> Rob - live tracks online? URL?
>
> And, yes - a backup plan is key - my backup plan is on CDr - I can at
> anytime mix in a CDr, which contains all kinds of stuff that I
> sequence/record/cut up at home in the studio. This allows for
> transitions and saves you in times where your midi settings are messed
> up or your sampler freaks out, etc.
>
> Live Live Live - I want to hear everyone's live stuff...
I don't tend to play live these days - I just don't have the time alongside
other commitments. However, I do tend to *record* live, wherever possible.
That is, I'll hit record, then play a part from the seat of the pants
entirely, without having worked anything out ahead of time. Sure, I scuff up
from time to time, but I invariably get a much better feel. I often just
leave the bum notes in, because I'm usually the only one who knows that they
are bum notes - other people think it's what I meant to play anyway.
When I'm recording, I don't tend to heavily depend on sequencers - I usually
just play live, real time that is, straight into a digital recorder (Paris
in my case). Paris lets me fix the worst horrors, but to be honest, I rarely
ever need to do that. The serendipity of not knowing what I'm going to play,
and not even knowing the track I'm playing against all that well (because
I've not listened to it over and over yet), makes things happen that I'd
never be able to write conventionally.
This approach works, but you *do* need to be able to play - I've been
playing keyboards since I was big enough to reach them, certainly before I
started school, starting with old Hammonds and stuff back in the early
1970s. I've only ever had a handful of music lessons in my life, however.
Just thousands and thousands of hours of practice.
Anyway, if you want to listen to my stuff, a proportion of it is up at
http://www.mp3.com/mageofmachines/.
Have fun,
Sarah
