Re: sequencers

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 12:41 PM, mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com> 
wrote:
> Seriously, which did you have in YK2X?

Only the Gordius Little Giant 2 foot controller. Smallest possible
setup to meet flight luggage regulations. I recently got it to replace
a FCB1010 and with the LG2 you get more pedals per bank plus extra
external switches and/or expression pedals so with the LG2 it is
easier to group your commands into banks that are easily accessible
("performance ergonomic"). This kind of makes the additional hand
controllers less important. I think I will look more into only foot
control for live work since when playing the Chapman Stick you may not
be able to free a hand as often as when playing the guitar or the
flute. And I like to use the same live looping setup for all
instruments, as the looping setup in itself kind of becomes an
instrument to learn as well as the other ones.

However, when playing EWI with a regular live band I totally avoid
foot controllers. I don't loop much there though, rather just build up
pads in a freeze reverb. But since playing an EWI sends MIDI data just
by playing I find it more convenient to program cross fades, scaling,
"SUS Subtstitute stuff" etc in Mainstage according to the MIDI that
comes in with the notes I play. The EWI has a hell of a lot of octaves
so I can make "keyboard splits" for instant access to many sounds, I
can layer synths, ultar fat stereo samples assigned to just one note
etc etc... and dedicate certain notes (outside the key we are playing
in) to control effects, loopers etc. It is really nice not having foot
pedals on stage so you can move around a bit to find the sweet-spot
for the stage monitoring sound as well as keeping an eye on the fellow
musicians as you play. But I need at least one MIDI pedal for that
band in order to adjust the tempo now and then. I have experimented
with one of those transparent Apple mouse devises. Since it has only
one mouse button and the whole damn thing actually IS that mouse
button it can be placed on a holder gaffer taped to the floor and
stomped at. I use an extra USB extender cable with it and place the
mouse over the correct Mainstage button in advance.

Per