softcore

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Mays & Patrique – Volution
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I agree with with DJ-Quantum and I think most of the people think that is the correct usage of the term. Its just that EDM besides trance, Techno, House etc also includes “mainstream crap that is ‘pop’ in its target audience and philosophy” -possibly the reason the OP is sick of it.

Usually, when non-knowledgeable people ask me what genre of music I play I reply Electronic Dance Music – when they go “I seeeeee, like Tiesto or Guetta huh?” I remain calm and reply “No, not this crap, but its hard to explain!” lol

Im planning of creating a video for this because it all adds up to be very long to read but anyways….here’s my set up.

Im using:
Software: Ableton Live, Bome’s Midi translator, personal-made Max/MSP patch, personal made DJmixer EQs (Ableton Live rack Devices) 2 VST synthesizers, VST effects, custom drum sampler, MaxForLive Launchpad step sequencer
hardware: BCR 2000, Launchpad (Korg Micro Control-optional)

The set up:
I have 16 distinct tracks in Ableton Live and 3 send channels – and one dummy channel (silent) with a kick to trigger sidechained compressors (read below)

6 of the tracks feature the DJ EQ rack which is a typical 3 band EQ with knobs being zero at center position. These, together with the 2 VST synth channels are controlled by a preset in BCR 2000 (whose the controls are logically presented as “top knob”->volume, 3 lower knobs->EQ in a total of 8 channels).

The 3 send channels consist of chained effects:
send 1: the “reverb” send consists of a reverb effect followed by a gate and followed by compressor sidechained by the “dummy” kick . Before all this there’s an EQ where I can set the LP and HP values with knobs in order to control higher and lower frequencies.
send 2: the delay effect – consists of two different delay plug ins which I can alternatively switch on-off with a button and pitch shifter plug in. Before all this there’s an EQ where I can set the LP and HP values with knobs in order to control higher and lower frequencies.
send3: the “loop recorder” – this contains the native Ableton Live loop recorder so that whenever I send a chosen channel to this send, a 4 bar loop is recorded and then played (similar to Traktor’s loop recorder).

The effects are controlled by another preset in BCR2000 ( I can select presets with the push of two buttons) also leaving room for 4 of the inital 16 channels controls – which I consider them the “main” 4 decks. By controlled, I mean dry-wet parameters, reverb decay, gate-amount & rate, reverb sidechain compression (causing the very popular “pumpng” sweep noise), delay feedback and time, pitch shifter up-down, and lp, hp filters on each effect are all controlled by the BCR.

So we have, if you are following 6 audio channels plus 2 synth channels – the 2 synth channels are played by Launchpad using my custom MAX/MSP patch which makes it possible with minimum effort to play and record on the fly the two synths and then bu8ild uppon the recording by using other presets-sounds of the synth. For this reason, I do not record “midi” but rather the audio output of the synths (in the “loop recorder” send channel) so I can then switch to another preset.

The rest 8 channels (I did say I m using 16 didnt I?) constitute my “live” drum machine. These 8 channels consist of home made multisampler patches and each channel is a dedicated drum sound – kick, tom, low perc, clap-snar,perc1, perc2, hats1, hats2. Each multisampler may contain up to 127 drum shots so for example I can have 127 different kicks, 127 different toms etc etc – frankly I havent filled all the 127 sample slots in all of them (who needs 127 different kick samples anyway). Im using yet another BCR preset to control their volumes, mutes, sample-selection (which one of the sample will be heard) and on each channel context specific functions (pitch control for toms, attack-decay for hi hats etc etc).
Using the Launchpad MaxForLive sequnecer I can sequence beats real time using this drum sampler or I can put “bells” and “whistles” on ready-made tracks.

Also using my costom Max/MSP patch with Launchpad I can easily control all sends (effects, recorder), mutes, monitoring (which channels get to be audible in my headphones) and of course I also use it with its default operation to trigger either 1. commercial tracks (usually on channels 1-4) or litle pre-made loops (usually on channels 5-6).

All these 16 channels and the send effects “return” to an audio channel I have named as “submaster” where an additional effect can add delay or the “reverse” effect followed by a lgithweight for the CPU limiter.

On the master channel I also have a parametric EQ switched off – in case of emergency I have i to compensate for bad sound of a club (lack of bass, lack of high end).

The Korg Micro Kontrol fader edtion is only used whenever I add to this whole setup a VST drum machine for added percussions although I havent used it in a while – lots of stuff to carry around and usually not enough booth space in the small “underground” bars-clubs I DJ.

There are tiny details which of course cant be covered by writing a forum message such as some added sidechained compressors (mainly on the synths and the 6th channel in case Im using a bass loop) and lots of settings involved in Bome’s Midi Translator to make the whole thing not only work but also never loose sync between controls and the actual value in software (whenever Im switching presets), shift-functions, functions not normally supported by Ableton with midi (suxh as zooming in the waveform).

Uhhhhh…..I guess thats all!

for the custom made EQ racks and more details on the Launchpad customisation utility check out:
http://www.softcore.net.gr/projects.php

Yup! of course you need to be looking for labels who already have tracks out similar to the style you compose – I think everyone does so. And yeah, the one your friend is on should do just fine for starters – as a matter of fact, my first three releases were just that, single tracks on compilations of a label.
Having already your friend signed is also some sort of an advantage, you can even tell him to send them an e-mail in the likes of “hey check this guy out” so that your demo will have an advantage over others’
😉

I keep a very very special folder with tracks that have been tested upon various and contradictional audiences and they always seem to have the same effect – crowd goes wild. I call the folder very very special because it doesnt have more than 30 tracks in it – and I have also set the rule of not playing more than 5 tracks off that folder in one night! Then I go along pretty much like Phil or Terry!

A small power socket with three outlets…so that I surely have enough outlets to plug my laptop and controllers.

I agree with D-Jam! Few days ago a producer-DJ told me that he records his sets (the ones he uploads to places like Soundcloud etc. etc.) by layering the tracks in Ableton Live and doing automation edits to make the mix. Surely they will sound perfect in timing, but I was disgusted at the idea that no actual performance-DJing is involved in this process.

One or two erros in the mix, reminds the listener that what he listens to is an actual mix and not some result after hour of editing with a freaking automation draw pencil in your software.

Indeed, they are very reliable and stable! Edited my first post to reflect that! 😉