This is really quite amazing - the 606 is even better live when you use it to its FULL potential...ie by plugging in a laptop

I don't work with a partner anymore (he wants to do hip-hop, just like everyone else), so I've been exploring ways to play live on my own.

Now, around here, these days, live = Abelton Live. It's an amazing program, and coupled with a PadKontrol and Kaoss Pad is actually very hands on. Sure, there's a laptop up there on stage (and I for one have always HATED laptops on stage); but the fact is the performer is not actually looking at the screen and he's not touching a mouse. So, aside from psychology, there is actually no difference between what he's doing and what I've been doing with a cumbersome hardware rig.

Now, the reason Abelton is so cool is because of the fluid way it handles loops in realtime. Hook up a PadKontrol and your firing off loops and sequences like there's no tomorrow. But, Abelton + PadKontrol + Kaoss Pad adds up to a LOT of $$$...

Here's the good bit.

Using P606 to play loops live is absolutely flawless. You gotta see/hear it to believe it. In 2004, computers were not up to it - no such lack of power now. Last night, just stuffing about, I had 16 tracks of live loops playing without a glitch in earshot. Switching tracks on and off was done with the pads. CPU was at 19%.

It gets better.

You can have as many VST effects as you like, assigned to whatever tracks you like. However, this does NOT stop you using the SP effects as well, at the same time! And since you can have knobs assigned to anything (sofware and hardware at the same time..), you can do craaaazzzy stuff like have a filter that distorts as it changes frequency, have a pahser that adds delay as you turn up the phase, and so on.
Oh, and the timestreching and pitchshifting is PERFECT in P606 too, so you can ramp up the tempo in realtime with confidence.

CPU was at 23% with 16 tracks of audio + four vst effects running.

Kinetic was running at 45% CPU doing the same thing - so lil ol P606 is the gun for this task!

Bottom line: one person can play live with nought but a 606, a laptop and a synth (if you are a keyboard player).

People doing it with the Abelton + PadKontrol + Kaoss Pad combo are spending way more than they have to. mwhahahahahaha

Just did a quick check.... it would cost MORE THAN DOUBLE to do this without a 606.

Now that's value

that's sick man, sounds like a lean and nasty unit you've assembled there

i'm not familiar with P606. can you load VST instruments as well as effects? and program midi tracks in it? is it easy to change knob assignments on the fly?

i definitely like Ableton's style of triggering loops. i've tried doing similar stuff on the 404, but i have to trigger each loop at the exact moment and if you're not in the groove you get it all out of sync. sounds like the 606 integrates with P606 nicely to allow the pads and knobs to extend beyond the box

edit: what sort of laptop are you using?

its a lil thing, but we have mutek here every year, so obviously there are a billion dudes (nearly always dudes) on stage w/ laptops. something i've seen some artists do tho is load up the stuff they need on the laptop, then put it out of view (like below the workspace, or waaaaay off to the side) and control their set thru midi-apps.

its a cosmetic thing, but like a lotta peeps as an audience member i often feel like dude is checking email rather than playing a show if he's behind a screen. having the computer outta the way removes this awkwardness (to me, at least).

this set up sounds good, mans.

I've been using the SP without a computer lately and have found many workarounds to using one. Don't get me wrong, computers help me a lot when recording, but I believe the SP has everything you need for a live performance.

16 pads=16 tracks (loops) per bank. Just record the patterns on the sequencer (4 loops per track x 4 tracks=16 tracks). You can turn mute tracks by striking the pad you wish to mute.

Need to change padbanks? Get a midi foot controller (I recommend the Behringer FCB1010) to fluidly change settings with your feet.

Okay, enough of my rant, I'm sure Live+SP live is pretty cool, I just don't see a use (except for the extra VST effects).

There are a few other advantages to using the PC.

1 - loops are ALWAYS on time. No slight timing errors.

2 - the loops always keep playing, so you can stab them in and out (with just hardware the loop wont start playing until the start of the next bar)

3 - you can easily have 1/2/4/8/16/32 bar loops all playing together without a hitch - this is a biggy, because on hardware you often get trouble with different bar lengths (i do anyway!).

4 - having more than one effect applied to a knob is insane..

This is in the context of a 'one man' setup....if there's more than one bloke up there there's no excuse...hardware ftw

drewzle: the PC is my work laptop! so nothing special really, which is nice, because in 2004 my 'top of the range' acer had all sorts of trouble keeping up

Ive had live since version 2. Ive been using it mainly for recording. but since I got the 555 I havent been to afraid of messing with software a little The 555 and live together is actually pretty amazing. especially for live stuff. I can rock a whole set with live + the 555 barely ever touching the computer. Its pretty impressive. A cool thing is I can even blend entire tracks If I wanted to. As of today however my something or other proccessor was damaged due to a devasting table drop. Not worth fixing it as its almost 5 years old now so I gotta buy a new computer

I like to use my 303 with a computer, live is the best in my opinion but I also like to use acid pro and garage band.

That's what I'm saying!

With 606+P606 it's exactly like using Live - without the hefty price-tag ....it's cheaper than Live alone!

I got live for free...legit...I worked at a music store for a while

Awesome! You lucky bastard!!

....it's $1000 au.... that's before you add a controller or FX unit.

If I had Live, I'm sure it would be even better in some ways (you can DJ with it too, can't you?), but the 606 certainly offers most of the same flexibility/features for a fraction of the cost.

You may want to make a backup copy of your P606 software; I tried to get a P606 CD from Roland (didn't get one w/ my used 606), and they said they can no longer get them from Japan...

you can DJ with it but I think ill stick to my decks I will use it to drop my tracks into my sets tho.

yeah obviously nothing is ever gonna beat decks lol - but have you ever had one of your tracks pressed to vinyl? This is a cheap way to get your sound heard in your set without just playing it off CD..

loopyspmon - does that mean we can make it available on the web then? I mean, you can't use it without an SP plugged in (world's largest dongle!), so where's the harm making it available?

Mike Acosta? Whaddaya reckon?

How much does it cost to cut an acetate dub or whatever its called?