We all know that the music industry is changing faster than most people can keep up these days, and that if you're going to make any money right now, it's often from live appearances rather than music sales. But for dance music producers, when everyone and their dog is a DJ, how do you make your club sets more unique and appealing than the next hopeful? Why not try incorporating some elements of live technology into your setup? Read on for a brief lowdown on some of the options...Not so long ago, it was commonplace for most producers to tour as a DJ to make their living. It was straightforward enough - vinyl or CD, a mixer, and maybe (for the very adventurous) an add-on such as an effects box. If anyone took it further - such as Richie Hawtin with his 909 - it was such a momentous event that it warranted a globally released mix CD. But now, as the cost of music tends to zero, everyone can DJ. So if the guy up the road is willing to play your local club for the price of a few beers, you need to offer something extra to stand out and get the set ahead of him.
The first thing that will come to mind for most people when they think of a live set is Ableton. And there's a good reason for this - it's designed especially with live performance in mind. All you need is a laptop and you're good to go. But you'll find that plenty of people turn their noses up at straight laptop sets - claiming that it's boring to watch, it could all be pre-recorded, and the DJ might as well be checking their email. It's a dull debate, but they might have a point!
Many people, therefore, look to a USB controller. Akai and Novation both offer excellent options, and these give you all kinds of benefits right off the bat. You can alter several different parameters at once, and they can let you control things without looking so much at the screen - to avoid those email accusations!
By incorporating Ableton and a simple controller, you'll then be able to add all sorts of effects to your sounds (try a Google search for 'dummy clips' to see how you can manipulate effects) or even break down your tracks to their component parts and re-edit them on the fly. This might sound like quite an undertaking, but it doesn't need to be - even stepping a track down to four or five loops will give you scope to change it in the mix, making it more fun for you to play in the club. Remember that 'live' doesn't necessarily mean you're EQ'ing your hi-hats in the mix every time - it could be something as simple as dropping out the lead line to let the groove roll out, or losing the kick for an instant breakdown.
A step up from this, in terms of complexity, is to bring in a drum machine or synth. This is a common option and it's one that gives you more chance to get away from the screen, as you program or tweak the hardware. Use the MIDI output of your sequencer to synchronise the hardware, and then you can run a track whilst jamming along over the top of it - techno legend Redshape does this to great effect.One trick that many pro's use is to use full tracks, in their original state, to help bridge gaps in the live setup. This could be seen as cheating, but it's really not - after you've been jamming a 'live' track, you mix into a normal, full track. While this is playing, you can change the patches on your synth, program a new beat with the step sequencer of your hardware drum machine, and when you're ready to go, mix out of the track and back into your live set. Remember though, that if you're going to start bringing noise-making devices as part of your setup (including effects boxes with their return channels) you'll need to bring your own line mixer too! Clubs won't be too happy if you start trying to rewire their DJ mixer at 2am.
There are other options that enable you to get a bit live, too - Traktor gives you the option to line up several tracks at once, and you can use this to live-mix stems of a track. It also has a good set of customisable options to let you play with the structure of any track - if a section is dragging, you can jump forwards 16 bars to the breakdown, or alternatively, loop a part that is going well.
Serato offers similar scope, and have recently released 'The Bridge' - a free piece of software for anyone that already has Serato and Ableton, which lets you synchronise the two. Showing impressive co-operation by these technology companies, you can use this to control Ableton from a turntable, or record live sets complete with fader movements, and lots more - enabling you to swtch seamlessly from playing vinyl, to dropping digital files, to jamming out a proper live set. The boundaries are starting to look very blurred indeed.
If you're a live electronics purist, of course, you may want to avoid laptops altogether - and this is where classics like the Akai MPC series can really come into their own. With their solid rubber pads that can be used both to jam out drum solos, drop one-shot samples, or control MIDI sequences, you can run a full set-up from one of these things without needing to use a computer at all. You'll definitely need a line mixer, some effects, and a good few noise-making boxes to boot - which means you'll be needing to arrive early to set up and soundcheck. But it's guaranteed that there won't be too many people in your neighbourhood who can offer the same live show!
So, 'live sets' can come in all shapes and sizes, from complementing a DJ set to rebuilding a studio on stage. But if you're a producer, you already have something that other DJ's don't - you have the raw materials to your tracks. So make use of this when you're putting together a club set, and try using some of the tools above to create something completely unique!
