VST-LIVE2pro - Song switching?

VST Live
1

Hi to everyone at the VST-Live-Forum!
I have a question about the functionality of VST LIVE 2 PRO:

I am planning to use a new MACBOOK pro and a software like VST-live2pro on stage. I already bought VST-Live and I already spent some time with interesting, entertaining trial and error.
:slight_smile:

To explain my following question:
I am a keyboardplayer, 100% live-player, never used any playbacks and do not plan to do that in the future. VST-Live2-pro seems to be a versatile software for switching hardware-Synthesizers, rackmounted 19inch-Soundgenerators by Midi-Messages and it offers the possibillity to use sounds from Vsti-Plugins, which is new to me in a livesetting.

Since the 90ies I used a midi-matrix (Miditemp-Multistation) on stage for switching sounds and for all the required programmings. I played hardware-instruments.
For example: I worked for 12 or 14 years as a part of an ABBA-Show, I had to switch my setups fast enough, to play the next song within a few seconds and the MIDITEMP-matrix always did exactly that. I play top40-gigs with different bands, where I sometimes play “normal” songs (i.e. “one song, one setup”), sometimes there are mashups, that require switching sounds while playing. I normally sort Setups in order, dial the program-number in the matrix and press ENTER. If not I know which number is required next.

After that, I get (example…) a Piano on my lower 88-keys-instrument, a Synthpad for the upper left keyboard-zone and a stringpatch for the upper-right keyboardzone.

Next song I need a rhodes-patch on the lower key, string-patch on the left hand, synth-lead-patch on the right hand
(…).
I am sure that VST-Live can get that solved, I already programmed some setups like mentioned before and it works, to switch “Songs” using my computer.

During the last weeks I searched for a way to adress Songs or Songparts (in VST-Live), for switching these by using VST-Live. I want to do that from a central point (maybe a numeric keypad or something like that). What I don’t want to do on stage is rubbing on a MACBOOK-touchpad or dive into menues using a mouse. What I search for is “One switch - different sounds”.

Is there a way (I normally try to find an easy way :slight_smile:) using VST-Live-2pro, to define adresses or numbers for the Songs or Layers, to switch Soundsetups? I actually think about triggering that by using a numeric pad.

Many thanks for reading and thanks in advance for answering!

Best regards
Axel

2

I use Korg NanoKontrol Studio connected with an CME WIDI Master to do exactly what you described. Advantage you have also faders to control the volumens of the channels. And it is small enough to fit on the keyboard.

Don’t connect it directly via Bluetooth, as VSTL does not like disconnections. The WIDI Master solves this problem and is much more stable.

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3

Thank you!
I just took a look on the KORG-Page and it might be interesting.
My question stays the same: Adressing and switching. The interface on the nanoKONTROL does not seem to have numbers or a display to identify what might happen after pressing ENTER. That would take me back to the 14”-Macbook-pro-keyboard or -touchpad….

When I start programming my required setups (I did not do that yet - at first I need an idea what I really have to work on…), I think that there will be 300 to 500 Setups for 10 or more bands that do different styles, songs, programms…
The reason for my question is that I normally create a setup for one song and try not to make to many movements on synthcontrollers. Some of my setups are useful for 3 or 5 other songs, some setups work for only one song. Sometimes the sets differ from each other because of different volumes (example a Synthpad might be used for chords or maybe a synthsound as soft as a synthpad might be necessary for a line that has to be much louder than one note in a synthpad…).

Anyway - thanks for your answer! I will go on thinking about it and maybe take a further look at the nanoKONTROL.

Best regards
Axel

4

Yes, there is no visual feedback to the control, so you need at least the macbook as monitor or an Ipad with the VSTL App. But you can easily step for or back the songs, or scroll through them with the wheel.

5

Hi there,

according to the idea behind VST-Live-2pro I might be on a wrong way - maybe I am planning something that does not really work using VST-Live.

Now I search for a better idea. What I want/ need to do is the following:

Different bands with programlists that contain more songs than needed on a normal gig. Example 100 Songs possible to be played but 30 - 40 Songs needed for a normal gig. That might be organized and sorted at home but also has to be possible on a gig between two sets or even during a set.

On stage I want to switch from one point without diving into the software while the other guys play the gig…

Maybe it could be a better way to start from a different point. That means not to use numbered setups but alphabetical Songs for Band 1, Band 2, Band 3 in separated folders for each band, including doubles.

How could I get that in order in VST-Live, when (that’s what I understood the last months - I might be wrong…) the SETLIST is the point where everything has to start?

I. SETLIST (for each Band)

1st Song 1 ( = Set 1)

a. Part 1 ( = Song 1)

b. Part 2 ( = Song 2)
(…)

Could be problematic to get parts out of a song - I don’t know, just brainstorming…

Most of the time the sets stay like planned. It would become problematic when something changes while playing it (“Let’s do ‘I wanna dance with somebody"‘ or anything else…). Working out the the songsetups the way explained above needs a backdoor for situations like that and at the moment I do not see one.

Best regards
Axel

6

There is a (little known, it seems) search bar at the bottom of the Playlist (leftmost list). When the bandleader shouts out something like this, just type “I wanna” and it shows Songs with that name.

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7

Thank you for your answer!
That’s a good idea.

1 Like