Liam Killen Meets Sha Ru: Digitakt 2 Live Wizardry That’ll Melt Your Thongs

Right from the get-go, Sha Ru’s approach to live electronic music is like watching a kangaroo juggle synths on a trampoline—unexpected, energetic, and a bit mental. Liam Killen sits down with the duo to unpack a setup that’s deceptively simple at first glance: Digitakt 2, a MIDI guitar, Ableton lurking in the wings, and a DIY motion sensor controller that’s still in beta but already causing a stir. The Digitakt isn’t just a drum machine here; it’s the brains of the operation, wrangling samples and controlling Ableton like a seasoned rodeo champ.

What really sets Sha Ru apart is their integration of motion sensors and a Bluetooth MIDI guitar, all feeding into the Digitakt via a laptop. The guitar’s polyphonic magic gets split across Digitakt tracks, letting them play chords and trigger samples in ways Elektron’s designers probably never dreamed of. And that motion sensor? It’s a homebrew wrist gadget that sends MIDI CCs, letting them twist parameters with a flick of the arm—no need for a fancy commercial controller when you can DIY your own chaos stick.

Sha Ru’s philosophy is simple: if it doesn’t fit in a backpack, it’s not coming on tour. With two people constantly on the move, every bit of kit has to earn its spot. Gone are the days of lugging around chunky TC Helicon boxes or Ableton Push units—Digitakt 2 now handles vocal FX duties, while the rest of the rig is trimmed down to essentials.

This compactness isn’t just about saving your back from a festival-induced chiropractor bill; it’s about making setup and teardown a breeze. The whole lot fits in a single bag, ready for flights, trains, or a mad dash to the next gig. It’s a setup that’s as practical as it is powerful, proving you don’t need a van full of gear to put on a dynamic, pro-level show.

Live, Sha Ru’s FX game is as wild as a BBQ in a cyclone. With Digitakt 2 at the helm, they’re flipping vocal effects, toggling autotune, and mangling filters all in real time. Track 16 on the Digitakt becomes command central for vocal FX, letting them switch between presets and dial in delay, doubler, and pitch shifts on the fly—no menu diving mid-set, just pure hands-on chaos.

The real kicker is how both members can jump in and tweak things, keeping the performance unpredictable and full of energy. With motion sensors and MIDI assignments, they’re able to control multiple parameters at once—sometimes even slicing up vocal samples and smashing them through beat crushers. If you want to see the true impact of these FX tricks, you’ll have to watch the video—words can’t do justice to the sonic mayhem happening on stage.

The real magic happens when Sha Ru blend their MIDI guitar with the Digitakt’s sample wizardry. By splitting guitar chords across tracks and using motion sensors to modulate everything from LFO speed to filter sweeps, they’re forging a sound that’s equal parts band and machine. It’s a hybrid approach that keeps things fresh and gives their live sets a unique, organic feel.

Looking ahead, Sha Ru are keen to keep evolving—always hunting for ways to make the setup lighter, more flexible, and even more expressive. They’re not afraid to ditch gear if it slows them down, and their focus on portability means their music can go anywhere, from sweaty clubs to windswept fields. If you want to see how far you can push a Digitakt and a guitar, this video’s a must-watch.