Can anyone recommend the best setup?
I would like the best and smaller possible setup.
thanks

what are your needs in the audio input department?

Reason I ask is I am currently using a Roland QUAD-CAPTURE, which is reasonably small and has a choice of 1/4" audio outs and S/PDIF out.

I assume that, if you are using it for live VST then you won't be that interested in its four inputs?


cheers

andy

Hi,
I don't need the inputs but it's always goof to have a few in hand just in case.
What I need is something rock solid, with good dedicated drivers, low latency and stable.
thanks

Don't need inputs??? But what do you mean by "live VSTi" then????
That's confusing. Please elaborate.

The OP is just using his laptop, with Sonar and what ever VST instruments, to play live with a keyboard controller, like you would with a hardware synthesizer.

If you think about it, it's not a bad idea. You can go to a venue with all your backing tracks laid down in Sonar, either as MIDI or Audio, and you could link either one, or many MIDI controllers to various VSTi's and you would be able to put on one hell of a one man show.

And I didn't think this was a new idea...

I have seen a live "band" (2 guys and some midi stuff) perform using a very old version of Cakewalk running a number of synth modules.  I think this was when Cake was just midi sequencing.  This was in the days before there were such things as laptops.... they had a state of the art 80286 computer.  (about 22 years ago or so) They sounded really good. Speaking with them, I found out that they spent a week or more per song just programming the midi.  Their cover tunes were immaculate. 

Most laptops and a USB interface would give you what you need to run VST's live.  I would keep the machine dedicated to music though..... keep it rock solid and stable. Last thing you want is a BSOD or a crash, glitch, problem in the middle of a song. 

If I was planning to do a live show, I would burn the backing tracks to CD and or use a different computer to play the backing tracks. That would be much more stable and easy to manage than to trust X1 on a lappy in front of a live audience to perform flawlessly hour after hour, night after night. All it would take is one missed command to glitch the program and ruin the show instantly. 

BUT.... having said that...I also witnessed 2 other guys recently (at a nursing home where I was working a service call) who were using a lappy running some version of Sonar, and they were in fact running it all live from inside Sonar.....even had BIG LYRIC VIEW up on the lappy screen. 

So everything is possible....all depends on how you want to do it and how much faith you have in the lappy to run the program flawlessly. 

Just to make things clear...I know how to do it. Have done it a few times with different gear, both macs and pcs, with a fireface 800 and a m-audio FW1418.

What I need is an updated set that is recommended. 
Something that will be rock solid and stable that I can take on tour without worriyng about which keyboards to take etc.

The Musebox would be an option if it could load big stuff like Omnisphere, etc...

Joni 

Hi djoni, 
I-m not a live performancer with laptop aso.,but have a friend that is .
  I remember him using a Lenovo think pad "T" Series Laptop and a Native Instrument audio-interface incl a controller which works very stable and sounds great 
Don´t know if this helps!
regards Pragi

I use the Audio Kontrol 1 from Native instruments, it's small, has an audio feedthroough loop for no-latency monitoring of artists and is built like a tank...I don't know if they make it anymore tho...

Have you considered RME Babyface?  It's powered by USB, and rock solid!