Blackbox as Main machine for a live performance

[srcbcn]

Taking this idea as starting point. Also taking an external drum machine to bring the percussion patterns:
How is possible to organize a full 1h live performance? Jumping between songs? In that case how would you make the the transition between songs without having a break in the sound while the next song is loaded?
All the knowledge and ideas about Blackbox are welcome!
Thanks a lot.

[Lumm71]

Well, take little breaks between the songs, talk to the audience so they recognise you as a human performer while loading the next project.
Maybe you use a special master clock device like Midronome to keep all the gear in sync. So external gear like drum machine can run while blackbox loading.

P.S.: Would also be a cool product idea for 1010music: master clock device with built in batterie and some USB connectors to serve a couple of 1010music gear with clock and energy for hours.

[Georges]

indeed, what’s the point of a live performance with a performer acting like a machine ?

[srcbcn]

Yeah, the problem of sync with the midi when loading a new song is worst than the stop on the audio.

[byrdinbbylon]

Maybe use a phone or tablet sampler app like Koala to play drum parts and samples in between song loads on the BB?

[Phil Mercy 3]

In a more ambient situation, I'm using a combination of a free-running looper for synths, and a series of loopers on a guitar pedalboard to bridge between project/track changes on the Blackbox. I have bought a Midronome but haven't decided how best to use it currently, and it may be better utilised in the studio rather than in the live rig for my use-case

[langley]

Options would include playing something with your hands in between tracks, enjoying the applause, buying a second blackbox or having another piece of kit to provide a link between songs - a looper perhaps to grab a loop of the end of one track?

[duncanrmi]

it might be worth thinking about the presets functionality a bit differently.

I have a starting template, with just a few pads loaded & a couple of sequences.

I use a lot of multisampled instrument sounds in the bb, perhaps at a difference here from the ableton-clips others use. they don't need the sort of processing of a full-blown synth channel, & the BB does a great job with multisamples; mine are mostly unlooped mellotron sounds, orchestra stuff, found sounds....

if I'm careful with the number of sample slots I've got free, I've found it quicker to just rload new multisample sounds on a pad-by-pad basis, while the sequences are running & the BB is also under some external control. it's faster than loading a whole preset, doesn't stop the sequencer, & allows you to develop a session gradually.

I think it would be possible to do a whole set like this, but I'd recommend spending the time getting your head around the sequencer & the internal control routing. I've had a hard time especially with the sequencers because I come from hardware stuff like the cirklon, & haven't done the hard yards with piano-roll or ableton.

I'm finding that an external midi controller mapped to each pad's volume is also handy.

if you've got two sounds on the same channel, you can go into the level mod sources for one of them & de-assign the MVOL source, swap it for another CC. if you swap them both to the same CC, you can set up crossfades.... set one of them to a negative %

same trick with the VEL source will give you velocity crossfades between pads, also useful.

for a really comprehensive live rig, I am pairing two BBs with an octatrack & a blofeld. :-)

[Blindsmyth]

I'm experimenting currently with a Boss rc 505. The blackbox goes into the Boss, where I have FX and EQ and midi slave.
I then sample 2-4 bars of Blackbox, mute Blackbox input, let loop run.
Then I load a new preset (without stopping playback). No I can slowly mix between my sampled loop and blackbox. Works quite well, there are minor timing flaw between the sampled audio and the live input on blackbox. I use a delay set to few ms in order to compensate when I bring blackbox back in.

This is quite fiddly however. That is why I'm thinking to just use 2 blackboxes and mix them like DJ decks. Stimming plays that way.

[Steve]

Martin is awesome!