Updating my rig to include mac/midi setup. Suggestions?

[EvtonB]

Greetings keyboard family! This is my first time back to this forum in a few years. Everybody here has been incredibly kind and helpful in the past so I was looking to get some feedback on my current situation.

I play keys in the band Indubious (www.indubiousmusic.com) and I am looking to update my rig a little bit. We play psychadelic reggae funk jam inspired style music. Very keyboard and synthesizer heavy. I currently use a Korg Triton Extreme and a hammond XK-3 simulation organ. I want to add another board to my set up. I went to guitar center and talked to a guy there who said if I wanted to get another keyboard that I should get a Kronos because it is the top of the line. After talking to him for a while I decided that perhaps going the route of hooking up my Mac to a controller is a better idea. That way I can hook it up through abelton live and trigger sequences while running a click track to the drummer for him to play to through an ear piece. That will also give me unlimited amounts of sounds that I can potentially play by allowing me to buy software synths.

My questions are as follows:

1.Does this seem like a good idea or do you think going with something like the Kronos would be better?

2. What are the pros doing these days? Are they still using hardware keyboards or are they mostly running software through a computer into a contoller?

3. If i did decide to go this computer route, what would I need to invest in? For instance what kind of controller do you think would be sufficient and then what do i need to hook it up to the computer. Would i need to get an mbox and run a midi cable or could i just hook it up to the computer via a USB cable?

4. What computer program is good for running live software instruments? Should i run them through Abelton live, Mainstage, or Logic etc.

Thanks you all so much for taking the time to read and respond to my post in advance! Sorry if some of my questions may seem lame but ive been out of the loop for so long and just focusing on gigging and other things to where I feel like I am so behind the times when it comes to the current technology. Seems very daunting to me!

Merry christmas to all!

 

[The Y_man]

Won't be able to answer you q's direclty - hope others can
https://www.keyboardforums.com/moving-all-one-workstation-digital-mac-based-system-t23325.html

Don't know about all the "pro's" but hardware boards are still well and truly alive.

Most midi controllers hook up directly via USB.

The main limitation I found with soft synths is the actual grunt o the pc/laptop. They can be very processor heavy, and depending on your sound card, there can be a delay between you hitting the keys and sound coming out (very noticeable if you just use a standard on board sound card wih microsoft dirvers).

The Y-man

 

[roaringflamer]

both have their benefits and all. i've been on hardware synths for a long time in the past already and only now recently venturing into an midi controlller + soft synth. Both have their benefits. I tend to find that soft synth sounds offer a wider range of sounds because there are so many out there and all. But the only issue for live performance is bringing a laptop wherever u go and setting up is slighty more complicated.

as for the delay or what is known as "latency" it can be setted via an audio interface, although ASIO is more or less sufficient for me with a 15-20ms latency. =)

 

[JMac1990]

I am a total proponent of software synths. about 80 percent of my rig is midi'd to my Macbook Pro.

Many people would tell you that they love the old Analog stuff, and ill be honest that I do too! But alot of software are doing a great job at emulating that to the "t". My usual rig i use for gigs and church services runs as follows

I have an M-Audio Axiom 49 and an Old Korg 01/w Pro 76 key running into a Midi Man midi interface. So midi outs of the boards into the midi man. the Midi man than runs USB to my Macbook pro. My Macbook pro is the 2010 Unibody 2.4ghz 8gb ram and 250 gb harddrive. I run my samples from a 1 TB 7200 External Drive via Firewire 800. I use Logic's Mainstage 2 as my main host interface. The other Program i run next to Mainstage is Propellorhead's Reason 5. Aside from those I use a few software plugins in Audio Unit format which Mainstage utilizes.. 95 percent of my samples are streaming from my External drive. Faster and safer that way. I then run out of a usb audio interface. I run most of my pianos and pads/synths samples through separate outputs of the interface. from there I go into a Behringer Rack Mount mixer and do some Final EQ on patches depending on the venue. I send a stereo xlr mix to FOH.

I also have an Ipad with many quality apps that I run through an Alesis IO Dock that I control via midi with an Alesis Micron, but I ALWAYS use the Micron's internal sounds because they are unbelievable.

So from one who has a lot of experience with Midi that has yet to be failed by it, it is well worth the investment.