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Backing Tracks + Full Band
- Thread starter mrtapatio
- Start date
well first you have to have a drummer who's able to play to a click 
but it's not too difficult. put your backing tracks on one channel (make sure they're well-mixed), put a click on the other channel, give your drummer some headphones or iem's with the click in them, and you're set. always make sure you add a couple extra bars of click so he can count you guys in. you can get way more elaborate if you want, but this is the simplest way to do it.
but it's not too difficult. put your backing tracks on one channel (make sure they're well-mixed), put a click on the other channel, give your drummer some headphones or iem's with the click in them, and you're set. always make sure you add a couple extra bars of click so he can count you guys in. you can get way more elaborate if you want, but this is the simplest way to do it.
Our backing tracks just go onto an Ipod. Before we put them onto the Ipod, we mix them so the backing track is on the left and the click is on the right. The Music track goes to via a DI box to the PA (and foldback so we can hear it), and the click goes to a little mixer into which the drummer plugs his headphones.
As a little luxury we also run the backing tracks through the drummers little mixer. That way he can hear both the click and the backing track, and he can adjust the volume of the each independently of each other.
As a little luxury we also run the backing tracks through the drummers little mixer. That way he can hear both the click and the backing track, and he can adjust the volume of the each independently of each other.
We do exactly this with my Iphone, about the click track, I always set it up so it´s 8 clicks before the song starts, drummer hears the first 4 then clicks along to the last 4 so the rest of the band can hear and begin at the same time (if song is in 3/4, it´s 6 clicks then, same thing)
I recently saw Katatonia live and they played with a backing track but the awkward thing is the drummer never ever marked a beggining of a song, they all had in-ear so they just started playing at the same time like magic. Personally I didn´t like it, it felt like it took away the magic of a live show IMO
Same.
We also make it a bit easier for the drummer by making the click on beat 1 slightly different sounding to the clicks on 2,3,4. It makes it much harder for him to get lost. We had times where a loud roar from the crowd made him miss the first beat of the click. What he thought was the first beat was actually the second and the band would be a bar behind until everyone adjusted..... messy and easily avoided.
- Feb 5, 2011
- 2
- 0
- Disclosures
- Affiliated to SCS
Hi guys . . you might want to take a look at my response to this issue on another similar thread . . . http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=570764
Cheers . . Martin
Cheers . . Martin
Petebass said:
Problem in my case is not all songs are straight 4/4 all the way through, it gets more confusing than helpful most of the time for us.
i've played in several bands that did this... the best/easiest method we found was to buy them off another band...
my current band has our own tracks... the guy that does them has a masters in theory and teaches recording --- a bit of an uncommon option for most bands.
my current band has our own tracks... the guy that does them has a masters in theory and teaches recording --- a bit of an uncommon option for most bands.
MNAirHead said:
What? You mean you get someone else to compose the backing tracks for your band? Or buy the backing tracks from other bands? I don't understand, what are you using as backing tracks? I used keyboard parts, piano, strings etc. That we write ourselves as part of the writing process of all the songs
For our covers, I'll walk up to keybaord players and offer to buy their tracks..
These are then put into Ableton or mixed down to a final mix triggerable mp3
Biggest error I find when doing backtracking is too much clutter and not volume balancing through the show.
These are then put into Ableton or mixed down to a final mix triggerable mp3
Biggest error I find when doing backtracking is too much clutter and not volume balancing through the show.
Maybe I can use this idea as a subterfuge to get our
drummer to play at a constant speed.
"Hey Tommy, this tune really needs a backing track!"
I try not to complain too much on here, but it surprises me how many musicians find it OK to track so much material at a live show. This is my biggest pet peave I have on cover bands in my area. These are some really well trained musicians that make a good living putting on this show of lies, even in the small/medium sized bars. Bands are tracking vocals, synth, and studio punch-ins, even bass and guitar parts, that they cant do live on thier own to get a "larger than life" sound.
They have a Macbook or a bank of samplers right in reach of the drummer. The crowd doesn't know enough to notice that they hear, but dont see, a keyboard or synth, or multipart hamonies when only one person is even remotely close to the mic, etc.
How do I still hear the bass and guitar if they both stopped playing so they can do a little dance number together? Why is the guitarist turning around and hiding his hands during that tricky guitar intro that they decided to track so they wouldn't loose count of the click?
Unfortunatly, 80% of the top cover bands in Columbus are tracking now. The soundguys are usually surprised that we don't have a track source for them. We usually joke to them that if you wanted to hear a track, you should have hired a DJ or rented a Karaoke machine...
Im not going to change anyone's mind about tracking, I just wanted you to know that people are paying attention to what you are doing...
Wes
They have a Macbook or a bank of samplers right in reach of the drummer. The crowd doesn't know enough to notice that they hear, but dont see, a keyboard or synth, or multipart hamonies when only one person is even remotely close to the mic, etc.
How do I still hear the bass and guitar if they both stopped playing so they can do a little dance number together? Why is the guitarist turning around and hiding his hands during that tricky guitar intro that they decided to track so they wouldn't loose count of the click?
Unfortunatly, 80% of the top cover bands in Columbus are tracking now. The soundguys are usually surprised that we don't have a track source for them. We usually joke to them that if you wanted to hear a track, you should have hired a DJ or rented a Karaoke machine...
Im not going to change anyone's mind about tracking, I just wanted you to know that people are paying attention to what you are doing...
Wes
Keys! That's all we track. Any more than that and you're putting enormous faith in your sound guy IMO.
Having said that, don't be so quick to associate tracks with lack of musical talent. Creating good backing tracks is a talent in itself.
Having said that, don't be so quick to associate tracks with lack of musical talent. Creating good backing tracks is a talent in itself.
I agree when it comes to tracking so you don't have to play difficult solos or something, but I think tracking is perfectly acceptable when you want a certain sound that no one in the band can replicate on their instrument, like in the case of the OP.
This appears to be the direction music is going in. Everything is getting processed and over-produced. I think there are good and bad things about it.
The good thing is that there are so many more sounds we can create now than ever before. I am all about that. If it sounds good, it is good.
But I do see an overall lack of musical talent these days. So many people think they're musicians because they can hit a button.
Now, the people that create some of these sounds are extremely talented, creative people.
My overall opinion is this: if you're tracking to make new, cool sounds, I'm all for it. If you're tracking to be lazy...learn to play your instrument.
How about hiring a keyboard player to take care of this and make it a quartet?
I'm curious to those in bands who use backing tracks, does a band maker make them and if so does said band member get paid more for all the work needed to make the tracks?
ie trio salary division without tracks
1/3 , 1/3, 1/3
as a quartet
1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4
as a trio with tracks made by one member
1/4, 1/4, 2/4 for guy who made the tracks
What are you guys doing?
I agree. Save face and recommend a DJ or something. I currently play my a$$ off in a cover band. There's a million great tunes to choose from that don't require this facade.
I tend to agree. I, too, see this often with two or three-piece
bands. Initially, it really bugs me but then I try to look at the
bigger picture and ask myself "Is this band entertaining?"
I believe that is the more important question.
Despite the backing tracks that can seem like cheating
short-cuts, some of these bands actually have an enjoyable
bag of tricks that can get the crowd dancing and having fun.
That's what it's all about.
A singing DJ seems like a big step down from a real band
but, if he's fun, he's fun.
