Laptop Live: Queries

[Oxidation_Shed]

I've recently been toying with the idea of using my laptop live for the same reasons everyone else is bypassing amps: Misha did it (kidding!)
I'm just sick of having a stage sound that sucks because of sound engineers that don't particularly care for their jobs and I'm pretty fond of the tone coming out of Amplitube's SLO model. I've tried googling all this stuff but there's not a lot out there and that stuff that is just confuses me further. My uncertainties are thus:

I want to have the left channel going straight to the FOH (should be no bother, just a balanced 1/4" to male XLR cable that I can just plug in to the XLR lead that would normally mic up the amp, right?), but also another signal with no cab impulses going into the effects return of my amp. Will I need a re-amping box for that?
Some people on some online forums seem to think it's necessary, others say that - because it's going in the back of my amp and not the front - that it shouldn't be necessary.

I don't mind buying a re-amp box if I need one, but I don't really want to shell out if I don't have to.

Thanks in advance guys.

[TimSE]

Originally Posted by Oxidation_Shed

I've recently been toying with the idea of using my laptop live for the same reasons everyone else is bypassing amps

Whatever you do, get a solidstate drive. Don't even bother if you dont do this

another signal with no cab impulses going into the effects return of my amp. Will I need a re-amping box for that?

Nope. Just plug it in.
Some amps dont have the loop open unless you have something physically plugged into the effects SEND jack. This has stumped my before but the thing to do is get a headphone splitter or jack adaptor and plug that it. the fact that it wont go anywhere will make no difference to the RETURN signal

[Oxidation_Shed]

Thank you very much for the reply. Yes, an SSD is top of my list for next month's paycheck - I need more space anyway so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.
Thanks again for the advice!

[WhiteWalls]

I have done it for over a year and while a solid state drive would be nice to have, it's by no means necessary... just keep the laptop in its bag or put some foam under it to absorb the vibrations and you're fine.

About the fx return of the amp... I do it all the time and it SHOULD work on every amp, but once I had a crappy marshall mg at rehearsals and all I got was static. It could very possibly be that the amp was messed up and that's it, but I'd still check the impedence values just in case.

[metal_sam14]

FAQ: Live shows with backing tracks - HOW TO? - Ultimate Metal Forum


there has been at least 4 threads on this kind of thing lately, maybe we should make a sticky with the info from the link above.

[Oxidation_Shed]

Kind of related, but if you read the post it was actually more to do with impedance issues arising from using the laptop as an amp modeller, not as a method for using backing tracks live.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, but I am considerate enough to read around before I ask the same question that's been asked a million times, I would like to think anyway

[metal_sam14]

Originally Posted by Oxidation_Shed

Kind of related, but if you read the post it was actually more to do with impedance issues arising from using the laptop as an amp modeller, not as a method for using backing tracks live.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, but I am considerate enough to read around before I ask the same question that's been asked a million times, I would like to think anyway

My apologies for not reading your post correctly

[Oxidation_Shed]

It's fine man, I appreciate that you took the time to reply even though it seemed like I was just asking that same question that's been asked a million times before