With the introduction of computers and technology to your show, there will be problems.
Additional inputs, computers, and technology will lend its hand to issues always. In order to make sure everything is working properly, soundchecks will take a lot longer. The setup was overly complicated and required days of extra work to design, prep, and then rehearse songs.Įventually, I succumbed to the idea of simply using Ableton Live and our stems from studio sessions. It was a lofty idea and implementation was far more difficult than I expected. I had a naive notion that all the samples would be triggered in realtime.īecause I could hear samples in my ears loudly, and since I am a solid timekeeper, I figured syncing up to these sections would be no problem.įor certain sections of songs, I would trigger samples, and for others, Chris would take care of it with his FCB1010 and other various pre-programmed keys on his 88-key controller. When I initially began designing our playback system, I was determined we wouldn’t be using click tracks. While you don’t have to use a click track in your setup, it’s going to be much easier, especially in breaks where there are no tracks going on. Get used to playing to a beeping in your ear, as you’ll need a click track to stay on with a track system. You Must Play with a Click Track, Generally Just like with anything in life, using a playback system has its drawbacks. Whether that be a narrated voice you interact with, a crazy introduction, or interesting sound design throughout the show, there are unlimited possibilities. With a playback system you can create anything you can dream up. Live shows are meant to wow an audience tracks give you the ability to do just that. You can achieve a bigger sound without increasing your budget. However, hiring additional musicians is expensive, especially in the early days of your career. Bigger Sound Without Hiring Additional MusiciansĪgain, one of the many reasons why musicians frown upon the idea of tracks is this in itself. Using tracks can enhance your show by “playing back” these recordings while playing live. You may have additional vocals on your studio production. Benefits of Using a Backing Track Player for Your BandĬreating your own playback system for use live has a number of positive benefits, primarily those associated with better reception of your show. This is not an article debating for or against the use of one, rather it is merely a “how-to” guide if you decide to implement one. He explains it perfectly that there is a case for both. Take for instance this video from Adam Neely. Lots, and I mean lots, of musicians look down on the idea of using a playback system. An organic ensemble of musicians on stage will always have its magic, but I won’t criticize artists who use backing tracks. Using tracks allows for an entirely different performance, one that isn’t possible with solely musicians on stage.Īnd that in itself may be the issue entirely. Certainly, it is easier to play along with an existing recording of music. I can’t say either way, but I generally don’t believe using backing tracks is cheating if you’re a band or artist. Have you ever been to a show and noticed one or two MacBook Pros on stage with the musicians? These computers are most likely either running a playback system or providing virtual instruments to be used by a MIDI controller (or a combination of the two). Many bands of the past have used MP3 players with a stereo audio splitter, but I find this is not as reliable anymore and you will be much better off by using a computer, specifically a MacBook Pro. You can set up a backing tracks player with just a laptop computer, a digital audio workstation, cable snake, and an audio interface. Backing tracks are different from karaoke versions of songs or drumless tracks. They’re relatively easy to integrate into a show and are much more affordable than hiring additional musicians. Simply put, backing tracks are pre-recorded pieces of music that a band or artist plays-along to in a live performance, video, or just for fun at home.īacking tracks are extremely common among today’s live artists for enhancing performances.
Is Playing With Backing Tracks Cheaing?.
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