27. May 2025

RILEY

LiamKillen’s Live Setup: The Powerhouse Just Got a Boost

Take a dive into LiamKillen’s most powerful live setup yet! With a blend of hardware and software, Liam crafts the ultimate portable music powerhouse. This review breaks down every piece of gear, offering insights into what makes it tick, and what might be ticking you off. Ready to groove? Jump in and find out!

Powerhouse on the Go

In a world where portability often means compromising power, LiamKillen’s live setup goes against the grain. He talks about his home base powerhouse that takes electronic music production to a new level. Packing both hardware and software into a portable frame, this setup includes the mighty Big Six mixer and the FaderFox PC-12, ensuring tactile control while playing with Ableton like a pro. He meticulously details how each piece contributes to more practical and efficient music making. The setup not only promises powerful live performances but also offers flexibility and ease of transport.

Shaping Sound and Style

LiamKillen shares his profound insights on how the gear molds his music style. Diving deep into his creative process, he explains how the SSL Big Six has sculpted his musical landscape. This mixer enables multitrack recording, allowing him to weave hardware recordings seamlessly with DAW-based adjustments. Liam describes his love for creating loops from scratch, using the Big Six to add vibrant live elements through effects. What’s cool about his setup is the adaptability it brings—not just in how it sounds, but in how it allows him to shift styles and vibes effortlessly. Essentially, each performance is like a crafted mixtape, layering sonic textures over robust grooves. He credits an efficient fusion of digital and hardware tools, noting that this synthesis gives his sets a dynamic touch that resonates well in the live music scene.

Knobs and Notches

When it comes to knob twiddling, the FaderFox PC-12 plays a starring role. LiamKillen goes into detail about his knob organization strategy, linking each column to the Big Six channels. From kicks to hi-hats, every column gets its designated effects treatment. His creative use of free plugins, like the supermassive delay, adds rhythmic depth, while Soundtoys Superplay further enriches the palette. He’s all about tweaking and customizing, bringing out flavors unique to his techno tracks, turning the PC-12 into a chef’s kitchen for sound design. It’s like having a street food festival of sounds at his fingertips, where each dish is seasoned with a different sonic spice.


All Pros, Few Cons

Every gear setup has its ups and downs, and Liam doesn’t shy away from discussing them candidly. In an epic assessment, he praises the stability and ease of use of the FaderFox PC-12, highlighting its intuitive interface and myriad knobs as a major asset in studio and live settings. However, the Big Six presents a few challenges, particularly its analog limitations. The mixer is hailed as a game-changer for multitrack audio production, but its mono tracks and the lack of pan control when switching to post-fader output is a slight hitch. Liam notes these with a nod to the hardware faithful, understanding that it’s a balancing act of preferences—much like tweaking a favorite recipe. Despite these quirks, the impact on his music-making and performance flow is largely positive, enhancing his ability to produce and perform simultaneously without missing a beat.

Performance Meets Production

LiamKillen’s setup isn’t just about live jam sessions; it’s a full-blown production powerhouse. With his setup, it’s not just a jam setup but a dream course for creation and composition. He discusses how all elements are recorded into the DAW, from effect returns to fader automation, without losing the tactile feel that makes hardware appealing. Liam emphasizes the thrill of bringing laptop efficiency and hardware tactile sensation into harmony, creating a seamless transition from production to live performance. What’s refreshing is how this setup allows him to keep the groove going while experimenting with new sounds and effects on the fly. It’s like being at a street jam, where the beats and verses flow together organically, pulling the audience into an immersive sonic adventure.


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