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I noticed underworld used to use a massive mixing desk live, I've tried to use smaller 8 fader mixers, but it doesn't work because you'll often be running 20-30 channels and trying to get immediate hands on control with that.
Looking at other acts, you have daft punk, who basically have a bunch of really expensive synths with flashing lights, and play a completely pre rehearsed (if not pre recorded) set, behind robot masks.
Noticing a common theme? They're all huge acts with almost unlimited budgets and ROADIES. They have the time and the money to spend on getting a really good setup that works for them. Even though they have all this money, I think you'd find that they still play a relatively prerehearsed set, where the songs sound very similar each time they play them. So whats the difference between this and just spinning a bunch of their own tracks? Thats a good question, since at least if they span their tracks in a traditional DJ set format, they would have an unlimited selection of tracks, and not just what they can play/ have rehearsed.
Also, just think about the loading times on your samplers etc. Its a complete show stopper to get those machines going. And what happens when something goes wrong, like ableton Live needs to be restarted? That can take 5-10 minutes on my machine when its running at full pelt, so how do you keep your audience entertained? How's your computer going to hold up to having more than one session running at a time?
This is the problem with live electronic performance. No one has come out with a format where you have adequate control of the set list and performance of the songs. You, one person cannot control 30 channels of instruments at a time. Its just not possible.
If none of you play a "real" instrument, its not gonna work out too well for you I suspect, since you simply won't have the ability to manipulate the song in real time well enough. For stuff that might help you bring in a live element, have a look at the monome, a good controller (novation remote might work), and a hellishly powerful laptop, but just think about what your doing, chances are your going to spend a lot of money on redundant gear, trying to get a setup that your comfortable with.
To answer your question about how to play those riffs, its called an arpegiator.
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New Mix: March 2010 Promo
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