My Rig, The Beast - Deconstructed... PT 1. Continues in comments.

Ego_Likeness

After a year, the beast is all but finished.
Here’s a video of it in action if you want to get a feel for it before bothering to read the rest of this.

I’m trying to document all of this, because the experience of making this work has been quite unlike anything else I’ve done. Both in time commitment, the whole thing took about a year to complete. And scope, which if I had realized what I was trying to do from the beginning Was pretty excessive, and don’t know if I would have attempted it. But I’m very glad I did. And I need to give a massive amount of credit to my wife for tolerating all of the time and money that went into it. Also huge thank you to everyone who helped me by supplying the iPads and random other bits of jank.
When I started building it, I had no idea what my goal was. I was shooting for a tactile performance device for ::Hopeful Machines:: live. Which ironically ended up creating something that is exactly that but in no way built to go on the road. Which I’m ok with. I realize that ::HM:: is not most peoples cup of tea, so I have gone with the next best thing. Creating and performing live nightly via Facebook.
Http://www.facebook.com/Stevenlikeness
I wanted to be able to control the sounds down at their level. Not just with effects but modifying the sounds themselves.
Once I had a few pieces of gear up and running, I began to feel off in the distance, another device hidden behind these pieces. This... dark potential... a meta machine that would not just be a performance tool, but also, a adversary and partner to work against. Something that could be a vehicle for ,”PROCESS.”
It took me a while to parse what this amorphous potential was. I knew what I wanted the experience of working with it to feel like, more than the specifics of what I wanted it to do. I wanted it to feel like painting. In my case, that means ,”thoughtless.” When I paint its pure analysis and reaction. I rarely think about how to solve any given problem, I’ve been doing it for so long, and I know my tools so well that I bypass that step and just go from observation to action. Much in the same way one is aware that they made the thirty minute commute home from work, because they are home, but don’t remember the details. The body just did its job.
*if you want to see the art you can find it at https://www.etsy.com/shop/egolikeness
As things began to come together, I developed an unvoiced set of goals for the device. Had you asked me at the time, I probably couldn’t have put them into words, but I knew the problem would not be solved unless these were accounted for.
Goal the first... using all the byproducts of living in the future, create a work environment that allows for the rapid prototyping of melodic ideas. This is aided by a number of apps and plugins.
This meant a TON of trial and error. As well as a shit ton of research. I was reading new manuals every night trying to learn the software, figure out how to make it jump through the various hoops I needed it to.
Eventually I found the apps that do what I want in the most practical way. Scroll to the end for a breakdown of my apps of choice.
Goal the second... create an environment that allows for flow state thoughtless creation. Where the experience of creating music feels more akin to painting than the usual “sitting in front of a daw moving data around” jank. Which is perfectly good, but I’ve done it for 20 years. And since I can’t just sit down at a piano for synth and play, a method that doesn’t really appeal to me anyway, this is the best solution.
I wanted to create an environment in which I am constantly assaulted with potential pieces of songs and my job is to sort through and arrange it all in real time almost like playing a video game.
This was accomplished using a half and half method. Half of the work is done in Ableton and the other half in the devices of the beast. Ableton is mostly taking care of the drums. I have two channels that are the meat and potatoes drums, Kick, snare and hat. Each of those has two channels of drum pattern variations. The first channel is a set of basic patterns, quarter notes, sixteenth, etc. The second channel adds little fill runs, a quick run of 16th note kicks at the end of a measure, things like that. Or with the high hats, one channel are variations of close hat loops and the other open.
Then using Ableton follow actions, the software cycles through all of that more or less at random. Which with two channels per drum and X number of variation per channel the meat and potatoes drums have a ridiculous variety of combinations.
In addition to those, I have multiple channels of other loops. Each channel is dedicated to a specific type, drum and bass, noise drums, tribal, etc. Those are all random as well, changing every 8-16 bars.
In addition to the drums using a Max for live plugin, I have Ableton spitting out midi to devices as needed. Check it out here, it’s a very simple device that when paired with others can have ridiculously complex results.
http://synthesizerwriter.blogspot.com/2017/12/two-step-two-bar-triad-chord-film-music.html?m=1
Behind that device are a bunch of others doing all kinds of midi tricks to add variation and complexity to the whole thing. Each track has a key lock on it, all of which are controlled by the same fader, so I can change the key of the entire project on the fly.
Recently, I’ve been adding multiple tracks full of midi data. One full of myriad symphonic parts, one with lead synth riffs and one with pad parts. All of which can be pointed at whatever as needed. They too are selected randomly every X number of bars, and pass through any number of midi processors which create variation in addition the variation from part to part.
There are also three vocal tracks all of which run through pitch correctors so that they “sing” in whatever key is selected. The three are spread across the root note of three octaves and the pitch corrector lock them to that note and the fifth of the root. Which gives a decent amount of variation without getting out of control.
Th other half happens in the apps. My current ,”go to,” apps as far as musical generation are Propellerheads ,”Figure,” and Novations ,”Groove Box.” With both you dial in the key you are working with and then, in the case of figure, noodle with its interface until you find what you are looking for, or with Groovebox, mix and match it’s random riff generator and random synth patch selection until you find what works. More on that bellow.

Ego_Likeness

Goal the third... create an environment where I have total control of all of the sounds, key, effects and any other aspects of the song within easy reach. While maintaining a shit ton of randomness in the form of underlying drum loops chosen by ableton and played randomly, as well as two iPods that spit out random dialog and atmosphere samples. I want to “discover” the songs in the same way the listener does, and at the same time.
The dialog one passes through an iPad 1 running “echo pad” (an early version since first gens max out at iOS 5x) which syncs via wireless midi to the tempo being broadcast by ableton. I use that for looping and delay tricks.
The atmosphere iPod goes through another first gen running amplitube for additional reverb, pitch shifting and other modulation. That pad also runs a Lemur environment for interacting with ableton directly if needed.
Several of the iPads have dedicated hardware controllers for their effects. So that I can leave the processor app running in the background behind the sound generator and just interact with that and the hardware. Instead of switching back and forth and killing momentum.
Goal the fourth... and while this is not an imperative, I am fundamentally an art guy. So the whole thing has to be aesthetically interesting to me. And ideal the way it looks should be part of its function.
Naturally the layout of the devices is going to be dictated by how they are used. I’ve been wrestling with this from the beginning, and I think I finally have it in the optimum layout.
All the controller devices are directly in front of me at hand level.
Right hand side is a iPad 3 in an Alesis IO dock, which runs any number of controllers including Geo shred, TC - DATA, Lemur, Beatonal and a few others. Since those are a pretty low processor hit, it’s usually running something else as well.
Left hand is the aforementioned iPad 1 running Lemur.
Directly in front is a Axiom if I need an actual keyboard. It’s CC controllers route to different pads for changing effects.
In front and below is the MX-1 mixer which is the center point of the whole thing.
The less I interact with something the further up the sides it is. I have a few synths that I control with midi stashed out of the way, a micro korg uptop, a Juno alpha one on a shelf below everything and the MC 303 directly in front but kinda stashed behind the main jank. It’s accessible enough that I can tweak parameters or change the patch, but otherwise out of the way. There’s a TB 03 directly in front but it’s only there because I couldn’t find another place for it.
I don’t have to dick with the synths because on that iOdock iPad 3 I’m running a couple of sysex editors for the Juno and korg, so I can change everything from right there, which is nice.
The left wing, closest to the ableton laptop has three iPad 4s and a iPad mini 2. Since all of them are lightning cable based I have them running directly into that machine using Studio mux.
There are also 4 kaoss pads of different flavors. Two threes each of which sits on the effect send of the main mixers, they run through a line mixer and into their own channel on the recording mixer. The other two are accessible at the patch bay.
The right wing has two iPad 1s (the aforementioned one used for sample effects, and one that is currently being a fairlight and sound font player) two iPad 3s. One tends to be dedicated to figure running lead lines, which passes through another KP mini and on to the MX1. And a second that changes as needed.
There’s also an iPad 2, dedicated to running Figures bass lines. An Alesis air FX, and a trigger figure that runs midi to the IO dock for tweaking effects.
A quick note on connections. All of the iPads with 30 pin connectors except the 2 and the one in the IO dock run through Griffen audio docks, which do both audio and midi in and out. And you can get from new egg for $20.
Beyond that, it’s just aesthetics.
Do I need multiple monitors showing random imagery? No, but it looks cool.
I do however need multiple other machines, and those monitors are driven by machine that need to be there anyway, so fuck it.
The original idea with the black lights was to make it more obvious to the audience what I was doing when I turned small control knobs. However the final result for me is that wrapping all the lines with tape and assigning each device a colour makes keeping track of what goes where much much easier.
Goal the fifth: be able to reconfigure everything on the fly.
I have multiple devices and multiple effects processors. And the iPads themselves can be effects processors. So there are tons of routing options. In order to get the most out of them, I have all of the effects processors in a patch bay, so I can change what runs into them, and where they go without touching any of the main wiring.
Goal the sixth:
Get good recordings of the performances.
I won’t belabor this too much, but I have done a number of things that helped this.
I have a number of sub mixers that go to the recording mixer. Anything that’s rhythm oriented, drums, bass arpeggiated synths go to the MX1 since it has onboard rhythm based effects. The other synths go through a different mixer, with different available effects chains. Though both mixers have kaoss pad 3s as send, because: duh.
In the interest of having as much flexibility with the final recordings as possible, if you listen to the broadcasts you will hear dialog samples off and on throughout. Those hit the audio chain after the recording computer, so they don’t actually go on the recordings. That way I don’t have to deal with a situation where the music is awesome, but the sample has popped up too many times on other songs to be useable.
Everything is synced through ableton link, including the recording computer. So editing is a breeze. Most of the time I just go in, clip the bars out that don’t work, put the parts back together and tidy up any zero crossing issues with a quick cross fade. No muss no fuss.
Goal the seventh:
Compensate for my technical weaknesses as a musician. I can’t play piano, and can only adequately play guitar. And more importantly, I don’t have much interest in learning to play them better. I can make them do what I need them to do, and that’s enough.
People always ask about the lenses. Originally my idea was to use them as a way to make what I was doing more obvious, so I put them between the camera and the devices. But that didn’t really work, and at that point I didn’t care, because they look cool.
iOS:
Utilities
AUM - a digital mixing and routing environment. Send midi and audio anywhere. More expensive than Audiobus, and totally worth it. Also does auto per channel recording that writes right into AudioShare for upload and editing. Runs on everything but first gen.
Audio share - moves files from here to there pull stuff off of Dropbox put it somewhere else. Combined with AudioCopy very useful though occasionally frustrating.
Audiobus - was the shit until I got AUM. Sometimes it makes sense to use AB sometimes AUM it just depends on the apps.
Studiomux - allows you to plug your idevice directly into a computer via usb. Send Sound and midi back and forth as a plug-in or one way as an instrument.

Cubasis 2 - Cubase on an iPad, I love it, you love it.

Ego_Likeness

Go to Sound devices and effects
Figure - my catch all for quickly generating bass and lead lines. Combine it with multieffects like Turnado, and it’s onboard parameter tweeks and you can keep it from sounding too much like itself. While it, like most of the apps listed take Ableton link, midi out, onboard effects and a way of generating pads would be nice. Runs on first gen, but no link support.
Fugue machine - I have barely scratched the surface of this amazing app, but just using the onboard sound with effects opens up a world of ever changing melodies. And I have yet to get into its midi implementation. No first gen support.
Groovebox - is fantastic for rapidly prototyping songs. Two different synths with tons of sounds and more importantly pre made patterns with random parameter adjustments which are great for idea generation. The only drawback, which I’m sure will be fixed at some point is that it’s locked into midi Omni mode, meaning that it will pluck any midi coming out of the air and allow it to tweak parameters and play notes. It’s a midi whore. The work around is it assigns each instrument a midi channel, so if you make one instrument and mute it, the second one will be on midi channel two etc.
Big big plus, can export stem files and Ableton projects directly to Dropbox or AudioShare. Runs on everything except first gen.
Loopy HD - I have been using this less, but it’s still a great way to rapidly build a collection of riffs and ideas for a song. It’s also good for writing on the go as an end point for audiobus. In theory runs on everything, I tried it on first gens, not so much, also without link (on those) you have to do midi sync.
Beatonal - its like figure but spits out midi. Shitty interface, ridiculously useful app.
iKaossilator - the iOS version of korgs touch based synth. Good for quickly putting riffs together. Also runs on first gen iPads. No midi. No link.
Sound prism - has chords will travel. You need chords? It makes chords. It also has onboard sounds, runs on first gens and spits out midi.
Thumbjam - with a name that implies some sort of sports injury or college frat event, it’s ridiculously useful. Its touch based instrument that uses some the nicest samples I’ve heard in a bit. Unlike iKaossilator it sports very deep midi options both in and out, as well as an onboard arpeggiator and very basic effects. Runs on everything.
GeoShred - wanna play lead guitar on a synth? Here you go. But not just limited to guitar, all kinds of stringed instruments, real and imaginary. Onboard effects, arp, deep as fuck midi implementation, runs on gen 2s and up.
Lemur - natch. You need an interface or controller? Bam! Runs on everything. There’s a learning curve, but if you’ve got a basic understanding of midi you’ll be fine. You can also do stuff with deep scripting that is totally outside my range of understanding. But there’s plenty of community created content you can cut and paste.
It also has such a low processor hit that you can run it along side pretty much anything else on first gen pads with no glitching.
TouchOSC And touchable - see Lemur, make it ableton specific. Bam! Apparently the current version is the last to run on 1st gens.
Sektor - is what I would say if it had ableton link. Because it’s bad ass, it just syncs poorly. It’s made by the same person who made AUM, so I’m going to try it in there and see if that makes syncing easier.
Patterning - very cool interface, very cool machine that I don’t use enough.
KMachine - drums noise and video, what’s not to love? Programming, but watch the guides, it’s pretty easy after that.
TC-DATA and TC-11 - Multitouch midi controller and synth respectively. Allows for interacting with midi in a totally unique way. It has an onboard sequencer which I have yet to use.
Launchpad - a link enabled loop playing beast. Great for quickly adding loops to a song. Not great for quickly adding loops to itself, though it can be done, it just takes a loooooong time.
Nanostudo - runs great on first gen Machines, takes midi, plays samples and multiple synths. You could write an entire album with it.
Magellan - multisynth with many parameters to tweak. Runs great on first gens.
iTunes music player - I have two iPods dedicated to just that. One runs random dialog samples, the other runs random atmospheric sounds.
SynthScaper - it’s lovely.
SoundScraper - need noise and atmosphere?
Turnado - so many effects
Echo pad- runs great on first gens
Bizmark - sound font player
Korg Gadget - many synths, all of which can be midi controlled.
The “drummer apps,” - future drummer, rock drummer, middle eastern drummer, Brazilian drummer
There’s a ton of others, that I will add to this as it makes sense.
Demo videos -
Roland MX 1

Figure

My much less abstract music can be found here
Http://www.egolikeness.com
(Female fronted dark rock)
Http://www.stoneburnerband.com
(Tribal war disco)

SpookyZoo

It's late here in the UK, but I watched the first 5-6 minutes and am intrigued to watch and read this in more detail tomorrow

Love the fact you have built search a large scale rig and documented it for other peeps.

Ego_Likeness

Thanks! Well, if I'm gonna put this much work into something I might as well keep track. Hopefully it will make it easier for other people to do similar.

rthr

Yes, the magical state of being in the zone...

Scottzilla82

WOW...and my wife thought I had too many iPads! Holy tangle of usb cables Batman!
Can’t wait to read this after work today... Looks awesome!

Ego_Likeness

All of the cables are colour coded. Which helps trouble shooting.

I am on the road with my bands a good three, four months out of the year, so cable management is my thing. At least with this rig I don’t have to worry about taking it apart every night.

As long as you keep lose and audio separated, it’s not such of a much.

Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr

Not a bad start, but it needs more iPads.

stuck80s

Was your wife pissed off when you got last months electric bill?

This project is intriguing...

I’m interested to hear more!

Post a direct link to the show for us

Ego_Likeness

Ipads don't pull much power at all.

rthr

@Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr said:
Not a bad start, but it needs more iPads.

Agreed. PM sent...