# Question on backing tracks



## C2Aye (May 26, 2015)

Hey all. I'm about to play my first show in July and I'm planning to use a backing track as part of it. The original plan was to mix it down in mono and send the left channel with the backing track to the front of house, and the right channel with the click track to the drummer.

However, ideal world would be to get the backing track in stereo and still send the click to the drummer. Anyone with experience with this, info on how you route the signals and what gear you use to do it would be greatly appreciated


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## Blasphemer (May 28, 2015)

If you can run a laptop with an SSD and an interface with at least 3 outputs, then you'd be all set. Set your backing tracks to go to FOH on outputs 1 and 2, and then output 3 can go to your drummer with the click and backing tracks (This would have to be an aux to actually be able to mix the levels independently.)

Example:


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## GunpointMetal (Jun 5, 2015)

Unless you're playing through a home stereo, 75% of the "Stereo" effect is lost on the audience. I'd worry more about a trouble-free set-up and tear down with less possibility of gear failure than getting a stereo backing track. I'm not saying that to discourage you, if you want to, do it. The only people who will know will be standing directly between the mains and people to either side will miss half the backtrack. Something to think about.


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## noUser01 (Jun 5, 2015)

GunpointMetal said:


> Unless you're playing through a home stereo, 75% of the "Stereo" effect is lost on the audience. I'd worry more about a trouble-free set-up and tear down with less possibility of gear failure than getting a stereo backing track. I'm not saying that to discourage you, if you want to, do it. The only people who will know will be standing directly between the mains and people to either side will miss half the backtrack. Something to think about.



Well, that's not _entirely_ true...

Stereo backing tracks totally work, you just need to be careful with them and consider that you're not in a typical listening environment. You're not playing to a crowd of people with headphones on. Or a crowd of people who are all at the same place in the stereo field. 

If I'm off to one side a bit, it's not the end of the world. If I'm right next to the left speaker, then my stereo listening experience will be essentially nonexistent though.

Yes, if you have EXACT stereo effects that you NEED to be in the middle for it's a bit of an issue, but there are a ton of stereo effects that don't require you to be dead center. For example, if you backtrack some synths or something with a stereo chorus or leslie or something, that's still going to work just fine. Do you get exactly the same effect across the audience? No. Is it detrimental? No, not really, it's just different. You still get a bit more added motion over mono.

Personally I would say go for it, but mix your stereo tracks a little on the tighter side. Don't go for FULL hard panned. It works better in larger venues when you're hitting better percentages of people in the "optimal" zone. Anything you would hard pan, try like 50% either way instead so that things don't get completely lost on one side.


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## BenSolace (Jun 9, 2015)

ConnorGilks said:


> Well, that's not _entirely_ true...
> 
> Stereo backing tracks totally work, you just need to be careful with them and consider that you're not in a typical listening environment. You're not playing to a crowd of people with headphones on. Or a crowd of people who are all at the same place in the stereo field.
> 
> ...



This x1,000,000.

My band uses stereo backing tracks, but when people first find out they assume that we're going to have all these hard panned stereo effects that, admittedly, would be bad for a live environment. However, if you're using a ton of synths, orchestrations and choirs, then smash it all down to a mono file it's going to sound crap.

For the odd synth, choir, sub drop etc. mono is fine, but things start to get seriously messy when you try and convert a busy backing track to mono. This the audience *does* hear, as rather than getting a good mix of elements they just hear this smudge of sound firing out of the PA accompanied by guitars, bass, drums and vocals!


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## GunpointMetal (Jun 9, 2015)

I'm a proponent of stripped down arrangements for live, so that's probably where my preference comes from. 

So when are we gonna see some Sithu Aye shows in the states?


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## BenSolace (Jun 10, 2015)

GunpointMetal said:


> I'm a proponent of stripped down arrangements for live, so that's probably where my preference comes from.



Good point, I guess it depends on how reliant a band is on backing tracks to complete their sound. Periphery/The Safety Fire etc. who use little bits here and there could function without, Devin Townsend/Wintersun etc. on the other hand no way!


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## noUser01 (Jun 10, 2015)

Since you're dealing with a narrower stereo field I'd spend a lot of time looking at how to optimize that. Mid/side processing (for both volume and EQ) and maybe even mixing in mono before panning everything would be two great ways to really make sure you get the most out of what little space you have.

If you don't have a mid/side EQ already the T-Racks Classic EQ (Comes with T-Racks Custom Shop) is free and pretty good. You just need to create an IK Multimedia account and download Custom Shop, open it in your DAW and then hit "buy" on the Classic EQ and it'll download and install for you. If you've got Waves Center, that's good for overall volume control of the middle and sides. Lastly something to narrow your bass frequencies as much as possible like Mongoose (dirt cheap, a must have in my book) will help by not flooding the sides with low end.


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## BlueGrot (Jun 10, 2015)

If possible, do your mixes on a PA. Headroom between elements, and dominating frequencies in the mix change wildly from a studio to a PA, and also differ greatly from PA to PA. If the mix in general has too much high end, it's an easy fix, but if one of the elements in the mix has too much high end, then it's a compromise.


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## noUser01 (Jun 11, 2015)

BlueGrot said:


> If possible, do your mixes on a PA. Headroom between elements, and dominating frequencies in the mix change wildly from a studio to a PA, and also differ greatly from PA to PA. If the mix in general has too much high end, it's an easy fix, but if one of the elements in the mix has too much high end, then it's a compromise.



Not just on a PA, but also mix while you play along to them to ensure things don't get lost.

Also, keep in mind some venues have subs and others don't, so I usually make two sets of backing tracks. One with more bass (for PA's without a sub) and one with less bass (for when I have access to a sub).

Oh, and don't kill the dynamic range of everything too much. A live show is more dynamic than a studio recording, so If the drums get loud during the chorus, chances are you'll have to bump up the volume of the backing tracks during that section, louder than you would've in the studio.

Though I imagine it's just you playing live, knowing your music? If you have a live band it's more important.


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## BlueGrot (Jun 11, 2015)

Absolutely, you'd be amazed at how +/- a few dBs will make elements pop out or disappear in a live situation.


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