1Creating A Keyboard Set Up - LiveKeyboardist

03Sep 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Does Your Live Keyboard Rig Cover All The Bases?

What needs to be included in a live Keyboard Rig? It's a question that every single keyboard player will have to ask themselves at some point. The actual gear is somewhat flexible (though I do have some opinions of what I think is best), but it seems to me like there are some constants between all effective live set ups. If you’ve got all these areas covered, then you are in business! Components Of A Live Keyboard Rig A set up is made of 5 parts: Note generator (A keyboard, or MIDI instrument)Sound Generator (Either the keyboard or a DAW)Sound Processor (A controller for your DAW, or an effects chain)Sound Converter (Audio interface, or audio outputs)Speakers There are lots of options for each of these parts, but most gear will…

23Jul 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Musical Theatre Sound Effects In Ableton

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Live Playback, Presets and Sounds

Musical theatre is close to my heart, and figuring out how to make Musical theatre sound effects happen has always been a welcomed challenge for me. Musical Theatre shows are a great working ground for Ableton live. They come packed with lots of different patch changes, and at times, keyboard parts come backed with Sudo-unplayable parts that require the assistance of software to pull off- and of course lots of musical theatre sound effects. When I first started programming keyboard for musicals, I used mainstage, which seems to be industry standard for this genre. Unfortunately, It always cracked under the pressure of extensive programming. This was one of the causes of me moving to Ableton. If you're going through the same thing, make sure you grab a copy of my…

07May 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Most Common Types Of Patch Lists

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Live Playback, Midi

Because of Ableton's innate flexibility, there is more than one way to set up patch lists. Before we jump in, make sure you read through because I am including a starter patch list template in the body of this post that you can grab for free. After hours of research, I believe there are three effective types of patch lists. The Static Patch ListThe Automated Patch ListThe Dynamic Patch List Each of these methods has its own perks and pitfalls, so let's take a look at how each one works so you can pick the best one for you. The Static Patch List This type of patch list is similar to the likes of Sunday Keys for Ableton. The corner stone of this set up is using dummy clips to…

30Apr 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Three Ways To Build A Live Set Faster

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Program Features, Transition Essentials

Preparing for a live performance using Ableton requires four things: A setlist so you know what sounds and effects you will needThe right sounds so your live set matches what you hear on recordingsA way to control patch switching so you can move through your set easilyA way to alter and adjust sounds for spontaneity, or to compensate for different sound systems, band member volumes, and anything else unexpected that sometimes happens. Look at the above list closely... ...Now ask this question How much is the same from set to set? If you're thinking, "Almost everything is the same from set to set", I would not only agree with you, but go so far as to say that is the case for most people. Start From A Template The number…

26Feb 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Sync Ableton With ANY Metronome

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Live Playback, Program Features

The Metronome has become an integral part of performing live. Not only for the tempo stability it provides but for effects that have become staples of current music Without playing in time to a metronome live it is impossible to create side chained pulsing synths, Arpeggiators become useless, and delays and auto pans become somewhat misplaced in the shifting time of your music. Now there are three reasons you might be having difficulty seeing Ableton in time with your band. You band isn’t using a metronome at all.Your band uses a metronome, and the metronome is being triggered by a device that CAN sync with Ableton, but you haven’t set them to communicate Your band uses a metronome that is stand alone and cannot communicate with Ableton. For the purpose of…

19Feb 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Controlling Ableton’s Tempo From Any Controller

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Featured, Program Features

If you aren’t using the handful of controllers with a dedicated button for controlling Ableton’s tempo, you may find yourself at a bit of a lose for how you can control Tempo Now of course there are simple options like assigning tempos to a master scene, or using a tap tempo. However... In my experience using Ableton with a live band in a real performance, being able to push the tempo a few clicks up and down is absolutely priceless. Unfortunately, It’s not quite as simple as mapping a button and calling it an afternoon. You can use any controller, but for more reasons than I can count, I highly recommend you get your hands on a Novation Launch Control XL. I can give you quite a few reasons that…

05Feb 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

How To Run Tracks Using Only The Novation Launch Control XL

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Live Playback

I have gone through every single controller in the books. Hands down, the most powerful, most customizable controller is the Novation Launch Control XL. I regularly use it to run tracks as well as control my keyboard sounds. Let me tell you, it simply does not get better then having all of the controls you need in ONE PLACE. Since I am such a huge fan of this controller, there will be a few links throughout this post to purchase it. If you do end up grabbing your own controller through one of my links, I will make a small commission, but it is at absolutely no extra cost to you. Also, I am happy to offer any support you might need in using it, since it is one of…

29Jan 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

How To Quickly Transpose All The Patches In Your Live Set

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Live Playback, Midi

Having a global transpose feature can be helpful in a lot of cases. Mainstage makes this pretty intuitive on a per patch basis. Although it may not be immediately obvious in Ableton, it’s actually pretty straight forward How To Transpose EVERYTHING Ableton has great routing features, so rather than have your patches receive midi from your keyboard, we are going to first run midi from your keyboard through a midi channel strip that will allow us to alter the signal before it reaches your patches. Step 1 Create a midi channel strip by right- mouse-clicking. Rename it Midi Filter Step 2 Rename your new channel strip, "Midi Filter". You can do this by right mouse clicking on the track and choosing rename, or selecting the track and holding Command +…

26Jan 2019 by Brett Pontecorvo

Simple Volunteer Keyboard Set Up

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, Blog, Featured, Live Playback, Midi

You're ready to make the move to Ableton, but your team is full of volunteers who maybe are not the most tech-savvy, and probably aren't going to spend a ton of time learning how to use Ableton. You need a SIMPLE SET UP. What do you do? Here's My Solution The Bare Necessities I just couldn't resist Let's start small right? Begin to get your volunteers on board with using a DAW as their live instrument to begin with. You probably won't sound like hillsong immediately, but we are taking some steps in the right direction Sounds There are a few things that show up over and over in every single Christian worship song, so lets start there. Piano You will need a good piano patch. If you are looking…

22Dec 2018 by Brett Pontecorvo

Supercharge Your Live Performance With Macros

1Creating A Keyboard Set Up, 1Sound Design, Blog, Live Playback, Midi, Program Features

Ever wonder why all of your keyboard sounds feel stagnant, sterile, and computerized? Perhaps you feel comfortable making set lists, but are looking to make your sounds go the extra mile? If you're tired of sounding more like a robot than a musician, read on... https://youtu.be/VB_rngXDS_4 Every instrument has the ability to produce many types of sounds... Ableton is VERY MUCH your instrument, so your approach to creating a variety of dynamics, textures, and tones is pivotal in creating a captivating performance. Unfortunately, just popping a few audio effects after a synthesizer isn't going to give you the ALIVE feeling that you need to have. In order to make your sounds pop you must have the ability to change how, and how much a sound is effected in real time,…

Category: 1Creating A Keyboard Set Up