Any ideas of backing tracks for live performance?

[guscave]

Here's something I've been using for the last 2 years and has worked out great for me. http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/a ... i.htmlIt's called qmidi. It's a free software and was originally intended as a karaoke player, but it's more than that. You can bypass the Karaoke screen and upload either midi files or all types of audio files including mp3 and adjust the key and tempo to your taste. You can also set up play list for your shows.Here's how I use it: I drag a midi file into Garageband. Tweak it a little to my desires eq's and level, then save it as an AIFF. I then open qmidi and add the song to the playlist. (wash, rinse & repeat for each song . Once you get the hang of it, the whole process takes about 15 to 20 minutes per song.Unfortunately the software is only for macs, but the advantage is you can find free (legal) midi files for tons of songs now days on the web. You can find larger collection for sale on sites like Hittrax: http://www.hittrax.com.au/The cool thing about working with these types of midi files is that you can re-arrange the songs to your own liking.

[ggalen]

Suz,Awww. Thanks! It's nice to be missed!mojobone,I started with a laptop idea, but after reading about others' experiences, I now just use an mp3 player, with a backup just in case.Keep it simple, I say. The less technical stuff you have to deal with, the better, I think.By the way, I do typically start with a midi I find on the Internet (legally), and then tweak it. Also, make sure you mix all your backing tracks to a standard volume! You can't be playing with the mixer all the time running your own sound! I have found this out through experience. I am a stickler for sound, and if the show sounds great, I get into it and play my best.It takes a days and days of rehearsal with the tracks to practice all the effects pedal changes and feel comfortable with your "backup band".

[michael11]

Jul 28, 2009, 8:01am, ggalen wrote:Suz,Awww. Thanks! It's nice to be missed!mojobone,I started with a laptop idea, but after reading about others' experiences, I now just use an mp3 player, with a backup just in case.Keep it simple, I say. The less technical stuff you have to deal with, the better, I think.By the way, I do typically start with a midi I find on the Internet (legally), and then tweak it. Also, make sure you mix all your backing tracks to a standard volume! You can't be playing with the mixer all the time running your own sound! I have found this out through experience. I am a stickler for sound, and if the show sounds great, I get into it and play my best.It takes a days and days of rehearsal with the tracks to practice all the effects pedal changes and feel comfortable with your "backup band".I.m thinking about going from Minidisc to MP3,could you recommend one?Michael.

[ggalen]

Michael,I started with a little iRiver player, and then moved to a Sansa. They all sound great through a PA if you mix them well and do the MP3 at 192.You don't need lots of memory and 3,000 songs on it. So maybe it would be good to get two, of the cheaper model, so you have a backup ready if one were to stop working for some reason during a show.I'd make sure the controls are easy to navigate. Some of the real cheap players sound just fine, BUT they are hard to navigate easily to stop and start, and to locate songs.I make a playlist with a track of silence between each track. That way it can run to the next "track", and I can then thank the audience for their applause ( ) and then discreetly stop the silent track and start the next track when I an ready. You make the silent track on your DAW.Again, a simple bass, drum, and synth pad in a backing track can do wonders for a solo act to fill out the sound.Here's another great tip I've learned to do: sometimes have the backing track start with a simple, soft hihat "tick" that you can start playing over right away (to get your timing in sync).This let's YOU seem to start the number, the focus is all on YOU, and then the backing track can come in gently on the next 8 bars or so.I'd be careful having the backing track come in TOO dramatically...again, it calls attention to the fact there is a recorded backing track. You don't ever want to call people's attention to the backing track.You always want the illusion of it just being you, (who happens to have a very full and dynamic sound).I think bringing in the backing track loud can work of you bang out big power chords and kick it to 1000 just as the backing track comes in, because then the backing track is just supporting your action...the audience can still focus on YOU, seeing all that sound as something YOU just did!!Good luck with it.

[fataldog]

Many of the Karaoke song providers, Chart Busters, Sound Choice, Sunfly, etc. License their backing tracks quite reasonably. Many for only $75. Depending on the song, they may offer the instrumental version, or instrumental with backup singing. Of course these are cover songs and the license does not cover the mechanical reproduction license, or fees with must be paid for public performance. It is a great way to inexpensively get a professional backing track.If you are looking simply for certain instrumentation to be added to an existing track of your own, I just had a professional demo done by AK Music; http://www.professionaldemos.com/main.phpWhile they did the entire demo for me, they do work with tracks, adding instruments, backup vocals, whatever you need. This is a top notch company and they work very reasonably.Best wishes for success!Doc

[hookjawbrown]

Use a pedal base, and learn to tap your foot. It only has 12 keys and is easy to use, especially on country style bass lines. It is like the pedals on an organ but much reduced in number of keys.le Hook

[michael11]

Jul 28, 2009, 11:08am, ggalen wrote:Michael,I started with a little iRiver player, and then moved to a Sansa. They all sound great through a PA if you mix them well and do the MP3 at 192.You don't need lots of memory and 3,000 songs on it. So maybe it would be good to get two, of the cheaper model, so you have a backup ready if one were to stop working for some reason during a show.I'd make sure the controls are easy to navigate. Some of the real cheap players sound just fine, BUT they are hard to navigate easily to stop and start, and to locate songs.I make a playlist with a track of silence between each track. That way it can run to the next "track", and I can then thank the audience for their applause ( ) and then discreetly stop the silent track and start the next track when I an ready. You make the silent track on your DAW.Again, a simple bass, drum, and synth pad in a backing track can do wonders for a solo act to fill out the sound.Here's another great tip I've learned to do: sometimes have the backing track start with a simple, soft hihat "tick" that you can start playing over right away (to get your timing in sync).This let's YOU seem to start the number, the focus is all on YOU, and then the backing track can come in gently on the next 8 bars or so.I'd be careful having the backing track come in TOO dramatically...again, it calls attention to the fact there is a recorded backing track. You don't ever want to call people's attention to the backing track.You always want the illusion of it just being you, (who happens to have a very full and dynamic sound).I think bringing in the backing track loud can work of you bang out big power chords and kick it to 1000 just as the backing track comes in, because then the backing track is just supporting your action...the audience can still focus on YOU, seeing all that sound as something YOU just did!!Good luck with it. Hi Glen,thanks very much for that. I have been doing solo gigs for a while,I have about 120 songs and about 12 Instrumentals{backing tracks for Fiddle}on Minidisc.I always take two Minidisc players with me,one for backup but one's broken so I thought I would try MP3 players and you are just the man to ask. to make sure I get the right thing.I don;t even own an MP3 Player!!!! so I am in unknown territory.You will know from your experience that the less time spent messing with equipment during a performance the better,so just one other question,or two do you work from prepared sets and if you do can you dip out say if somebody asks for a request or something,also.....will it be possible to convert my Minidisc repertoire into MP3?Thanks for your help,Michael.

[ggalen]

Michael,I generally do a prepared set, and taking a request for a song would mean finding it on the mp3 player. The MP3 player should be the type that you can set to STOP automatically after a song for that to work.My Sansa won't play one track at a time...it always wants to automatically play the next song in the playlist. That's why I did the "silence" tracks.As far as the conversion, if you can get it into a DAW, you can convert it. Maybe others more familiar with minidisc know more abut it.

[mojobone]

Yeah, the only convenient way to convert from MD is through the analog outputs, but it works just fine. I record to the DAW at 24 bit, just to make sure I don't lose any quality, and convert to hi-res MP3 from there. I wanted to mention that there's another option-an MP3 disc. The newest clamshell CD players can play MP3 files that are burned to CR-R as well as CDs, and you can buy a replacement for less than $50 at Walmart if it goes down. (Way cheaper to burn CDs, too, but you lose the multiple-playlist functions of an MP3 player, and also the groovy visual display and/or touchscreen) I think the 'fake factor' goes down considerably once you get about three people on stage; most folks can't tell who's doing what by that point and younger folks are used to seeing groups that consist of two turntables, two mics and three people.

[michael11]

Jul 28, 2009, 1:12pm, ggalen wrote:Michael,I generally do a prepared set, and taking a request for a song would mean finding it on the mp3 player. The MP3 player should be the type that you can set to STOP automatically after a song for that to work.My Sansa won't play one track at a time...it always wants to automatically play the next song in the playlist. That's why I did the "silence" tracks.As far as the conversion, if you can get it into a DAW, you can convert it. Maybe others more familiar with minidisc know more abut it.Thanks Glen,lots of good stuff,I think I know what I,m looking for now,Michael.