Hey guys, this is will, I am here at the moody theater in downtown Austin,
Texas. With my buddy JMix. Jonathan, how's it going man? Good man.
So JMix is out on the road with elevation.
If you're familiar with what elevation does a, you know, j mix, uh,
j mix is basically running the show back in it.
There's some people onstage track. You're doing a lot of stuff.
It's pretty noisy, so hopefully you'll be out of here as well.
But what I thought we would do is, uh, you know, we,
we did a video whet like two years ago. Yeah. Walk through your set up.
Looks like stuff's changed a little, a little bit. Yeah.
But one thing that I'm particularly interested in, in how JMX is using and,
and particular about his set up is you're using both the Swa Yup.
And you're using to play audio twelves. Yep. Um,
but you're not really doing redundancy in like the typical sensor. Yeah. Yeah.
Kind of Jay rigging it a little bit. So we get do what I wanted to do. So yeah.
So before we even walk through the rig, tell me like, what's the, what's,
why are you here? Why are you here not someone on stage doing this?
Yeah. And what's the role that the tracks splits way for elevation? Yeah,
absolutely. So, um,
I mean at a base level the tracks are playing the same role in the sense of just
feeling out with the bands not doing live on stage. And at a basic level,
I'm back here just editing,
making things kind of sound or range the way they're supposed to be for
tonight's show. Um, but um, a lot of what I'm doing too is,
is hopefully allowing for the band to not feel so structured into a specific
kind of way.
They have to play each song some songs that's just gonna be how it is.
But for other spots in the set,
they really want the ability to kind of be free and flow. Um,
and I use my rig to hopefully do that at a high level and keep our production
level in our sound level high. We keeping those tracks in,
keeping visuals in line.
Hopefully lighting is following along with what I'm doing. So yeah.
And I think that's such a big point because people think we can't use traps
cause we can't be spontaneous. Yeah. We're on rails. But like, yeah, that's,
that's why you're here. Yeah. Yeah. You're getting the band,
the excellence of using tracks, but with the freedom of what must be,
what they not having tracks gives them. That's the goal. That's awesome. Yeah.
That's all good. Let's start first. You got three computers. Yup.
Like do you watch youtube on this phone? Facebook on it. Like why are you
[inaudible] all the sweet talk us through first year three computers,
then we'll just kind run through all the gear stuff. Yeah. So this is a primary,
the primary computer, um, that apparently wants to update that.
We'll do we do that always up there. Yeah. Thanks. Um, anyway, um, yeah,
this is my primary computer with my main session. So you can see,
I mean arrangement view, um,
basically just a typical kind of down the line set list type of session.
Um, and then if you look on the far side here, this is my,
my actual true redundant backup,
which is slaving to my primary over a network. Okay. Um,
and is that RTP network or is that a network
actually ethernet network. Yep. Ethan, that switch in the back,
that all my computers,
so I'm sending mini and putting it on a network all within that kind of system.
Um, and then my middle computer, um, this is my flow computer. Um,
but the primary kind of can become a flow computer when I want it to.
But basically what he wants here is, um,
I have a bank of kind of all the songs we play at church.
And then tonight,
like I have the whole settlers kind of ready to go in individual session view
sessions to where I can use my controller to kind of manipulate fire stuff,
bring tracks down,
bring tracks up by our sections as they come and follow the MD or BVM d
depending on the scenario. Um,
and when I said the primary can become a flow computer, what I'm doing there is,
um, I might be flowing in, there's a cloud here on this middle computer,
um, and they, and there is a cloud and start kind of singing another song.
I can get them on onto that new song,
click here without ever switching and then I can have that new song pulled up on
my primary,
fire it in time to switch over and now I can flow on this computer using this,
uh, this controller here. So, so it's, it's almost like you're cutting TJ. Yeah.
It's not like the Song Garden. Yeah, exactly. Awesome. And it's just,
I found it really clunky to try and have one master set list of a million songs
and toggling through like this just kind of streamlined it for me.
I can have one chorus button,
one bridge button that from no matter what song I pull up,
I can be mapped to have that be the chorus. I just,
it made a lot of sense in my head.
So that's why it's kind of wise that up that way. Well,
one thing that I love is like, so artists,
I talk a lot about using Ableton for tracks committed or set up this
spontaneous, it's flexible, you know? Um, but I hear a lot of people say,
well that has spontaneity. You've gotta be in session view,
but obviously with a range of view with locators you can do that.
But I'm interested in for you the particular way because here's the thing that I
love. You can do this a million different ways.
You've got to find what works best for you. Yeah. So for you, what,
what draws you the most towards this being the main machine in this be the flows
and how do you, how are you best flowing that easiness by using this set up yet?
So the biggest thing that threw me into session due for my blow stuff was
honestly this controller. And so which one is this?
This is the APC mark 40 or ABC 40 mark to cool.
So it's got this really awesome kind of master seen fire grid here.
Um, that is obviously acting as a control service for whatever session is open.
It's not just a mini controller,
it's actually an integrated control service for Ableton.
So in session view it's got this really great grid here where I can kind of
toggle through and fire any section of the song really easily with this master
scene here. And for me that was just visually easier.
Kind of seeing my bank toggling through,
being able to fire any section at any time. And it's great cause you like,
or you know you're going to go to the bridge so you can go get it cued up.
Exactly. Ready to go. Yeah. And that's, I think that's a benefit of,
because you're so hands on. Yeah, you can do this,
which is a little more hands on than just hear it. A couple of buttons.
Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I love, and I've always gotten, I have my bridge button,
my course, I've got the main song sections, maps, so that in a pinch,
if they just all of a sudden go real fast on me, I can't prep it.
I've just got a big bridge or a big course that I can fire for every song for
every song. Yeah.
So every song is mapped out this way in those individual sessions.
So honestly that's what's asked me in session view. Um,
there are times specifically at church where it's easier for me to just put
markers in my writing session and map them to buttons and fire stuff that way.
Um,
but for this scenario where I'm really hands on the whole time and can focus on
it, I love, I love that session to kind of titling approach now. What's great.
Yeah.
And how much in your main or interview set does this change every night or is
this the thing and this is kind of where you're changing? Um,
man, it depends. It depends on, usually in the first week or so of the tour. Um,
we're chopping and changing set lists, kind of getting stuff around. Um,
but typically if they come off script not really trying to mess around with my
main session and they'd come off script,
I'm getting my flow computer as fast as possible cause that's where I can react
faster and then kind of follow them quicker cause all these testings have time
code in them. Um, and also the ability to send many,
if I need to send mini two guitars or mini to console's or whatever.
So it's all ready to fire what it needs to fire. Um,
and especially at that time pro, it's a big deal. Um, so I tried to,
if they go off script,
I'm going to straight to the flow computer as fast as possible. Yeah.
So let's do this. Yeah. We're about to start a question and answer here.
So quickly talk this through. Let's talk redundancy. Yep.
And then let's talk how you're using the play out at 12 and Swa. Yeah.
And then let's talk your controllers and then let's finally talk about like,
we're just at this station,
but I'm looking to my left and tomorrow trying to a lot.
So let's start with redundant. Let's see. What's your redundant set up? Okay.
So, um, my primary pure redundant setup is running through the swas.
Okay. So real quick, I'll go through, I know we're gonna put this up, but, um,
real quick,
basically I've got my primary and my flow computer going into this one play
audio. Okay.
And I'm using this left button here to toggle the Ab on that play audio. Okay.
And a is your main machine. Hey, B is my flow computer. Okay.
So if you picture whatever that is on, it's got 12 outputs. Yep.
10 I'm using those 10 outputs are going into input a of the radio swa.
This computer,
the backup is going into its own swe outputting to input B of the Swa.
So it's on play audio 12 out of your child. Sorry.
And then it's app putting into input B of the Swa.
So I can toggle to the backup here. Okay. A, B maybe. Um,
so no matter where I am on this first interface, if I switch to backup,
the swas can uplift and all I'm hearing is backup. That's great. Um,
and so that's just kind of a little hack I found with this jr remote where I can
take one side out to the first play,
audio 12 and the other side out to the Swa. I can use it to toggle boat.
So No, before we walk to the other stuff. Yeah.
So your outputs are going into your swa. Yep.
How many outputs of the SLU later than hitting like front of House. Yep.
So basically we're out putting 10 channels.
Obviously Click and timecode are not going to front of House while they're going
in front house, but we're not hearing them. Um, but uh,
then we're doing a hook stereo hook channels or your loop channel,
Stereo drum channel and stereo background vocals are kind of just supporting
what's happening on stage. Sweet. Yeah, that's great. So, uh,
this guy is basically toggling between main machine and four machine. Yep.
And then this one is saying, no, let's go to our backup of this time.
It doesn't matter which computer I'm on here. If I go to backup,
it goes to backup. Yeah, that's great. Exactly. So that's like your safety.
You always, yeah. That's great. So let's talk about controllers. Yeah.
You've got a lot of controllers, I'm assuming. Yeah.
Love controllers where there's, yeah. So this can,
this first controller is always just controlling my main, my main session.
And so if something does go wrong and I need to pay that loop,
I can do that right here. Um,
the second controller is operating on my glow computer.
Obviously operating in that session view kind of world that I talked about
before. Yup. And if this goes to a session view flow session here, I can,
I can operate it in the same way as this. Um,
but those are only going to those individual computers. Okay.
This guy here is my basically my main firing controller.
And so this is what be itself arterial, yeah. Archery of each step.
So this is actually going to, and I connect mini form. Um,
and then via Ethernet [inaudible] it's being sent to all three computers. Okay.
So that's usually the builtin audio mini set up. Uh,
not that I know I'll be able to see. But basically I've connected to,
there's four different mini ports on that ethernet and so each computer is on
its own port and it's receiving money from this that way also as basically just
a master song queue and fire. Great. Um, and that's basically that.
That's awesome. Yeah. Okay. So we talked about tracks,
we've talked about your controllers, you know, computers,
what all are you controlling? Maybe we start here before we, yeah. Yeah.
So the campers are in the case right now actually for this tour.
There's no, there's no connection. We've done it in the past and I,
I'm still trying to work them into feeling comfortable with me,
kind of helping to trigger scenes for them. Honestly.
They've been kind of setting and forgetting the campers and doing all of their
toggling on their pedals. Yeah. Um, so it's just here taken out. It's,
I got out it there. They're renting my Rackspace years. Yeah.
Hopefully paying a good price. Yeah. Over here we've got the visual [inaudible].
Um,
so this is resolume and pro presenter pro sensor is being siphoned into resolume
the layer.
And so basically I'm setting timecode and mini over that mini network to the
resume machine. Okay.
So a mini note cue is the correct visual and then time code keeps it and keeps
it playing. Yeah. And then are you sitting [inaudible] appropriate or,
or someone manually tricky. Yeah.
So we're only using pro presenter for up view of the acoustic set portion
without like a lyric video. So that's just manually by, by our visuals guy. We,
yeah, I think that's a good point to pull out is yes, you could do that. Yeah.
But you don't necessarily have to. Yeah.
Have you gotten this crazy set up but you don't have too many cue your programs
that are in yeah. You got to do whatever serves your situation. Exactly. Yeah.
That's good.
Works out in most of our visual content has a lyric layer that's playing as a
video file. Okay. So, so it kind of works out with the time code,
keeps everything going. So it's right.
And then the last thing I'm doing that's probably relevant to this is the
monitor console over there. I'm a sending mini,
I control change to the console and barring all of these snapshots in perfect
time with anything that's happened.
So he's got snapshots within the songs for different sections.
If our solos or I don't know,
just all these different sections that you would want to change your modern and
mixed slightly. That's awesome.
Controlled change media is going and firing his snapshots.
Are you coming by pen out of here to the console? Or how are you getting to,
okay, so that's five pain out of a five in dyn fort here.
So hard line right to the console. That's awesome. This is like an admit.
He basically is spitting out everything for me. The heart of the show. Yeah.
Yeah, exactly. I suppose I connect stuff this, but I don't know for real.
They're awesome. Well that's awesome. Yeah, we'll do JMX. Thanks so much, man.
Absolutely. It's always great to hang out. Yeah.
If you guys want to know more about how to use able to lie, live on stage,
to perform, to have freedom, to have flexibility.
A check out from studio to sage where we talk about how to do everything JMX is
doing, but don't tell him it's a little simpler. Did all this, but no,
learn how to do all the crazy stuff.
Jay Mixes Dory using one mini foot controller, however you need to do it.
However, serves your church best. Your cover band, bass,
a band that's playing stadiums, whatever situation it is,
we're going to talk about a good way to use Ableton for you. So, um,
j makes us hang it out. He's checking out. We got going on. It's a blast.
We'd love to have you be a part of it. Thanks for watching everybody. Take care.
Bye. [inaudible].