backing tracks... too much , too little, just right...

[grendle]

In the interest of giving the best live performance possible , backing tracks imo. Are a good thing. I'm not looking to play over an entire recorded song per say, but looking to fatten up chorus's, harmony vocals, intro's possibly, and maybe. Fatten up a heavy part or two. I know almost all bigger touring bands use them and lots of others also. What do you guys use? And who controls what?

 

[AndyLES]

Ipod - Click on the right (8 count intro), mono mix on the left, run by the drummer. Make each song it's own "album" to avoid running into the next tune by accident.

 

[5StringFool]

Sometimes we use a prerecorded track, other times we use Ableton live and the singer controls the loops with a foot controller. This way we can stretch a song an improvise some and still have our backing tracks.

 

[kraigo]

Use some MIDI device to launch sequences on a laptop running Ableton Live. A used cheap keyboard like a little Yamaha PSR would work, or a Korg PadKontrol or something similar.

KO

 

[grendle]

Sometimes we use a prerecorded track, other times we use Ableton live and the singer controls the loops with a foot controller. This way we can stretch a song an improvise some and still have our backing tracks.

Were new to backing tracks, but this is kind of what we were looking to do. I just don't want to have the backing tracks keep rolling if we screw something up somehow lol. That's my main concern. How much do you put on the loop? Is it set up so say when you hit the trigger it starts like the chorus loop for song x? Sorry still new and trying to get an idea of how were gonna make this work lol

 

[grendle]

Use some MIDI device to launch sequences on a laptop running Ableton Live. A used cheap keyboard like a little Yamaha PSR would work, or a Korg PadKontrol or something similar.

KO

Cool. I'm thinking more of a foot controlled kind of thing. Can you recomend someone who makes one? Or should I build my own? Gotta check out ableton.

 

[grendle]

Any recommendations on getting ableton suite, live, or live intro? We have a digital 16 track, and a full dedicated computer recording set up with cubase at the present.

 

[smeet]

Very interested in this... Does ableton let you tap in the tempo *while* it's playing? That would be great for Correction in live performance...

 

[grendle]

Very interested in this... Does ableton let you tap in the tempo *while* it's playing? That would be great for Correction in live performance...

Ohh... Didn't think about that. Good point. Throws a whole wrench in the mix. Yeah I was against them for a long time till I realized it doesn't have to be karaoke lol.

 

[5StringFool]

Here's the controller he's using. Our drummer hears the click and we just keep time with him.

Ableton Live Foot Controller "ability" - YouTube

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AFIK the tempo of the loops is set, I don't think you can alter it on the fly... but I'm not completely sure about that.

 

[smeet]

You can change tempo on the fly from the computer UI, right?
And Ableton can probably sync to external MIDI clock...
I hope it can do it (sync to tap tempo), that might make the difference for me.

EDIT:
Found it! According to this guy, you can tap in the current tempo at any time:
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[grendle]

How much of the song do you guys have backing tracks for?

 

[5StringFool]

For the songs were using ableton on we usually have a loop for each section of the song (intro, verse, chorus, etc.).

 

[seanm]

For those who use backing tracks, do you have them for every song? I would think that you would have to or the songs without them would sound thin. But I am just guessing, I have never used backing tracks.

 

[5StringFool]

We don't. Some songs we can work arrangements that sound fine without them, others not so much.

 

[seanm]

Ok, so it is not an all or nothing type deal.

 

[5StringFool]

No not at all. Some of our backing tracks are as simple as some auxiliary percussion instruments or synth pads in particular parts of the songs. We don't have any that have extra backing vox, or guitar parts on them. Most of them are more subtle additions that work to add dynamic layers to the song when needed.

Here's one that we use sometimes. Click the sample and take a listen.

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[seanm]

Nice! I didn't even know tracks like that existed. I thought you had to make them yourself.