# Live backing track/click track



## DeanLamb

Hey guys.

So we are looking to throw up a click for our drummer's in-ear monitors, as well as a backing track with reverse snare and some bass drops. What program would be the easiest/cheapest to use, and would you guys just suggest a small laptop for playback? Using a stereo output, left side for click, right side out to the board for backing tracks?

Let me know if anyone has experience with this one.

Thanks dudes

Dean
Archspire on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads


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## ristoCoC

Use ipod or iphone, that's the easiest !


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## _detox

luckbard said:


> Using a stereo output, left side for click, right side out to the board for backing tracks?



This.  For your purposes, a laptop seems a bit much if it's just reverse snares and bass drops. An mp3 player should work fine.


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## DaveCarter

Yeah if its literally just 2 samples, Id go for an ipod or similar: samples panned one side, click panned t'other side, stereo jack lead out to FOH and drummer's headphones. If you want to go down the laptop route then I can recommend running Cubase, nice and simple. It works really well for us, but we only need a laptop because we're very synth/sample-heavy and also use its MIDI switching for our guitar rigs...because we can  If all you need is a couple of samples then an ipod is much simpler, more reliable and cheaper.


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## Schotter

http://mediap1.roadkast.com/cubeaudio/LiveProgrammingsabfahren.mov

My band does it that way.
If you can´t understand german, just watch the set up, you´ll understand.
We use a mp3+DI-Box+Small mixer, like in the video.
If you need help in understandig it, say it 
We use Cubase, by the way.

Edit.:
Oh, playing with backgroundtapes is HORROR for every drummer.
And for the rest of the band, too.
Naturally, you speed up some parts, or slow them down, but the backgroundtape doesn´t pardon anything.


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## abysmalrites

I'd say just load the samples into audacity, mix them to whatever side you want, then export to mp3 and upload to an ipod.


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## runawaymartin

Hi Guys . . . I can see where this is coming from and that you're trying to keep it simple, but I have a feeling that if you started using 'Click' and some backing tracks you'll see some great possibilities and will want to do more. 
Well, I'm doing a couple of shows at present and am using a laptop to provide a creative show even when the performance fee is pretty small.
The shows consist of a live band using some additional pre-recorded backtracks (strings, brass etc...). We're running 7 tracks of audio (could be more if required), 1 audio 'Click' track, Video, and a MIDI file which operates lights, reverb presets, my guitar pedal patch changes and keyboard prog changes.
This is how I'm doing it . . . the whole lot is being run from one laptop, but you will need to have the facility to prepare the tracks and MIDI files beforehand . . I happen to be using Cubase. 
From Cubase I mixdown all the tracks I need, ensuring that for any particular song they are all the same length . . . these can be a mixture of mono and stereo. From the same project I then export a MIDI file containing any info I need . . . prog changes, note ON/OFF for lights etc... . 
Now this is where it all comes together . . . The laptop is running a program called SCS (Show Cue Systems) where all the required files are loaded into and then it is used as a very sophisticated sort of jukebox. You can get a free demo from SCS.
Into each song created I then load the relevant audio files, MIDI file and Video file all programmed to start at the same time. You then build up a whole load of songs that are then simply displayed as a list on the main screen. Each song is started by the space bar and at the end of that song it automatically cues at the beginning of the next song. You can easily scroll up or down if you change your running order on the fly.
The 'Click' track is actually an audio file and I use a drum 'stick' sound playing on every beat but you can use whatever you like . . . the beauty of using audio for 'Click' purposes is that you can also add piano/guitar chords for a cappella pieces and/or voice prompting such as the count-in for example.
At present the output for all this is running via an Edirol UA-101 but you could use any USB or Firewire interface giving you multi-track audio outputs and a MIDI out.
The audio is then run to the mixer for FOH and monitoring purposes (the 'Click' track is only fed to the drummer and anyone else on stage using in-ear monitoring). The MIDI signal is distributed to the devices mentioned above.
I'm not a lighting person so I can't actually tell you how the lights are working but anyone with some knowledge of MIDI->DMX will know what to do.
It sounds complicated but is in fact a very cost effective way to go.
Hope all of that makes some sort of sense . . . I'd be happy to assist anyone who wants to give this a go or you can read an article Ive written at live show control article 1.
Cheers . . . Martin


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## xrandolphx

Hey what's up.
This is my first post, because I just registered. I was looking for a hd-recorder to do the same thing, but I quickly realized I don't have to spend 1000+ on that kind of equipment. Originally I'm a guitar player, but at the moment I play drums, sing and program/trigger samples in the band that I mainly write the guitar parts for  
Later this year I plan to start a band in which I'll be playing guitar, but I also want to experiment with electronic beats and maybe some programmed synths. I guess the current setup would work for that as well. Here it is:

As I said I drum, I sing and I trigger samples. For that I need in-ear monitoring and a click track. The Roland SPD-S does the trick here. I suggest investing in this kind of equipment and taking your sweet time to figure out how you can get the most out of it. Every sample and beat comes out on the left, click on the right. 
Now, if you're playing in a venue with a decent PA setup, you have the possibility of giving your drummer full control over sample triggering and his personal monitor setup. Both the samples and the click track can go into separate DI boxes. The stage monitor guy can then make sure that everyone on stage, including the drummer can hear the samples but only the drummer can additionally hear his click track. 
It would be smart for the drummer to also invest in a headphone amp with built-in limiter. This doesn't have to be some expensive wireless system, since he'll be sitting behind the kit. I use 25$ skullcandy earbuds with a small clip on the back of my collar, works fine. I sweat a lot during shows but the things rarely pop out.

The SPD-S has many great sound samples built in and you can tweak and program everything to your own creative limits, set measures, record beats while playing and adding layers, which will automatically be quantized and your drummer will have full creative control over everything. 

I didn't want to advertise, but this thing is pretty awesome once you treat it as an actual creative tool.

I hope my reply has been of some use


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## ZXIIIT

Not to be a dick, but there is a topic about this 2 threads down....
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/live-performance-stage-sound/143742-playing-click-live.html


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## Metalus

Sorry for hijacking but I've been having an issue with setting up click tracks with backing tracks.

I upload everything into Pro Tools, pan the click 100% right, backing tracks 100% left and bounce everything as a stereo interleaved file. It then ends up on my desktop. The moment I put it into iTunes to put it onto my ipod to listen to it, I hear the click coming out on the right side. Even if i drag and drop the file directly into the iPod, it still makes the click come out on the right side. Any solution for this? I need the click to only come out on the left and the backing tracks on the right


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