Want to play live with studio-quality sound? Whether you’re a solo act or a full band, backing tracks can take your performance to the next level—if you set them up right.
This guide walks you through the easiest, most reliable ways to run tracks as a drummer, from barebones iPods to full-on Ableton rigs.
What Are Backing Tracks, Really?
Backing tracks are pre-recorded pieces of music that a band or artist plays along to in a live performance, video, or just for fun at home.
They’re different from karaoke or drumless tracks and are used to enhance live shows with studio-like sound.
They’re extremely common in modern music and far more affordable than hiring extra musicians. Most setups require just a laptop, audio software (like a DAW), an audio interface, and some cables.
Older setups used MP3 players with stereo splitters, but laptops—especially MacBook Pros—are now the standard.
How Drummers Use Backing Tracks Live
Ever notice a MacBook on stage at a concert? It’s likely running a playback system or triggering virtual instruments via MIDI. Drummers often control or sync with these systems to keep everything locked in.
Is It Cheating? (Short Answer: No)
Some musicians argue that backing tracks ruin the authenticity of a live show. But in reality, using tracks allows for creative possibilities that simply aren’t achievable with just the people on stage.
It’s not about replacing musicians—it’s about enhancing the performance. Many successful acts use backing tracks, and plenty of credible artists support their use.
As Adam Neely points out in one of his videos, both approaches have merit.
This article isn’t here to debate—it’s here to show you how to use them the right way.
Benefits of Using a Backing Track Player for Your Band
Better Sounding Live Shows: Add layers from your studio recordings—harmonies, synths, percussion—to your live set.
Bigger Sound Without Extra Musicians: Hiring a full crew is expensive. Backing tracks let you scale up your sound without scaling up your budget.
Unlimited Creative Possibilities: Build pre-programmed intros, spoken word transitions, sound design, and more. A well-built playback system unlocks performance freedom.
Click Track or Chaos?
You Must Play with a Click Track
To keep everything synced, you’ll almost always need to play to a click in your in-ear monitors.
It’s not mandatory, but without it, timing transitions between live playing and pre-recorded audio becomes unpredictable—especially during silence or breakdowns.
Why I Gave Up on Manual Sample Triggering
When I first tried to build a playback system, I wanted to trigger all the samples live—no click, no full tracks. Some triggers came from my station, others from my bandmate’s MIDI keyboard.
It was a mess.
I was determined we wouldn’t be using click tracks. I had a naive notion that all the samples would be triggered in real time.
Because I could hear samples in my ears loudly, and since I am a solid timekeeper, I figured syncing up to these sections would be no problem.
For certain sections of songs, I would trigger samples, and for others, Chris would take care of it with his FCB1010 and other various pre-programmed keys on his 88-key controller.
It was a lofty idea and implementation was far more difficult than I expected. The setup was overly complicated and required days of extra work to design, prep, and then rehearse songs.
We spent days programming, rehearsing, and trying to get tight with real-time triggering. Eventually, I gave in and used Ableton Live with stems from our studio sessions.
It was more reliable, easier to use, and made for a cleaner show.
Drawbacks of Using Backing Tracks Live
Just like anything else in music, playback systems come with trade-offs. Before committing to backing tracks, it’s important to know what you’re signing up for.
Longer Setup Time
Running backing tracks adds complexity to your rig. Soundcheck takes longer, especially when you’re routing multiple outputs and testing your in-ears.
That said, small gear choices can make a big difference. I work with a band whose setup used to be a mess—until I loaned them something that streamlined their soundchecks. One small piece of gear helped them dramatically cut down setup time, which we’ll touch on later.
Technical Glitches Will Happen
You’re introducing computers and software into a live show. That means cables can fail, files can skip, interfaces can disconnect, or your DAW could crash mid-set. Having backups and knowing how to troubleshoot is essential.
You Have to Learn a Lot
There’s a learning curve. From software like Ableton Live to hardware routing and file management, it takes time to get a reliable system running. But once you do, it’s worth it.
You’re Married to the Click
We already covered this in detail, but it’s worth reiterating—backing tracks lock you into a tempo. If your band thrives on fluid tempo shifts or improvisation, this could be a deal-breaker.
The Smartphone Setup
This is the most basic and affordable way to start running backing tracks live. If you have an old iPod lying around, or an iPhone or Android device, you can use it to send a stereo audio signal—one side for the click, one side for the tracks.
How It Works
Inside your digital audio workstation, pan your backing tracks fully left and your click track fully right. Export the mix as a stereo file and load it onto your device. When played back, the left channel goes to the audience, and the right channel (click) goes to your ears.
What You’ll Need
- A stereo DI box (like the Radial Pro D2 or similar)
- A 3.5mm TRS to dual 1/4″ TS cable (TNP and Hosa make decent ones)
- A small mixer to blend the click and monitor mix (optional)
- If you’re using a smartphone, you’ll likely need a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter (or Lightning for iPhones)
Setting It Up Live
You’ll send the left channel (tracks) out to the PA, and the right channel (click) into your in-ears. If you want to clean up your setup, consider using a small trap table.
Back in the day, I built one out of a snare stand and a piece of plywood, wrapped in gaffer’s tape. It worked—and honestly, still would.
While this setup isn’t the most robust or future-proof, it works. It used to be one of the most recommended setups on drum forums, and it’s still a great place to start.
That said, if you already own a laptop, you’re better off integrating it instead—we’ll cover that next.
The Laptop Playback Rig
If you already own a laptop, this is hands-down the best way to run backing tracks live. It offers more power, flexibility, and reliability than old-school iPod setups, and it’s become the industry standard.
Why It’s Better
Using a laptop with playback software like Ableton Live lets you:
- Route multiple outputs (e.g., send bass, keys, and vocal tracks on separate channels)
- Customize your setlist on the fly
- Create seamless transitions between songs
- Expand your setup with MIDI control, tempo automation, and visual elements
The Core Gear You’ll Need
You don’t need a ton of gear to get started—just the right components:
- Laptop: A MacBook Pro is common on stage, but any reliable machine will do
- Audio Interface: I recommend the iConnectivity PlayAudio12—it’s designed specifically for playback systems and offers redundancy for failsafe live use
- DAW: Ableton Live is the most popular, but there are alternatives (see below)
- Cables: TRS patch cables for outputs, and a snake (XLR or TRS to XLR) to reach front of house
- In-Ear Monitors: Shure SE425s are my personal pick for solid, affordable monitoring
- Case (optional): Something like the SKB Studio Flyer can keep everything safe and compact
What Is an Audio Interface and Why Does It Matter?
An audio interface routes multiple audio signals from your computer to your mixer or PA. It replaces your computer’s headphone jack with dedicated, stable outputs—crucial for running stems, click, and cue tracks.
The PlayAudio12 is especially powerful. You can connect two laptops to it—running the same Ableton session—and if one crashes, it instantly switches to the other with zero audio dropout. It’s like a modern, more affordable version of the Radial SW8.
It also gives you up to five stereo outputs (10 channels total), meaning more flexibility for FOH mixing.
How It All Connects
Your laptop connects to the audio interface via USB. Inside your DAW (likely Ableton), you assign each audio stem to a different output. For example:
- Tracks 1–2: Synths
- Tracks 3–4: Bass
- Tracks 5–6: Backing vocals
- Track 7: Click
- Track 8: Cue voice or guide track
These outputs connect to your DI box (like the Radial Pro D8), which routes the signals to front of house via XLR.
Overkill? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.
Engineers love getting separate stems—it gives them more control and helps your band sound tighter. And once your session is programmed, you’ll have full creative control over your live show.
Software Options
- Ableton Live: Industry standard for live playback
- Digital Performer: Used by pro touring playback techs
- ShowOne (iOS): Lightweight mobile solution
- LiveTraker: Dedicated app for running tracks
- Idoru: Hardware-based, no laptop needed (still in development)
No matter what software you choose, make sure it allows custom routing and easy setlist management.
This was my go-to rig for a long time before upgrading to a fully integrated monitor and playback system.
It’s portable, powerful, and scalable—great for drummers who want serious control over their live sound.
Prepping Your Backing Tracks
Getting your tracks ready for live use can feel like the most intimidating part of the process—but once you understand the flow, it becomes second nature.
What You’ll Need
At the core, you need two things:
- A pre-mixed stereo .wav file (your backing track)
- A click track that matches it perfectly in tempo and structure
Inside Your DAW
Open your digital audio workstation and import your stems or final mix from your studio session. Then:
- Create a new audio or MIDI channel for the click.
- Program the click to match the grid exactly. Use whatever samples feel best in your in-ears—woodblock, rim, beeps, etc.
If you’re a Kontakt user, I’ve created a simple .nki click instrument you can use to speed up this step. It’s included below with samples pre-loaded. Just copy/paste your MIDI notes and you’re set.
Normalize Your Tracks Before Exporting
Before bouncing your final tracks, normalize them to a consistent level—around -6dB is a great target.
This helps prevent volume jumps between songs and makes your sound engineer’s life much easier.
Compression only gets you so far, so leveling your stems ahead of time ensures a smoother, more balanced mix during the show.
Bouncing Tracks
Once your session is ready, export each track:
- The stereo backing track on one file
- The click track on another
Many DAWs have a “Batch Export” or “Render Stems” function to make this easier. If you’re working in Ableton and your click lives in the same session, you may not need this step—routing can handle it.
Keep Your Files Organized
Label everything clearly. Include song names and tempos in the filenames:
01_HollowMoon_TRACK_128bpm.wav01_HollowMoon_CLICK_128bpm.wav
You’ll thank yourself later when something goes wrong at soundcheck.
Setting Up Your Ableton Session
There’s no single “right” way to build a session in Ableton Live, but here’s a simple and effective approach that works well for live drummers.
If you’re new to Ableton, I’d recommend checking out a beginner’s guide to get familiar with the interface. Once you’re comfortable navigating the software, here’s how to get your backing tracks ready to roll.
Basic Track Routing
Set up two audio channels in Ableton:
- Backing Tracks Channel: Load your stereo backing track and route the output to External Out 1/2 (this will go to front of house).
- Click Track Channel: Load the click that matches your backing track and send it to External Out 3/4 (this will go to your in-ear monitor mix).
This routing might change based on your audio interface, but the concept is the same—separate the audience-facing audio from the drummer-only click.
Disable Warping!
Ableton Live defaults to warping audio files to match the session tempo. If your track’s BPM doesn’t match the Live session, your audio might play back distorted or out of sync.
To prevent this:
- Click the audio clip
- In the Clip View panel, uncheck “Warp”
- Set the correct original tempo if needed
- Or disable auto-warp in Ableton preferences
You can also include the song’s tempo in the scene name (e.g., “Song Name 138bpm”) to help Live stay in sync.
Adding a Monitor Mix Channel
If your venue provides a monitor mix, create a third audio channel:
- Go to Create → Insert Audio Track
- Set Audio From to External In 1/2
- Set Audio To to External Out 3/4 (same as your click track)
- Set Monitor to “In”
This lets you blend the monitor feed with your click in your ears, all inside Ableton.
Controlling Playback on Stage
You can launch songs manually by selecting a scene and hitting Enter. But most drummers prefer a hands-free method:
- Use a MIDI controller to trigger scenes
- I personally use an Alesis Strike MultiPad to launch each song
This lets you stay focused on drumming without touching the laptop mid-show.
Making Soundcheck Smoother
Adding a playback rig to your live setup can slow down your soundcheck—unless you’re prepared. Here are a few ways to keep things fast and stress-free:
Build a “Test Track” Scene
Make a short scene inside your Ableton session with an immediate playback of all your loudest stems. Use it during soundcheck to make sure levels are dialed in quickly without waiting through a full intro.
Bring Backups for Everything
It’s obvious but overlooked. Have extras of your TRS cables, USB cords, in-ear buds, and anything else you can’t afford to lose or snap mid-tour.
Pre-Stage Your Setup
If you’re the opener, set up your rig off-stage during the headliner’s soundcheck. Get your cymbal stands and playback cables in position so you can move fast when it’s your turn.
Keep Your Rig Plugged In
Design your setup to stay pre-wired. I’ve seen drummers use pedalboards or rack cases with their laptops Velcroed in place and everything plugged in. Less plugging = faster soundcheck.
Be Open to Sharing Kits
Not always ideal, but sometimes the best way to reduce chaos is to share the drum kit—especially on tight stages or festival backlines.
Keeping Your Gear Safe
Once you’ve built a playback rig, your laptop becomes the most valuable thing on stage. Here’s how to protect it:
Use a Dedicated Playback Laptop
Avoid loading up your playback machine with email apps, games, or clutter. Keep it lean and distraction-free. I always recommend keeping a separate laptop for daily use.
Travel With a Solid Case
I use a Pelican case to tour with my laptop. It’s built like a tank, but if you’re on a budget, there are affordable alternatives that still offer great protection.
A rig failure can mean a canceled show—or worse, an entire tour going sideways. Protect it like your tour depends on it.
Why a Fly Case Changes Everything
Earlier I mentioned a small piece of gear that transformed a band’s setup—here’s the story.
I work with a band called Oh Geeez, Not Again that runs a fairly simple playback rig: a MacBook Air and a Behringer 8-channel interface.
Before using a fly case, their soundcheck routine was chaotic. The interface sat on the floor, the DI boxes were wired up from scratch every time, the laptop balanced on a stool—and there were cables everywhere.
I loaned them a 4-space SKB Fly rack case, and it changed their world. They didn’t need to tear down and rebuild the setup every gig.
The DI boxes now live in the back of the rack. The interface stays plugged in. The laptop sits safely up top.
Setup time dropped dramatically, and they specifically told me how much easier their night was because of it.
If you’re using a laptop-based system, a fly case isn’t just convenient—it’s essential.
It keeps your gear protected, pre-wired, and efficient. You’ll move faster, look more professional, and stress less.
Final Thoughts
Building a reliable backing track rig isn’t just about gear—it’s about confidence. When everything is set up right, you can stop worrying about tech and focus on delivering your best performance every night.
Whether you’re starting with a smartphone and stereo cable or diving into an Ableton rig with the PlayAudio12, the key is to stay consistent, stay organized, and always test before you take the stage.
Need Help Setting Up?
Already have your stems and just want someone to take care of the playback setup for you? I offer hands-on setup services to help drummers and bands build their rigs without the headache.
I’ll make sure everything works—routing, Ableton session, MIDI triggering, click balance, and more—so you can focus on playing.
➡️ Interested? Contact me and let’s talk about what you need.
51 comments
Dave Swenson
I use a Zoom L12 live with backing tracks. For solo gigs, I use channels 11-12 for percussion/drums, 9-10 for keys/strings, channel 8 for bass and click track on channel 7. Still leaves 6 tracks for vocal microphones and guitars. If my bass player is on the duo gig, I just mute channel 8. If the drummer is with us on a trio gig, I also mute channels 11-12. The L12 has 5 different headphone mixes so you can use either wired headphone or earbuds, or IEMs. SD card holds a ton of songs. If you number the songs, you can have it in set list order, and use a foot switch to start the tracks.
Przemek
Hi,
Thanks for this very helpful and detailed article! One thing I would like to point out is that all MOTU 828 outputs are balanced +4 dBu so you can connect them directly to any modern mixer without any DI box. It means you can cut the cost in half by simply dropping the Radial Pro-D8!
Mark Mallinder
I use the Cymatic LP16 in my Madness Tribute band. It’s a dedicated hardware unit which is much simpler than rigging up a laptop and audio interface. I’ve always been worried about having a valuable laptop on stage because of it being a target for thieves. It’s simple to operate with dedicated buttons for each function and a built in LCD display. The songs are stored on a USB flash drive. D/A Converters aren’t great but it’s perfectly fine for most bands. It supports 16 tracks with 16 individual outputs and midi too. It also has a footswitch input and a dedicated headphone output.
https://cymaticaudio.com/lp-16-productpage/
Jamie
Hi Nick,
Great write up.
Originally I was looking to create a set up similar to the MOTU /D8 route, but I am now looking to create an all-in-one set up using the X32 rack with IEMs – which is when I came across this page…
Would it be possible to use ONLY the X32 to run back tracks AND IEM mixes?
What additional gear would I need?
It would be two wireless IEM systems (drummer connecting direct), 1 wireless guitar (amp going direct digitally to FOH) and 1 wireless mic.
Backtracks would be ran through Ableton Live.
Does the X32 work as an audio interface as well? Would we be limited to the amount of back tracks we could send to FOH?
All this is so confusing as a new comer haha!
Thanks in advance.
Nick Cesarz
Thanks, Jamie!
First off, the X32 does work as an audio interface. That said, it’s pretty finicky. I can’t recall if you’re limited on the use of the X32 while using it in USB mode. Actually, I’m pretty sure you lose some outputs (8 if I’m not mistaken).
I can’t say for sure without testing myself, but I think you’re still going to want some sort of playback solution, like the Playaudio 12.
Tom Atkinson
Often I think it’s a pity there isn’t a standard like Native Instruments “Stems” m4a file that can also contain MIDI data at high accuracy. Having virtual instruments would be luxury, but to start, just a bare bones multi-channel audio format (m4a?) which can also multiplex in the MIDI.
– Logic / Ableton / Protools sessions. It’s not really a format though. Lug around my lovely MOTU interface on tour? Prefer not to. Ideally a twin laptop Play12 setup.
– The IDORU-P1 seems maybe to do what I need. Not having a computer would give confidence just having 1 unit initially. I see the USB port, but would be nice to also see a MIDI in/out port (so you can be sure it does this). Plus I also want to do the odd track without backing. This little pedal is inobtrusive enough for that. Can it do live looping? Not sure. Seems not to be real.
– Then perhaps so does the Unity Game Engine, as it runs on mac, PC, linux, mobile, but also Playstation, Xbox. This way, I can just take a playstation and an xbox on tour. But I’d have write my own game. It could also run the lighting show in funky way. It would probably go out of sync though.
– Maybe a two Raspberry PI could also run this simple game sending MIDI vis USB Audio.
– Reaper is a good simple cross platform host, there is also Ardour, Digital Performer.
– FMOD / trackers seem too oldschool.
– Pedal Player looks good but they didn’t say it can playback MIDI out, they say it can receive programme change events etc.
– A “dumb terminal” like a 4 track or Boss BR-studio could just “play down” a recording from Logic.
– Tracker mod formats come close but I’ve not seen one with super precise MIDI timing.
– https://livetraker.com/v4/6/ This looks like the ticket.
Andrew Watts
Hi, This is a fantastic article. I’d love to have a Zoom call with someone to help me nut out a change in our setup.
I have been using backing tracks for years, done the old way.
I programme midi files in an old version of Cakewalk, including midi patch changes for vocal effects, guitar patches and lighting patches.
I use a dedicated midi file player (Merish Live), which plays stereo backing tracks (bass and keys), and sends an midi output that runs an Alesis Dm5 for click, and then downstream to our other devices for patch changes. Its a very stable setup. But the sounds are dated, and I’d like to have some prerecorded harmonies.
So, I’m looking to updated, recognising that I have 150 songs already, and dont want to spend months re-recording everything. If I move to a Laptop, I also want to be certain that the time between songs is very short.
Could someone help me with this? Andrew W (andrewbanker@me.com)
Gaetan Bouchard
Hi. Is there a software/DAW that can Run Wav files, a click and at least one video at the same time. I saw LiveTraker but the trial is infected by a SpyWare so I won’t even install it. I do need a backing track player that can do both, audio and video. I am currently using Studio One “Show page” but it lacks video support.
Nick Cesarz
Oh, yikes! I should remove that from the list immediately if that’s the case. Sorry about that. Maybe they were hacked or something.
I think Ableton Live can run video and backing tracks at the same time, but to be honest, I’ve never used video in that regard before.
ET
How about devices like the Cymatic Audio LP-16 or utrack24? Asking because there aren’t many dedicated multitrack playback devices without a laptop and DAW.
Nick Cesarz
I haven’t any experiences with those devices myself, but they look like they might be able to get the job done.
Scar
You can take all of this a step further by building a closed IEM system along with it. It requires quite a bit more gear, though, and gets more spendy. What I have for my setup involves a 16 channel signal splitter snake, an interface with 16 outputs, a 16 channel digital mixer with 4 auxiliary outputs, and our wireless IEM units/body packs. The DAW routs everything to outputs on my interface that then go to the splitter (so FOH can have separate signals for each item/instrument that’s running through the system) and from there, into the mixer. The mixer allows us to have 5 customized in ear monitor mixes that each member can mix to their liking. I happened to have enough room left in my rack for a power amp, so in essence, the whole system doubles as our PA for rehearsals.
Chance Cook
I like how your setup allows for two separate channels of tracks. That is the kind of setup I want. So I’ll start saving some money and see what I can get myself into.
John Michael Green
A couple of years ago I successfully used an iPod Classic, in an attachment on my mic stand, to play our backing tracks. I’ve dug it out to use in new duo project but I’ve forgotten how to switch off continuous play. Do you happen to know how to do that by any chance? I know I used to have it setup so that when a song I’d selected finished playing the iPod would return to the song list waiting for my next choice. But now I can’t figure out what setting(s) needs to be made to achieve that!
Noah Lippert
Hey,
Here I am again. I got another question: Can you somehow get the click and cues from your ableton session sent to the digital mixer so that every band member can listen to the click and cues from your ableton session? If yes, how?
Noah Lippert
So I’m really totally new to all of that ableton and in general live sets. But a thing that I just don’t get: How do you connect your iem’s to the line output 3/4 on the interface? And is it possible to get every single instrument from the live monitors sent inside ableton so you can adjust the volume of every single instrument? I’m just asking because the band I’m playing with doesn’t have any sound engineers or so. Also, forget about the question I asked a few days ago:)
Davide
You can use easily the PEDAL PLAYER stompbox and with just one small pedal you will solve all your problems during the live execution. All tracks and clicks must be prepared at home with your preferred DAW and must be at same bit rate and length, that’s all folks!
1. No DAW on the stage
2. Dual Player of 2 synchronized Stereo MP3 Audio Tracks. RCA Stereo/Jack Mono output for each channel.
3. ROUTER Wi-Fi embedded for video and Lyrics/Music Scores/PDF change Automation.
4. REMOTE MIDI AUTOMATION CONTROLLER for a complete Automation of your Live Equipment through MIDI OUT port.
5. A-B LOOPER Studio Mode
6. METRONOME flexible with different Click samples, linked to each song
7. TABLET-PC OUT (PDF) to connect until 3 different TABLET-PC through Wi-Fi Network with automatic page change with an user friendly Learning Recording Interface.
8. OLED Display high definition high brillance
9. VIDEO OUT to Projectors or HDMI-in/ Wi-Fi sources through any Android or Web2TV Device usage combination.
10. MUSIC STICK READER to immediately listen your favorite music songs during pre-concert phase
11. HEADPHONES Minijack stereo A/B/A+B source
12. FOOTSWITCH for manual/foot page change on PC Tablet
Check it out.
http://www.poom.it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jTDP4P8Woc&feature=youtu.be
Noah Lippert
Hey Nick,
I got two question:
The first one is, if you add a click and cues with midi can you transform it to audio, so you can put it next to your backing tracks that are t an audio file. Or can you just add a midi track next to an audio track? I’m sure there are downloadable clicks in the Tempo you need it, so you can put it into an audio file, but you can’t just download cues. You can program cues and click in Ableton, using midi.
Other question:
Let’s say i set up a backing track and everything works how it should. Obviously the singer, guitarist or whatever will need another backing track than me as a drummer. Do I need to create a separate backing track for evey single person that needs one, f.eg. for the singer without vocals and so on and so forth? I still don’t quite get it but I’m gonna read through it again and probably I’ll get it eventually.
Two other question tho:
If I run the backing tracks, do I always start the songs/stop the songs?
Last question:
Why do you need to interfaces? I think you wrote that you need an audio interface and the Motu 828 mk3, if it was called like that. But isn’t the Motu an audio Interface?
thomas
Very interesting article. Personally, I use jamorphosia.com/en for create backing tracks from mp3 files.
Dave
Great article. I’m just starting to consider adding a simple backing track system using Ableton Live. I’m the lead guitarist and currently run drums using a BeatBuddy which is controlled along with my Helix using a Morningstar MC8 controller. I’m hoping the BeatBuddy can act as a replacement to a click track since all drum tracks incorporate some form of drum count in which we’re all used to using and should be able to be synchronized with Ableton tracks. I’m trying to figure out if Ableton’s BPM can be set or synchronized with the BeatBuddy as the master MIDI clock.
Since our needs in this regard are quite simple and we only need to add pads or keyboards and maybe some horns I’m wondering if using MIDI tracks in Ableton rather than audio tracks would be a better option for us.
Mike
Any opinions on Ableton vs livetracker? My band doesn’t use backing tracks currently (in the future I could see us using a few but not a lot), we will need to use a click so we can program lights to our songs and then have the drummer just hit a play button from on stage via Mac or iPad.
neovich
Just thinking about my live set up in the good old days ……Oh geez it makes me shudder
It is amazing the changes from the first live playback set up I started with ,
One on desktop computer with a delta44 sound card
to the one we have now. A Hugely different beast.
It has defiantely evolved…..
So….self written app using browser, can select any song from 32 songs, on each members smart phone. Once play is hit , it triggers playback in reaper and changes drum,keyboard and vox fx patches . ( via midi ) It show the name of the song on everyones phone.
We now use 4 PCs without a single monitor on stage. Oh boy its heaven !
Our singer loves it, she just pics any song, (without order ) and play
My sound patches on the keys changes for me. and so does the drummers patches ( td 30 via drum samples ) even during a chorus or verse.
And yes our drummer is pretty good with a click.
Julian
Hi Nick, thanks so much for this informative and objective article. I’m just starting out with a band, and we’ll be rehearsing songs that I wrote and recorded using Reason. We are a 7-piece band, but there will still be a few parts in each song that won’t be able to be played by a human. My thought is that I’ll just pull up my Reason session for whichever song we’re rehearsing, mute the tracks that won’t be used, then have everyone play to the tracks that *will* be used. I realize this is probably a crude way in which to go about it, but I’m a complete novice when it comes to this sort of stuff. Also, I realize that we’ll probably have to figure something else out for when we’re ready to actually take our show on the road.
Any insights, thoughts, ideas, or questions, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!!