In live modular performance, choosing equipment you know deeply and can operate with eyes closed beats choosing technically superior but less familiar gear

Blawan uses a discontinued step sequencer (Analogue Solutions 303) not because it is the best available but because he has used it for 10 years on the road and ‘can sequence with this with my eyes closed.’ Similarly, his Boss RC looper is ‘the cheapest thing but maybe the most important’ — valued for reliability and familiarity, not specification. This principle applies broadly to live performance rig design: a module you can operate without looking is worth more than a more capable one you must consciously navigate. He also reserves quantizers for live use (to maintain musical key) but avoids them in the studio, where slow melodic exploration without scale constraints produces unique results no quantizer would generate.

Examples

Blawan’s sequencer: ‘I’ve been on the road for 10 years with this thing and this is the important part of the whole setup and I know it works.’ Boss RC looper chosen for tactile faders and muscle-memory operation, not feature richness.

Assessment

Name three criteria Blawan uses to evaluate live performance gear. How does the ‘know it deeply’ principle change your approach to purchasing new modules? Describe a situation where choosing a technically inferior but deeply-familiar piece of gear would be the correct decision.