LiveInstrumente

LiveInstrumente, literally "live instruments" in German, is a term used in music production and performance to denote instruments that produce sound in real time as they are played, in contrast with synthesized or heavily sampled sources. The concept encompasses acoustic and electric instruments that are played and amplified or recorded directly, as well as vocal performances.

In studios and on stage, musicians perform with guitars, pianos, drums, strings, brass, woodwinds, keyboards, and voices, often captured with close and ambient microphone techniques or directed through amplification and effects. The live instrument approach remains central to many genres—jazz, classical, rock, folk—while hybrid workflows incorporate electronic processing, looping, and MIDI-triggered samples.

Technologies involved include audio interfaces, high-fidelity microphones, preamplifiers, DI boxes, and digital mixing consoles. Even when live sounds are augmented by effects or synchronized with software, the source is predominantly a live instrument. In film scoring and television, live performances are frequently recorded for authentic timbre and dynamic range, then integrated with synthetic elements as needed.

Challenges of working with live instruments include timing precision, intonation, sustain, and bleed between microphones, as well as logistical considerations of rehearsal and tuning. Benefits include expressive nuance, tonal complexity, and a tangible performance presence that listeners associate with authenticity.

See also: virtual instrument, sample library, acoustic instrument, MIDI, digital audio workstation.