Re: RECOMMENDATIONS for EFFECTS PROCESSING on upcoming tour

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

It's difficult to recommend something as there are so many lose ends
in your description but this is my guess on what you want to do:

I guess you want to get an audio interface with a built-in mic pre amp
and in/out jacks to put the LP-1 (reason: you say you want to use the
MacBook both as effect rack pre looper and as mixer post looper?).
Think abut how many channels you want to bring back from the LP-1 to
mix and look for a matching audio interface.

Then we come to the software to run. Here it's important to know if
what you want to use as the sync master (software or LP-1?). Myself
I've had the best experiences with Bidule as a VST host good for
following MIDI Clock sync from a looper. MainStage also does that
well, but since you want to run VST plug-ins MainStage is out of
question because it only runs AU plug-ins. They are both also a little
awkward to use "as mixer" for multiple inputs (if you want to mix
eight mono outputs coming from you LP-1, I don't yet know if you want
to do that?). Now, the other context - where you set the tempo in the
software and start looping to that tempo - opens up for using Ableton
Live that excels "as mixer". Some people say Live can slave sync fine
but I am not among them. Live 8 is just around the corner but I
wouldn't recommend trysting the said release by "second quarter 2009"
- even if that happens it will give you no time to learn the stuff
(Live's new Looper that sets the tempo for the whole application by
first loop length, yes that's gonna be great... the day it hits the
street).

You said you have a Onyx Satellite. I googled that but couldn't find
it. Tryggve that played with us in Oslo concert house has a Onyx mixer
that I think is model 1220. The Onyx 1220 is quite big and heave and
that's not fitting your concept very well, so I guess the Satellite is
some new model that I just have not heard about yet? If the Satellite
also has mic pre amps you can use it pre LP-1.

Ok, finally I'd like to wrap this up with something that I do know
something about and for that I'd like to focus on your first condition
"The simplest setup". Myself I have always given priority to simple
setups and used effect rack pre looper, no matter if I have been using
hardware units, only software or a combination. My typical system is
the looper setting the tempo and then the effects slave syncing to the
looper's tempo. But if you look at the audio signal chain the effects
comes pre looper and I record all effects into the loops. Very rarely
I slap effects on the output, except for a multiband compressor that
balances both direct input and looper output. This can be done in
Bidule, MainStage and Live (although I wouldn't dare syncing Live
after the looper's tempo).

Finally, a white spot: Always when I have combined hardware and laptop
software I have used digital connections - to avoid extra latency -
but this is not possible with the LP-1, so I'm afraid I don't have the
experience to say if it would work or not.

I think this were all the block, and their alternative options. Now
you have to think about them and chose your priorities.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se
www.perboysen.com



On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 7:29 PM, Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com> wrote:
> Hey Per,  and everyone else on this list,
>
> I need to seriously cut down on my travelling weight for my upcoming
> tours in Europe this coming summer.
>
> If I were to use my MacBook Pro (using either OSX or WIN XP)
> as a mixing board and effects processor (using my hardware Looperlative 
>as a
> live looper
> with one Mic input and one Line input)......
>
> What system would you suggest that would be the easiest way for me
> to incorporate my LP-1,  Berhringer (or hopefully smaller, midi 
>footpedal if
> I can find one)
> and use the computers as a large EFFECTS box to reduce weight in my 
>upcoming
> European tour?
>
> I love processing and am in love with my current configuration of  stomp
> boxes but they are just too
> heavy to be flying around Europe with it's excess baggage policies.
> I also have amassed a  huge VST collection,
> Would you guys please recommend to me a setup (either Mac or Win)
> that would have
>
> 1) the simplest set up
> 2) the easiest learning curve
> 3)  the ability to use VST plugins in any chain I'd like to
>   a)  be in front of my LP-1 and
>   b)  be after my LP-1
> 4)  the least amount of price for the software as well (money is a 
>factor)
>
> I will have a Mackie ONYX  Sattelite system to get sound in and out of 
>the
> computer, by the way.
>