Playing Live To Pre-Recorded Tracks

D

drummerz

Junior Member
Hey Guys

How does your band set up playing live to pre-recorded tracks? My band wants to have more of a full sound and the guitarist wants us to play along with a file he created. The main objective is to be able to have other instruments in the songs while we're playing live.

Not only does this mean we have to be right on the click but one of the songs has a gradual tempo change! This is starting to get crazy with the amount of precision involved.

What other methods or ideas are you coming up with in this situation?
 
Change bands?

LOL J/K

Midi and triggers I guess

Was never a big fan of this, I've seen a lot of guys do it, I'd rather hear a stripped down band then on all beefed up with electronics..just me talkin
 
Change bands?

LOL J/K

Midi and triggers I guess

Was never a big fan of this, I've seen a lot of guys do it, I'd rather hear a stripped down band then on all beefed up with electronics..just me talkin
 
I personally like the idea of playing-along live with sounds and music. Don`t worry about that too much. It`s just very important that you and the other bandmembers hear the backround music!
It`s great then to have direct monitoring like headphones or in-ear-monitoring.

My teacher plays a lot with backround rhythms and melodies (riffs, licks etc). He uses a Roland Spd-20 or so...and is going to add a tom with a mesh head and a trigger.
Using good monitors makes it really comfortable then.

Nothing is impossible, even tempo changes can be practiced. You should try it out at rehearshals, alone and with your band of course.

Karl
 
We play to pre-recorded tracks...
they way my band does it is we record the loops in Reason and the tracks in Protools, and combine them into one Protools session. The entire thing has a click with it, and that can speed up or slow down, if you want that to happen in your song. Simply do that in the session.
The click is panned to the left, and the audio to the right. The tracks, which as stereo, go onto an Ipod.
The most important part is the cable we use: a 1/8" stereo male into 2 mono 1/4" male jacks.
(a Y cable). The 1/8" goes into the Ipod, and the left channel 1/4" mono goes into a headphone amp (which I use for my in-ear plugs). The other 1/4" mono goes into the DI Box (that is where all the audio is, since we panned the tracks when they were recorded).
Basically, only I get the click, and I have full volume control over it with the headphone amp. No fancy in-ear control stuff is needed.

Best of luck,
-m
 
I've seen lots of bands do this. I've always been super impressed by the fact that they all are able to play so naturally with the programmed track. It is hard!

I suess the good news is that you already have a track thart you can practice with and it will be essentially the same everytime. I would just practice the hell out of it. I'm sure it will eventually begin to feel okay to you.
 
I wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted and gave tips. There was a lot more feedback than I was expecting.

I`m currently practicing the tracks to make sure I get a good handle on the tempo. How do you guys listen to the track? What program or system does it run through?

On the same lines where is the best place for a beginner to wrap his head around triggering and sampling? It`s not something that I really want to delve to far into, but I need more info to see what`s available.

Thanks again guys.........that was a nice showing of responses!
 
Yah I actually have the same issue as you. I need to know what kind of set up people use. I see a lot of drummers using like a whole bunch of things but I'm not sure what to do. I have issues hearing the band a lot and I'd like to be able to hear them threw headphones and also have a click going so we can use pre recorded stuff. I've see people say "Use a laptop" but I don't see other people doing that, or maybe I'm just not seeing that! haha anyway I just need a set up of some equipment! Maybe this could up both of us out!
 
One of the groups I'm playing with does this too.
We are in the process of editing the pro tools files from the album for live use.
It's all going onto an ipod and split left and right. the right will have the tracks, and I will get the click and tracks on the left to my in ears.
 
Hey guys what's up! I'm not an engineer but I've been playing live sequence for more than 12 years, dealing with all kind of troubles to get the right signal into my ears.

First of all, I think this will work for those who have a Drum Module with an AUX IN input (most do have one). Just tried and it worked perfect!!! :D

1. Connect the source (iPod, etc., stereo signal) to the Module's AUX IN input (when recording, you must Pan sequence totally to the Left channel, and the Click totally to the Right channel).

2. Connect the L/MONO output to one of the Mixer's channel, in the L/MONO input.

and here comes the trick:

3. Connect a cable to the R output of the module but doesn't connect it to the mixer, leave it unplugged on the other side, this will make the module think you're playing STEREO and it will send the signal on the Left channel clean, with no Click.

4. So far, the Mixer is only receiving the Left channel signal on its Left (mono) input. Therefore, playing it in mono to its Main Outputs...

Got it??

And even gets better, the drummer just needs to get the signal from the Headphone Output to his In-Ears, he will hear the whole load, also in stereo...

I have a basic diagram of it but I just don't know if I can show my email around here for those who may be interested...

Hope you find this helpful guys. Sorry about my English. :S

Lalo
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top