OLD GEAR, NEW DAY
Jan 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Erik Hawkins
It's easy to become enamored of laptop computers and slick new software programs for live performance. But face it: As cool as laptops are, they are often ill-suited for the rigors of the stage. Then, there's the audiophile's opinion that computer-generated sounds don't sound as full, round and warm as those from dedicated hardware sound modules.
However, there is an ingenious solution to the problems and concerns raised by laptop systems. It's a cheap under-your-nose fix that addresses several issues at once: old MIDI gear. With a little effort at hunting down choice used sound modules or digging out that old gear from the back of your closet, it's possible to build a great-sounding, dependable, portable and inexpensive live system using the MIDI hardware of yesteryear.
BURIED TREASURE
The MIDI protocol, a set of standardized rules and instructions designed to facilitate communication between different manufacturers' electronic musical instruments, has been around for more than two decades, and it's still going strong. In such a technology-driven industry, it's truly impressive that gear produced 20 years ago still functions and interfaces beautifully with today's MIDI devices.
With such a rich history of MIDI products, there's plenty of great gear to be found on the used market. Most of this gear sells for a fraction of its original retail price, making it quite the bargain. When shopping for used MIDI gear, there are several key features that are advantageous for live performance. MIDI In and Out ports are a must, and a Thru port is always handy for daisy-chaining units. Sound modules need to recognize MIDI patch change and continuous-controller messages. (This information will be in the owner's manual; if the unit doesn't come with one, find a version online before making your purchase.) Multiple outputs, good polyphony (16 notes or better), lots of preset sounds or samples, multitimbrality, plenty of memory and a synthesis engine that includes filters are all valuable features. For units that require an external power supply, make sure that the correct power supply is available — the original factory power supply is preferable.
Although most of this gear was not designed for live stage performance, any unit that recognizes continuous-controller messages can be controlled via a MIDI controller that is designed for live performance (such as M-Audio's new O2 or Evolution's UC-33e). By employing a MIDI controller with lots of knobs and faders that transmit those messages, you can gain complete control of the MIDI sound module's internal parameters for the type of real-time tweaking you've come to expect with live gear.
SOUNDS AND SEQUENCERS
Used rackmount samplers are an obvious choice because they can sound like anything — from a vintage Roland drum machine to backing vocals (depending on your samples) — and they're selling cheap. For example, the Akai S2000 with 32 MB of RAM, eight outputs and the filter effects board is going for between $150 and $250. With an S2000, you also get the added bonus of the classic, fat Akai sound. Other rackmount samplers to look out for are the E-mu E64, the Ensoniq ASR-10 Rack and the Roland S-760. The downside to samplers is that they don't have onboard presets; you must load the sounds from a SCSI storage device, which can take a few minutes — not a big problem with a little planning.
MIDI sound modules are rampant on the used market. Here are some examples of completed listings on eBay for items that would fit well into a live system: Roland JV-880 with hip-hop expansion card, $175; Roland M-DC1, $95; E-mu Orbit 9090, $99; Korg Electribe EA-1, $118. For exclusively drum sounds, a Korg Electribe ER-1 went for $153 and a Roland R-8M for $77. Add the R-8 Electronic drums data card for $40 to the R-8M, and you have practically every classic Roland drum machine in a single rackspace with multiple outs. As you can tell, there's a dirt-cheap used sound module to fit just about anyone's taste.
To play back your sequenced tracks without depending on a computer, you'll need either a stand-alone MIDI sequencer or a workstation or groove box with an onboard MIDI sequencer. There's not much too choose from in the stand-alone category; the venerable Alesis MMT-8 still rules the roost here. Groove boxes aren't obligated to playing their own internal sounds; for example, the Roland MC-505's sequencer tracks can be assigned to control external sound sources. Just because a groove box's sounds are tired doesn't mean you can't put its sequencer to good use controlling other sound modules. Sampling workstations, such as the revered Akai MPC machines (60, 2000, 3000 and the new 1000) or the Ensoniq ASRX Pro, can be powerful allies onstage. These units pack everything you need into one compact box: sampling for original sounds and multitrack sequencers for playback and control of external sound sources.
PACKING WEIGHT
An obvious downside to MIDI hardware is that it can be cumbersome. But it's not necessary to carry a half-dozen sound modules to every gig; two or three carefully chosen single-space, multitimbral, multioutput units can give you plenty of muscle. If you prefer to play your sequenced tracks from a laptop, all you need to communicate with the MIDI modules is a USB-to-MIDI interface and a decent MIDI sequencing application (such as Apple Logic, which has the Touch Tracks feature for live remixing of sequenced tracks).
For the best prices on used gear, look to your local swap meets and classified ads before jumping into the eBay bidding game. If you work it right, you can build a great live system for less than $500 or way less if you already own some choice old MIDI gear. So put that old gear to work.
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