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Does your band use tracks? (Poll)

Does your band use tracks?

  • Yes, we use tracks

    Votes: 65 20.4%

  • No, we play without tracks

    Votes: 254 79.6%
  • Total voters
    319
#41
In the mid to late 60s it wasn't uncommon at all to see a huge reel-to-reel sitting on a table right behind the lead singer. It had all those outer space sounds many records had on them. No way any band could recreate those sounds, so they just played the tape when it was time for the tape. Didn't ruin the show for me, but that was in the day of no monitors and guitar cabs being used for PAs. You just did what ya' had to do.
 
#42
Blankandson said:
That was probably their 50th reunion tour. They got everyone who had ever been a member (in studio or on stage) to go out with them so they all could share the experience together. They don't do that all the time - just for that one tour. I was impressed that they performed every number one song they had ever done. Took almost three hours but when they got to 'our era' my wife and I danced to 'our songs.'
Click to expand...

No, I am talking about non-members, in the background.
 
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#43
I did it once and I will refuse being associated to anything like this ever again. :spit: It was the worst feeling and most weird experience I've ever had music wise... :confused: I've played in studios with click tracks and that is nothing compare to how unfriendly it is to play with tracks...
 
#45
We use these background noise sample type things between some songs. sometimes they have sounds that signal the tempo of the next song or cue us to start. Its really just to allow us to get a sip of water and check tune without there being dead air, so to speak. As far as adding another layer of instrumentation, I'm against it. If you're a 3 piece, play like a 3 piece, and expect to sound like a 3 piece. If you want another part, add another player. If you can't pull it off live, to some reasonable level, don't record it.
 
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#47
We have a keyboardist who can cover horns and strings when needed, so no. If a song needs more than the four of us can manage to sound good, we just don't do it. We used to have a couple songs that begged for an acoustic guitar behind our lead player. After doing the track thing for a couple gigs, we decided it was not worth the hassle. Nobody has complained.
 
#49
No from my main band, which is country-oriented Americana. Be pretty weird to play backing tracks for that kind of music. The rockers I play with wouldnt do this either—we cycle drummers too much and I doubt anyone in the band takes the project seriously enough to get extra technical processes equipped and worked out.

But I'd be open to it in different circumstances. Honestly, I'd rather have an entertained audience and a manageable band than the utmost artisanal integrity.
 
#50
We are in a perpetual search for a keyboard player (they're like condors, around here) but in the meantime we unabashedly use keyboard tracks (no solos or anything like that) for some Journey songs and a couple others, like synth stuff for some new wave songs. Some of these songs are very popular with our audiences. No one seems to notice or care.
 
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#51
two fingers said:
You're asking the wrong crowd. Of course the majority of musicians are going to display righteous indignation from atop their high horses with soapbox saddles. I'll be surprised if you don't get 100 mini rants/lectures about the subject.

Non musicians don't know and don't care. They just want a good show and they want to hear music they love. Period.
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As usual, you wrote exactly the same answer I was going to write.
 
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#52
BassGH said:
No from my main band, which is country-oriented Americana. Be pretty weird to play backing tracks for that kind of music. The rockers I play with wouldnt do this either—we cycle drummers too much and I doubt anyone in the band takes the project seriously enough to get extra technical processes equipped and worked out.

But I'd be open to it in different circumstances. Honestly, I'd rather have an entertained audience and a manageable band than the utmost artisanal integrity.
Click to expand...

 
#53
BassAndReeds said:
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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I answered no, but my band (originals) has been toying with the idea. There are only four of us (guitar/bass/drum/vox) so there are some subtle things from our recordings we have been considering adding (keyboards to fill background, extra harmony vocals, rhythm guitar, etc...).

We would want to keep it to a minimum, but some of our songs would sound better that way.
 
#54
BTW, nobody would ever accuse Rush of miming but they used triggers and backing tracks pretty extensively in the 80's and 90's on songs like "Marathon" or Force Ten". Some people cared but I'm sure most of the hundreds of thousands of people who saw them on those tours were just happy to be seeing and hearing Rush.
 
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#56
Chains said:
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.
Click to expand...

I voted "yes", with our 3-piece, ~6 gigs per month, band.

Just appropriate sound effects, and some goofball stuff, like canned applause, etc. We don't use tracks of supplemental music. No "backing tracks", clicks, or any instrumentation.

It's our policy to make the arrangement work with just us three, and if we don't like how we pull that off, we drop that song.
 
#57
In my trio...no. As a duo, yes because it's bass and 2-part harmonies. As much as I can listen to just bass and vocals, I don't think the general public would appreciate it...so, we use background tracks with NO bass or vocals.
 
#59
Lots of professional touring bands use click tracks & backing tracks all the time, it's a very common practice these days. Personally, I enjoy playing with a click & tracks, whenever the situation dictates. It actually takes quite a bit of skill, to pull it off collectively in a full band context, otherwise it could become a train wreck really fast.
 
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