Synchronizing ad-hoc clips with a click track?

[Rockin Mike]

We want to start adding recorded sounds to our live performances.
I know one way to do it is to have a recording the length of the whole song and everybody just plays along with it. This has some drawbacks - no flexibility to extend solos or audience participation sections, and if somebody loses their place it can crash the whole song.

What I want to do is have the drummer on a generic click track in his in-ears, everybody else following the drummer's tempo, and the keyboard player able to press a key to trigger a playback of pre-recorded material, and (here's the tricky part) have that pre-recorded material synced with the click track.

That would give us the freedom to improvise on-the-fly with arrangements, and regroup from a mistake without halting the song in the middle.

Is there a technique or device that can do this?

 

[JRA]

midi. there are lots of ways to do it, but you have to have the gear/knowledge. it could also be done with a DAW and midi triggering. i am not aware of any single device that would provide what you are describing, e.g., a device made just for that purpose.

 

[Rockin Mike]

I have Studio One and a 16-channel audio interface. I guess I need a MIDI controller.
Can this be done with Studio One? I asked around and everybody just said "Ableton Live", but that's a pretty expensive package that (I think) duplicates a lot of what I already have in Studio One.

 

[s0c9]

i have always heard Ableton.. but we don't use tracks.. A prior band used them, but the drummer ran those - as he starts everything, and got to hear the intro warning clicks (which differ from the tempo click).