Logic Pro 8 Logic for Live performance

[Madtux]

I am a new Logic user, just recently switched from PC with Sonar to Apple with Logic. I use my computer during my live performaces to play backing tracks of drums and bass. In Sonar there was a set list feature that allowed me to list all the song files in order and then I would trigger them with a key on my controller or by pushing the space bar to start the next track. Is there a feature in Logic that is similar? I have a gig tomorrow night and was hoping the MAC would be at my side rather than my PC.

Thanks
Madtux

 

[Eli]

Unless you set up all of your songs in one project and either use markers to navigate, or place them on separate tracks and use mute/solo commands; there's unfortunately no real way to do this.

My band uses Logic live. What we do is leave an open Finder window with all of them displayed in alphabetical list view. Then we open and close the Logic songs with key commands. And then switch back to the Finder and either use the arrow keys to go up and down the list, or type the first few letters and have the selection jump to the appropriate area.

It does make having the laptop close by a necessity. But it can all be done with few simple key commands. There's generally no mousing (or track padding) involved.

I suppose if you wanted to, you could assign some notes on your controller to open/close Logic. But the Finder part still needs to be done manually.

 

[Howie Roxx]

As Eli stated "Unless you set up all of your songs in one project."

I have just started to do that myself. (I am setting up my keyboard rig to work from one project file using a dozen different patches, one patch for each song/track) I have been using a rack of sound modules, Korg Triton, Yamaha Motif, Korg Wavestation SR plus a mixer to reduce all of the outputs down to just one 'left/right' stereo feed, power conditioner to our PA system. I am tired of lugging around heavy gear. Last year I tore a ligament in my shoulder lifting heavy gear. I will be using my new Logic setup on a MacBook Pro on May 1st on a local gig to see what problems that I may encounter. So far it seems bullet-proof. Any suggestions from some of you other weekend warrior musicians? 🙂

Howie

 

[rzzz]

I am a new Logic user, just recently switched from PC with Sonar to Apple with Logic. I use my computer during my live performaces to play backing tracks of drums and bass. In Sonar there was a set list feature that allowed me to list all the song files in order and then I would trigger them with a key on my controller or by pushing the space bar to start the next track. Is there a feature in Logic that is similar? I have a gig tomorrow night and was hoping the MAC would be at my side rather than my PC.

Thanks
Madtux

How about trying 'On Stage' made just for Logic 8 http://www.fluqe.com/

 

[Howie Roxx]

OnStage

Yeah.... On Stage. I downloaded the trial. I sort of discounted it in my head. It didn't look very sophisticated. I'll take a deeper look into the program and see if it can do a better job than just Logic alone.

Howie

 

[Ginger]

And then switch back to the Finder and either use the arrow keys to go up and down the list, or type the first few letters and have the selection jump to the appropriate area.

Do you play the songs in the same order each night? If you do, maybe it would be easter to rename them, so they started with a number, then you wouldn't have to fiddle around to find the next song.

Logic actually has a "project select" Meta event, but AFAIK it only works with MIDI file players, not with Logic. "Select Project 1", "Select Project 2" etc appear as key commands in the key command list, but I don't know what they do.

Here's a solution for doing this, using as few steps as possible:
(1. Insert a meta event for Stop Playback at the end of each song.)

2) Open the file browser in the right margin, and point it to a folder where you have all the songs (and nothing else) that you use in this concert.

3) Call them 01 ********, 02 ********* etc, so they appear in the order you want them to.

4) When the song is finished, you just select the net song on the list.

If you in Preferences have enabled "When opening a project, ask to "Close current project(s)", you can close the current project before you open the new song relatively quick.

An option that just would close the current project without saving when loading new projects - without saving - would be useful here, and speed up the process a little.

There is a key command for that (Close project without saving), but if you use that, your browser in the right margin is gone, and it's best to avoid having two songs open at the same time.

 

[Eli]

Unfortunately no; we don't play the same songs in the same order during our performances. The stop playback command is a good idea. What we do, that basically achieves the same thing, is to just position the song end marker in the bar ruler right after the last bar of music. This basically does the same thing.

But your idea of using the file browser window along with the pref for automatically closing songs is interesting. I'm actually ot the one running Logic on stage while we are playing; but I'll certainly suggest it to our keyboard player. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Howie Roxx]

'Logic for Live performance'

Thanks for ALL of the input.

I went ahead and purchased 'On Stage' (only $25 US Dollars) to run my setlist for the band. I am the keyboard player. It is pretty easy to use the interface and seems like an easy way (once it is programmed) to go from song to song... even if for some reason, the lead singer mixes up the setlist and doesn't follow them in sequence. You can name each individual song. "If' you can read the screen onstage... I think that this may be a workable solution to carrying around 100 lbs of rack synths. We do not have roadies.

 

[Howie Roxx]

Fattening The sound 4 Live Performance

It has been a year since I posted about using my Macbook Pro and Logic for Live Performance. I gave up on the idea of using Logic, Mainstage or OnStage with Logic 8 for Live Performance. I am visually impaired, older (62 yrs) and it just seemed to daunting at times. Although I did get Onstage setup with Logic 8, I never had the courage to take in on gigs.

However, I am back at it trying once again. I am in a Rock Cover Band. The goal is to keep my rig simple and on a budget... HA! Here is the question.

The audio output that I get from the mini headphone out jack routed through a Behringer rack mixer, subsequently to a Roland Keyboard amp or PA system, seems 'thin' and 'digital', unlike my hardware rack modules, Yamaha Motif, Korg Triton, Korg Wavestation et al. I would like to find a 'Swiss Knife' piece of hardware that will fatten up my audio signal from my MAC to sound more Analog and Less Digital. Will hardware compression or hardware EQ-ing be a part of the solution? Is anyone out there using their MAC and Logic 8 live on gigs and have any ideas from experience?

My budget is in $100's not $1000's.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I am not ready to hang up my playing live just yet.

Howie

 

[Peter Ostry]

The audio output that I get from the mini headphone out jack routed through a Behringer rack mixer, subsequently to a Roland Keyboard amp or PA system, seems 'thin' and 'digital'

There is nothing in your output chain that can seriously ruin the sound. "Digital" sound comes most likely from the sound source itself. "Thin" sound can have several reasons:

• Connection problem (bad/wrong cable or plug, phase problem, etc)
• Overlooked Equalizer on the mixer or amp.
• The sound of your virtual instruments or playback isn't as you like it.

If you compare your Logic sound to a CD or iTunes sound of the same genre via an audio interface and loudspeakers or via good headphones and your sound is remarkable thinner, you have to work on the sound itself. If your sound is ok in Logic but not on the amp or PA, you have a technical problem.

As a first test you can play a professionally mixed and mastered piece over the same output chain. If this sounds ok you know where the problem is.

 

[Howie Roxx]

Hey Peter,

Thanks, I take a look at that and see what I find out. At least I can have a point of reference and a place to start..

I'll keep trying.

Regards,

Howie

 

[deanspy]

Logic live (9)

My band uses Logic live. What we do is leave an open Finder window with all of them displayed in alphabetical list view. Then we open and close the Logic songs with key commands. And then switch back to the Finder and either use the arrow keys to go up and down the list, or type the first few letters and have the selection jump to the appropriate area.

How much time does it take to load the songs? Can one be loading while the other is playing?

Dean

 

[Eli]

Hi Dean,

It is very quick to load the songs. A few seconds max. But they have only audio tracks in them. We print all the sequenced tracks to audio. This makes for faster loading. Our keyboard player runs Mainstage simultaneously for his live sounds. Logic is only for th programed backing tracks.

No, we can't actually load one while the other is still playing. But there are a few things that help seed up the process:

Switch to Finder while Tune A is still playing.

Locate and select song B so it is ready to be loaded.

Set the song end marker of each song to end immediately after the last note. That saves you the step of actually having to hit stop before loading Tune B.

Load Tune B without closing Tune A. Because there are no samples involved, having more than one project opened at the same time is not an issue.

Set one stroke key commands with no modifiers for tasks like open, close, stop, start, etc.

 

[bradbass]

Eli-
So each song is a Project File?? I have alot of 3rd party plugins, so it would seem that it would take 20 seconds or more to load another project...... I am working on a tribute show here, and my idea was to combine an entire SET, into one Project (approx 14 tunes), and drop markers. If 3 songs ran together, than that is how the tracks would go...no room for error whatsoever. Unfortunately, this method also relies on the drummer knowing to hit the spacebar to stop it if need be!!

On a side note, back when we used to use an Ipod for backing tracks in a different band (Yep...Mono Mix Left to the House and Monitors, Click Right to the Drummer!), we had the drummer wear a surfboard leash on his ankle, so he could pull the miniplug OUT of the Ipod while playing if he got to far off the click, or someone else trainwrecked the song. The "Milli Vanilli Emergency Ejection Device!"

 

[Eli]

Hi Brad,

We are only using Logic to play back audio files. So they load quickly. In our situation, the set lists aren't planned in advance. We choose the songs on the fly on stage. If your tune list is preset, then yeah, things are much easier. You can set them up using markers and key commands to easily navigate.

And hey, there's nothing wrong with kickin' it back ole' skool and using left and right signals to separate the click from the mix 😀

In our case, we are using a Presonus Firebox on stage and route the click out to a separate output which goes into a unique channel on our mixing board. And it is them fed through the auxes to go to some of onstage monitor mixes and the drummer's (me!) headphones.

 

[Suur Kandma]

I am a Logic express user and i'm trying to find a configuration to use it in live performances with my band. I've got a couple of midi keyboards connected to my macbook controlling absynth and fm8, the main issue for me is to find a way to switch between different patches and virtual instruments during the song in a fast way. Anybody knows how can i do that?

 

[Peter Ostry]

switch between different patches and virtual instruments during the song in a fast way

Use Mainstage, it is built for that.

 

[Suur Kandma]

Thanks!

 

[micdim]

THE ONLY PROGRAM THAT I'VE FOUND TO DO THIS WELL IS... CAKEWALK'S SONAR! WHY? SEE BELOW!

Example of what Sonar can do with it's song list feature: (it's very simple!!)
1. Create a project/song list order of unlimited songs... up to infinite number of songs, etc.
2. Be able to change song list on the fly. e.g. move project/song list order by mouse.
3. Song list opens Sonar Projects/Songs individually and then closes previous Project/Song
4. Ability to have current song open up new song after completed.
5. Ability to have current song open up new song after completed and start new song automatically.
6. Ability to have the new song delay any amount of seconds before automatically opening up and starting from the previous song.

Is Sonar by Cakewalk the only midi/audio sequencer out there that does this? I didn't want to use another sequencer but we are using it live because it's the only one that has a project/song list feature that we can find. With this feature we only have to use one application for studio and live use. Yes sync up Audio, Video, Program/Control changes, or anything that the DAW can do, we can do it live... And only use the ONE program to do it!

In this day and age (2012), it's really sad that Apple still hasn't implemented this with either Logic Pro, Mainstage, or Garageband, not to mention that Mainstage is pretty much overkill for a simple Song List creation, and it's not simple enough for just creating a song list to open up logic projects/songs. Also Mainstage can't use Video, doesn't have a timeline, and many other things like a typical DAW.

I'm praying that someone comes up with a project/song list Application just like Sonar. I haven't seen anything that comes even close to that.

I DON'T WANT TO USE SONAR! I WANT TO USE LOGIC FOR ALL MY AUDIO WORK BE IT IN THE STUDIO OR LIVE, BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT, I'VE FOUND NOTHING OUT THERE THAT DOES THIS SIMPLE TASK OF CHANGING PROJECTS/SONGS.

micdim

 

[georgelegeriii]

Hey Peter,

Thanks, I take a look at that and see what I find out. At least I can have a point of reference and a place to start..

I'll keep trying.

Regards,

Howie

Have you tried DI boxes from your computer into the PA? It's the only way I know to get from one place to another when long distances become involved.

The other thing to look into is to make sure you are not somehow messing up the polarity of your cables. If you mix is out of phase, it can sound pretty bad.