anyone know how to do this? (setting up backing tracks for live performance)

[ryan]

sorry if this is the wrong section but i was wondering if anyone knows the best way to do the following setup... any ideas, suggestions, hardware or software suggestions would be appreciated.

basicly id like my band to be able to play live (vocals, guitars, bass and drums) with a backing track of all keyboard stuff. im thinking that for our drummer to keep time we would have to figure out a way to get a metronome sorted for the drummer (possibly headphones???) which isnt going to interfere with what the audience hears. also a way of starting the songs when required is a problem to think about.
so basicly id like some ideas how to setup our equipment to get a metronome for the drummer intime with our backing tracks. feel free to recomend any software or hardware which mite make our job easier.

many thanks

 

[Skipp]

That would require a VERY good and precise drummer, and a direct tempo output from your keyboards to his earphones.

I'd recommend playing everything live, because by the time you get everything sorted out and practiced it - you'll loose years and years (unless all of the members are very experienced).

You see... the biggest problem is not in hardware, or how to setup the whole thing...

It's in the fact that if the drummer starts running late for just a tiny bit (compared to your pre-recorded backing track) - the whole thing falls a part.

And you can't just pick up from the part where you started because your backing track won't wait for you

So i strongly suggest you forget about it and just practice live playing.
i really can't see what would you want to record that you couldn't actually play live

 

[goz211]

This isn't as uncommon as you might think - and you can do it with anything that will play back a stereo audio track (mp3 at 192 is fine for live - doesn't need to be a stereo .wav).

The drummer needs some way to get in on time right at the start of each track - and to be able to drum along with the backing and keep you all in time.

Record your tracks - what you want the audience to hear. Pan them hard right. Next creat a click track that starts early - it can even have a vocal count in "1 2 3 4 and 2 2 3 4." Two bars early may be fine - find out what's ok for the drummer - what sound is easiest to play along to. Pan this click track hard left.

Split the output with a stereo to two mono adaptor - run the backing tracks to the desk (mono) and play them out front. Run the click to a little monitor very close to the drummer.

You may need to have a bit of the backing in the drummer's click track too - depends how loud you are on stage and how important it is for the drummer to hear the recorded parts.

I've been at a gig by a Bowie tribute band -live vocals, guitar, bass, drums - all keyboards (and some backing vocals) on a backing track, drummer playing to a click done as I've described above.

Good luck.

 

[Burn4Him]

it does take some getting used to but its not completely out of reach, i would suggest that when you practice to use a metronome, that way at rehearsals you will all be better at keeping time. Goz is right, and if you want to check it out you can use abelton live, or logic 9 has a new feature for backtracks!!