What do you use to make music/play live?
This is certainly the most frequent question of all time. :-)
Software
Right now I use Ableton Live and FL Studio. Live is obviously used on stage, but also on studio recordings and final mixing. FL Studio is my main sound generator, though the new sampler in Live 6 may change that. I think it’s much simpler to come up with a groove in FL than in Live - plus the mixer routing features are really great. I also use FL rewired into Live to render the grooves into audio clips, which are much lighter on the CPU in a live situation.
Add to that a bunch of VST plugins (most are free, found at KVR Audio), Wavelab to edit audio and burn CDs and… that’s it. I’ve used more programs simultaneously in the past, but I’ve been trying to keep it simple. It’s better to stick to a few good programs and know them inside out than to fill up the hard disk with huge softwares that hardly get used.
I started making music with Impulse Tracker (for DOS!) and I still have lots of samples and unfinished tracks in this format. To be able to work with that, I keep ModPlug Tracker (for Windows, compatible with Impulse) installed. I usually render the loops/tracks from the tracker and work with the programs I use now.
Hardware
I have an Athlon64 3200+ / 2Gb desktop and a Centrino 1.5Ghz / 1Gb notebook. Despite the clock difference, both have more or less the same firepower. I can move my projects back and forth without problems. To synchronize the machines I use Total Commander (pretty handy!).
You really can’t use the internal sound of any notebook seriously, so I have a Fast Track Pro external soundcard (more like soundbrick), which gives me 4 audio inputs/outputs and MIDI connection. I also have two MIDI controllers: an Evolution MK249c and a Trigger Finger.
Besides the computers and all the stuff that is hooked to them, I have the following at my humble home-studio:
Korg Electribe S - lots of fun, mainly used on stage.
Roland S760 - A fine vintage sampler, now completely obsolete. I’m trying to sell it, but I reckon I’ll have to drive the price to the floor.
Roland SH-101 - Yeah, it’s the classic analog synth from the 80s. Believe it or not, I bought it on the street. The oscilators were dead, but gladly it could be fixed. The bass on Fuckin’ Rock was done with it.
Roland SPD-11 - I’m a drummer, so getting one was a no-brainer.
Eagle Acoustic Guitar - It’s my cousin’s, but stays at my house. I suck at playing guitar.
Boss VF1 - Excellent FX unit with amp-modelling - great for recording guitars.
Behringer Autocom Pro - A pretty standard compressor. Gets the job done.
Danelectro Pastrami stompbox - Guitar stompboxes are great! The SH-101 sounds really evil going through it.
DOD Digital Delay DFX9 stompbox - This one was a bit mangled on the inside to give a nastier sound.
Phonic 11-channel mixer.
Behringer 6-channel mixer - small and portable, perfect for the road.
Samson Resolv 65a active monitors.
Roland RSM90 passive monitors.
One or two cats.
Wanna see a picture? Alright.
Click it to go to Flickr and see the pic with notes.