Playing Ten Children with live electronics instead of tape

From the mailbag: I was looking to perform some (or several) of your compositions, particularly Drift and Ten Children. I was wondering if you could tell me what I would need in order to perform them the same way you perform them instead of with the tape accompaniment. Thank you very much.

So, I'm going to make a video for the site to show all the gear I use, but until I get around to doing that, this post will have to suffice...

First of all, you need a "basic" electronic music computer setup like mine:

• MacBook (probably pro, but I think you can make do with a non-pro)


• Audio Interface with at least two inputs


• Instrument Microphone


• Vocal Mic (like an SM58 or something better)


• Foot pedal (something simple)

Then you'll need the software & plugins:

• Max 5


• WaveArts TrackPlug & Masterverb (you'd choose "power suite custom duo" here)


• Voxengo's LF Max Punch

The rest of what I use is optional, really.

I guess the reason I don't make these non-tape versions available to people is that there is a LOT of troubleshooting that needs to go on in order to get things working with each particular setup. For example, everyone has a different footpedal, so I would have to reprogram that part of every movement to handle that; everyone has a different audio interface, so the levels need to be optimized, etc. etc. Basically, It'd be too big of a pain for me to do it, so I don't. That said, if you're ever in NYC, you got all the necessary hardware/software and you want me to set your machine up, I might be persuaded...

Like I said though, stay tuned. I will try to get a video "tour" of my setup up on the site asap.