Duuuude, Ricky, after YEARS of insisting...to myself and everyone...that I had to "do everything" while performing live, I realize may have actually been hurting myself with a poorly informed self-imposed "rule". I'm deeply considering what you're saying. Both audience and performer may actually have a better time when the rudimentary aspects of driving a live show forward are somewhat handled automatically in exchange for the performer actually feeling comfortable to improvise and react more in the moment on the gear he or she feels really good on. I've used my Analog Rytm as the meat and potatoes of my live shows, where drums, effects, sampled stabs, even basslines were coming out of it and I had full control of every single element. On the synth side, I used a Korg Radias and had full control over 4 layers (chords, leads, bass, etc). It has become almost a chore to be responsible for muting, unmuting, and tweaking EVERY element of the song for the whole show. I'm into the idea of mixing down a couple stems, firing them off from Octatrack, and using Analog Rytm in a much more live-improv kind of way. Cause I know that thing like you know Circuit! Thanks for taking the time to share with us your progress.
my friend, having heard you craft beats from nothing in real time 2/3 weeks back in SD I can say that watching (and hearing) you do that is a treat. I think you're doing more than fine. That said, it's probably different when you're not playing in front of just synth geeks ;)
I feel this 100%. I have Rytm and Avalon Bassline as my meat and potatoes while I use the Octatrack as my control center for sequencing and mixing. I program the Nord 2X's slots with it but it ends up being a huge task down the line and the idea of putting samples in the OT this way free's me of having to worry about every little element and enjoy the live improv. That being said, it's definitely fun having the OT set up as a live looper.
It seems like the general direction... You can actually see this progression watching UA-cam vids over the last few years. I think a lot of folks were inspired a few years ago by that Balentines video of Karaan. Like 5 tables of gear! Then Surgeon kinda jumped into the modular world and even with his small case self imposed restriction it was still a lot. His case looked like a network closet! 😁. Last video I saw of him talk about his setup it’s like 3-4 boxes. He went back to OT even after saying a few years ago he didn’t like it. So the trend seems to be to become more of a “musician” on a more focused “instrument”
Gotta say, freakin love your videos. They're like a sanctuary away from anything else on the internet or life. You don't put on some fake persona or talk loud and excited for no reason, and the production is ultra high quality. Keep it up, you deserve WAY more subs.
Most videos I watch, I could easily say they need to shorten it. You sir, however, are the exception. I was just thinking that it is really nice that you have the medium available to show us your flow, insight to avenues of creativity, and the lack of time restraints to do so. Thank you for taking your valuable time for the sake of sharing with us. BTW, what I was thinking is what I do is play a guitar or flute or sax or a drum...If YOU are having fun, it really translates to the crowd and gets fed back to you...you know how it is!!! Peace, Ricky and thank you.
As someone just getting into live performance with electronic music, I don't feel like I can articulate how informative this video was on the process. Fantastic work on this, Ricky.
Hey Ricky, new to your channel. I suppose i must praise yt algo. Never thot id say that. I used to have a fleet of synths drummachines. All the elektrons before they discontinued for there newer tech. I sold the lot cause i got brain freeze. And moved on to sim racing where i raced f1 drivers. At 1 point i was faster than the soon tb f1world champion charles leclerc. ( dreams do come tru) but you and a few others have convinced me to come back to what i love. Im inspired. My head is full of new idea's. And its all thanks to yourself. Oh and possibly behringer with there insanely low priced snyths. It may b a month or so but i will b making beats again. A mpc is first on the list. This video has answered so many questions thanks for all your input. Your vids are really relevant. Like i said your perspective is much needed for beginners. You have already helped me join the dots, from my comfort zone to a new world of beat making. Ive been skooled. I thankyou
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, can't you see? You're like a professor to me. Really appreciate you sharing this. This type of structural knowledge is hard won through trial and error, it is not immediately apparent, and it is not widely shared online. This is invaluable to people who want to work in live performance of electronic music. And it really isn't subgenre specific, this can be applied to all kinds of electronic music. And again, few are ever really talking about their approaches. So, thanks. Also, you must have sold a million Circuits for Novation. A raise and a promotion are in order. You are a great communicator in a lot of dimensions; verbally through your well thought out and structured *high value information* that is totally accessible to all levels of producers and music makers, including total newbs and legit heads who're coming from other angles; audio-visually through your casual shots which are actually really well composed and lighted with clear and present dialog/audio; musically with your music that is always groovy, no matter the subgenre that you're demoing in, which ties all these dimensions together into your omnipresent posivibes. You are doing it, man! Looking forward to your work in 2020. If I may, I've got three questions for you: 1. What are your thoughts about using Circuit's synths live? You seem to always suggest that you use the Circuit as a performance sequencer, sending midi information to your Moog or other midi based sound sources. You ever use Circuit's two synth engines for live work? Why or why not? 2. Do you ever use discrete Fx, like delay, reverb, chorus, etc. after sound sources like the Sirin, Circuit, MPC etc? Why or why not? Do you ever use master Fx on your whole mix? Why or why not? 3. Do you ever process your mix buss while performing live through master processors like eq, comp, limiting? Why or why not? And a sentiment I wish you would deliver to Novation regarding the Circuit: 2 more outputs would explode the utility of the Circuit for me. If I could have the synths on outputs 1 and 2, my choice, either each synth on its own channel, like green on 1 purple on 2, or both synths in stereo on 1 and 2; and drums on outputs 3 and 4, again, drums either assigned to individual outs like kick and snare on 3 and hats and other on 4, or all drums out stereo 3 and 4. This would be so huge for me, and I'm sure to a lot of other producers out there. I mean, as always, I'd like individual outs for each sound source within the Circuit, but now you really are adding expense, but I'm talking about just two more trs outputs, chump change! And the fx, man! In this day and age, and all that... are you getting me? They're instant mud, even used sparingly. They always take away more than they add, so I always try them and always remove them. Think of the fx in Roland's x0x pad based samplers like 303, 404, 404sx, 505, or the Ensoniq ASR-X Pro aka DP/4. A little more expense there, but only a little, and huge gains in extensibility and productivity. You could pull lofi heads to the Circuit platform, you'd literally add a whole genre's worth of customers to your product's user base. THINK ABOUT IT! Thanks man!
my man! thank you so much for the kind words. Really means a lot :) As for your Qs 1. I have used the bass patch #1 and i turn the filter way down and works as a suprisingly reaallyyy nice sub bass. Also for synth 2, i usually use a basic "Juno" ish patch for leads ontop of whatever 1 is doing. Most times i like having my synths parameter like delay and filters at arms reach. without having to page back and forth. (I wish Circuit had a "macro" or a "performance" page) 2. I do once in awhile when im really feeling an effect. I like the echosystem by Empress a lot. Or Pyramids by EQD. The only reason i use them sparingly is because i run out of outlets and then my backpack becomes 2 backpacks lol 3. For the main mix i do use a limiter to tie it all together.
You and Loopop... hands down best electronic music production ‘tubers out there. So laid back, info-rich, and enjoyable. No click bait or ‘tube bro crap. Yer a hero man.
This is definitely my favourite video of yours. Its like your talking shop but instructing at the same time. I always leave your videos feeling a little more knowledgeable, but this video really just takes the cake. Thanks for the knowledge~ Thanks for the Power!
Hey Ricky, you're inspiring me to get out there again. Here's a 1$ trick: when you "explore" a sound like when you hit the "1" button on the Sirin at 16:00, or a taste of Track 06 at 19:51, or with knob 1 of the Circuit at 20:45, whether it be a goof in terms of 'wrong sound' or just sounds bad, or not-your-jam, I was taught a way to cover these is to do them rhythmically. When you hit a goof/turd/mistake, do it twice, or, four times, in time, and boom, its a transition.
Per Eno! I even goofed on the idea last month while testing out some iOS fx setups... soundcloud.com/drumunkey/improv-w-drums-trimmed?in=drumunkey/sets/the-enoloops
Man, I've been watching your videos on and off for a few years now.. Just got my first SP-404SX a couple weeks ago.. Just had to chime in on how helpful this channel has been to me. You have taught me a lot!!! Cheers man, I hope 2020 is a good year for you.
this has been such a valuable video for me. I’m just getting into making house with the goal of playing live sets, and Ricky’s advice here on not just unmuting tracks and having something to play with helped with what gear to buy. I settled on the MPC One and TR-8S. Thanks Ricky!
Love it. As a dude building my first DAWless setup and hoping to do long form kinda mix/improv stuff, a lot for me to learn here. Keep keeping it real man.
Sick! I've made a ton of MPC1000 tutorials on my channel but I never figured out how to use it live like this. Glad you figured out a cool way to use it haha
I just got my first groove box 2 days ago. Not gonna lie i turned 12 years old again. The feeling of inspiration and content hit me all at once. It came with ableton DAW so i put that on a computer. Gonna do the homework. I already bought the ticket, time to take the ride. Your vids me make up my mind instead of spending countless dollars on somethin i dont need. Appreciate u for the vids n being alive. Stay ☝
I'm totally into the less is more approach. Picking a few instruments that you known well and mastering them will ultimately inspire you to create more music and make your live sets more engaging to the performer and listener. Excellent vid and sounds as always bro!
Duuuude what a dope vid! This has just become my favorite vid of Ricky Tinez. Really helpfull, I am really looking forward to start getting into live performance and this Vid really helped me getting some lights, I would love to see more of this kind of content from Ricky, it really inspires me. And what a dope little set Ricky did at the end! I really love the content he does on UA-cam (and out as well) for me it is the best in this synth/production content channel, by far, and really diserves more attention.
Absolutely top notch video. Super useful explaining the transitions between songs and sequences. The MPC always sounds better than the OT to my ears - don’t know if that’s the internal summing or something about the workflow that encourages snappier envelopes on the sampling within the MPC. Thank you!!
Saying nothing of your tutorial and content - great visual aesthetics. Birdseye shot revealing your station complete with bone fragments, talismans, and rugged table. Good youtubing dude.
Ricky, more great content as usual. At the end of the year, like every year, there's loads of "Top 5" lists of gear, and your central nugget of good advice in this vid is a timely reminder of the fact that knowing your kit inside out is probably more important than what the gear is. There is one more basic principal that I think it's good to remember, and that's what the most important hardware there is for music production - your ears. One little bit of constructive crit for you - there is a difference between "scale" and "key", so using them interchangeably doesn't work.
Thank you for that note Jim! I’m in the process of learning piano now actually and shortly after this video I went through a section that spoke on the differences haha. I screwed up.. again, thanks for the support!
Ricky you are dead-set showing everyone every day that the Circuit is so powerful, out of all my gear across the full spectrum of price tags, it’s still the best thing I’ve ever bought, bang for buck in what utility & pure fun I get out of it - not just in performance but in studio integration & sound design too. Thing is a beast! Always love your workflow videos too (Circuit or not XD )
this video inspired me to go dawless, after alot of noodling and experimentation with my 1000, re-visiting this video im realizing using two samplers is akin to spinning between two decks, one you just play, and one you can "scratch" and modify/noodle/sequence live on without losing the momentum. Glad I came back to this video it was much more helpful the second time around.
I love the way you set this up and share it with us. Thank you so much. As a musician who likes some dance music but also really values improvisation, this rocks my world.
met you at the Novation tent during Movement 2018 and you put me in front of the circuit for an hour or so and I fell in loveeeeee. went home and bought mine right after the festival, thank you for getting me started with this!!
I operate on FL Studio and only with vst for many reasons and i won't change this anytime soon, but i found this kind of videos highly entertaining and enjoyed so much the performance, i kinda entered in a binge
This is a phenomenal video in it's relaxed but incredibly well-executed approach. Great angles for teaching. Generous sharing of process and exploration. I really appreciate this kind of content. Thanks for sharing, Ricky. Keep em coming.
Thanks! Pretty good live set workflow. I also noticed there's a bit of redundancy built-in in case something goes south mid-set. Most of the time I just end up DJing at gigs since I haven't found the right set up that has a balance between solid reprentation of the tunes and space to improvise and make it "live". Looks like you cracked the formula: one machine that has structured tracks, another you can improvise with, and a main synth that sets the tone and ties everything together. I have a ton of gear that could fit in this formula.
3:40 he he he! in 2008 I coined the term, "DJ Dance" to describe a DJ going through the motions of "touching" their consoles whilst moving their bodies, but not actually adjusting anything - "faking it til they make it" so to speak. Its so refreshing to hear a, "performer" call out that kind of behaviour. It warms my heart. :-D
Fucking love this video. I caught myself kind of dancing and moving along while I was working. It's very interesting to hear you talk about what you're doing while jamming.
Love your videos man. I'm not a huge house fan by any means, really I'm approaching my setup as an organic group of machines that can fill in some gaps in a 2 man band. Super interesting ideas you have. Sirin seems dope af
yes this is what i needed man, so inspiring. i have not been in the mood to make music lately, but now i wanna jam around with my mpc and the synthesizer again! thanks for the amazing vibes, i subscribed instantly!!
Wow. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I don't know anything about gear (the reason I subscribed to you) but I never realized you could fall into the similar trap of "press play and walk away" that you would have with a DAW. Really inspiring stuff man. I'm looking forward to whatever's next from you! Thank you :)
Very cool of you giving your insight on the dawless experience. I found your set up to be very inspiring and can also be applied to any hardware set up! Thanks!
DJ DIGITAL good for you my man, you must have some solid surfaces. Unfortunately for me every time I shake my booty to the beat at home the desk shakes n the needle skips :(( just a small lean n bop will have to do.
Dude just discovered your vids and I love your approach. I'm more of a traditional Rock and alt rock kinda guy but i'm learning heaps from you and the way you go about music. Thanks for sharing
this is totally awesome. this reminds me of James Zabiela who would create his own tracks live with sampling from either a pioneer CDJ (1000 at the time) or a Vinyl turntable and an EFX 500. this was in 2005 when i saw him. He created 2 HOUR SET WITH ONLY 5 RECORDS. I later had an idea to recreate a similar set using Traktor and their sample decks. Yes I know you are Dawless, but at the time and still currently i use daws. But this just opens my mind to so many ideas. Tight Work!
Great vid. Just shows less can be more and familiarity is key. Basically a synth version of a two decks + mixer setup allowing transitioning and improvisation. Some great tunes too 😎
The MPC I always see as a midi sequencer with the audio engine a nice addition. The OT on the other hand is a machine built purely around its sample engine. The addition of midi tracks was a nice addition, my philosophy
Wow Ricky T, these are pretty much exactly the conclusions I’ve drawn for myself after playing live electronics for about 1,5 years. I’ve had the very same journey of un/muting parts, working on my transitions etc. I hope most viewers can skip that first year now! Also, it’s such a joy to see you play through your set while commenting on what’s happening. This is the part of music making that people rarely share, which makes the process feel a bit..lonely? Keep this stuff coming, never mind the gear reviews! ❤️
Great insight! We totally agree. It's gotta be fun. We like to play synthesizers and guitars while the MPC takes care of the beats. Having everything be midi lets us dial in that base per venue/space etc. - and it's fun to turn knobs! Having another option to build loops outside of the MPC on the fly sounds like a great idea for vibing out. We also use pedals and loops to break through repetitions in sequence mode to avoid too much mute/unmute wood chopping. Thanks for this great video.
Yo this is some dope shit! I danced right through this video. Also really appreciating the high quality audio and thoughtful editing of this video. I see your attention to detail and totally dig it. I'm finally giving in to playing improvised electronic music and your videos have been so helpful and inspiring. Big up, rock on.
The way you set this up with the corresponding pads for both 16 grids is very smart! Thanks for this. I'm working on a similar type live jamming style set up for gigs and in the studio, using a Pioneer DJS-1000 in the middle with a MOOG Mother32 and a Roland TB-3. I was wondering about a cool way to go from track to track, this video gave me some good ideas of how I can approach that. And nice beats House beats you did too!
Slaying it again! Your clarity is always appreciated. I have a similar setup with Akai Force, Moog Subphatty and small euro setup. The combo of the MPC 1000 and the circuit made me connect the two. Looking at your setup- You would very much dig the force! Cheers
Grareful you shared this. I've been trying to fine tune a workflow where I can change parts of the song and not keep the same ongoing track, yet do it in a way where I'm not just running through pre-built sequences and muting/unmuting. I play guitar and need to loop, currently running the mpc live, rc-505 and bass station 2. Seeing you present this workflow and ease into new songs and parts was real inspiring!
Currently working on a DAWless setup I can take on the road if need be. Probably going to end up using the Arturia Microbrute, an Akai MPX8, a Zoom effect pedal and either a model:sample or model:cycles as a central brain/drum machine. Videos like this have been a huge informer and inspiration for me! Can't wait to see how it all comes together!
It does matter if you the performer/dj is feeling and enjoying it, in that there is always the potential for the set to be elevated from being good, everyone dancing, you're doing your job, to everyone totally getting down, going off and vibing with you through the music. Your chopped wood can burn steady and be adequate most of the time, but there are those special nights where it can flash over and cook hot if you set it up and blow on it just right.
i ran the samples through serato sample to find the key they were in. sounded like a long process so i skipped this step for ages. then i said F it. did it. and i was able to find the key for 16 songs in like 20 minutes haha. Been kicking myself since.
same. I'm now thinking about running my pyramid together with the MPC. It always seemed a little redundant previously but I can now see the value for sure.
@@RickyTinez you can't do that with your ears? samples in different keys will also work with each other as well. C Major works over A minor and G Major and on and on. You are limiting yourself by being lazy
Senor Blasto I cannot.. yet! Haha. Since this video I’ve been getting all my scales down on the piano and I’m hoping to get better at it within the year with lessons. I’m taking the initiative because it’s an amazing tool to have! I’m very envious of your skill with this. Hopefully one day I can get there also! Don’t call me lazy just yet :) thanks for hanging
Rickyyyy! Feckin love your videos, especially as a relative newb to the world of sequencing & midi who's moving from the realm of acoustic instruments into the world of performing live with a DAWless setup. I have a Squarp Pyramid, which I love cuz a lot of my tunes are in 7/4 or 5/4 or have multiple time signatures and it handles that really well (and like u said in ur video is important, i know it well) ... I've been usin a fricken Volca Sample 2 which is fun but limited AF... so I'm thinkin of getting an MPC-1000 so I can make samples, and then use it as a slave/sound module with the Pyramid as the brain :) Curious if you've ever messed with this combo. Thanks for making great dawless videos
That white background display upgrade is ESSENTIAL. The military green factory display goes dark when hot, new Akai make 2 generations of MPCs with terrible displays.
These days I’m into building texturally with a few short patterns (2-3) instead of adding/subtracting more complex arrangements of patterns. Achieving this by evolving and moving the track forward with efx, filters, envelopes, lfos, additional oscillators, etc. and blending the parts as they both individually and connectivity evolve. Permutations are endless. This is what I’ve discovered works best for me creatively, performance wise, and allows for maximum improvisational composition within a simple frame work.
Yes! It all comes down to GROOVE and BLISS. Too many people only GROOVE, but in an automated robotic way (because it's easy and you can't F*** it up). But that's boring. Don't forget to BLISS, which is to perform from your heart. For Ricky that's improvising with the Circuit. For me, The GROOVE is with the Circuit Tracks and the BLISS is with the Arturia MiniFreak. You just take it in whatever direction you're moved to at the moment. And that's what it's all about!
I’ve had that same realization when it came to my own performances. So I’ve started using a build up of samples and live melody creations that then get sent through to launchpad. I’m actually going to get the new akai that has all what i do all in one. I’m loving your setup too. Very clean.
Vids are always too notch bro 🙏🏽 idk if it was because I was watching on my TV but I didn’t see the links when you’d point up to the corner of the screen
Nice video, Back in 2005 I did a couple of live gigs using 2 x Korg Electribe SX, both loaded with pre build songs, with some room to play with the rolls, fx and filters. I too transitioned from one to the other in a simular dj style, combined with the fx/filters etc it created some unexpected nice combinations of patterns.
Just throwing it out there: when i saw squarepusher live in Detroit 2013, he transitioned from song to song with silence. He played a song till it was over, then played the next, just like how any band would. It was honestly badass.
Duuuude, Ricky, after YEARS of insisting...to myself and everyone...that I had to "do everything" while performing live, I realize may have actually been hurting myself with a poorly informed self-imposed "rule". I'm deeply considering what you're saying. Both audience and performer may actually have a better time when the rudimentary aspects of driving a live show forward are somewhat handled automatically in exchange for the performer actually feeling comfortable to improvise and react more in the moment on the gear he or she feels really good on. I've used my Analog Rytm as the meat and potatoes of my live shows, where drums, effects, sampled stabs, even basslines were coming out of it and I had full control of every single element. On the synth side, I used a Korg Radias and had full control over 4 layers (chords, leads, bass, etc). It has become almost a chore to be responsible for muting, unmuting, and tweaking EVERY element of the song for the whole show. I'm into the idea of mixing down a couple stems, firing them off from Octatrack, and using Analog Rytm in a much more live-improv kind of way. Cause I know that thing like you know Circuit! Thanks for taking the time to share with us your progress.
my friend, having heard you craft beats from nothing in real time 2/3 weeks back in SD I can say that watching (and hearing) you do that is a treat. I think you're doing more than fine. That said, it's probably different when you're not playing in front of just synth geeks ;)
OT wins again for versatility in a love context. I'm just curious if you prefer rytm mk1 or mk2?
I feel this 100%. I have Rytm and Avalon Bassline as my meat and potatoes while I use the Octatrack as my control center for sequencing and mixing. I program the Nord 2X's slots with it but it ends up being a huge task down the line and the idea of putting samples in the OT this way free's me of having to worry about every little element and enjoy the live improv. That being said, it's definitely fun having the OT set up as a live looper.
It seems like the general direction... You can actually see this progression watching UA-cam vids over the last few years. I think a lot of folks were inspired a few years ago by that Balentines video of Karaan. Like 5 tables of gear! Then Surgeon kinda jumped into the modular world and even with his small case self imposed restriction it was still a lot. His case looked like a network closet! 😁. Last video I saw of him talk about his setup it’s like 3-4 boxes. He went back to OT even after saying a few years ago he didn’t like it. So the trend seems to be to become more of a “musician” on a more focused “instrument”
RhythmDroid no one is reading all of this nerd
He's the Bob Ross of UA-cam musicians.
🙏🏽
Happy little filter!
He's not. @truecuckoo is.
Actually, it's Hainbach. No, actually, it's Mylarmelodies. No, actually, it's...
Gotta say, freakin love your videos. They're like a sanctuary away from anything else on the internet or life. You don't put on some fake persona or talk loud and excited for no reason, and the production is ultra high quality. Keep it up, you deserve WAY more subs.
This is pure gold. Thank you for let us peek into your brain.
yeh, i love how this guy is not jealous about his knowledge and share it to the world
This is nothing less than a Masterclass!
Most videos I watch, I could easily say they need to shorten it. You sir, however, are the exception. I was just thinking that it is really nice that you have the medium available to show us your flow, insight to avenues of creativity, and the lack of time restraints to do so. Thank you for taking your valuable time for the sake of sharing with us. BTW, what I was thinking is what I do is play a guitar or flute or sax or a drum...If YOU are having fun, it really translates to the crowd and gets fed back to you...you know how it is!!! Peace, Ricky and thank you.
thanks Saxmidiman (most incredible name btw) im glad to hear these videos don't drag on to long. the last thing i want to do is waste your time.
As someone just getting into live performance with electronic music, I don't feel like I can articulate how informative this video was on the process. Fantastic work on this, Ricky.
Hey Ricky, new to your channel. I suppose i must praise yt algo. Never thot id say that. I used to have a fleet of synths drummachines. All the elektrons before they discontinued for there newer tech. I sold the lot cause i got brain freeze. And moved on to sim racing where i raced f1 drivers. At 1 point i was faster than the soon tb f1world champion charles leclerc. ( dreams do come tru) but you and a few others have convinced me to come back to what i love. Im inspired. My head is full of new idea's. And its all thanks to yourself. Oh and possibly behringer with there insanely low priced snyths. It may b a month or so but i will b making beats again. A mpc is first on the list. This video has answered so many questions thanks for all your input. Your vids are really relevant. Like i said your perspective is much needed for beginners. You have already helped me join the dots, from my comfort zone to a new world of beat making. Ive been skooled. I thankyou
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, can't you see? You're like a professor to me. Really appreciate you sharing this. This type of structural knowledge is hard won through trial and error, it is not immediately apparent, and it is not widely shared online. This is invaluable to people who want to work in live performance of electronic music. And it really isn't subgenre specific, this can be applied to all kinds of electronic music. And again, few are ever really talking about their approaches. So, thanks.
Also, you must have sold a million Circuits for Novation. A raise and a promotion are in order. You are a great communicator in a lot of dimensions; verbally through your well thought out and structured *high value information* that is totally accessible to all levels of producers and music makers, including total newbs and legit heads who're coming from other angles; audio-visually through your casual shots which are actually really well composed and lighted with clear and present dialog/audio; musically with your music that is always groovy, no matter the subgenre that you're demoing in, which ties all these dimensions together into your omnipresent posivibes. You are doing it, man!
Looking forward to your work in 2020.
If I may, I've got three questions for you:
1. What are your thoughts about using Circuit's synths live? You seem to always suggest that you use the Circuit as a performance sequencer, sending midi information to your Moog or other midi based sound sources. You ever use Circuit's two synth engines for live work? Why or why not?
2. Do you ever use discrete Fx, like delay, reverb, chorus, etc. after sound sources like the Sirin, Circuit, MPC etc? Why or why not? Do you ever use master Fx on your whole mix? Why or why not?
3. Do you ever process your mix buss while performing live through master processors like eq, comp, limiting? Why or why not?
And a sentiment I wish you would deliver to Novation regarding the Circuit: 2 more outputs would explode the utility of the Circuit for me. If I could have the synths on outputs 1 and 2, my choice, either each synth on its own channel, like green on 1 purple on 2, or both synths in stereo on 1 and 2; and drums on outputs 3 and 4, again, drums either assigned to individual outs like kick and snare on 3 and hats and other on 4, or all drums out stereo 3 and 4. This would be so huge for me, and I'm sure to a lot of other producers out there. I mean, as always, I'd like individual outs for each sound source within the Circuit, but now you really are adding expense, but I'm talking about just two more trs outputs, chump change!
And the fx, man! In this day and age, and all that... are you getting me? They're instant mud, even used sparingly. They always take away more than they add, so I always try them and always remove them. Think of the fx in Roland's x0x pad based samplers like 303, 404, 404sx, 505, or the Ensoniq ASR-X Pro aka DP/4. A little more expense there, but only a little, and huge gains in extensibility and productivity. You could pull lofi heads to the Circuit platform, you'd literally add a whole genre's worth of customers to your product's user base. THINK ABOUT IT!
Thanks man!
Good Q's, -
my man! thank you so much for the kind words. Really means a lot :)
As for your Qs
1. I have used the bass patch #1 and i turn the filter way down and works as a suprisingly reaallyyy nice sub bass. Also for synth 2, i usually use a basic "Juno" ish patch for leads ontop of whatever 1 is doing. Most times i like having my synths parameter like delay and filters at arms reach. without having to page back and forth. (I wish Circuit had a "macro" or a "performance" page)
2. I do once in awhile when im really feeling an effect. I like the echosystem by Empress a lot. Or Pyramids by EQD. The only reason i use them sparingly is because i run out of outlets and then my backpack becomes 2 backpacks lol
3. For the main mix i do use a limiter to tie it all together.
@@RickyTinez As for limiter: do you use RNLA/RNC as limiter (low attack, high gain reduction) on the master bus?
@@RickyTinez Awesome man, thanks! If you get a chance to come around this way again, what limiter are you using?
You and Loopop... hands down best electronic music production ‘tubers out there. So laid back, info-rich, and enjoyable. No click bait or ‘tube bro crap. Yer a hero man.
Watching this 4 years later, and still very relevant tips and tricks! Your video production quality has improved greatly too, love it all Ricky!
I only listen to dawless music too, if it’s not recorded on a wax cylinder it’s not for me.
😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
hahah!
You modern kids with your 'wax cylinders'. Phonautograph or nothing here. I DJ with a pair of them hooked up to a valve telephone exchange.
@@vooveks grug only bang stick on rock. younglings not know real sound art
Dude, if its not the ambient noise of nature do you understand art?
This is definitely my favourite video of yours. Its like your talking shop but instructing at the same time. I always leave your videos feeling a little more knowledgeable, but this video really just takes the cake. Thanks for the knowledge~ Thanks for the Power!
Hey Ricky, you're inspiring me to get out there again. Here's a 1$ trick: when you "explore" a sound like when you hit the "1" button on the Sirin at 16:00, or a taste of Track 06 at 19:51, or with knob 1 of the Circuit at 20:45, whether it be a goof in terms of 'wrong sound' or just sounds bad, or not-your-jam, I was taught a way to cover these is to do them rhythmically. When you hit a goof/turd/mistake, do it twice, or, four times, in time, and boom, its a transition.
yup. if caught right - repetition of nearly anything can "become musical"/sound planned...
Per Eno! I even goofed on the idea last month while testing out some iOS fx setups... soundcloud.com/drumunkey/improv-w-drums-trimmed?in=drumunkey/sets/the-enoloops
"Repetition legitimizes
Repetition legitimizes
Repetition legitimizes
Repetition legitimizes
Repetition legitimizes"
"A mistake is not a mistake if you repeat it four times". A saying as old as time. Any time.
23:46 LMAO i love that you didn’t cut that coolguy moment.
I love this video so much. Seeing people explain their process like this is everything to me
Man, I've been watching your videos on and off for a few years now.. Just got my first SP-404SX a couple weeks ago..
Just had to chime in on how helpful this channel has been to me. You have taught me a lot!!!
Cheers man, I hope 2020 is a good year for you.
Thank you Don Koovey! that's super dope, im stoked to hear what you make with the SP. Keep me posted!
You're amazing. Always great to not only watch you videos but also listen to them.
Man this is a great channel. I don't always comment but watch most of your videos.
Wish you good health and many synthesizers for 2020.
"Oh that is DEFINITELY not a snare... But you get the idea!"
Love it. This is now one of my all-time favorite UA-cam videos. 😎
this has been such a valuable video for me. I’m just getting into making house with the goal of playing live sets, and Ricky’s advice here on not just unmuting tracks and having something to play with helped with what gear to buy. I settled on the MPC One and TR-8S. Thanks Ricky!
Love it.
As a dude building my first DAWless setup and hoping to do long form kinda mix/improv stuff, a lot for me to learn here.
Keep keeping it real man.
Sick! I've made a ton of MPC1000 tutorials on my channel but I never figured out how to use it live like this. Glad you figured out a cool way to use it haha
You should be proud of your love to this man. It's always a pleasure to watch you do "on the fly" - Great work
I just got my first groove box 2 days ago. Not gonna lie i turned 12 years old again. The feeling of inspiration and content hit me all at once. It came with ableton DAW so i put that on a computer. Gonna do the homework. I already bought the ticket, time to take the ride. Your vids me make up my mind instead of spending countless dollars on somethin i dont need. Appreciate u for the vids n being alive. Stay ☝
Holy shit this video hypnotized me. I don’t even make house music but watching you work that MPC and Circuit blew me tf away. Wow.
I'm totally into the less is more approach. Picking a few instruments that you known well and mastering them will ultimately inspire you to create more music and make your live sets more engaging to the performer and listener. Excellent vid and sounds as always bro!
Duuuude what a dope vid! This has just become my favorite vid of Ricky Tinez.
Really helpfull, I am really looking forward to start getting into live performance and this Vid really helped me getting some lights, I would love to see more of this kind of content from Ricky, it really inspires me.
And what a dope little set Ricky did at the end! I really love the content he does on UA-cam (and out as well) for me it is the best in this synth/production content channel, by far, and really diserves more attention.
Thanks for the kind words Fernando! onto 2020 where hopefully more content like this will come :)
thanks man. great video. i love how you transition from one song to another here (multiple times).
Absolutely top notch video. Super useful explaining the transitions between songs and sequences. The MPC always sounds better than the OT to my ears - don’t know if that’s the internal summing or something about the workflow that encourages snappier envelopes on the sampling within the MPC. Thank you!!
Somehow this is the first post you've made that really has made me consider that its better doing it this way. Really killer stuff here.
Saying nothing of your tutorial and content - great visual aesthetics. Birdseye shot revealing your station complete with bone fragments, talismans, and rugged table. Good youtubing dude.
Ricky, more great content as usual. At the end of the year, like every year, there's loads of "Top 5" lists of gear, and your central nugget of good advice in this vid is a timely reminder of the fact that knowing your kit inside out is probably more important than what the gear is. There is one more basic principal that I think it's good to remember, and that's what the most important hardware there is for music production - your ears. One little bit of constructive crit for you - there is a difference between "scale" and "key", so using them interchangeably doesn't work.
Thank you for that note Jim! I’m in the process of learning piano now actually and shortly after this video I went through a section that spoke on the differences haha. I screwed up.. again, thanks for the support!
Ricky you are dead-set showing everyone every day that the Circuit is so powerful, out of all my gear across the full spectrum of price tags, it’s still the best thing I’ve ever bought, bang for buck in what utility & pure fun I get out of it - not just in performance but in studio integration & sound design too. Thing is a beast! Always love your workflow videos too (Circuit or not XD )
this video inspired me to go dawless, after alot of noodling and experimentation with my 1000, re-visiting this video im realizing using two samplers is akin to spinning between two decks, one you just play, and one you can "scratch" and modify/noodle/sequence live on without losing the momentum. Glad I came back to this video it was much more helpful the second time around.
I love the way you set this up and share it with us. Thank you so much. As a musician who likes some dance music but also really values improvisation, this rocks my world.
met you at the Novation tent during Movement 2018 and you put me in front of the circuit for an hour or so and I fell in loveeeeee. went home and bought mine right after the festival, thank you for getting me started with this!!
I operate on FL Studio and only with vst for many reasons and i won't change this anytime soon, but i found this kind of videos highly entertaining and enjoyed so much the performance, i kinda entered in a binge
This was one of the most comprehensive videos of a live laptopless set I've ever seen ahahaha wow
This is a phenomenal video in it's relaxed but incredibly well-executed approach. Great angles for teaching. Generous sharing of process and exploration. I really appreciate this kind of content. Thanks for sharing, Ricky. Keep em coming.
BADASS! Love this demo man. Love your approach. Such good ideas and reflections!
Thanks! Pretty good live set workflow. I also noticed there's a bit of redundancy built-in in case something goes south mid-set. Most of the time I just end up DJing at gigs since I haven't found the right set up that has a balance between solid reprentation of the tunes and space to improvise and make it "live". Looks like you cracked the formula: one machine that has structured tracks, another you can improvise with, and a main synth that sets the tone and ties everything together. I have a ton of gear that could fit in this formula.
exactly. preparation is key in most sets. helped me take my live set to a more "pro" area
No mention of the most essential piece of kit on that table, the jaw bone!
This ain't a video about jawless jamming
Hey Ricky, some great content this year. Cool channel.
Thanks for all the support Spooky! you're one of the OGs around here :)
3:40 he he he! in 2008 I coined the term, "DJ Dance" to describe a DJ going through the motions of "touching" their consoles whilst moving their bodies, but not actually adjusting anything - "faking it til they make it" so to speak. Its so refreshing to hear a, "performer" call out that kind of behaviour. It warms my heart. :-D
Gold stuff ! Great thoughts and insigns, really valuable content ! You are doing great job with this channel !
Fucking love this video. I caught myself kind of dancing and moving along while I was working. It's very interesting to hear you talk about what you're doing while jamming.
Beautiful, the content, the video, the guy, the ideas, the music. All the best, Brother
Love your videos man. I'm not a huge house fan by any means, really I'm approaching my setup as an organic group of machines that can fill in some gaps in a 2 man band. Super interesting ideas you have. Sirin seems dope af
Thanks
Thank you for making this video. Lots of wise words from your research. Love your work.
yes this is what i needed man, so inspiring. i have not been in the mood to make music lately, but now i wanna jam around with my mpc and the synthesizer again! thanks for the amazing vibes, i subscribed instantly!!
Wow. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I don't know anything about gear (the reason I subscribed to you) but I never realized you could fall into the similar trap of "press play and walk away" that you would have with a DAW. Really inspiring stuff man. I'm looking forward to whatever's next from you! Thank you :)
Very cool of you giving your insight on the dawless experience. I found your set up to be very inspiring and can also be applied to any hardware set up! Thanks!
"Never trust a dj who isn't dancing"
I'm always dancing to my music.
facts
unless he's spinning vinyl, don't want to jump the needle!
@@idioticozzy I spin vinyl and compact disk.
DJ DIGITAL good for you my man, you must have some solid surfaces. Unfortunately for me every time I shake my booty to the beat at home the desk shakes n the needle skips :(( just a small lean n bop will have to do.
Dude just discovered your vids and I love your approach. I'm more of a traditional Rock and alt rock kinda guy but i'm learning heaps from you and the way you go about music. Thanks for sharing
this is totally awesome. this reminds me of James Zabiela who would create his own tracks live with sampling from either a pioneer CDJ (1000 at the time) or a Vinyl turntable and an EFX 500. this was in 2005 when i saw him. He created 2 HOUR SET WITH ONLY 5 RECORDS. I later had an idea to recreate a similar set using Traktor and their sample decks. Yes I know you are Dawless, but at the time and still currently i use daws. But this just opens my mind to so many ideas. Tight Work!
Brother this is so dope! super inspiring stuff. Love the groove at 9.22 🔥
Thank you for sharing your workflow(s) and insight! 👏👏👏👏
Great vid. Just shows less can be more and familiarity is key.
Basically a synth version of a two decks + mixer setup allowing transitioning and improvisation.
Some great tunes too 😎
Nice analogy to DJs
The MPC I always see as a midi sequencer with the audio engine a nice addition. The OT on the other hand is a machine built purely around its sample engine. The addition of midi tracks was a nice addition, my philosophy
Wow Ricky T, these are pretty much exactly the conclusions I’ve drawn for myself after playing live electronics for about 1,5 years. I’ve had the very same journey of un/muting parts, working on my transitions etc. I hope most viewers can skip that first year now!
Also, it’s such a joy to see you play through your set while commenting on what’s happening. This is the part of music making that people rarely share, which makes the process feel a bit..lonely? Keep this stuff coming, never mind the gear reviews! ❤️
Great insight! We totally agree. It's gotta be fun. We like to play synthesizers and guitars while the MPC takes care of the beats. Having everything be midi lets us dial in that base per venue/space etc. - and it's fun to turn knobs! Having another option to build loops outside of the MPC on the fly sounds like a great idea for vibing out. We also use pedals and loops to break through repetitions in sequence mode to avoid too much mute/unmute wood chopping. Thanks for this great video.
Dope video, man.. Always such a chill, genuinely cool dude that shares his knowledge.
Yo this is some dope shit! I danced right through this video. Also really appreciating the high quality audio and thoughtful editing of this video. I see your attention to detail and totally dig it. I'm finally giving in to playing improvised electronic music and your videos have been so helpful and inspiring. Big up, rock on.
The way you set this up with the corresponding pads for both 16 grids is very smart! Thanks for this. I'm working on a similar type live jamming style set up for gigs and in the studio, using a Pioneer DJS-1000 in the middle with a MOOG Mother32 and a Roland TB-3. I was wondering about a cool way to go from track to track, this video gave me some good ideas of how I can approach that. And nice beats House beats you did too!
Very inspirational my brother, I'm enjoying your flow!
what a good video, it was just the essence of your process, thanks for sharing dude
I was looking exactly for this. Thank you.
I love this vid. I am not someone who plays live electronically but just watching your methods is fantastic. really cool vid man.
Slaying it again! Your clarity is always appreciated. I have a similar setup with Akai Force, Moog Subphatty and small euro setup.
The combo of the MPC 1000 and the circuit made me connect the two. Looking at your setup- You would very much dig the force! Cheers
As always, a stellar summary of the advantages and disadvantages. noice.
Great content. Would love to see more of this. Subscribed! Not a lot of people talk transitions and it's core to performance.
Grareful you shared this. I've been trying to fine tune a workflow where I can change parts of the song and not keep the same ongoing track, yet do it in a way where I'm not just running through pre-built sequences and muting/unmuting. I play guitar and need to loop, currently running the mpc live, rc-505 and bass station 2. Seeing you present this workflow and ease into new songs and parts was real inspiring!
Thanks for sharing your process. I'm personally a DAW guy, but hearing your ideas and thoughts dramatically improve my own songwriting process.
Currently working on a DAWless setup I can take on the road if need be. Probably going to end up using the Arturia Microbrute, an Akai MPX8, a Zoom effect pedal and either a model:sample or model:cycles as a central brain/drum machine.
Videos like this have been a huge informer and inspiration for me!
Can't wait to see how it all comes together!
This is the most educating video i found about live performances :) thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this video. I have needed this for a while (for several reasons). ty :)
That freestyle at the end was the jam session i needed this morning! So good.
It does matter if you the performer/dj is feeling and enjoying it, in that there is always the potential for the set to be elevated from being good, everyone dancing, you're doing your job, to everyone totally getting down, going off and vibing with you through the music. Your chopped wood can burn steady and be adequate most of the time, but there are those special nights where it can flash over and cook hot if you set it up and blow on it just right.
So many useful techniques to take away from this ✌🏻. Added an Octatrack to my setup this year so 2020 I’m gonna try 100% dawless.
5:47 When that kick from the circuit came in onto that fat bassline and the chopped up keys... instant dance vibes.
damn I wrote this comment 2 years ago
That scale mode is a great take away for me. Thanks for the knowledge.
Current Cha Cha yeah, that made me stop & rewind. It's a clever move.
i ran the samples through serato sample to find the key they were in. sounded like a long process so i skipped this step for ages. then i said F it. did it. and i was able to find the key for 16 songs in like 20 minutes haha. Been kicking myself since.
same. I'm now thinking about running my pyramid together with the MPC. It always seemed a little redundant previously but I can now see the value for sure.
@@RickyTinez you can't do that with your ears? samples in different keys will also work with each other as well. C Major works over A minor and G Major and on and on. You are limiting yourself by being lazy
Senor Blasto I cannot.. yet! Haha. Since this video I’ve been getting all my scales down on the piano and I’m hoping to get better at it within the year with lessons.
I’m taking the initiative because it’s an amazing tool to have! I’m very envious of your skill with this. Hopefully one day I can get there also! Don’t call me lazy just yet :) thanks for hanging
I appreciate the acoustic drum implementation into your beats !
Rickyyyy! Feckin love your videos, especially as a relative newb to the world of sequencing & midi who's moving from the realm of acoustic instruments into the world of performing live with a DAWless setup. I have a Squarp Pyramid, which I love cuz a lot of my tunes are in 7/4 or 5/4 or have multiple time signatures and it handles that really well (and like u said in ur video is important, i know it well)
... I've been usin a fricken Volca Sample 2 which is fun but limited AF... so I'm thinkin of getting an MPC-1000 so I can make samples, and then use it as a slave/sound module with the Pyramid as the brain :)
Curious if you've ever messed with this combo.
Thanks for making great dawless videos
OMG it want a one vid thing. Thank you Soo much for continuing the music even tho the vid is over. Thanks Soo much!
That white background display upgrade is ESSENTIAL. The military green factory display goes dark when hot, new Akai make 2 generations of MPCs with terrible displays.
ricky youre the best..one of the best explanation for the stuff...more power
These days I’m into building texturally with a few short patterns (2-3) instead of adding/subtracting more complex arrangements of patterns. Achieving this by evolving and moving the track forward with efx, filters, envelopes, lfos, additional oscillators, etc. and blending the parts as they both individually and connectivity evolve. Permutations are endless. This is what I’ve discovered works best for me creatively, performance wise, and allows for maximum improvisational composition within a simple frame work.
Best thing about it. No set playlist. No limit as to what you can play because you can always improv something and the crowd will still love it.
Yes! It all comes down to GROOVE and BLISS. Too many people only GROOVE, but in an automated robotic way (because it's easy and you can't F*** it up). But that's boring. Don't forget to BLISS, which is to perform from your heart. For Ricky that's improvising with the Circuit. For me, The GROOVE is with the Circuit Tracks and the BLISS is with the Arturia MiniFreak. You just take it in whatever direction you're moved to at the moment. And that's what it's all about!
You're a master of your craft sir! Super informative
I’ve had that same realization when it came to my own performances. So I’ve started using a build up of samples and live melody creations that then get sent through to launchpad. I’m actually going to get the new akai that has all what i do all in one.
I’m loving your setup too. Very clean.
Vids are always too notch bro 🙏🏽 idk if it was because I was watching on my TV but I didn’t see the links when you’d point up to the corner of the screen
Svint Mvrcus that's funny, I missed them too and searching for them right now.
Nice video, Back in 2005 I did a couple of live gigs using 2 x Korg Electribe SX, both loaded with pre build songs, with some room to play with the rolls, fx and filters. I too transitioned from one to the other in a simular dj style, combined with the fx/filters etc it created some unexpected nice combinations of patterns.
Great video and tutorial! I love the tips about group scales on circuit
Duuuude you made that session look fun! Dope stuff man. 👌
always so nice to watch dude super relxeed vibe love it
great example of keeping yourself engaged in the performance
Just throwing it out there: when i saw squarepusher live in Detroit 2013, he transitioned from song to song with silence. He played a song till it was over, then played the next, just like how any band would. It was honestly badass.
That is so badass. For real. Gonna steal that approach!
thats soooooo interesting
hooollyyy shiiiiiitttt