Best way to use a backing track live

AshX

AshX

New member
I am performing later this month at a college with my band and will need backing tracks for three songs for instrumentation we cannot play (synths, electronic drums, strings) but am unsure how to go about doing it. Our drummer will be wearing some headphones with a click and the track but I'm stumped on the most effective way to use a backing track since several of the instruments are stereo and from what I've read, that would be an issue if you were to split the channel for the click and the rest for the backing track.

I know that some people use MacBooks or iPads to somehow play tracks and know of Main Stage but I do not trust my old MacBook I use daily that is not solely dedicated to recording to not crash on me while trying to play something back and do not own an iPad. However, I can anticipate that it would probably be nice to be able to control each of the instruments individually as the way they are mixed for the recording may not be suitable for the live venue. Since it is a college and there are many other performers, I'm hesitant to just give them a CD or an iPod and go with it less it be a train wreck.

Any advice would be welcomed. I do not have a very large budget to purchase something other than software and could probably borrow an iPad or a MacBook for the performance if that would solve things easily.

Thanks so much.
 
Remix the backing tracks to what your sound needs to be live, render to a stereo track with click on one side and the backing tracks on the other. I assume you do not have control over the soundboard/PA at the gig, because there are others playing?
Use an iPod, tablet or phone for your tracks, so the drummer can control it/turn it on/off when required (rather than waving at the soundman). Split the signal from it to the drummer's in-ear and to the soundboard. The sound man will be able to adjust the volume of the backing tracks' MIX overall in relation to your live instruments and vocals. If you're asking these questions, you're not at the level where you want to be sending unmixed backing tracks to a board where the soundman doesn't know what YOU want - that requires a soundman dedicated to learning your music, rehearsals with him, and a board set up to provide the click track to the drummer. And typically a backup computer in case the first one crashes.
Practice all this - it really relies on your drummer's ability to play to the click.
 
Yeah, you're probably better off sending the sound guy a mono mix of your tracks and use the second channel for drum click.

Also, if you're using fully-sequenced backing tracks, I'd say the best way to use them live is "sparingly". You are playing "live" after all, right? :D

Seriously though, the less stuff you put in the backing track, usually the better. Especially when it comes to drums. Getting e-drums to sound good in a live setting is really hard, especially if they're part of a pre-rendered mix; they tend to lose a lot of energy. The more you can use the tracks for occasional accents and drive the bulk of the songs yourselves, the better.
 
Ditto. The only way to do a click track plus a stereo track is to invest in an interface with more than two outputs.

Frankly, you're often better off mixing the stereo down to mono anyway. Stereo rarely works very well in live sound applications anyway...most of your audience will be outside the "sweet spot" an only hear one side or the other properly anyway.
 
Bobbsy said:
Ditto. The only way to do a click track plus a stereo track is to invest in an interface with more than two outputs.

Frankly, you're often better off mixing the stereo down to mono anyway. Stereo rarely works very well in live sound applications anyway...most of your audience will be outside the "sweet spot" an only hear one side or the other properly anyway.
Click to expand...

A lot of sound guys won't put up with that sort of thing either. I've seen sound guys flat out say "unless you brought your own, your 1/8" is going into my mono adapter; your tracks will be mono."
 
VomitHatSteve said:
A lot of sound guys won't put up with that sort of thing either. I've seen sound guys flat out say "unless you brought your own, your 1/8" is going into my mono adapter; your tracks will be mono."
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had a guy get all pissy at me when I took his MP3 player with stereo output - already split to left and right 1/4" and plugged them into the same channel panned right up the center!
 
I gave up on backing tracks and using a loop pedal.
I've found that the best (and easiest) way to fill out the sound is to play more percussively and use the EHX B9 Organ pedal. This pedal gives you an amazing "wall of sound" and pretty much turns one simple acoustic guitarist into a rhythm section. You just run it into a separate channel, find the appropriate organ settings that fit that particular song, and then watch jaws drop in the audience.
 
Who does the sound guy work for? Do paperwork that specifies what you need - the ubiquitous rider. Whoever books you needs to agree to your needs, irrespective of money. Yes - we will play but we need ..........

Then, the sound guy, assuming he is not doing a freebie, when he's the boss, should shut up and do what your piece of paper says. You need to have the cables, of course - so if he wants XLR, ¼" jack, Phono, 3.5mm - whatever you can give it to him - but if you NEED two channels, that's the deal. Of course, you shouldn't swan in last minute and demand stuff, but you don't do that, do you?
 
When I do a live gig...and I do a lot...I carry a box of adaptors, a couple of passive DIs, etc. with me so I can handle most things thrown at me. However, if you need something complicated you're better off discussing it in advance.

The thing with stereo backing tracks is that they rarely work well in a live situation. Speakers are often--even usually--set up so each side only covers part of the audience with very little overlap in the middle. This means that the left side of the audience only hears the left track and the right side gets the right. A few lucky people in the middle might get it all.

If, after I explain this, the act still demands stereo that's what they'll get--their choice but not always a good one.

Edited to add: The option I sometime propose is a compromise where the tracks are played in stereo but each side only half way panned. Not perfect but it can work to keep everyone happy.
 
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