Laptop Live Performance Tips Part 8

by Clint on March 5th 2012

For the next installment of the Laptop Live Performance Series I'd like to spend a minute talking about the importance of 2 fundamental things that are in IMHO vital to ensure a successful live performance. These are not technical things but actually more about setting proper expectat... (continue reading)

Reversing Workflow in Max

by Clint on May 8th 2011

@cycling74 recently tweeted asking "What is the best #MaxMSP advice you've ever heard?". A few good responses. I like "use route inside sub-patches so that they only need one inlet" for example. Here's one from me. When starting a new project in max... (continue reading)

Great Max tips from Cycling74

by Clint on April 18th 2011

Check out these videos from Cycling74. Awesome tips for getting the most out of Max. http://cycling74.com/category/articles/did-you-know/ For example: Did you know you can build Max for Live devices that will work on Mac and Wi... (continue reading)

Mastering Plugins

by Clint on January 29th 2011

From the things that drive me so crazy I blog about them department, I get and see this question all the time: I have [insert plugin or application name] that does mastering, can't I just use that?While nothing wrong with using mastering plugins or applications to enhance your mat... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 7

by Clint on January 2nd 2011

Tape is not TapeFor Part 7, I'd like to elaborate on a statement I made in Part 6 in this series. "If you can't use proper gaffer tape (NOT DUCT TAPE) to secure these cables before the show, consider ho... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 6

by Clint on December 2nd 2010

Disable (but not uninstall) Anti-virusIf you know me personally you know that my day job is with the worlds largest Anti-Virus software maker. Certainly if anyone believes that every computer needs modern security software it is me. However, though you need it and it needs to be up and runn... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 5

by Clint on November 2nd 2010

Disable Wireless/Bluetooth Unless you are using wireless as part of your performance (to sync with other computers or controllers) make sure you disable the wireless functionality. Many computers will sit there broadcasting and looking for wireless connections in the background. Though thi... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 4

by Clint on September 18th 2010

Have Backup Drive I have read studies which say (any my own experience confirms) that of all the things that can break on a computer, the hard drive is the most likely. Consider having a second hard drive with you with a mirror image copy of your normal drive. If your hard drive dies on to... (continue reading)

Tutorials by Tarekith

by Clint on June 26th 2010

I spend a ton of time on various music forums. Probably the most on the Ableton Live forums. Many times I enjoy helping people who do not have the experience I have. But even better, I enjoy learning from the many talented people I meet on these forums. Tar... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 3

by Clint on October 4th 2009

Prepare for no/low lighting Laptop performers actualy have the advantage in low light situations. Our chosen tool actually comes with its own built-in light... the computer screen/monitor. Even with that said I have been in some places to perform (DJ booths are a great example) where other... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 2

by Clint on September 21st 2009

Consider heat Computers do weird things when they get too hot (like die). Some computers are worse than others in terms of how they handle heat. If your laptop suffers from this or you're playing in a really hot climate, consider getting a laptop cooling pad such as this Belkin pad shown o... (continue reading)

Laptop Live Performance Tips - Part 1

by Clint on September 13th 2009

One day someone asked me "What do you do?" and in the discussion it dawned on me that there is a common thread through my day job in a large software company, and my other world of musician and artist. Laptop performance. Whether I am performing music in front of an audience, VJing in a club, or pre... (continue reading)