advice for wanting to perform elecronic live and/or DJ?

[Katelyn]

Anyways I was talking to a networker the other night at an event and they recommended a couple of places that has DJ nights in town and aside from that I've been looking for places in the area. I've never performed anything live before or DJ'ed and I'm wondering what I should really keep in mind for when I do and how to best prepare.

I need some new equipment before I can even do any of this, seeing as right now as all of my production is done with a DAW full of viritual effects and instruments, a Bass Station II and a 61key MIDI controller (with some knobs and sliders so can be a makeshift mixer if I want for the digital stuff on the computer). At the very least I would need *good* laptop to run a lot of stuff like my choirs and synth guitars or software synths and effects ect. as well as some other equipment, but the laptop will be essential. I also own a cheap but decent drum machine from the 90's but I've not found a way to easily integrate it with my setup other than by sampling or recording (all my MIDI is via USB atm of this post). I DO eventually want to have a lot of hardware to replace a lot of the virtual effects and instruments, but that's just not even nearly feasible for me at the moment for mostly financial reasons.

I also wonder if even that will be restrictive. All the shows I've seen even from a fellow electronic artist it was all hardware, I saw a laptop once for a local punk band but most of their stuff was real guitars and drums. So I'm not sure what exactly one does if most of their production is purely digital with no hardware since I basically can handle most of the mix on my end and not on the guy doing the sound.

I also feel I am limited by only having some keyboard skill good enough to get by in the composing stage. I can't play a lot of the things I wrote, but I'm hoping that can change in the future. At the very least since I do a lot of acid my hands can be busy some of the time and some of my tracks have vocals. It's finding what to do before any vocals or acid is introduced though that's hard. I've considered investing in a good guitar (I wanted to get a real guitarist anyway if I don't since I'm sick of not having a real guitar tone) and learning myself to give me something more to do. I don't want to be a "press play" artist doing mostly nothing.

This area isn't exactly big on electronic (I live in West Virginia, USA) but a couple of people from two different bands playing that night and the promoter said that I just need to put it out there and not hold myself back. One of those people in that conversation I've known for many years and I think they are right. I just want to be prepared in terms of equipment, mentality and skill. I don't exactly have any money to spend on new gear *right now* but I'm trying to get a new job so that I can seeing as my current income took a hit and isn't enough to get by on anymore let alone pursue my passion of music.

[harryupbabble]

This is obviously not an advice but just an observation. The lack of response to this thread so far might be an indication that what you are going to experience... most DAW users have never experienced.

But maybe this assessment is totally wrong and was maybe made too soon and later on there will be a lot of response from DAW users who actually do play in bands and in front of crowds. Or maybe Joe Walsh was right when he basically said and I paraphrase "DAW killed the arena star, DAW killed mojo." Joe made me want to kill my DAW. Dammit Joe.

But then I thought (just like you maybe) "Who said I have to leave my songs in DAW form, I could play them live with other humans, I just have to find the right humans, and the time, and the means, and the will power, and the nerve, and stuff". Easier said than done.

But it seems you are going to do it. That's heroic and gutsy (to me at least). Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[BertKoor]

they recommended a couple of places that has DJ nights in town

M'kay...

I've never performed anything live before or DJ'ed and I'm wondering what I should really keep in mind for when I do and how to best prepare.

Well, you first practice at home. A DJ plays tracks and lets them flow into each other. So then I assume your plan is you play your own tracks. So practice that.

I need some new equipment before I can even do any of this

Says who? Most DJs just bring a USB pen drive with their tracks, and that's it. I assume you work at home with your DAW on a laptop. It can play your songs, right? So what's the problem? Me thinks you're overcomplicating things. Do what you actually can and what you feel comfortable with. Don't pay attention to your inner voice that says what others might expect from you! And that's hard...

At the very least I would need *good* laptop to run a lot of stuff like my choirs and synth guitars or software synths and effects ect.

What if you just freeze those tracks, or render them to audio? That would make it less CPU demanding.

I also own a cheap but decent drum machine from the 90's but I've not found a way to easily integrate it with my setup other than by sampling or recording

Yes, sampling or recording is fine! Who says the instrument has to actually be there with you on stage? Who cares, really... You're there, on stage, and the PA plays music. 90% of the DJs just do Wave, Sync, Wave, Sync ad nausum. You want to be different, a performer. But you just need to start somewhere.

All the shows I've seen even from a fellow electronic artist it was all hardware, I saw a laptop once for a local punk band

So what? You're different!

So I'm not sure what exactly one does if most of their production is purely digital with no hardware since I basically can handle most of the mix on my end

You press start and enjoy the show. Look at the audience, not at your screen. If you do look at the screen: put just one cup of the headphone to your ear, and with the other hand mimic you tweak a knob. No one minds...

DJ = Disc Jockey. -DISK- -JOCKEY- !!! Play the damn records. You can do something extra, but why should you. Don't make it too hard for yourself.

What's your DAW? Ableton? Render all your best tracks down. Put 'em in the cue list and make a show. The biggest nitwits can, and so can you.

[Katelyn]

I found an old topic on gearslutz a while back that was kind of useful as to getting a picture of the spectrum of it: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electro ... ou-do.html

All the shows I've seen even from a fellow electronic artist it was all hardware, I saw a laptop once for a local punk band

So what? You're different!

So I'm not sure what exactly one does if most of their production is purely digital with no hardware since I basically can handle most of the mix on my end

You press start and enjoy the show. Look at the audience, not at your screen. If you do look at the screen: put just one cup of the headphone to your ear, and with the other hand mimic you tweak a knob. No one minds...

DJ = Disc Jockey. -DISK- -JOCKEY- !!! Play the damn records. You can do something extra, but why should you. Don't make it too hard for yourself.

I didn't reply to this when I first read it a month ago, but it kind of nagged at me so I thought I would respond.

I don't want to be a "press play" artist, I've already stated that. Also I don't think I can get away with just playing tracks, I wouldn't ever get anything they want you up there with equipment and it at least appearing that your doing something.

Actually it makes it much easier if I'm playing an instrument to get a gig. I'm a solo artist so it's already hard enough. I kind of figure playing a real electric guitar as the DAW plays the VST and the other hardware is the way to go (along with some parts where I play VSTs via MIDI controller). Only thing preventing me at the moment is issues saving up for a laptop and a new guitar. Being poor really sucks, I'm lucky I ever managed to get what equipment I do now.

So basically, I want to do it a little more "complicated", and in doing so I'm actually more likely to have success. So why wouldn't I?

[ghettosynth]

I think that a bunch of us here have done various takes on this. I regularly DJ, I sometimes include my own tracks. I even host one of those DJ nights that you're talking about. In the past I've done live shows with a lot of variations of hardware/software/technique.

Just DJing is fine,"IF" you actually DJ. That's what DJ crowds expect. If you want to play live, you are going to have to decide what those words mean to you and what they mean to your audience and whether those perspectives connect in a meaningful and practical way.

You might get better feedback if you talk a bit about your music. Do you have a soundcloud or web page?

[BertKoor]

Hi Katelyn,

Seems like I sort of reached my goal. On purpose I've skeched a scenario to you that's relatively easy to perform. Just saying the crowd doesn't mind since that's what they are expecting. So you gave though about what you actually want to do, and that's quite a bit more. Think about the possibilities instead of the limitations.

Probably there's a compromise somewhere inbetween: home-prepared tracks where you can add some live elements. Better make it so that it won't collapse if these live elements are absent.

Still I don't think another laptop is required. If your current stuff works at home, then why not on stage : shrug:

Again, good luck!

[Katelyn]

Thanks for the response guys. I guess at first I was over complicating it in my head as I was for the first time considering it all as a real possibility. I've already decided on the priorities of my various goals and have been working towards them.

I think that a bunch of us here have done various takes on this. I regularly DJ, I sometimes include my own tracks. I even host one of those DJ nights that you're talking about. In the past I've done live shows with a lot of variations of hardware/software/technique.

Just DJing is fine,"IF" you actually DJ. That's what DJ crowds expect. If you want to play live, you are going to have to decide what those words mean to you and what they mean to your audience and whether those perspectives connect in a meaningful and practical way.

You might get better feedback if you talk a bit about your music. Do you have a soundcloud or web page?

Below my name is my soundcloud and facebook.

Though this is the playlist of some of my better stuff:

https://soundcloud.com/katelyn-rajas/se ... good-stuff

I think that, given the use of guitar it's easy enough to just play that part once I learn to actually play electric guitar (two birds with one stone since I want a real guitar anyway in my music). I don't know what I can meaningfully say about it, it's basically that and/or keyboard. Though I'm working on a lot of tracks with more vocal elements, so I can add that too.

Since there is a lot of acid elements in what I do, I often record live manipulation of the filter and envelope parameters so that would fit really well with doing something in real time as a performance.

As far as DJ nights, ya, I've thought just throwing a track of mine in there among all the other tracks if it fits the style I'm supposed to play that night. I think it would be a good way to test more people's reactions to my music. Though really I want to get to a stage where I can perform, but I'd do both probably.

Hi Katelyn,

Seems like I sort of reached my goal. On purpose I've skeched a scenario to you that's relatively easy to perform. Just saying the crowd doesn't mind since that's what they are expecting. So you gave though about what you actually want to do, and that's quite a bit more. Think about the possibilities instead of the limitations.

Probably there's a compromise somewhere inbetween: home-prepared tracks where you can add some live elements. Better make it so that it won't collapse if these live elements are absent.

Still I don't think another laptop is required. If your current stuff works at home, then why not on stage : shrug:

Again, good luck!

Ya, I think I figured it out, thanks. Also I think the idea of including live elements at the composition stage is actually a pretty useful idea.

As for the other part I don't own a laptop and I can't drag my desktop to events

[thecontrolcentre]

I used to drag my whole studio out to gigs at one time ... Atari, hardware synths, fx, samplers and mixing desk. More recently I've used a sampling groovebox. I setup scenes (patterns) within each song so I can extend, or jam around certain parts of songs depending on the gig, and the audience. For DJing I use a laptop ...