# How would you go about triggering samples live?



## Arcadiagrooves (Oct 10, 2011)

With Cubase setup on a laptop how can I setup samples for live performances?


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 10, 2011)

Trigger them via Midi?


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## Arcadiagrooves (Oct 10, 2011)

Can you elaborate please?  How would we setup the laptop at the venue?


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 10, 2011)

There are a few things you'll need for what I'm thinking:

1) Laptop running sampling/vst/DAW/etc. software. You seem to have that covered. 
2) A Midi capable interface to plug into the laptop via USB. 
3) A Midi controller device. 

I idea here is that the Midi controller will be what you actually use to trigger the samples. There are various styles of controllers from ones that resemble keyboard, to ones that act like drum pads, to those which you step on like a stomp box. It's really up to you what kind you think will work best for your application and who will actually be pressing the buttons. 

In order for the Midi controller to be able to work the laptop you'll need an interface to let them talk to each other, since you won't be able to plug the Midi controller directly into your laptop. Since it'll be for triggering and not recording, you can go for a pretty basic interface as long as it has Midi functionality. 

As far as getting the sound out, you'll use the output of the interface to hook up directly to the soundboard at the venue in order to be put directly through to the PA system. Alternately, if you're playing venues without a suitable PA, then you can always get a powered speaker/small PA of your own to use.


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## Arcadiagrooves (Oct 11, 2011)

Thank you this is very helpful!


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## Partario (Nov 8, 2011)

I recently found a fairly simple solution for my bands live samples/backing tracks.
We were using my laptop and interface to achieve this, but damn I hated having my nice equipment onstage. Also, my laptop stopped playback a few times due to overheating and hardware limitations. 

We play with a click track for our drummer, and he must also hear my guitar in his phones. My solution is bouncing the whole set as one audio track, left channel click, right channel backing tracks. This is fed from an ipod, into a mackie 802 (Mackie - 802-VLZ3) on two separate channels. The click is routed to the headphone out, and the backing tracks to the main out, which is then plugged into the PA. I then mic my cab, plug that into the mixer, and send to phones. This guitar signal is separate from the mic the sound guy sets up for his mix, it is only for the drummer to hear. 
We all know which songs to tune in between, so after we hit play, we rely on our drummer to count in each song.
Its a bit complicated, but once it's set up, I find it easier than using a laptop on stage.

Hope this helps!


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## Jesse Zuretti (Nov 11, 2011)

Just make sure your laptop hard-drive is solid state.


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## Samarus (Nov 11, 2011)

Yeah, the more moving parts you use, the more liable things are to skip/crash.


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## TeethLikeNathan (Nov 11, 2011)

or you could invest in a roland spds or spdsx


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