Live Acts???

Who out there is into live stuff??? I've just got my brothers MC-505 Roland Groovebox and have been playing around with it non-stop...my friends are wondering if im alive!!
Has anyone used one and if so what can i put with it. At Gatecrasher i saw Honeysmack was using one (along with 2 other rather large gadgets) which put a massive smile on my face cause it showed me that there is possibilities with this machine. Its very complicated but im going to stick at it and see where i can take it. What are your favorite programs...any ideas as to what i should/could put with this groovebox to make it a REAL music making machine???

JEEZ.....don't all talk at once........

I've not used a MC-505. I'm not much of a fan of Roland's 'Groove' products. I've not seen Honeysmack play live, but I imagine he might be using the MC-505 in the same way that HPS? in Sydney used to use his MC-303 (he has an Akai MPC-2000 now), as just a pattern sequencer, and then using other gear for the actual sounds sources.

What can you add to the Groovebox to make is a real music making machine? you ask. Well... how about an Akai S6000 sampler with 256MB, an Access Virus Synth, a Nord Lead II Synth, a Novation Supernova II synth, a Roland TR-909 drum machine, a Roland TB-303 bass line, a Mackie or Allen & Heath or Ramsa or Yamaha analog or digital mixing desk, effects processors, compressors etc. etc. Guess it all depends how much $ you have?, and what kind of music you want to make?, how much control you want over everything/sound source when playing live?




Cheers Dave

Well...i thank you dave....you've provided me with heaps of info and direction....cheers for taking the time to write a few words

respec

I remember when i was a wee lad going to your events you were at...looking up in awe at you in your big cammo pants and great tunes...a good upbringing i say...thanks

did I really used to look like that?

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~damc/oldweb/damc3.jpg

ummm......yeah i guess.
You were my favorite at all the underage events
I went to see you!!!

thanks Drem, appreciate your support!

Cheers Dave TECHiONE / DAMC

i have a 307 (basically the mc-505 with a lot of dials moved to digital and more memory) and its just a sequencer for me now, although it IS still an instrument and i DO still use it, but the presets are rather lame

sadly im also stuck with an S2000


now dont get me wrong.... an MC-307 and an S2000 sampler are GREAT TOOLS FOR MUSIC, but having used these in my live acts for a while now im totally exhausted as far as using them beyond their capabilities


its a personal thing.

for the record, im getting an MPC2000XL cause the MPC4000 is pushing prices down (but slowly) and the MPC2000XL can replace my poor 307as lead sequencer and send the S2000 to our live percussionist to use with his midi drum triggers

add to that a Kaoss Pad for effects routed through my Mackie 1402 VLZ PRO's effect chain, a distortion pedal, an sm58 for me to speak/shout/tease/thank the crowd through, a rode nt3 mic'ing a digeridoo, and our scratch dj on his vestax deck and mixer, all running thru my mackie (also, until i get a better sequencer and sampler with more then 10 megs ram, i have to play some backing tracks on minidisc...


geez man... how'd we get this much gear... what made us "need" it? whats the point? is it worth it? is the money that good? why dont we just mix it ALL to minidisc and DJ? huh? why? WHY??????????????


cause its so damn FUN! the REWARDS of doing whats haunting your mind, performing that music you create, feeling the live joys of gettin it right. laughing off the bad gigs, sweating when a midi lead falls out cause you were rockin too hard and now a midi note is stuck on, worrying when the venue has a smoke machine aimed at your rig, or their's not enough room for the scratch dj, or a cable tore and you dont have the soldering iron, or maybe the venue has faulty power (common) and you get shocked, or the humidity or heat is crashing your gear, or your oddly uninsured tr-707 falls to the ground as some young enthusiastic chap bumps the stands, or or or or or....



you will have BUCKETS of fun with that 505 mate

then you might expand, little by little, get more serious etc etc.... its a great life but not easy by any means.


give in to the lust of being a live act! DO IT! : )))))))0



ps... techione doesnt know me but ive caught his act here in brisbane and we are both on the AKAI sampler mailing list.... go figure. im with the ANALOGIK collective.... live acts are great fun and we love spying on each others rigs : P

keep up the good stuff guys! : )

(pps, one tip for you Drem, DO NOT believe music store staff. DO NOT buy stuff new cause it seems to be the goods.... DO NOT buy anything "aimed at djs"... look around, ask around. heres one example, for the price of a cheesy little boss sampler new i got a classic S2000.... this example may be cryptic now, but it will make sense : ))))