Hi,
Mark Dandridge here - Keyboardist/Keytarist from the band, BOCA - Band of Consenting Adults. We’re based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Thanks to @npudar for asking me to write this post. I’ve been using Gig Performer to supplement my hardware setup for about 8 months, and am currently in the process of using GP exclusively (following a recent hardware failure from my Fantom 07). Here’s a rig rundown:
Computer/Interface:
-2020 M1 Macbook Air 16gb with 1TB storage
-Radial USB DI box
Controllers:
-Nord Electro 6D
-AX Edge Keytar (and/or AX1 Keytar)
Main plugins used:
-Pianoteq
-Hammond B3x
-MusicLab Real Guitar and RealLPC
-Sampletank 4
-Arturia V Collection
-Lounge Lizard Rhodes EP(still trying it out, but positive so far)
I also put together this rack case, using a repurposed gun case. Inside I use a CalDigit Thunderbolt hub, so I can prewire my usb cables and the PandaMidi Wireless kit I used for my Keytar Controllers. I also added a USB fan to keep air moving inside the case to hopefully prevent any overheating issues. Recently I’ve also added a laptop cooling mat for hot outdoor gigs.
Laptop case during gig (Radial USB DI seen behind the case)
Rack case with Cal Digit Interface, Power cable, Fan, and PandaMidi Receiver
My journey to GP started when I started to follow @Keytarjeff and @marty Jeff has given me a handful of lessons and been a great mentor. I’m really interested in improving my keytar skills. Additionally, our band plays a lot of Rock, Country, and Pop and my initial use case was to use GP as a keytar module so that I could fill in as a “second guitarist” using MusicLab Guitar VSTs for songs that need more guitar parts and less keys. I can play guitar, but keytar is such a crowd pleaser and my passion. That has been working flawlessly for about the last 6 months or so. I was using my Fantom 07 as a master keyboard to send PC messages to my laptop to change rackspaces in GP. I set up everything using songs/setlist mode.
In the last 2 weeks, My Fantom suffered a failure, basically rendering it unusable at a gig. So I have been quickly recreating all of my patches in GP. It has taken virtually no time at all and the transition has been smooth. During shows, my laptop case sits on the ground by my feet and I map all controls to my keyboards. In order to monitor the screen, I use a usb to lightning cable connected to my ipad to mirror my Macbook display. In case of a laptop failure, I have my Nord Electro’s internal sounds (as well as the AX edge) and I also have a couple VSTs on my iPad as well.
My favorite thing about GP is the rig manager (so I can use different controllers at home for programming and then at gigs pretty flawlessly), setlist mode (because it takes no time at all to program a setlist that we usually don’t finalize until right before the show), and the stability (over the last few weeks I’ve had more hardware board failures than laptop issues by far).
My first go at using a GP only setup will be in a couple of weeks. I just finished programming my rackspaces this morning, so now I just gotta practice, so hopefully all goes well.
Feel free to ask questions, give tips, etc.
If interested, you can follow me and my band here:
IG: @thebocaband
IG: @markmywordsstudios
