My post is a simple inquiry...how do I learn of the potential of the Mac in real-time performing. I have seen it used in such diverse settings as avante-gard classical music concerts to djs using it. I would like to explore the possibilities.

Please if you can guide me to this knowledge, I would appreciate it...I took music technology classes in college, but that only focused on Finale, so, as you can see, the schools arnt hip to what is really going on.

I am mainly interested in sampling possibillities, but also sound creation/synthezisers. Also, what kind of equipment do you need both internally, and externally to make this happen...I seriously doubt it is as easy as hooking your speaker jack in the back up to your amplifier.

Thanks,
Bradygroscost@sbcglobal.net

Search for software called Ableton Live, and then check out Reason by Propellerheads.

Most proffessional DAW:s like Digital Performer, Cubase and the like kan be used for live work.

Usually means you have have pre-recorded material, together with a click-track for tempo - to your drummer. (if tempo is important)
The pre-recorded sequences kan contain both digital audio and midi-info.

The audio is directed to the PA-system, the midi-info can be used for triggering synthesizers, drum-machines etc.
OR/AND
You could just as easily use the midi-info for staging the light-scenes during the bands performance. Many stagelightning gear will receive and respond to midi-info these days.
Pretty common in theaters, just to mention one use for it.

There are many ways to use pre-recorded material, you may use it as an intro to certain numbers. You dont have to actually play live together with pre-recorded material. Possibilities are almost endless.

Cheers: Dixiechicken

Make that two votes for Ableton Live. A lot of artists (such as The Notwist, the Rara Avis, and John Scofield) are using it to basically play their PowerBooks as an instrument in conjunction with the rest of the band. You can import all of your samples into it and play with them to your heart's content using the Warp feature.

I again agree with CrankThat to check out Propellerhead Reason for sound creation. Soft Synths, Samplers, Drum Machines, Effects....everything you'd ever need!

As for what hardware you'd need, several artists are using their built in sound card without any external interface! I remember reading one of the interviews on the Ableton Live Artists page where they're using two Powerbooks running Live using the built in jack plugged into a mixer. There are several audio interfaces you could look into, however, such as the EMI 6/2, the Emagic PCMCIA line (good for djs; separate monitoring output)...that's all I can think of now. But any audio interface with multiple outputs will do!

Good luck!

Live is a great program for well................................ Live use, The thing I love the most is your ablity to edit in real time. In electronic/computer based music there really in no chance to ever hear a variation of a sound unless it was done in the studio, this takes away the main reason I love live shows, so the ability to onstage at that moment change a song, even if it is because you had the wrong version of your last song and need to fill up time is one of the coolest thing around