Joachim Garraud's live setup in pictures

Having created one of the most visually exciting shows we’ve seen and condensed its operation into a portable package, Joachim Garraud is now one of the hottest live electronic acts on the planet.

In association with Serato, Joachim has developed a way to manipulate video via USB MIDI and add live keytar cue points. In fact, he can change his set just like a DJ: loop, speed up and slow down the show and manipulate the audio and video experience just as if he were playing a CD.

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Future Music recently headed to the outskirts of Paris and caught up with Joachim in his studio to find out more.

“This version is customised by myself and Serato and I only play back videos. The show is a full production in HD so I only use MOV files and my team help me make the videos for each track.”

“This is my preferred choice of mixer as I have it pre-mapped to control the software.”

“The CDJ talks to Serato over USB MIDI and acts as a remote control for the video. So if I loop on the CDJ remote, Serato loops the video. The Pioneer pulls the movie information through onto the screen so you can select the movies in Serato, using the CDJ-2000.”

“I use the keytar as a MIDI controller for Serato; I use the notes to trigger cue points. This means that the keytar can trigger any riffs I choose, but it will also trigger the video so I can cut the video and audio in real-time.

“This is the cool one, the [Roland] AX-1. They stopped making these in 1992, though, so I have to buy them from eBay. I actually have five black ones and one red one! I tried the new one that came out recently, the AX-7, but it was too big and heavy for me. I like the idea that I am making music of the future with these tools of the past.”

“This enables me to do video live. I use it to prove to the crowd that I am actually playing live and it streams right through into the screens.”