playing VSTi's live

[joeymusicguy]

hey guys

i got my parents a mac book pro and a firebox for christmas

my mom and dad are 50 years old

they play live music 4 times a week in different bands
i am trying to figure out how to make the mac book pro the one stop shop for playing music live and recording musical ideas at home

my mom plays keys and i am hoping to make the mac book pro like a "keyboard module" for her, using a midi controller as the keyboard, and the mac book pro to host the VST's

do you have any recommendations in terms of software to do this?
i'm trying to avoid the complications that common DAW's could bring... but i simply do not know what type of software there is out there to do this task!

as of now: they are about to play a gig using garageband, with several tracks pre-setup with a new sound loaded on each track, then they are just going to switch which track is armed based on what sound they want to play... but i dont see this as long term, and its not possible to switch "sounds" from the control of the keyboard doing it this way.

 

[muckypup1]

If you wanted to switch between different presets some kind of midi board would work, I have forgotten the right name for it, but I remember seeing a board that let you switch between different midi channels, patches and presets. I'll google it and see if I can find it, but this might not even be the right thing you want.

 

[::XeS::]

Download the Kore player from NI website, is free in these days and it works as midi module. It works awesome

 

[updog]

Logic Studio includes a program called MainStage, and while last I heard it was pretty buggy, it probably works fine these days. It's specifically designed for this sort of stuff. It's kind of like a DAW, but optimized for fast live use.

 

[muckypup1]

Download the Kore player from NI website, is free in these days and it works as midi module. It works awesome

Also, download the free KORE sample soundpack they have up on the website, and if you can, get the free christmas collection soubdpack

 

[thefyn]

Guitar wise, is AXEFX the software/PC version coming out soon/at all?

 

[muckypup1]

I didn't know there was a software version of AxeFx, it should be awesome!

 

[ahjteam]

I was going to suggest MainStage also

 

[::XeS::]

Also, download the free KORE sample soundpack they have up on the website, and if you can, get the free christmas collection soubdpack

Aren't these things included in the free Kore? There is only 1 installer and 1 page for the promotion.

 

[greyskull]

yeh.. Mainstage!

 

[006]

I didn't know there was a software version of AxeFx, it should be awesome!

It's still in the works, AFAIK there isn't an official ETA or at least anytime soon anyway.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

If I was gonna be playing VST instruments live a lot I would definitely own one of these:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/R2Muse/

Just saying, I don't think I would want to lug a laptop when gigging.

 

[dani]

i'd expect mainstage to only support audiounits? although most plugins come in AU format these days.

surely joey, you have a spare copy of cubase lying around, now?

thanks,

 

[updog]

i'd expect mainstage to only support audiounits? although most plugins come in AU format these days.

If it's a MacBook Pro, there's no actual use for VSTi's in OSX. I take it he probably meant AUs, anyway.

I haven't come across many VSTs for OSX. Mustn't have been more than 5 free ones, at any rate.

 

[muckypup1]

Aren't these things included in the free Kore? There is only 1 installer and 1 page for the promotion.

Maybe they have changed it a bit now, I downloaded my copy of Kore about two years ago.

 

[muckypup1]

It's still in the works, AFAIK there isn't an official ETA or at least anytime soon anyway.

I'm looking forward to it! I know that Meshuggah have started using AxeFx and I love them

 

[dani]

i too have a macbook pro, and i use cubase 4 with a lot of VST plugins, free and not free, so it's a bit of a stretch to say VSTs are useless on OS X.

in fact, all the paid for plugins i can think of come with mac VSTs, and i've certainly came across more than 5 free VSTs..! aha.

he said they were using garageband, so i guess they're flexible in what virtual instruments they want to use, in which case mainstage would probably be enough!

thanks,

 

[muckypup1]

Also, you can get Kore for mac.

 

[Rex Rocker]

If it's a MacBook Pro, there's no actual use for VSTi's in OSX. I take it he probably meant AUs, anyway.

I haven't come across many VSTs for OSX. Mustn't have been more than 5 free ones, at any rate.

I think there are VST's and VSTi's for OSX. On ReValver I have two lists, one with VSTi's, one with AUi's and in both lists I have Kontakt Player, Addictive Drums, Play, etc. in their two different formats. Same with the VST's. The fact that like 99% of the Mac VST's come in AU format as well is kinda confusing, tho.

 

[Djabthrash]

my mom and dad are 50 years old

they play live music 4 times a week in different bands

dude your parents ROCK !!!