Playing with back tracks - best methods

thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
edited July 2018 in Live
Hi all, after an "acoustic tent" type short gig yesterday I've learnt a few things - mainly that I enjoy gigging, but that acoustic guitar plus vocals is not a good format for me.

I fancy looking to get a few more songs together to try and put together a live set to try to get the odd gig here and there, but mainly to use those odd gigs as the target point for lots of useful practice rather than faffing about with GAS and never finishing anything.

Anyway I'd probably need to use some form of backing track as I don't have any musical friends to join in, and I tend to use the electric style drum machines when I record anyway so would be cool to replicate that on stage too. Then play electric guitar and keys over those backing tracks, which would essentially contain everything I can't play myself due to a lack of hands.

What's the best kit for this type of idea? I'm wary of using a laptop as I'd need to buy a new one for it and that seems a minefield, and I don't trust them not to freeze or fall off etc.

I thought maybe one of those digital DJ deck things with storage could hold the Wav files and provide a bit of an easy visual method of starting and ending songs, plus it would look less clunky than me fiddling with a laptop between each song.

Edit: just remembered my stage piano keyboard thing can play audio files and midi files too. With the midi thing presumably i could hook that up to an actual drum machine but then I guess I'd have the issue of bass and synths still to include

I know generally backing tracks are considered naff but I think that's based more on singers who do posh karaoke isn't it? It seems to have worked well for The Kills and that's the sort of sound and style I'd be going for.

I know there are techniques and different practising required for this but I'll address this as I go along with the practising.

Thanks all
Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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Comments

  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    A looper pedal like a Boss RC-3 can hold 99 backing tracks.  We use it for just that on a few songs for keys, but complete backing tracks without specific bits on like guitars/vocals can be bought from karaokeversion.com, or you can make your own
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    I did have an rc3 before for this purpose but it seemed fussy about file types and loading, though the problem I had with the numbers for each file would presumably become a non issue with practice and memory to have them in the right order and remember them. I think maybe the DigiTech stereo one might be better though as I recall you can skip easily between for example A and B sections of a song for a bit more flexibility.
    Thanks John
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Havent tried the Digitech, but apparently the Boss sound quality is better, also has internal memory so no need for a SD card.

    I have the program numbers written on the set list :)

    It uses standard CD format 16 bit, 44.1 sample rate
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  • voodoofuzzvoodoofuzz Frets: 10
    Pah!

    Mate, TC Helicon Voice Live 3 Extreme - yours for around £300-£400 SH.

    I GUARANTEE you won't be disappointed!!
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  • pintspillerpintspiller Frets: 994
    I had planned on adjusting midi tracks, possibly over dubbing some guitar and bouncing onto mini disc or mp3. That was ages ago. Not sure how I'd do it now.
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