I dont have one way to pop stuff, its mostly a combo of fixed tracks and and a lot of pre programmed patterns divided over pads, either single instrument patterns or loops. I switch between patterns via the pads, realtime or via next sequence. I work with midi only, two racks (one with midigear, the other with the mixer) in a fixed setup, templated midi assignments. Basicaly each instrument is used in single mode except for the emu sampler which runns in multimode and uses 6 outs divided over drums ( kick, snare, hat section, precussion, drumloops, phrases - all mono ) and I use a drumstation (808/909) taking up 4 channels ( kick, snare, hat section, percussion ), 1 channel for the atc-1, 1 for the JV and 2 for the virus. I then have 2 channels left, one for the Pod and for a synth for improvisements. I dont use comps for the simple reason that PA systems use them already, it's only gonna eat headroom anyway and the good thing about an all hardware setup is that when mixed well sounds clean and loud, better than laptops imo. I have 2 fx units, a pod and a lexicon mpx200. With this setup I can mute audio or midi for any instrument or signal path any given moment, or mute a midichannel in realtime in order to take over and improvise with only a few dials or punches. It also fits any kind of live set you want to do with an mpc, although some might be fine with just another sampler or synth alongside the mpc (the mpc with emu is also sufficient, but there's just so much more you can do). I have one disk with a few midi files, but its up to you how you want to create a logical pattern/song assignment for your setup, its either use one track per song or get creative and fit the whole live set on 4 songs ( cc the tempo settings, balance out everything via automation on midi volumes instrument output as loud as possible into the mixer, then set peak with fader fully open so you dont need to worry about the proper levels of the fader). The mixer has tape outs on all channels and logic in the studio has a template for the modular audio/midi setup (with mpc in midi thru mod) so the only thing I need to do is hook up the rme's midi i/o to the mpc a/1 and 2 snakes going to the patchbays) and the studio is back in order. This way you can produce tracks in the studio and if working midi only, take it live by simply recording all the midi events to the mpc or vice versa, record your liveset and work it out in the studio.
