Live Performances with Logic...or not

Regarding the slight output delay (latency),
if you use bufferrate 128, it's in the range of a delay you might put on the drum mikes to keep them in phase with the house speakers. (ca 3 meters)
But don't use AdLimiter or Phase EQ , the have extra latency.

I would never, EVER, run a live show that depends upon the reliability of my computer system. Running the show with plugs and monitoring through the computer means that if something fails, the live sound goes with it.

In fact, I would never use a computer for anything related to a live show unless I had a backup. I'm recording a live show next month, and I'm going strictly to computer from the FOH mixer, but if my computer crashes, it doesn't affect the house mix. Life goes on.

The beauty of the Onyx mixers, however, is that you can record the show dry via Firewire, and still do a house mix with effects in the inserts and aux sends.

Anyway, this is just my opinion. Others may feel differently.

Back in the day, I used to gig regularly using an Atari ST running Sequencer One, connected to a MIDI Synth and drum machine, an external floppy drive and a television set! Never once had a single problem, except maybe exhaustion from lugging it all around before I had roadies... 🙂

I don't play live anymore, but interestingly, I don't think I would rely on a computer system today, regardless of the platform or sequencer - I wouldn't trust it. I'm not quite sure what that says about the progress of technology...

I use my iBook for live performance and I find it to be the most reliable way I have ever done it. Although I do not use Logic for live nor do I use VI's only outboard midi. I think it is more reliable

here is a great thread where this was dicussed in detail

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2039766&#2039766

The thing about computers is....sometimes they just f* up. I've recorded about 30 live shows so far with my rig, and its worked every time but once, and it was the most important gig so far. I wouldn't trust logic to play backing tracks behind me on a regular basis, especially if you are running effects in real time. I would be more confident bouncing or freezing tracks, even doing a mixdown to a few tracks for basic playback behind the band. You just never know, it might work fine until your biggest gig too.

I use my iBook for live performance and I find it to
be the most reliable way I have ever done it.
Although I do not use Logic for live nor do I use
VI's only outboard midi. I think it is more
reliable

People are very apprehensive about using Logic in a live setting. I am not exactly sure why. I am a bit leery, but not because of Logic, it's because of some my NI plug-ins.

And if something goes amiss.... it happens. It's no different from breaking a string, or breaking a snare drum head, etc....

Dual 1.8Ghz G5 PB G4 1Ghz LP7.1.1 RME FF800 Mac OS X (10.4.6) Reaktor 5.1 Reason 3.0.4 Live 5.0.2 Battery 2.1.1 Recycle 2.1 DFH 1.5.3

And if something goes amiss.... it happens. It's no
different from breaking a string, or breaking a snare
drum head, etc....

well that is true in some cases, for example a 4 piece band with bass, drums guitar & keys that is using the backing tracks just to add a few parts won't suffer much if the computer froze up. but what about the band that is using it for most of the music, and the keyboard player is playing the VI's with his controller. if the computer glitches, there goes 90% of your music, Time to clap your hands, stomp your feet and break into "We will rock you" while the computer reboots.

well that is true in some cases, for example a 4
piece band with bass, drums guitar & keys that is
using the backing tracks just to add a few parts
won't suffer much if the computer froze up. but what
about the band that is using it for most of the
music, and the keyboard player is playing the VI's
with his controller. if the computer glitches, there
goes 90% of your music, Time to clap your hands,
stomp your feet and break into "We will rock you"
while the computer reboots.

that is awesome... "We will rock you.... well hold on....we're going to a quick force quit and ..."

I agree. I am just starting to do this 'pure' electronic thing with a friend of mine. I am a bit nervous, but we have 2 separate machines running...If my machine tanks, while I reboot, he'll go bananas to make sure we keep the cacophony at constant level. Or that's the theory at least. If both machines tank, we're going to have to resort to the "every clap your hands like you just don't care" route.

Dual 1.8Ghz G5 PB G4 1Ghz LP7.1.1 RME FF800 Mac OS X (10.4.6) Reaktor 5.1 Reason 3.0.4 Live 5.0.2 Battery 2.1.1 Recycle 2.1 DFH 1.5.3

I use Logic to play live... I use it on my PowerBook to play the softsynths, and if anything goes wrong, it's not the end of the world as the others can still play while I sort it out, although this has never happened to me yet. Even still, I would be very weary of using Logic as the full backing, just because it is running from a computer... I don't know, I'm still slightly weary of computers and how easily they break, even if we are talking Macs. I have been thinking about a MacBook Pro for some backing, but would always want a backup going. That said, many bands gig with Logic playing, indeed some quite famous ones.
Keane have apparently a couple of PBs behind stage playing what just the three of them can't play. Quite interestingly, it's all synced by a wireless keyboard... Someone presses space which starts both laptops, one for metronome and the other for sounds. Quite an interesting idea I think!

When is the last time your keyboard crashed? Or your digital mixer?

Computers ARE unreliable. They do A LOT, but they are not to be used for mission-critical items like mixing a live show, unless you specifically design them as such.

All of the largest live acts in the world use computers, that's true. But they also have 2 or 3 levels of redundancy, the computers they use are not used for anything else, and AFAIK, they don't do the house mix on a computer.

Yes, if you are using a computer as an instrument, thats just fine. No sweat.

But doing the house mix through Logic, which was the original question, is just a disaster waiting to happen. Get a mixer, that's what they're for!

Keane have apparently a couple of PBs behind stage
playing what just the three of them can't play. Quite
interestingly, it's all synced by a wireless
keyboard... Someone presses space which starts both
laptops, one for metronome and the other for sounds.
Quite an interesting idea I think!

Does anyone know how sync two comps like Keane does???? That would be amazing....

MIDI network setup via airport or MIDI cable

Ableton Live is what you need. It is the ultimate software when it comes to performing live. If you want, REASON can be used for live performances too, but if you are using loops and plug-ins LIVE is the way to go.