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Joined: Mar 2014
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Hello all
Call me stupid, but I have been using BIAB to practice my improvisation and arppegios for the past year and had no idea you could use the backing tracks live.
I am a one man band that plays restaurants. I record backing tracks into my BOSS RC 300 looper pedal and then play over them.
Here are my questions
1. How can I use backing tracks created in BIAB in a live setting?
2. Is there any gear I need?
3. I don't want my backing tracks to sound "computer generated" like they do on my computer so do I need to do anything to make them sound "real?"
3. I have a Maschine Studio which I am still learning how to use that I was told I could use in conjunction with the BIAB
4. Is there a way to use the BIAB backing tracks without the Maschine Studio?
My BOSS looper pedal has a USB input if that helps you all
Here is the gear I am using.
-BOSS GT 100 effects processor
-BOSS RC 300 looper........for all my backing tracks
-BOSE L1 system 2 model PA/Monitor/power amp
-And of course my guitar.
I would greatly appreciate your help in this matter
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First off... welcome to the board.
To use in a live setting, I export from BIAB to a WAV file. Wouldn't want to rely on BIAB for live performance. I'm not familiar with the "looper pedal" or "mashine studio" so I can't comment on that.
I play my backing tracks directly from my laptop on stage. I use a PreSonus USB audio interface which sounds better than my laptop sound card and provides 1/4" outs to go into my live mixer. Using that setup, I don't have any problem with my tracks sounding "computer generated".
If you need more input, ask away.
Good luck.
Last edited by Takamine; 03/26/14 10:40 AM.
Rich
Windows 10, 64 bit | BIAB 2019 PlusPak | Studio One 2 Artist
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I do not often play "out" live..... but on the occasions I do, if it's not going to be just me and an acoustic guitar, I make backing tracks.
I write the song in BB and then use Real Band to render the various instrument tracks to audio files.
I import the audio files as tracks into my Sonar DAW and do the editing and enveloping there. I then export the final wave from Sonar without the lead vocal or my acoustic guitar. I burn that to a CD and pop the CD into a player at the gig site.
To hear what this sounds like, simply visit my web site (link in my signature) and click MY MUSIC and listen to a few of the songs there. They are all done in the method I describe above with the vocals and acoustic included in the mix.
Yeah... it's totally do-able.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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3. I don't want my backing tracks to sound "computer generated" like they do on my computer so do I need to do anything to make them sound "real?"
That comment sounds like you are trying to use a very old version of Band in a Box, one that came out before the advent of RealDrums and RealTracks. What VERSION of Band in a Box do you have? --Mac
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You all may call me stupid too, however I use BIAB for live performance on my laptop and have been since Ver 11. Now that I have Ver 14 I believe it sounds very good as is. I do all my mixing etc, put the lyrics on screen with other performance notes, and my partner and I just go to work. I play guitar with the arrangements which adds to the "live" sound. My computer has a high quality sound card, and we use a high quality sound system. I have two external HD's that I use for backup so if my laptop would fail, I can use any backup machine. 2014 has made it so easy to enter and arrange the music. I prefer the easy simple route, and did not want to spend a lot of money and time on equipment and such and learning to use more equipment. I have had several people ask where I buy my backing tracks, and I'm happy to tell them, I make them myself. I have even had some approach me to make tracks for them to use on CD. My partner and I are both retired, and we are working 2-3 programs per week, and bookings just keep coming. I don't plan to fix something that works so well as is.
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I've used BB right on the laptop in live performances off and on for over ten years.
BB serves as my virtual jazz trio backing, drums, bass, sometimes a bit of guitar to go along with my piano playing.
Not a problem.
--Mac
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Hi
I use my windows 7 PC 'live' on stage with my band as we don't have a reliable rhythm section - yet!
The laptop is connected via the jack to 'left and right' 1/4 jacks which feed into a Behringer 800w powered mixer, in turn feeding to 2 Peavey twin cone 15" floor standing speakers. It's a lot of gear to cart about, but if you're not looking, you'd swear blind it's a real rhythm section on stage. The built in sound card is fine I find, provided you've all the real tracks installed. For 'extra' instruments, I input what i want them to play on the notation screen in BIAB and use ARIA to provide the sounds - again, pretty convincing. Only thing is to make sure you have a decent laptop - I'd recommend at least an i5 processor with plenty of RAM and a big hard disk. Good luck!!http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/grin.gif
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Thank you all!!! I have few questions for some of you individually that I will message in a bit. I greatly appreciate it.
Curt
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Do any of you guys suggest using an iPad with some kind of software? I imagine and iPad would be the easiest to transport
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Rich
I appreciate your feedback. Could you please list out each piece of equipment I need to make this happen?
I have a laptop with BIAB
I have a BOSE PA/Monitor/power amp
I have my guitar
What am I missing?
Interface??
Higher quality sound card??
Anything else?
Curt
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So I am thinking about upgrading to the Ultra Plus pack for an additional $279
Just to be clear.......you all feel the sound quality of what is in that package is top quality and will sound like real instruments when I make backing tracks?
Curt
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So I am thinking about upgrading to the Ultra Plus pack for an additional $279
Just to be clear.......you all feel the sound quality of what is in that package is top quality and will sound like real instruments when I make backing tracks?
Curt The sound quality will be extremely good. (The audiophile version will be slightly better, but unless you are doing commercial studio recordings with some high-quality gear, you will probably not be able to tell the difference). If you use Real Drums and Real Tracks included in the Ultra Plus Pack, the instruments will sound real, because they are real recordings of instruments.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Thank you. I appreciate it. Yes, the demos I heard sound great!!!
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Here's a question for you. I bought the Maschine Studio recently not realizing I could use BIAB for many of the same things.
What is the difference between the two? Do you feel there is an advantage to using the two together. The demos done with the Maschine sound phenomenal too.
Curt
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Rich
I appreciate your feedback. Could you please list out each piece of equipment I need to make this happen?
I have a laptop with BIAB
I have a BOSE PA/Monitor/power amp
I have my guitar
What am I missing?
Interface??
Higher quality sound card??
Anything else?
Curt From what I can tell from your setup, it sounds like the only thing you would need is the USB audio interface. It's generally intended as a way to record on your PC, but I found it works great in a live setting. The digital signal is routed through a USB port into the audio interface where it is converted to analog. The Digital to Analog converters in the audio interface are generally much better than what are on a laptop's sound card. At least in my case, I think the sound is much cleaner. I give a lot of credit to others on this board for steering me in that direction. I went with the PreSonus USB Audiobox. Can be had for around $120 from Sweetwater and other music retailers. I also considered the Focusrite 2i2, which sounds like a nice unit. The audio interface comes with a copy of StudioOne Artist. I prefer playing WAV files instead of BIAB files as I feel there's less to go wrong when using WAV files and (as I'll explain below) I find them easier to handle on stage. Here's my workflow. I generally create the song in BIAB and get it as close as possible, complete with intro and ending. I then export each part as a separate WAV file and then import those into StudioOne. Once in StudioOne I tweak the parts a bit, maybe cut a guitar part out on a verse or whatever. I'll also add a few MIDI parts at this point, if needed. StudioOne also allows me to add some effects, EQ, reverb, etc. Once it's done (which it never is...) I export this as a single WAV file. For playing live, I built a simple web site that is hosted on my laptop. Each page has a separate WAV file embedded in it, so all I have to do is hit the enter key to start the next song. (If anyone's interested, I'll send you a copy of the site.) That's about it. Good Luck
Rich
Windows 10, 64 bit | BIAB 2019 PlusPak | Studio One 2 Artist
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If you are not concerned with recording your own audio tracks, but are concerned with just using Band in a Box live for backing, the laptop's internal sound playback via the earphone jack, connected using a proper mini stereo connector that breaks out to the proper connect to your PA works very fine indeed.
--Mac
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Wow, some really good info here. Maybe I have been on the right track all along, and didn't know it. I own a PreSonus Audio Box, but have only used in in my studio for some limited recording. I use the USB port on my laptop and feed it directly into a Carvin 800 amp/mixer (10 lbs). That feeds into a Dawn 510 speaker system. The live sound is incredible. I loaded the BIAB 2014 onto my laptop which is relatively new with lots of memory and speed and storage. The internal sound card is home theater quality. When I use BIAB on the external HD, I can't tell any difference in the quality. I did this only because I don't have to carry the HD along. Most of my arrangements are all real tracks using 4-6 instruments and real drums (that makes all the difference)over midi drums. I love this whole thing and normally add a couple of new tunes per day. I use the mute and fade, volume and tone features to mix the arrangements in and out which works very well. I don't know how I could make it any simpler. I've tried the WAV file route, but I love being able to see where I'm at in the arrangements on screen with lyrics and notes. I use a dual monitor set up so my partner reads the same thing I do. I am a firm believer in using the system in live performance and have been very successful. I call the laptop my Cosmic Cowboy Computer Combo, but we do country, jazz, pop and lots of other stuff. It is just a heck of a deal, and simple.
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Don't think you're missing anything except you don't mention some decent speakers - I'd use what you have right now. the beauty of using BIAB 'as is' is that you can alter the tempo, loop the song, change the feel etc. to keep the gig going well.
We've looped the intro of a song on gigs when our singer sin't quite 'ready' and other times we haven't - can't do that if you've made your backing tracks into a cd, or put them on an i player etc.
Also, not that your public would notice, but I like the fact that each time I generate a tune, the real tracks are slightly different from the time before, which adds interest for us musicians!
Finally, if you found a cracking bassist for a gig, simply mute that instrument and they can 'step in' - next time, if it's just you, un-mute it and off you go!!
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Rich
Thank you again!!!
So to be clear, if I buy an interface, I can create a backing track on BIAB. I can then plug my guitar into the interface, play over the backing track, save the backing track AND what I played and burn it on to a CD? Or load it on to a website?
In other words create a demo???
I need to make a website and load on some demos so I can draw some business
Curt
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Yes, you can use the interface to create a demo. That's really what it's designed to do, but I've found I like to use it for live performances, as well.
Reading through these posts you'll see there are a lot of ways to end up at the same destination. Neither is right or wrong, just a personal preference based on what works for each person.
Rich
Windows 10, 64 bit | BIAB 2019 PlusPak | Studio One 2 Artist
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