Musicians perform live, well at least they used to. And when they did, they used a lot of gear. Aside from the mics, you had keyboards, synths, guitars, etc.
Now, live playing has a changed a bit. Some condense things down to being the 1 man band or rocking with a few friends thanks to virtual instruments!
With a few clicks a performer can blend various instruments into their show without needing a stage full of gear.
Understanding Virtual Instruments in Live Settings
Virtual instruments are software based and mimic sounds of real musical instruments.
They are installed in computers or tablets/Ipads and controlled via MIDI keyboards or other controllers.
Over the years, the sound quality gets better and better with better CPU usage as well as features that allow musicians to tweak and customize sounds on the fly.
Choosing the Right Virtual Instruments for Live Use
Selecting the right VSTIs for live performances involves considering several things into consideration. Musicians must look at the sound quality of the instruments, type of instruments they need as well as the specifications.
Some versatile virtual instruments that are popular on stage include Native Instruments’ Kontakt for its wide range of sampled instruments and Spectrasonics Omnisphere for its powerful synthesis capabilities.
Make sure the software runs efficiently on your machine, minimizing the risk of crashes during a performance.
These examples offer various sounds and features to adapt to different performance needs.
Techniques to Integrate Virtual Instruments Smoothly
When performing live, latency is always a concern. Latency refers to the delay between playing a note and hearing the sound. You can minimize latency by adjusting buffer sizes within your software settings and using audio interface.
Aside from having a beast of a machine and optimizing as best as you can, rehearsal is going to be crucial!
Spend time getting to know your set, the instruments you want to run, and how your setup handles the instruments.
Enhancing Creativity and Audience Engagement
People come to see live shows to see musicians play. Use MIDI controllers that have visual elements, such as lights or screens, to give the audience a glimpse into your creative process. This connection can make performances more relatable and exciting.
Make sure you’re playing the MIDI Controllers if this is how you are controlling your sounds, vs launching sets and sitting there. Like I said, they want to see you PLAY.
Conclusion
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