is Im looking for a good keyboard stand that can house that gear.

I see a laptop standalone stand but would prefer something all in one.

You know of anything.


I mainly want to have about 8 to 10 patches I can recall with click of button. I think VIP can do this. As well as Reason using remote.


Also would it be good to put Mclass Maximizer on output to prevent clipping without lookahead.

Thanks

[QVprod]

I have a laptop, Reason, Live, various VSTis, and an Akai Advance with VIP software as well as Focusrite Scarlett. V

First thing is Im looking for a good keyboard stand that can house that gear.

I see a laptop standalone stand but would prefer something all in one.

You know of anything.


I mainly want to have about 8 to 10 patches I can recall with click of button. I think VIP can do this. As well as Reason using remote.


Also would it be good to put Mclass Maximizer on output to prevent clipping without lookahead.

Thanks

There's no keyboard stand with a built in laptop stand, but there are add on laptop holders that can be attached to keyboard stands. What may of us also do is use a 2 tiered keyboard stand and position the top tier so that the laptop can rest on it. Otherwise I often just place my laptop on a stool or chair at whatever venue I'm playing.

Recalling patches with one button press isn't possible with Reason outside of maybe using the advanced midi control and switching midi channels. It's in fact one of the main reasons I use Mainstage with my Nektar P6, as it does have that capability. In Reason you can only scroll though patches or channels. I'd recommend checking into VIP as it's definitely like to be possible with that software.

Using a limiter could be useful but you shouldn't hear any distortion.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

I'm luckily enough that I can place my laptop straight onto of my keyboard as it has a lovely flat surface however as stated go for a 2 tier stand and get a plank of wood for the top tier (you could then place a bracket if needed to really hold the laptop in place etc) and place it on that.

As for changing patches on Reason on the fly, I have done a couple video's about it on my youtube channel but it is not slick, i.e. there is a pause while changing patches. So if you are going to sequentially move through the patches, I would place them all in one directory, rename them 01 patch name, 02 patch name etc. then remote override the patch browser down and or up buttons (with Nektar there are buttons to already do this).

You may want to scan through my youtube channel as there are a couple of video's I did for people who were doing stuff live (i.e. how to do tempo change via CV, skip values when using external controller etc see my signature)


PoohBear

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My Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqCNsA ... p4cQF4j-8A
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My Soundcloud Page ....... Nektar Mappings
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[mon]

About changing presets... I would load all of the involve devices and presets in the rack and then switch between the devices with midi controller. This guarantees it will be seamless.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Oquasec]

I use it like an access virus/MPC4000 if that makes sense

[jlgrimes]

I'm luckily enough that I can place my laptop straight onto of my keyboard as it has a lovely flat surface however as stated go for a 2 tier stand and get a plank of wood for the top tier (you could then place a bracket if needed to really hold the laptop in place etc) and place it on that.

As for changing patches on Reason on the fly, I have done a couple video's about it on my youtube channel but it is not slick, i.e. there is a pause while changing patches. So if you are going to sequentially move through the patches, I would place them all in one directory, rename them 01 patch name, 02 patch name etc. then remote override the patch browser down and or up buttons (with Nektar there are buttons to already do this).

You may want to scan through my youtube channel as there are a couple of video's I did for people who were doing stuff live (i.e. how to do tempo change via CV, skip values when using external controller etc see my signature)


PoohBear

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T&T's viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7503909
My Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqCNsA ... p4cQF4j-8A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Soundcloud Page ....... Nektar Mappings
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stand is probably my biggest issue so far.

That said my current keyboard stand isn't that good (Keyboard tends to shift on the stand), so I will look at a 2 tier stand.



I thought it would be as simple as going to Guitar Center but they had a lot of solutions for laptop DJs but admitted they didn't have much to offer for "laptop" keyboardists lol. They just referred me to the web.




Also if using Windows, do you think ASIO4ALL would be suffice for low latency, or would I get better performance taking my audio interface? I got some options (Focusrite Scarlett 2nd gen 6i6, NI Maschine mk3), but I am kind of trying to keep my equipment count low as well (as well as minimize my number of stands).

[Carly(Poohbear)]

The stand is probably my biggest issue so far.

That said my current keyboard stand isn't that good (Keyboard tends to shift on the stand), so I will look at a 2 tier stand.

I use a quik lok, in fact my current stand is over 25 years old and is 3 tier..

DSC02407a (Large).JPG (472.24 KiB) Viewed 2036 times

Also if using Windows, do you think ASIO4ALL would be suffice for low latency, or would I get better performance taking my audio interface? I got some options (Focusrite Scarlett 2nd gen 6i6, NI Maschine mk3), but I am kind of trying to keep my equipment count low as well (as well as minimize my number of stands).

As for using ASIO4ALL or not, try it, does it work for you? (TBH I use a basic DX driver most of the time and works fine for me...)

[Ejectzero]

I use Reason with a basic midi controller live as keyboardist in a band. Here's some tips:
I do not want to display my laptop - my live setup is prepared to allow me to never have to look at the screen. I connect my laptop (macbook) to an audio interface and put it on a separate stand on my left hand side - one of those black general duty sheet music stands. I welded an angle to the back of the sheet music stand it so that it's a bit more stable and can never fall down - 3x cheaper than buying a dedicated laptop stand. My macbook powers the laptop and interface - I do not plug it in for power. I used to tape everything up for security but have never bumped my gear.
I prefer using an audio interface because I do not want to worry about latency. I have never tried using the built in drivers but try it!

In terms of the software:
All my instruments are ordered according to our setlist for the night. The next button on the keyboard activates the next song's sound - couldn't be simpler.
I use a labeller rack extension by Jiggery Pokery to jot down the chords - I used this alot in the beginning but now know our setlist by heart. I use combinator's programmer to make split keyboards. I use Morfin Crossfader, routed to the combinator's mod wheel to switch between sounds while I play - this is the single best tip I have. I also have pads on my midi keyboard and routed that to a separate Kong to trigger samples. I only have 1 Kong for all samples used hence limited samples available - not very heavy in this but very effective.

[jlgrimes]

I use Reason with a basic midi controller live as keyboardist in a band. Here's some tips:
I do not want to display my laptop - my live setup is prepared to allow me to never have to look at the screen. I connect my laptop (macbook) to an audio interface and put it on a separate stand on my left hand side - one of those black general duty sheet music stands. I welded an angle to the back of the sheet music stand it so that it's a bit more stable and can never fall down - 3x cheaper than buying a dedicated laptop stand. My macbook powers the laptop and interface - I do not plug it in for power. I used to tape everything up for security but have never bumped my gear.
I prefer using an audio interface because I do not want to worry about latency. I have never tried using the built in drivers but try it!

In terms of the software:
All my instruments are ordered according to our setlist for the night. The next button on the keyboard activates the next song's sound - couldn't be simpler.
I use a labeller rack extension by Jiggery Pokery to jot down the chords - I used this alot in the beginning but now know our setlist by heart. I use combinator's programmer to make split keyboards. I use Morfin Crossfader, routed to the combinator's mod wheel to switch between sounds while I play - this is the single best tip I have. I also have pads on my midi keyboard and routed that to a separate Kong to trigger samples. I only have 1 Kong for all samples used hence limited samples available - not very heavy in this but very effective.

It sounds like you are doing what I want.

We have a small gig this weekend. I'm thinking about trying it out but I need to get my splits set up.

What kind of controller do you use?

I have an Advance 61.



Are you primarily relying on stock Reason devices (synth/samplers) or are you adding REs/VSTs into the mix?


What's genre you typically perform?

Are you just doing keys or are you performing other duties (drums/drum loops, backing tracks, effect processing, click tracks, bass)?

Sorry for asking so many questions just trying to see how people are using computers now for live band setups.


I'm going through the factory library to create some Combinator patches. Mainly using the id8/NNXT when I can help it.

I think I will add REs/VSTS later once I get to grips of what I can do live. Im bringing my Yamaha MM6 as a backup lol.

[QVprod]

I think I will add REs/VSTS later once I get to grips of what I can do live. Im bringing my Yamaha MM6 as a backup lol.

I can 2nd that setting up instruments/combi in order of the setlist your going to perform is the easiest. Everything's loaded and there's no wait time between patches. You're subject to the specs of your laptop though so that's where the decision about VSTs and RE have to be made. The stability of Reason however is the same live as it is in studio use. When I still used Reason live, I never had any issues. One thing to keep in mind though. Make sure you depress the sustain pedal before switching tracks, else the previous patch will continue to sustain until you switch back to it. You probably won't need your MM6.

[Ejectzero]

Well jlgrimes, your imagination is your boundary.

Setting up a split keyboard in the combinator is very straight forward, you just set the receive notes of the specific instrument according to the note range you desire in it's programmer section. You'll find a tutorial on that here somewhere. You can split it any way you can imagine.

I use a Novation Launchkey 61 - entry level stuff. Yours is way better man! I'm not sure what your screen does, but it'll definitely come in handy if it can tell you the patch's name you loaded.

I build combinators for almost all the tracks. I use VK-2, eXpanse and Europa very frequently and have never had dsp issues live. I have more than enough tools within Reason, I don't use any VSTs. I use the mastering section with tape compression (scream) and the mclass limiter to glue the different sounds together a bit and prevent clipping. I use the same delays and reverbs on all tracks and they are set up as send effects in the mixer.

We play alternative rock but with electronic influences of course.

I play keys and do backing vocals. I do launch samples as explained above. You can configure a button to the tap tempo if you have tempo dependent samples and then you press it as needed in performances to adjust to the drummer. I have a pad set up specifically for that.

You can go wild with your patches. Remember you only play one combinator at a time, your computer can surely handle it, my 2013 Macbook Pro handles it all perfectly. By using the synths you can program specific parameters to your knobs like filter frequency and resonance - try and evolve your sounds on stage. You can also split keyboard for instance but tune the higher note range lower so that you have two synths that plays the same note range. I don't have a single NNXT or ID8 in my setup .

An additional tip: For logging in when opening reason: Make sure that you either have internet connection or that all rack extensions you use is licenced. Some free rack extensions require you to log in before using it. I once had an issue with eXpanse when a new version came out, but that was a once off, easily resolved issue.

You don't need a perfect setup from day one, you can always improve your setup as time comes. I love using Reason live. I have been thinking of using Albeton especially for the looping/layering purposes, because you pretty much can't loop effectively in Reason (I hope somebody has done this with success and can share some insight perhaps).

EZ