Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

[y2stevo]

So i've got myself a Laptop now,i didn't plan on getting it for this purpose,or at all for that matter,but since i have one now, I was looking into using it so as we could have keyboards,strings and whatever else in a FEW songs for the live cover band(READ: not absolutley every single song)

So I was talking with a guy from another band (who BTW is a fantastic country picker!!) and he says he uses some form of Cakewalk, with some kind of Korg sound module, I think he said a Kord D1, but i'm not too sure.

So heres my plan, get some sort of sequencing software,get a midi USB interface, and then a sound module. But I really don't know what sound modules there are,or what may be a good one to pick up these days. I do not want to spend over 500 Euros, approx $650 or so, also willing to go used.Though am I thinking wishfully thinking that I can get a good one for under that price?


Thanks for your input!!

always greatly appreciated.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

Anyone have any experience with the Korg Stuff?

I've seen a Korg NS5R on ebay for $150 BIN, that certainly isn't expensive.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

Don't know about Korg, but I regularly used my Yamaha QY70 for that sort of thing, the bonus being it is a stand alone sequencer too.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

I was looking at the QY100. that seems like such an easy way out!!

At the moment I really don't get any of the software sequencers, I downloaded the trial version of ableton Live, and can't yet comprehend how I could use that to compose and play backing tracks for live use!!

I know that assuming it's compatible, I could use guitar pro easily to make a backing track, i'm just wondering, once I get the hang of ableton would it be as wasy as something like guitar pro???

 

[Mincer]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

there is no reason to get a sound module if you are using a laptop- use software synths. better sounds than you can ever find in a harware module, and you don't have to carry anything else.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

there is no reason to get a sound module if you are using a laptop- use software synths. better sounds than you can ever find in a harware module, and you don't have to carry anything else.

Any recommendations?

Thing is though I might want an external sound card then? since the laptop has a single headphone out

Thanks alot guys!!!

:EDIT:

And would i need to worry about my laptop not being powerful enough to handle some of these programs?
Would going hardware sound module be less prone to crashes?

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

After checking out Navive instruments KoMPakt and hearing the demos, I think i'm gonna have to at least try out a demo of it.
I'm still considering mabye getting KoNTakt 2, but the problem is that the laptop i'm running would need a memory and hard drive upgrade right away (512mb Ram and 20GB HD) kontakt needs 16GBs alone!!!. So perhaps I may just go with Kompakt.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

In Relation to my last post, Does anyone Use Native instruments Kompakt with Ableton Live?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

check these out...
Sonik Synth
Halion
Kontakt

I have used all 3, and they have a great selection of sounds...your choices expand if you have specific requirements (like if you need good Mellotrons, elec pianos, MiniMoogs, etc..)

The headphone out is perfectly fine live...or you can use a firewire interface...you can use a USB interface as long as your laptop has USB 2.0.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

check these out...
Sonik Synth
Halion
Kontakt

I have used all 3, and they have a great selection of sounds...your choices expand if you have specific requirements (like if you need good Mellotrons, elec pianos, MiniMoogs, etc..)

The headphone out is perfectly fine live...or you can use a firewire interface...you can use a USB interface as long as your laptop has USB 2.0.

I just noticed Native instruments have a program called Bandstand. It's seemingly a high quality Midi File player. A program like that would give the possibility to download midi files and edit to what we'd require instrument wise and arrangment wise, mabye for some of the trickier songs etc etc...

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

So i've got myself a Laptop now,i didn't plan on getting it for this purpose,or at all for that matter,but since i have one now, I was looking into using it so as we could have keyboards,strings and whatever else in a FEW songs for the live cover band(READ: not absolutley every single song) So I was talking with a guy from another band (who BTW is a fantastic country picker!!) and he says he uses some form of Cakewalk, with some kind of Korg sound module, I think he said a Kord D1, but i'm not too sure. So heres my plan, get some sort of sequencing software,get a midi USB interface, and then a sound module. But I really don't know what sound modules there are,or what may be a good one to pick up these days. I do not want to spend over 500 Euros, approx $650 or so, also willing to go used.Though am I thinking wishfully thinking that I can get a good one for under that price? Thanks for your input!! always greatly appreciated.

Nothing good is ever cheap, sadly. While I use Audacity on Linux to record (and it does a great job), it has no sequencing that I can find, etc etc.

As for sound modules, they're basically usb sound cards. Sometimes they're very good at giving a clean signal, and most come with extra types of inputs and such.

But a true recording-quality sound card is going to be expensive, mainly because they actually go overboard in shielding the card. They have to: a computer is a very EMI-noisy place.

I'm a newbie to the whole recording scene but I thought I'd give my 2 cents. Hope it helps ya.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

Nothing good is ever cheap, sadly. While I use Audacity on Linux to record (and it does a great job), it has no sequencing that I can find, etc etc.

As for sound modules, they're basically usb sound cards. Sometimes they're very good at giving a clean signal, and most come with extra types of inputs and such.

But a true recording-quality sound card is going to be expensive, mainly because they actually go overboard in shielding the card. They have to: a computer is a very EMI-noisy place.

I'm a newbie to the whole recording scene but I thought I'd give my 2 cents. Hope it helps ya.

Thanks bro, but I didn't mean recording ONTO the laptop from say a guitar or something, I meant using a midi Sequencer to play an external sound module(which would contain thousands of different sound samples and instruments) or using it to play software samplers etc..

Thanks anyway bro

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Live Sequencer re-visited (sound modules)

Thanks bro, but I didn't mean recording ONTO the laptop from say a guitar or something, I meant using a midi Sequencer to play an external sound module(which would contain thousands of different sound samples and instruments) or using it to play software samplers etc.. Thanks anyway bro

OH lol