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Live Video Shit


cheddatom

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Is anyone else doing anything like this?

 

Basically we have some videos (some with sound) which we'd like to project behind us for our set. We're not playing to a click. Some of the video needs to be synched up pretty well to our performance. So far, i've been using Premiere to cut video together into sections IE video for verse, video for chorus - that kind of thing. Then I import the sections into "ArKaos" which is software i'd never heard of before this weekend. I apply each section to a different button on the keyboard, so that when we kick into the relevant section, I hit the relevant key and the video plays. My plan is to wire a mini USB keyboard to a few footswitches so I can do it and play bass at the same time for gigs.

 

Is this a stupid way of going about it? Just to reiterate: We're not playing to a click.

 

Also, general video thread?

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Me and some other guys are looking to do something pretty similar for a uni project. We were planning on just syncing a click to the video and then feeding that to the drummer but this sort of approch might actually be more suitable. Sounds like a sensible enough way to go about it providing that you don't spend the entire time tapdancing between a pedalboard and video triggers unless you're into that sort of thing.

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hah, dancers would be cool if it was more up-beat. It's a bit too dynamic I think, unless we went for some pretentious art school shit.

 

I tried it for the first time yesterday just with one song. I created a video for the 1st half of the song which was a minute two long, just in case, then another for the second half of the song which has to kick in properly. I just press enter at the start of the song and enter halfway through - works fine, and i'll be able to do this with footswitches when I get around to it.

 

I think if I needed a new video to run every section, like every 10 seconds or so, it would be a bit of a nightmare and you'd be better off getting a "VJ" to play live with you.

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I'd quite like to know something about this as well, playing in front of a huge banner's pretty dull.

 

Since when? If you've got any stage presence then it shouldn't be dull, if it is then you're probably doing something wrong.

 

Sounds like a cool project though Tom, what kind of videos do you plan on using?

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The only one I have set in stone is that leaked helicopter video from afghanistan. We use the crackly/radio talk over the first half of the song, then the gun-fire kicks in for the second half.

 

I'd like to do more stuff. Our first gig isn't until January so I have some time. I'm almost totally new to video so Premiere is already giving me rage etc but it's the live performance aspect of it i'm most interested in.

 

Like, would it be possible to do a whole set to a click track, but then instead of playing to the click track, tap tempo to modify the video tempo?

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Sounds almost like youd be getting into MIDI territory or something similar. I'm not too familiar with Premiere but if you have access to software like Final Cut and the accompanying packages then you might have some luck. I'm not sure if it would fully suit your needs, but we use a programme in the TV studio at uni that lets you do something similar to what youre describing, I'll try and get the name for you. Think it might cost many monies though.

 

I like the sound of the videos though, I cant remember if I've heard any of your music or not but it definitely sounds like a cool idea.

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Shit loads of bands use visual effects to add to their show. There's one really big one actually. I think their name beings with M?

 

There must be a way to make a whole sets worth of video and code it with some sort of time track, and then be able to control the playback speed with a tap tempo input..?

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I'm just saying that if your set is boring because it doesnt have fancy lights then youre probably going about it the wrong way.

 

Yeh you might be right. It's instrumental music but it very easily could have vocals. It's the kind of thing musicians will (hopefully) like, but your average gig-going punter might not get, hence the need for a visual thing.

 

Maybe it's the wrong approach. Personally i'd love to get a singer but I don't know any.

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I've been to a show where apart from the various members of the band there were two topless girls on stage, a midget who sometimes made circus worthy acrobatics and between two stunts he gave away free absynthe. Then there were a guy dressed as a giant cock and a girl who dressed up as a giant vagina. I shit you not. Sadly when the venue is not big enough they have to sacrifice one of the girls or one of the "genitals."

Also they give the audience a lot of inflatable toys like hammers and stuff.

The band plays trash-pop/drunk-core/retard party kind of music and they put on the best "get drunk and go insane" type of live show i have ever seen.

 

Now they don't have to rely on videos.

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There must be a way to make a whole sets worth of video and code it with some sort of time track, and then be able to control the playback speed with a tap tempo input..?

 

Sounds pretty feasible to me. I wouldn't have the know how to do myself but I'm sure it could be done. Good luck getting it set up anyway. I've seen a few instrumental bands who've done stuff like that, and it's such a nice addition to the music.

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One of my favourite party bands has a song called 'take it off', where the band, the band's dancers and half the audience gets naked. Works for me.

 

We used to put on a sync'd light show because a) we wanted a club feel and b) it was pretty easy with the music we were playing. Never quite got around to adding video but I assume it can be done with ableton live as well...

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