Need some ideas for getting started with using Midi backing tracks with band

[guitarjim]

Hopefully, there are a few of you out there who can give me some advice on the possibilities here... I use Midi and virtual instruments on my local PC for recording but have never integrated it into a live situation.

I play in a dance band and we find that a lot of the requests we are getting for modern dance music have many layers of percussion, electronic instrumentation, and other sounds in them. In some cases, when we try to strip that down to guitar, bass, drums, and keys, the song sounds empty, so we'd like to find a way to build tracks with those instruments that we can use during a live performance. Using an mp3 backing track scares me because its too easy to get out of sync with the track, so I figured I would float this by the group here since so many of you gig. Is there a Midi solution for doing this where we can set the timing using either a drum pad or tapping app on an iPad?

Any advice you have for me would be most appreciated. Naturally, we'd like to keep this pretty simple if possible since we'll only be using it on a few tracks.

 

[cayingst]

I am by no means an expert, but I have been using Ableton Live 9 for the last year. It will allow you to set up a click as a midi track and allow you to regulate the launch tempos. It will also allow you to manipulate pitch and tempo of the track. It is a program with extensive feature set. You may want to check out Loop Community. They are well versed in Ableton and have recently developed a multitrack playback app for iPhone and tablet. Best of luck to you.

 

[eggzoomin]

Most bands using backing tracks play to click - not sure what you're using in terms of monitoring, but often now people have a click and a greater or lesser amount of track in their IEMs. This is particularly important for the drummer, obviously - if they have never played to click, they may need to get used to it for a little while. I've mixed a lot of bands who used a laptop to play back their backing tracks and it can be helpful to send several channels to front-of-house, but not essential.

If it's just for a few tracks, I'd suggest your drummer has start-stop control of the backing tracks and a monitor mix with a click in. This is where the multichannel interface comes in handy - the drummer's mix contains the click, whereas the front-of-house signal doesn't. You could potentially do it without a multichannel interface by splitting left and right out - make sure the click is in one side and send that to the drummer, then send the other side, without click, to the PA. It means your backing tracks will be in mono, but that's not really that big a deal for a few tunes in a set. If you're running a sequencer, the drummer could potentially set the tempo with a pad (USB or whatever), but predefined tempo and click is generally easier and better.

 

[Valhallir]

I have the same thing in mind, and my way to go will be:

1) My ipad4, equipped with auria app
2) an USB-Audio 2.0 Multi-Channel-Interface, connected via Camera Connection Kit
3) pre-recorded files into the ipad

So it will be possible to:
1) Give the drummer his own special Click-Track, including his personal mix with the backings
2) a complete independent mix for FOH and the other stage monitor channels

At first, I thought about buying a hardware sampler, to contain all the pretty sounds I'm using in the studio from Omnisphere, Trilian and Kontakt....but a simple Ipad has way more processing power than any available hardware tool - and it's also a good
"optical" visual control for the drummer.

 

[eggzoomin]

You have no idea how often I have wanted a control for a drummer (or even just a simple "off" switch).

...

...

... Ah. For him to *use*. Sorry.

 

[jimfist]

- have your drummer augment his kit to accommodate electronic hip-hop, rap, etc. drum sounds, so that he can play them rather than trigger a sequence
- put your drummer on the clock if his time drifts noticeably
- have your drummer and keyboardist augment their setups with the ability to trigger (short) samples/loops/sequences
- address synchronization of all of the above (use a single source module or software program, or implement a scheme that unifies sync between different units. Depending on the skill in programming and accuracy of performance, this may not be necessary)
- other players in the band can also trigger individual sounds and sequences via loopers, MIDI triggering, etc.
- manually trigger loops/sequences/samples that are 4 to 8 beats in length, rather than long sequences that require perfect sync.

IMHO, keep as much of the "performance" of these augmentations/backing tracks in the hands of the musicians on stage, rather than a running, predetermined sequencer arrangement which is self-contained with all the bells and whistles on a single (mono or stereo) track...i.e., figure out a way to PERFORM the augmentations in sync, rather than just "press play and follow". If the drummer is keeping time (I've worked with drummers who have such good time that they don't need a click track - rare, so YMMV), then manually triggering the augmentations allows you to alter arrangements real-time, as well as minimizes total train wrecks due to performance or technical SNAFUs.

In the end, you'll need to weigh whether the cost in $$, programming, monitoring, and rehearsals are worth the effort when executed live. You'd be surprised at how often the angst and technical demands of adding these bells and whistles will suck the life and energy out of a performance unless planned and executed very, very skillfully. You won't know this until you are balls deep implementing it.

Good luck!

 

[Valhallir]

It really Depends on the drummer. If he is an impulsive, "time-breathing" freestyler, he won't like playing to a Click Track and prerecorded sequenzes...

But it's also a question of Budget, time and affordable musicians. And, a real good drummer can use a Click and also play Laid Back and groovy.....

For my new project, I gave up looking for a Keyboarder. In our country It's almost impossible to find One , who is interested in playing other stuff than cover-Music, where they can make some money. So the sequencing Thing with IPad and USB-Interface is my Choice. Btw, via midi (for example in a presonus audiobox) you can also Start sequences via triggerpads ...so it's a good way to combine live action with prerecorded sequences...

 

[guitarjim]

It really Depends on the drummer. If he is an impulsive, "time-breathing" freestyler, he won't like playing to a Click Track and prerecorded sequenzes...

But it's also a question of Budget, time and affordable musicians. And, a real good drummer can use a Click and also play Laid Back and groovy.....

For my new project, I gave up looking for a Keyboarder. In our country It's almost impossible to find One , who is interested in playing other stuff than cover-Music, where they can make some money. So the sequencing Thing with IPad and USB-Interface is my Choice. Btw, via midi (for example in a presonus audiobox) you can also Start sequences via triggerpads ...so it's a good way to combine live action with prerecorded sequences...

Can you please provide a more detailed description of your rig (including what iPad app(s) you are using)?

 

[Valhallir]

This should be the complete information needed (including the compatible Audio interfaces, that work with auria)

Auria by WaveMachine Labs - HOME

There's also an ipad/iphone-version of Cubase, called Cubasis. If you want to include 3rd-Party-Software Synth-Apps with Auria or Cubasis, you will need to buy "Audio-Bus". This app connects several different apps with each other, just like a virtual patch-bay.
I tend to buy Auria, which has a lot of highend-plugins on board and it looks a little less like a toy, compared to Cubasis (but this is my own opinion)

You can use almost ANY class compliant USB-Audiointerface (via Camera-Connection-Kit) with your ipad. The number of mulitrack- ins and outs just depends on the interface. I plan to buy the Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL. As a Studio-Live-User, I love their mic-preamps, and even the interface has a dynamic range of 114 db (which is quite good for it's price)...

Cheers,
Andy