Acoustic Players Using Drum Loops Live

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What do you use?

I've been doing more acoustic shows and miss having some drums behind it.
I'm trying to avoid triggering loops in a laptop as I don't want to bring that much gear.
I think I could live with 4-5 different patterns if I am able to tap tempo the beat before I start each song.

I have a Boss RC20XL to loop my guitar (yes I have tried creating percussion loops by hitting my guitar, but would like something better).
So I don't need a unit for creating guitar loops, just need drums in a box.

My requirements would be - ability to access 4-5 presets (via footswitch), ability to tap tempo (via footswitch)....and I guess just the ability to start and stop (via footswitch)
I've been reading the manual on the Boss RC-10R, and I think if I added 2 footswitch buttons via the cntr1&2 jacks, I can do all of that.

Any acoustic players on here have a solution/option they'd recommend?

Thanks!
 
IMO, drum machines with patterns are really cheesy especially after the audience has heard your library of patterns over and over and over. It’s a great way to get ignored.

I wanted drums so I bought pads & sticks & sound module, learned actual drum parts for songs, played / recorded / mastered…viola! Drums! triggered from a footswitch. If hauling a laptop is too much work, then just use your guitar for percussion and loop that live with axe-fx. I also do that. It’s OK for a few songs, but IMO the full actual drum part of actual song for entire song is the way to go.
 
Worse.
Cheesy = ignored, with or without a drum machine, but definitely more likely with a handful-of-patterns drum machine
Maybe I'll practice more with creating loops via hitting the body of my guitar.
I do remember seeing a solo performer who had 2 pedals, and they triggered a kick and snare on a sampler.
He never ever changed his beat and it drove me crazy. Boom Boom Crack...Boom Boom Crack.... I hated it.

On the flip side, I don't like having a fully prepared track that is essentially the drums to that song.
It's too Karaoke to me. I know it's a fine line because all of it is 'fake' drums, but every time I see someone playing to a backing track (even if it's just drums), I feel like it's only half of a live performance. Thinking about this is really swaying me towards creating loops on the fly.

Appreciate your input.
 
A think if you keep loops or tracks tasty and in perspective, they can be a great part of a solo show.
I think it ultimately depends on the context of the performance. Theater? Bar? Restaurant?Open mic? Livestream?
I used to tell myself that because I created all of my own backing tracks it wasn't "cheating". The folks who download their backing tracks make the same gig money, are well received by audiences, and have way more free time on their hands.
 
IMO, drum machines with patterns are really cheesy especially after the audience has heard your library of patterns over and over and over. It’s a great way to get ignored...
You just reminded me of a one-man band guy I saw back in the '80s at a bar in Gallup, NM. He played acoustic guitar and sang, and had some type of cheesy drum machine foot pedal. He was playing a slow country ballad, with the drum machine going "boom.........chic-ka.........boom.........chic-ka.........." until he hit the wrong switch on his pedal board in the middle of the song and the drum machine took off like a herd of wild horses: "boomchickboomchickaboom..." He managed to find the right button after a few seconds and the machine went back to the slow, plodding "boom.........chic-ka.........boom.........chic-ka.........." as if nothing had happened. :laughing:
 
A think if you keep loops or tracks tasty and in perspective, they can be a great part of a solo show.
I think it ultimately depends on the context of the performance. Theater? Bar? Restaurant?Open mic? Livestream?
I used to tell myself that because I created all of my own backing tracks it wasn't "cheating". The folks who download their backing tracks make the same gig money, are well received by audiences, and have way more free time on their hands.
Bars mostly. Lots of acoustic solo/duo work at the moment because not all bars are back to full bands.
Seems like people still want to dance though, so trying to find a way to liven it up a bit.
This work is just to hold me over until more full band gigs are filling my calendar, so I'm likely not going to find the time to create (or even download) a suite of drum tracks. Was hoping to find something to fill some space, not be cheesy, with minimal time spent preparing the solution.
 
We use a MacBook for our backing track with Showbuddy software. Provides us with drums, keyboards, synth, horns, bass, etc. but what made me post are a few acoustic songs we have that sound great with just a tamborine, hi-hat or shakers. We do a version of Wonderwall with guitars and a tamborine. Also a rendition of Wicked Game with brushes.
 
We use a MacBook for our backing track with Showbuddy software. Provides us with drums, keyboards, synth, horns, bass, etc. but what made me post are a few acoustic songs we have that sound great with just a tamborine, hi-hat or shakers. We do a version of Wonderwall with guitars and a tamborine. Also a rendition of Wicked Game with brushes.
I was also thinking if something similar would work. Shaker/Brush instead if full drum beat. Something to fill space and create a rhythmic pattern.
The Boss RC-10R seems like it may be cool for stuff like that. 5-6 patterns that don't take over the song, but add something. Use a tap tempo to set the right pace for the song.

All of the above seem like possible good options, and I may not know until I try some of them, to know if they'll work for my gigs.
Still open to hearing about everyone else's experiences though.
 
Try EZ drummer and a MacBook. You can program loops yourself and have them humanized or quantized as you wish. The backing track can come right through your Fractal.
 


I have known Jake since he was a kid. His parents owned
a music store and studio locally here. He's developed a lot
of that cool percussive acoustic thing. Many of his live shows
include a lot of real-time looping. Adds a lot of depth to an
acoustic show.

 
FYI to OP, I do an all-of-the-above approach singing most of the time with only a couple instrumental: acoustic-only no looping, acoustic with looping, acoustic with tracks, and electric with tracks. I do that at nearly every gig, and the audience calls the show from the request list (which tells them which songs have backing tracks BTW). What I don't do is use a drum machine with patterns.

The girl flashing me in my avatar is some stranger I'd never seen before, to an electric song with tracks. The videos on my YT page confirm what I know and what more musicians need to understand: the vast majority of people don't care about tracks or looping or just acoustic & voice if they're done well.

They simply want music performed in a way that makes them feel something, that makes them care, that makes for a fun/enjoyable night. That's our craft. That's our job. I take an all-of-the-above approach because across many hundreds of gigs, It's clear to me that people like the ever changing nature of the music and energy and vocals in the sets I do. To each their own, but it works for me, and I find it more stimulating and challenging than doing only one approach or one genre of music all night.

As @Admin M@ said, it's all about context. And it's about your ability to connect with/read the room. Whether the mellowest acoustic/voice with no tracks or the rowdiest electric/voice with tracks, either can be a snooze-fest depending on context. The real goal isn't the approach taken, the real goal is to focus on your craft and your singing and your stage persona so you can be as compelling as possible regardless of approach.
 
FYI to OP, I do an all-of-the-above approach singing most of the time with only a couple instrumental: acoustic-only no looping, acoustic with looping, acoustic with tracks, and electric with tracks. I do that at nearly every gig, and the audience calls the show from the request list (which tells them which songs have backing tracks BTW). What I don't do is use a drum machine with patterns.

The girl flashing me in my avatar is some stranger I'd never seen before, to an electric song with tracks. The videos on my YT page confirm what I know and what more musicians need to understand: the vast majority of people don't care about tracks or looping or just acoustic & voice if they're done well.

They simply want music performed in a way that makes them feel something, that makes them care, that makes for a fun/enjoyable night. That's our craft. That's our job. I take an all-of-the-above approach because across many hundreds of gigs, It's clear to me that people like the ever changing nature of the music and energy and vocals in the sets I do. To each their own, but it works for me, and I find it more stimulating and challenging than doing only one approach or one genre of music all night.

As @Admin M@ said, it's all about context. And it's about your ability to connect with/read the room. Whether the mellowest acoustic/voice with no tracks or the rowdiest electric/voice with tracks, either can be a snooze-fest depending on context. The real goal isn't the approach taken, the real goal is to focus on your craft and your singing and your stage persona so you can be as compelling as possible regardless of approach.
Thanks @solo-act, appreciate the time spent replying with your experiences.
Pre-covid, I hadn't played an acoustic gig in years. I've been in 'full band' mode for a long long time.
It has some 'ease' to it that I never realized until now. The bars/clubs I have been playing are crowded, I bring a crushing PA, and my band (and drummer specifically) are excellent. That means that as a singer, I just need to worry about connecting with the crowd.
And much like you've experienced, if we are playing well, then the crowd is hearing the original song in their head, and it makes my job pretty easy (and fun as hell).

So now, taking more acoustic gigs, it's a new thing to explore (for me) how to create some of that same vibe.

Appreciate all the input, gives me some things to think about (for as long as the acoustic gigs last).

I did buy myself a new Godin A6 Ultra for these gigs, and that's turned out to be a really fun guitar.
 
What do you use?

I've been doing more acoustic shows and miss having some drums behind it.
I'm trying to avoid triggering loops in a laptop as I don't want to bring that much gear.
I think I could live with 4-5 different patterns if I am able to tap tempo the beat before I start each song.

I have a Boss RC20XL to loop my guitar (yes I have tried creating percussion loops by hitting my guitar, but would like something better).
So I don't need a unit for creating guitar loops, just need drums in a box.

My requirements would be - ability to access 4-5 presets (via footswitch), ability to tap tempo (via footswitch)....and I guess just the ability to start and stop (via footswitch)
I've been reading the manual on the Boss RC-10R, and I think if I added 2 footswitch buttons via the cntr1&2 jacks, I can do all of that.

Any acoustic players on here have a solution/option they'd recommend?

Thanks!
Have you checked out the Beat Buddy? Doesn't sound cheesy, has plenty of fills to keep it interesting. Songs include multiple patterns for verses, choruses, bridges, etc. You can fully control it with foot switches to include advancing to your next song. There are other interesting features such as pausing momentarily for dramatic effects. You can even program the drummer to be drunk (multiple levels)!

https://www.singularsound.com/products/beatbuddy
 
...I think it ultimately depends on the context of the performance. Theater? Bar? Restaurant?Open mic? Livestream?...
...and how that context changes during the gig. I had a corporate gig where they wanted me to sing outside the big tent where everyone was boozing and eating. They wanted me singing campfire songs by some stupid little fire pit, and a fake one at that, with a blowing-cloth flame machine inside it...ha ha ha.

Instead I lobbied to play in the tent out of the weather. I started with the acoustic, fire-pit, mountain vibe, but within two hours as I kept working and reading the group the context had changed: I found myself wireless on electric with backing tracks, jumping up on a table with people gathered around screaming as I kicked everything off the table, pounded through 867-5309 and they yelled along.

The event manager came up at the end and said, "That was a major home-run. What the hell just happened? You came here dressed like an accountant for acoustic night and everyone turned into a bunch of animals." I laughed and said, "I didn't let those crazy people in here, that's on you."

They default to finger pointing even when they're partying - LOL.
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...and how that context changes during the gig. I had a corporate gig where they wanted me to sing outside the big tent where everyone was boozing and eating. They wanted me singing campfire songs by some stupid little fire pit, and a fake one at that, with a blowing-cloth flame machine inside it...ha ha ha.

Instead I lobbied to play in the tent out of the weather. I started with the acoustic, fire-pit, mountain vibe, but within two hours as I kept working and reading the group the context had changed: I found myself wireless on electric with backing tracks, jumping up on a table with people gathered around screaming as I kicked everything off the table, pounded through 867-5309 and they yelled along.

The event manager came up at the end and said, "That was a major home-run. What the hell just happened? You came here dressed like an accountant for acoustic night and everyone turned into a bunch of animals." I laughed and said, "I didn't let those crazy people in here, that's on you."
It's funny how some of those corporate gigs turn into crazy parties. I've had some of those with the band. Starts out awkward....and then the booze kicks in, and people are out of their minds.

I agree, you have to be prepared to pivot and adapt to the event. Again, with a band that's easier. When you're by yourself, you have to pull from your personal bag of tricks. Good for you, for having a lot of bases covered. Sounds like you've got your game down.
 
Have you checked out the Beat Buddy? Doesn't sound cheesy, has plenty of fills to keep it interesting. Songs include multiple patterns for verses, choruses, bridges, etc. You can fully control it with foot switches to include advancing to your next song. There are other interesting features such as pausing momentarily for dramatic effects. You can even program the drummer to be drunk (multiple levels)!

https://www.singularsound.com/products/beatbuddy
I did a small amount of youtube watching on the beat buddy, it seemed decent (and similar product to the Boss RC-10R).
Does it allow tap tempo (with a pedal) to set a tempo?
 
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