Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

Hi,

As well as live guitar, I also use backing tracks on gigs (apologies to you real musicians!!!). Currently I'm playing them via Winamp on a laptop. This works very well but it's my only laptop and it's got all my business stuff on it so I need to get something else to use, as much for back-up as anything else.

Tried IPOD Touch but it's set up for continuous play and I can't get it to stop between tracks unless I create a playlist for every song which isn't really practical.

Does anyone out there use backing tracks and if so, could you please tell me what equipment you use? I should also say that I am to technology what Herod was to babysitting, so simplest is best for me

Many thanks in advance for any advice offered.

Karen (in London, UK)

Seen some real musicians utilizing backing tracks and / or loop technology put on a hell of a show myself.
I would think computer would be the way to go.
Has worked really well in the few instances I have observed.


There is something special about a live band though.

Simply cannot be replicated by technology IMO

I've seen some real musicians use backing tracks too - off of a CD.
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CDs are good, because you can stop/start them anywhere you want, just by selecting the track number.
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Leave your computer at home . . . no more worries about booting up and menues and all.
Just plug any CD player into the sound system.
It's really easy . . .
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You'll need a cable that's 1/8" to 1/4", of course, but they're only about $5 - $6 or so . . .
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Karen, you didn't mention whether you do cover songs or originals.
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I was thinking of Karaoke disks, but - if you already have the songs on your computer - your work is 98% done.
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Just transfer them to CD.
It's as easy as can be, my friend . . . but if you don't know how, just ask around.
Blank CDs are about 28 cents each, around here.
Slim-line Jewel cases are about 40 cents each . . .
btw . . .
Make 2-3 copies of your disks, and bring a backup CD player - oh, and also a 2nd cable . . .
Good luck.

Thanks for advice.

I thought about CDs but was concerned that they might 'jump'. I won't rule them out though....

Thanks

Hi,

As well as live guitar, I also use backing tracks on gigs (apologies to you real musicians!!!). Currently I'm playing them via Winamp on a laptop. This works very well but it's my only laptop and it's got all my business stuff on it so I need to get something else to use, as much for back-up as anything else.

Tried IPOD Touch but it's set up for continuous play and I can't get it to stop between tracks unless I create a playlist for every song which isn't really practical.

Does anyone out there use backing tracks and if so, could you please tell me what equipment you use? I should also say that I am to technology what Herod was to babysitting, so simplest is best for me

Many thanks in advance for any advice offered.

Karen (in London, UK)

Consider buying a used laptop and a Soundblaster PCMIA card for your audio. If you are using the onboard sound card now, the difference will blow your mind. We bought an IBM for $200 US.


Use your Ipod for a backup. You can create a playlist with your set on it, and even though it's not ideal, it will work every time.

CD Players are problematic in live use. They are prone to skipping when jostled, and sometimes refuse to read a CD. Not so with a laptop.

We have been using tracks for years, and have realized that redundancy is the key. We have CD, Laptop and Ipod wired in, just in case.

Hi

That's another helpful suggestion, thank you. Didn't realise a different sound card could make such an improvement. I shall investigate.

I have been experimenting this weekend with an IPOD and recording silence at the beginning and end of each track to get around the continuous play problem. Watch this space!!

Kind regards, and many thanks.

Karen
x

In my last job, I was a tech for a UK digital mixer console manufacturer and got to see a lot of different bands/venues use our kit, and what they plugged into them. The professionals use this box for their live track playback, skipping iPods and computers and soundcards and all their related headaches:

http://www.360systems.com/audio_instantreplay.html

It may be expensive, but it's what the professionals use for their shows. This box was originally designed for playing back sound effects on-air for radio prgrams, but has matured over the years. One rap act I saw while tech'ing at the Montreux Jazz Festival this year back in July used the Instant Replay with the first 30 minutes of their set super-well rehearsed (the same songs/pauses every night), then used the Instant Replay's search and quick access features to customize the show for the rest of the night.

In my last job, I was a tech for a UK digital mixer console manufacturer and got to see a lot of different bands/venues use our kit, and what they plugged into them. The professionals use this box for their live track playback, skipping iPods and computers and soundcards and all their related headaches:

http://www.360systems.com/audio_instantreplay.html

It may be expensive, but it's what the professionals use for their shows. This box was originally designed for playing back sound effects on-air for radio prgrams, but has matured over the years. One rap act I saw while tech'ing at the Montreux Jazz Festival this year back in July used the Instant Replay with the first 30 minutes of their set super-well rehearsed (the same songs/pauses every night), then used the Instant Replay's search and quick access features to customize the show for the rest of the night.

That is a nice unit. As you said, it is a bit pricey for what it is though. $2700/USD.

Thanks for the info.

Just saying that's what the professionals use. It's up to the artist asking the question as to how much they can spend and how far they want to go. Look for used ones or the older model on eBay or other used studio gear websites (older models go for half of a new one):

http://www.kitmondo.com/ViewListing.asp ... t-Replay-1

Just saying that's what the professionals use. It's up to the artist asking the question as to how much they can spend and how far they want to go. Look for used ones or the older model on eBay or other used studio gear websites (older models go for half of a new one):

http://www.kitmondo.com/ViewListing.asp ... t-Replay-1

I'm not saying it's not a great unit. I did see a used one on Ebay for $1500.
Pretty impressive specs as well. 16/24 bit recording, etc.


That aside, even with that unit I would still have two backup systems at a gig. It does have a hard drive, and they will fail when you least expect it.

I've seen the 360 stuff crash on MORE than one occasion. The models I saw didn't even have any drive redundancy, so if a drive went down, it took the entire system with it. That's NOT a pro solution and the actual quality of their audio circuitry and convertors isn't great either. 90db dynamic range for a 3 grand box???...

Afriend of mine use's a Denon DN-F400. He makes his play lists on different SD cards and never had a glitch. I think he paid somewhere around $600.00. SD's are cheep and he has a lot of them to cover just about any venue.

Well hello, wassup, greetings and salutations - Dean from Modern Metal act MEDUSA here. Hey sanshouheil, how the hell are ya? This time I'm talking shop. Before I elaborate on the backing tracks thing, I wanted to know about the BOSS RC-1 Loop Stomp Box. I have a homemade board with SIX BOSS effects and as lead singer / guitarist in a 3-piece metal act, I wondered if this highly celebrated compact pedal (and its giant loop station preset monsters) would allow me to either 1. Create realtime CLEAN CHORUS riffs that loop while I jump back into my thunder wall and 2. Call up stored loops / layered power chords that are similar to backing track effects minus drums etc.

I've done the whole one-man-band thing and can relate to this backing tracks scenario. The way I used to do it was when I had a full on complete Digital Home Studio and acoustical wall treatment. I went Korg D1600 w/40GB CD burner (no PC) however editing was still a breeze on the LCD screen. I used Boss DR 670 with customized drum kit NO PRESETS!!! I worked hard on thinking like a drummer and pnysically played the parts of cover songs (bass parts programmed after drums). They never sounded like KARAOKE; for one thing, I added a rhythm guitar part to tracks one and two, panned both extreme left and right and added big hall reverb during mixdown. Sometimes I would throw in a vocal harmony part on some songs; the trick here, overall, is to under-mix these elements so they sound ONE with your live guitar and vocals. I call it AMBIENT AUDIO. Let's face it, the average person in a coffee house or small venue situation is not going to figure it out; they're gonna be truly impressed. I played the tracks on quality CD-R on an American Audio rack mounted CD/MP3 unit - this thing was built like a TANK, made for DJs and had a cool feature like pitch shifting an entire mix.