If you’re switching from a hardware player to Ableton. Congrats! It’s a big step! but VERY useful! But, it IS definitely a can of worms!
The SQ Rack is a great option, but pretty much ANY interface. x32, WING, etc… that allows bi-directional USB 2.0 is perfectly adequate. Just Make sure you can hear yourself, your click & your bandmates and it serves the purpose. Core audio on Mac is FAR superior in stability/reliability than ASIO for PC’s, so that’s a great choice. But, with programs like Audiomovers OMNIBUS now available for PC’s. It’s less of an issue.
Just to note; If you are running a Mac mini. Make sure you figure out HOW you are going to view the desktop screen. Either through a headless KVM style approach. Through your iPad or other similar method. Because you WILL need it. And carrying around a monitor, no matter how small, Is just one more thing.
Pay attention to the options in settings for MacOS. “Keep mac from going to sleep” is NOT 100% reliable. There is an app on the Apple store called Amphetamine that can help with that. Works on all MacOS products. Better still you can set certain apps as triggers for that app to make sure it’s engaged during your show. I set Ableton on my band’s Macbook, to make sure that it doesn’t sleep during our set.
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“Simple” MIDI depends on how you WANT to connect things. CME makes great products! And we used their wireless WIDI Master for quite some time. Partnered with their UHost for the Mac. (MacOS has ‘built in’ bluetooth MIDI but it’s VERY unreliable) Until the reliability of the WIDI Master and the repeated disconnections AT SHOWS got to be too much. Now we rely on a wired solution of my own design. Basically, an Ethercon snake, that transmits both stereo guitar audio TO the rack & MIDI FROM the rack to a breakout box near the pedalboards (Quad Cortex & Helix’s). Ableton send MIDI over USB to a CME Pro U6MIDI in the rack. That sends MIDI down the ethercon cable to both guitars & Bass. (we’re even considering doing it for patch switching for my drummers E-kit elements that he’s added to his acoustic kit.) Whilst that same breakout, sends the pedalboard audio back. Since switching to wired…NO issues.
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You can use MIDI or OSC to control repeats or loops or mutes of parts in Ableset. OSC commands are VERY powerful. Or just simply PAUSE your click for those parts if you’re brave enough! I can tell you, audiences don’t tend to stay on metronome/click track time very well. But, they CAN be guided. Say, with lighting changes/choices & an engaging vocalist.
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This comes down to choices in how you program your setlist. Remember, intros & interludes are just noise/music played out over time. So if you want your clicks & cues in your ears. But don’t want certain tracks playing during certain gigs. Set it up THAT WAY. There are no rules saying you have to have only 1 Ableton session with 1 way of doing things! My band has MULTIPLE Ableton sessions. Some with intro’s & interludes, Some with just song after song. We tend to use the song after song if we’re just jamming at practice to get through the setlist.
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Don’t make it JUST your drummers responsibility 100%. I know he’s “just sitting there”. But, they also kinda have a few things to keep track of…in my drummers case, a lot of things. Remember each drum or cymbal IS an instrument. And from my own experience, drummers forget…A LOT! We all have access via our phones to Ableset. If someone need to tune in between songs…hit the loop button. Tune up, adjust your IEM mix, UN-loop…Back to work! As far as WIFI. It’s NOT that big of a deal! And of the many gigs we’ve done, it is RARELY the problem. Set it up right, and it won’t be! Check out this other post I made here on this forum for further info/ideas. Stream Decks are a viable idea. Just remember, they require a rated USB 3.0 Type-C cable with PD capabilities. And THOSE kind of cables are generally under 10ft. {Since USB 3.0 reliability limit is 10ft}. ElGato DO make a wired network hub to connect a stream deck, for $80. Separately powered…just run an ethernet cable back to your router for connection. But I haven’t tried it yet. Only heard the reliability wasn’t rock solid. Use at your own risk.
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Set your backing track levels and “bake in” volume changes before you get on stage! These should be just like stems you’d send to someone mixing your songs except FULLY mixed and EQ-ed properly by themselves. The stage is for performing, not for adjusting. Feed the FOH guy a usable level. Then everyone should be happy. Personally, I made a interlude that plays before we play. (An idea I stole from Slipknot’s road engineer) A sample plays, that contains sub bass, an ambient loop and an unprocessed spoken word poem of sorts, 3 tracks. Set at our prefered levels from practice. Using MIDI commands into Ableton and TouchOSC. Built an “interface” on the iPad to adjust all of them up or down to taste. Based on how that interlude sounds, I set the levels for those 3 tracks. And have the our various Ableton backing tracks volumes linked to those 3 tracks volume changes. Sets the levels & works like a charm!
Best of luck with your shows!
I know you’ll kill it!