I do a mixture of the two now. I'll just use song mode for writing the individual phrases and then go into live mode to try to see what chains I want triggered at the same time. Then I go back to song mode and arrange everything into the order I liked most.
Offline
Madriz, Supain
I only use LIVE mode. I write a simple beat and trigger it while I put melody over it, or I write a small bassline and improv over it, etc
Offline
Inside a Gameboy
Jaja Sii 
Live mode ftw xD
I only have one gameboy running LSDJ so live mode suits it a little better.... i get less confused if i use it on live mode
eme7h wrote:
Always live mode.
Offline
Neo Jersey
for composing? i like live mode with gaps in between each chain so it'll keep looping that part of the song until i get the notes/sound i'm looking for.
Offline
Milwaukee Area, WI
I primarily use SONG mode but I will use LIVE mode when I'm trying to mix different chains together or when I'm composing songs with Ableton and my microKorg synth.
Offline
Gosford, Australia
i never use live mode ever for anything
usually i just rearrange a song slightly a day or two before a show, if that!
PRESS PLAY AND DANCE
e: this is slightly exaggerated. just slightly 
Last edited by Victory Road (Oct 10, 2012 5:11 am)
Offline
Sydney, NSW
Vic is a real lazy fuck and just stands there with an apathetic look on his face after deftly touching the start button. S'how we all do it, isn't it?
Offline
Gosford, Australia
Last edited by Victory Road (Oct 10, 2012 8:55 am)
Offline
Lexington, KY
The Cincinatti kids would fucking kill me for saying this... but LIVE definitely isn't more 'leet' or whatever than SONG mode. It definitely depends on the song itself.
Doing a four-on-the-floor dance piece? LIVE mode is SUUUUUPER FUN. Especially with muting on the fly and your awesome ability to rehash and transpose sections as you go.
Doing literally anything else? I'd go with song mode. That way you can get your grooves all in a wad and add some sweet 'H' commands to bring it back together no matter how insane you make your notation.
Offline
I cannot use LIVE mode for any but two of my songs. All of my music stretches over long phrases, contains serious panning and volume changes, and complex modulations across keys right now. I can't label all of my drops, intros, keychanges, melody segments, and stuff across the songs I barely have time to write. LIVE mode would work if I could spend more time rehearsing instead of composing, I guess. For composing, I don't use LIVE mode for composition because I tend to compose a segment then play it back all in one go. LIVE mode is there for those who want it, as is SONG mode.
As they say around here... different strokes... different folks... different songs... different styles... different everything.
Offline
I was all about song mode, until someone taught me how to use live mode. I believe its easier to at least write in live mode. You can write all these crazy parts, and feel how they go with each other on the fly. Well that is what i do any way.
Offline
São Paulo, Brazil
I never play a full night alone, and sometimes I have to make a gig go longer, or shorter. That's when Live Mode helps me a lot. You can turn a song into a grindmetal or into a krautrock.
Offline
Puerto Rico
thebitman wrote:
All of my music stretches over long phrases, contains serious panning and volume changes, and complex modulations across keys right now. I can't label all of my drops, intros, keychanges, melody segments, and stuff across the songs ...
Yeah man I get all my swing/tempo changes and fadeouts messed up and I get stuck notes over chains that are supposed to be silent if I use live mode in some of my songs. I never compose in live but sometimes I'll arrange some songs in chunks for live mode if they're straightforward enough.