The Superbooth Live Setup That Blew My Mind
Hey friends,
I was walking through Superbooth 2026 when I stumbled into the Neuzeit Instruments booth and saw something that stopped me in my tracks. Jan Ritter was performing a full techno live set with a hybrid rig that combined a modular rack, two Neuzeit Instruments DROP controllers, and an Ableton Push 3 Standalone -- all working together in a way I hadn't seen before. I had to talk to him about it.
The Philosophy Behind the Chaos
What struck me first was Jan's core idea. He's been producing in Ableton for over 20 years, and he didn't want to give up any of the production features he relies on -- macros, mapping, EQ on every channel -- just because he's performing live. So he built a modular system with total recall. No repatching during a set. Every routing decision is locked in, and he switches between presets he's created ahead of time. That's a fundamentally different approach from how most modular performers work, and honestly, it made me rethink a few things about my own setup.
Stems Over Samples
One thing Jan said that really resonated with me: he uses stems from his own released tracks instead of loops from sample libraries. His reasoning is simple -- if you've already put energy and thought into creating your own music, why not use that material as the foundation for your live set? It gives you an identity as a performer rather than relying on loops that hundreds of other artists might be using too. I'm actually heading in the same direction with my own setup, blending stems from my tracks with elements I create live. It's a great middle ground between full improvisation and playing back finished songs.
The Modulation Matrix Nobody Expected
Here's where it gets wild. Jan coded his own VCV Rack module for the Meta Module, essentially building a custom modulation matrix that lets him distribute CV sources across his entire system without touching a single patch cable. He routes LFOs and other modulation sources into the Meta Module and distributes them wherever he needs. Combined with two algorithmic sequencers -- a CI Modular Proteus and a Cubit Bloom V2 -- plus a four-channel quantizer to keep things in key, he has a system that generates surprising sequences while still staying in the lane of techno. Less harmonic movement, more controlled chaos.
Push 3 as the Brain, Not the Instrument
What surprised me was how Jan uses the Push 3 Standalone. It's not running synths -- it's his mixer, his effects processor, and his stem player. All the modular audio goes through an Expert Sleepers ES6 and ES7 via lightpipe into the Push 3, where he has full control over EQ, compression, saturation, and effects like Ableton's Raw and Pedal. He can literally switch from clean techno to distorted gabba-style sounds with a preset change on the DROP controller. The flexibility is remarkable, and it keeps his modular rack compact enough to travel with.
The Takeaway
Jan described his live set as a living, breathing organism that evolves as he evolves as an artist. I think that's the most honest description of what building a live setup feels like. It's never finished, and that's the point.
If you have any questions about Jan's setup, drop them in the comments on the YouTube video -- I'll make sure he sees them.
Stay creative, Milan
P.S.: Come share your own live setup philosophy in our Discord -- I'd love to see how you're approaching this: https://discord.gg/gWg4ddkeDb
