Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards do you gig with a laptop? what software?

Simple question: if I want to (or consider) use a laptop onstage as a sound source with some controller, is there any software prepared specially for this? I mean I know there are hundreds of separate plugins which can be used, but is there any all-in-one program, which provides for example 400 tones grouped in sections such as piano, e.piano, organ, pad etc., with sound quality on same level as top DP's? (kind of virtual sound module)

There are some virtual modules prepared for computing - sequencing and so on. Are they useful onstage? Are there some pianist-dedicated?

Cakewalk Sonar with Cakewalk dimension pro installed will give you about 1500 voices inc garritan orchestra.

There are many choices. You should check out Native Instruments Kore . It does exactly what you're looking for.

I use a laptop on stage with Ableton Live as a plug in host as well as a sequencer. It's VERY popular among stage performers and DJs.

Apple Logic Studio comes with MainStage . Mainstage is designed specifically to make stage performing with soft synths very easy. In addition Logic comes with TONS of instruments, loops, effects etc. and is a world-class sequencer. I to use it myself and will be switching to MainStage on my next set of gigs.

Thanks for reply. Looks like there is alternative, but rarely discussed on this forum. I met a selesman who told me that he uses laptop on stage and sound modules are coming into past - that intrigued me, and sounds reasonable; also, maybe I dont have to buy expensive DP only because lack of tones.

What about piano sounds quality, compared to Roland's superior grand or Yamaha piano tones? I'll also use e.pianos, organ and synth sounds as well, but I assume there are great, since they are much easier to reproduce. This programs have 88-key samples with few layers, prepared for piano playing?

MonksDream, have you experienced problems with laptop during performance? Does it have to be powerful? What kind of soundcard do you use?
Is that much more tiring than using only DP unit? What kind of controller do you use?
How do you switch between the tones? Can it be done by previously programmed controller buttons? Is that a problem to do so instantly during the song? Are there split/layer functions available?
Have you tried Cakewalk software?

Sorry for tons of questions xD

Any answers?

I checked out your links, but I can't find all of the information I ask above.

Lack of tones is not the only reason to buy a DP. If you're going to play a piano sound you need a weighted 88-key controller. I think it makes no sense to carry around something that heavy that doesn't produce sound. If my computer crashes I want to be able to fall back on something, in this case my DP. I don't gig with a laptop instead of a DP, I use one along with my DP.

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What about piano sounds quality, compared to Roland's superior grand or Yamaha piano tones? I'll also use e.pianos, organ and synth sounds as well, but I assume there are great, since they are much easier to reproduce. This programs have 88-key samples with few layers, prepared for piano playing?

You can find many solid piano sounds as plug-ins. There are two main forms of piano sounds: sampled pianos like Synthogy\'s Ivory , and modelled piano sounds like PianoTeq . Apple's Logic and MainStage comes with the Yamaha piano. Most software these days comes with thousands of quality sounds.

Lack of good sounds is not the issue with using a laptop onstage. What is an issue is stability. Sampled pianos in particular are "computationally intensive". That means you need a fairly powerful laptop and, probably, an external HD. Add in controllers, an audio/MIDI interface, and software drivers for all of the above and the possibilities for problems add up. There may be some piano players that use a laptop and controller instead of a DP but I'm not one of them. I use the laptop for organ sounds ( Native Instrument\'s B4 ), synthesizers. and samples. Basically to expand my palette beyond what is available on my DP without having to drag along extra keyboards. I've also used Ableton Live to sequence ideas on the fly while I'm playing, but only in improv situations.

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MonksDream, have you experienced problems with laptop during performance? Does it have to be powerful? What kind of soundcard do you use?

I've had a issues with ground loops and have had to reboot my laptop once or twice but it's been pretty solid (knock on wood!). I use a MacBook Pro with 2GB RAM and my soundcard is an M-Audio FastTrack Pro . How powerful your laptop needs to be depends on what software you will be running. Sampled pianos require significant processing power and hard drive space. I don't know of anyone that uses only a software piano onstage.

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Is that much more tiring than using only DP unit? What kind of controller do you use?

i wouldn't' call it tiring. It's the same set-up I use in my studio at home so I know it pretty well. The interface and cables go in the bag with the laptop so it's just one more bag to carry. It's a lot lighter than a second or third keyboard and way more flexible. My controller is a Roland RD300GX. As i said earlier, if the computer fails I still have a solid keyboard palette to fall back on.

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How do you switch between the tones?
Can it be done by previously programmed controller buttons? Is that a problem to do so instantly during the song?

I use the touch-pad on the laptop mostly. I usually set up a selection of instruments and sounds in Live that I can get to with a single tap. It's possible to set up any controller or button you want to switch tones. Some people do it by foot-switch. I've done it from the panel of the RD but it's easier to just tap the computer for me. That's one of the reasons I'm going to try using MainStage. It's supposed to be great for storing and recalling gear set-ups and mapping controllers to various functions.

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Are there split/layer functions available?

Yes.

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Have you tried Cakewalk software?

I used Cakewalk sequencers for many years. I moved to the Mac two years ago and have not used Cakewalk software since then.

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Sorry for tons of questions xD

No worries. The only stupid question is one that's not asked. :-)

I am experimenting using my MacBook laptop with GarageBand on some live gigs with a trio. I have various backing tracks and a variety of sounds. So far, it seems to work out ok, but GB is probably not the best program for live performance. The other issue is getting the right speaker system to get a great sound.

katt

I absolutely agree about the importance of speaker systems.

I had been using an old Korg X5, MIDI'd up to a laptop running B4II. While the sound is pretty good through headphones or my apartment speakers, when connected to a guitar amp/speakers, it became incredibly harsh - even after EQ adjustments.

Yet in contrast, the Nord Electro that a fellow band member brings along to our practise sessions does not exhibit this characteristic - maintaining a warm, reasonably soft Hammond sound.

Of course, the onboard audio on my laptop is hardly a good reference of quality, especially when compared with the Nord, which was designed with gigging musicians in mind.

Cheers,
James
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