Thursday, June 10, 2004
a laptop on stage?
I'm thinking about ditching my current "too large and unwieldy" keyboard for a small controller keyboard hooked to my laptop. This means I would have a laptop on stage. I would like some input from the ironlemon constituency. Here are my concerns:
1. Frequent breakage. Computers suck. They don't work. They break all the time. I don't want to have to reboot my keyboard during a show. I'm also terribly afraid of just dropping it or spilling beer on it.
2. I will look like a dork. I AM a dork, so I guess that's not that big of a deal, but messing around with a laptop on stage will push me to a new level.
3. No one will believe I'm actually playing, they will think everything is pre-recorded and sequenced into the computer. I am completely against this method of performance and it terrifies me to think that people might believe that I'M doing it.
That said, if I use my laptop I get the benefit of unlimited, awesome keyboard sounds that can be upgraded and changed whenever I want. I won't have to buy a rack or really expensive keyboard that will be outdated in a year. I have a feeling that I also might discover other fun things that I can do with the laptop as time goes on.
Comments? Suggestions?
1. Frequent breakage. Computers suck. They don't work. They break all the time. I don't want to have to reboot my keyboard during a show. I'm also terribly afraid of just dropping it or spilling beer on it.
2. I will look like a dork. I AM a dork, so I guess that's not that big of a deal, but messing around with a laptop on stage will push me to a new level.
3. No one will believe I'm actually playing, they will think everything is pre-recorded and sequenced into the computer. I am completely against this method of performance and it terrifies me to think that people might believe that I'M doing it.
That said, if I use my laptop I get the benefit of unlimited, awesome keyboard sounds that can be upgraded and changed whenever I want. I won't have to buy a rack or really expensive keyboard that will be outdated in a year. I have a feeling that I also might discover other fun things that I can do with the laptop as time goes on.
Comments? Suggestions?
Comments:
You should definitely use the keyboard in the act. You and I talked about doing this before stew was around. Maybe we should have used the keyboard...:)
...depends which band. Ballad of - no. Reubens - probably not. Einsturzende Neubauten cover band - yes.
# posted by 
: 6/10/2004 5:19 PM
: 6/10/2004 5:19 PM
Proclaim your art. Attach a cup-holder. Try putting viola strings on it. Oh wait, never mind; your band mates might impose their dogma and resist innovation. maybe think about a cup holder. -t
# posted by : 6/10/2004 8:55 PM
: 6/10/2004 8:55 PM
do it. if you use good software on your new laptop you shouldn't have to worry about it crashing. people in music use macs for a reason though- that being the lag time is lower, the usb converters are apprently somehow better for audio work, and the os is more stable, although this was more of an issue in the days of winders 98. anyway, you should take the opportunity to explore what you can do with software synthesis and all this stuff since you have the new laptop now. that's what i say. also you should bring the laptop over to my new apartment when i move and play neverwinter nights with us. and we got a dungeonmaster for tabletop as well, and about 4 or 5 people drafted into playing. the degree to which you are excited about this prospect will probably indicate the degree to which you are or aren't a dork.
Although I own Neverwinter Nights, I was intimidated by the cover art and didn't install it for a while. I now have a level three thief. Do I suck at this game?
Build a robot of yourself to play the computer keyboard. And at the end of each song you could have some random live animal pop out of the chestplate of the robot, after cleverly hiding bats or owls or woodchucks in there- you know what I mean.
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Build a robot of yourself to play the computer keyboard. And at the end of each song you could have some random live animal pop out of the chestplate of the robot, after cleverly hiding bats or owls or woodchucks in there- you know what I mean.
