Re: Looking for something to play backing tracks, sound effe
KG MD said:
Thanks for the replies. guys. Solo-act, can you describe in a little more detail what your setup is?
Laptop runs DP. DP is a DAW. In a very simple DAW setup you have your backing track in one track, your click on another, your midi commands for your axe-fx on another (if you've got a click going the whole song). That's it. Then either through USB or firewire, you connect to the external audio interface of your choice. In DP you decide what track goes to what input in the interface. In the interface you choose what input/audio is routed to what physical output, then cable that output to its destination (click to drummer, tracks to mixing board, etc). Then you send your midi track in the DAW out of USB on laptop to a midi interface that changes USB to a MIDI connector and that goes into the axe-fx. Pretty simple really.
I prefer the Gordius Little Giant because the midi interface is already built into it, you have instant random access to your banks, the midi is 2-way down one cable (you send commands to axe-fx AND receive tuner from axe-fx which displays on the LG, plus you can simultaneously send commands to laptop down the USB cable, controlling the laptop remotely via footswitch). Most midi interfaces require two cables for two way MIDI, and I don't think the MFC has a midi interface. The little giant is great for this kind of stuff.
When it comes to controlling the laptop, since the midi interface is already built into the little giant, and DP can be configured to listen to any midi command, you simply punch in the number on the LG for the song you want, send a CC to start the song, and the laptop does the rest.
Even though my axe-fx is automated, I build manual control into the footswitch for the song. This provides a redundant backup in case midi goes down from laptop to axe-fx, or if I simply want to kick on a axe-fx pedal or effect on the fly.
When you say "automate your Axe" you mean midi-controlled through DP?
Yes. Read up on axe-fx, and you'll see how you can automate everything with midi commands including patch changes. The backing track can contain midi commands for everything you'd typically do with your feet on a footswitch -- even stuff like automating the wah, volume...look into midi and the axe-fx. You'll impressed how much you can automate.