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Seeking Inspiration

Hi everyone

I've been lurking and learning for ages but now seems the moment to get involved!

I'm a keyboards based looper based in the Midlands of the UK.

My most inspiring decision this year was to go completely portable for the first time.

Instead of the usual behemoth rig - loads of synths, miles of cables and mixer acrobatics, I've built a simple portable rig composed of:

Toshiba laptop with touchscreen

Energy XT

A selection of VSTs including Atmosphere, Alchemy and Cameleon 5000

Augustus Looper

and a cheapie Akai mini keyboard controller.

It's completely portable so I've spent a year going out to ruins, lakes, abandoned chapels, riversides and the like and just setting up and playing live there straight to stereo, captured by the freebie MeldaProductions recorder tool.

It's radically changed how I feel about making music. I've got totally bored and frustrated with the studio based endless MIDI fiddling and tinkering, in favour of a "one shot" , "what I play is what goes to the master" attitude.

I find being out on location very inspiring and the kit I've built gives me just enough flexibility to build the textured, layered soundscapes that the places draw out of me. (it's a bit like a water colour artist taking his easel and paints out with him!).

I enjoy the "seat of the pants" aspect of just starting and seeing where the music goes.

I recommend trying it if you can.

I'll happily share some of my output if anyone is interested, but I think it may be rather out of step with the mainstream looping culture.