This might be interesting. Does your band use tracks? If in multiple bands, answer for your most frequent band, or average gigs per month/year.
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Does your band use tracks? (Poll)
- Thread starter BassAndReeds
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buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Sorry, I really don't see the purpose. Yes, yes, I know, it allows you to simulate the all-important recorded version of a song without investing in the cast of thousands that were used in the studio.
Personally, if I go out to hear live music, I am not looking for exact duplication of a record. I mean, I could just sit in the car and listen to it on a CD.
And anyway, if you're talking about pop music, you can't really duplicate the recording anyway. Think about it: they spend a month to record a simple three chord song with four main parts that lasts three and a half minutes.
Fortunately, it's irrelevant to the kind of music I've been performing for the last 30 or so years, where people would throw things at you if you came in with pre-recorded canned stuff. My audiences want to hear actual musicians performing.
Personally, if I go out to hear live music, I am not looking for exact duplication of a record. I mean, I could just sit in the car and listen to it on a CD.
And anyway, if you're talking about pop music, you can't really duplicate the recording anyway. Think about it: they spend a month to record a simple three chord song with four main parts that lasts three and a half minutes.
Fortunately, it's irrelevant to the kind of music I've been performing for the last 30 or so years, where people would throw things at you if you came in with pre-recorded canned stuff. My audiences want to hear actual musicians performing.
Whenever I go to a show and they're using tracks, I always find that I get distracted by playing the "where's that sound coming from" game, and constantly trying to figure out which sounds are live and which are pre-recorded (or, if indeed, any of it is live at all, and the musicians on-stage are just miming). Really spoils my immersion.
S.P.
S.P.
No....but my jazz fusion BL's "shiny thing du jour" is to get a hip hop track running behind the drummer. Seems the BL is very inspired by hip hop beats (writes to them) even though none of our songs really have a hip hop groove. I can sometimes hear the cool in it but I don't want us to get into the complications of playing with a pre-recorded track.
And it's pretty clear that our drummer is not buying into this at all...
And it's pretty clear that our drummer is not buying into this at all...
If you mean pre recorded music that plays while you play, no.
We have had venues play intro music before we start or short clips between songs.
We have had venues play intro music before we start or short clips between songs.
My band is three piece power trio with no tracks. We do songs like Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys and Head over Heels by Tears for Fears and it sounds full and amazing. It's all in the the arrangement.
No, but we do use prerecorded effects running under our music ( 3 piece ). ex. Strange voices and swirling noises playing underneath Third Stone From The Sun. If we are doing some Floyd, the effects are roughly timed for added drama, but not "synced". We simply use an MP3 player thru the mixer.
You know, I think I want to clarify a bit regarding the use of prerecorded tracks:
If you use a real Mellotron, I'll let it slide, just because it's so darn cool.
But lip-syncy kind of stuff, no. Way too cheesy. Just learn how to make the song sound good with the instrumentation you have.
If you use a real Mellotron, I'll let it slide, just because it's so darn cool.
But lip-syncy kind of stuff, no. Way too cheesy. Just learn how to make the song sound good with the instrumentation you have.
I went to dinner at the casino, and saw a duo guitar/sax playing at 1 of the bars as i walked by. In that case, those 2 were accessories to the tracks.
Drums, 4 part harmonies, horn section, keys...all canned. The sax lady stepped up to solo, and it's was a canned trumpet solo coming out of the speakers haha
Do what you gotta do.
Drums, 4 part harmonies, horn section, keys...all canned. The sax lady stepped up to solo, and it's was a canned trumpet solo coming out of the speakers haha
Do what you gotta do.
i don't, currently: but i have. i was considered an innovator in my music community back in the day (mid 80's) for use of midi tracks (and pre-recorded midi tracks) live.
i once managed/produced a vocal group for whom "tracks" were used to embellish the 4-8 member band.
lip-syncing can be dubious. but thoughtful well-produced use of "tracks" can mean $$$. there is a popular, well known (locally/regionally) band from indy which uses tracks expertly to rake in the dough and the BL never has to worry about musician availability = mutes the parts of musicians who can make the gig, and unmutes the parts when musicians aren't available. he pays the members above average wages.
i have thought about using tracks/parts in some of the jazz compositions one of my bands plays.
if your drummer relies on a click track for some of your music = easy to utilize tracks/EFX for a production. but many drummers can't hang with a click....or tracks with 'perfect' time. it's a skill some do not possess.
i once managed/produced a vocal group for whom "tracks" were used to embellish the 4-8 member band.
lip-syncing can be dubious. but thoughtful well-produced use of "tracks" can mean $$$. there is a popular, well known (locally/regionally) band from indy which uses tracks expertly to rake in the dough and the BL never has to worry about musician availability = mutes the parts of musicians who can make the gig, and unmutes the parts when musicians aren't available. he pays the members above average wages.
i have thought about using tracks/parts in some of the jazz compositions one of my bands plays.
if your drummer relies on a click track for some of your music = easy to utilize tracks/EFX for a production. but many drummers can't hang with a click....or tracks with 'perfect' time. it's a skill some do not possess.
I hear this has been going on for ages at casinos. Especially for horn players that can't carry a show by themselves.
We do not use tracks but we've talked about it a lot since we have many orchestral parts in our recordings (mostly strings and trumpet) and nobody to play them live. I think it's likely we'll add them once we get enough money to get the gear to do it properly. I don't think tracks are "cheating," as long as everyone in the band is doing something, let them have tracks. Really can add to the experience.
A huge thing to consider if you're bashing tracks– think about the band's chemistry. Sometimes the band gets along so well you don't want to risk adding another personality. And sometimes you simply can't find or afford a good musician to play all your shows. For us, both of these are true.
A huge thing to consider if you're bashing tracks– think about the band's chemistry. Sometimes the band gets along so well you don't want to risk adding another personality. And sometimes you simply can't find or afford a good musician to play all your shows. For us, both of these are true.
I haven't used them in my groups, but I'm kinda surprised at how judgey some of these comments are against them. They don't offend me. I don't find them disingenuous the way lipsynching can be. It's not like the guitarist is miming playing a solo, or someone is up there with a fake trumpet or something.
Oh, wait. I just saw the comment about the sax player miming a trumpet solo. I stand corrected! That does cross a line, in my opinion.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
One of my bands augments our sound with a percussion track on one song. Otherwise, it's all live instruments and vox.
