|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887
Expert
|
OP
Expert
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887 |
So I played a gig with a friend of mine from high school last night for New Years Eve. I played steel pan and he played ukulele. I was playing the melody on the leadsheet and he would play the chords written on top. The issue we had was that we only that afternoon to practice and a lot of the songs where more than two pages. My question is, would it help if I made drum and bass tracks using the real tracks (and yes practice), to help use keep in time, while also providing the rest of the "band".
Computer: Macbook Pro, 16 inch 2021
DAWs: Pro Tools, Logic, and Maschine
plays drums, percussion, bass, steel pan, keyboard,
music producer/engineer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471 |
There is a big controversy among musicians about using backing tracks or not. However, it's important to know that there doesn't seem to be one with audience members. My vote is Yes but with a lot of practice. First of all, you will find the tempo of your backing track to be very strict. It's like playing with a metronome. When I started using a drum machine in the late 1970s with our old trio, it seemed like the drummer sped up and slowed down -- of course the machine wasn't doing either. Next you need to know that your arrangements are static. It's like playing in an orchestra using charts. If one of you get lost, there will be no "vamp 'till cue" or any of those other devices to get you back on track if you get distracted. I get around that by using a DAW to put audio cues in the music. Depending on the song, a percussion instrument or an identifiable lick before the B part or wherever needed. And rest assured, distractions will happen. You'll be playing away and someone will come up and ask you to play "Happy Birthday" to a mumbled name that you will have to ask them to repeat so you can understand it, and the backing track will not care, it will just go on and on. And be sure to have good monitors or speaker placement so that you can hear the backing track well. I've been playing with self-created backing tracks in my duo since 1985 and I've gone through a few different methods from cassette tapes to hardware sequencers to software sequencers and so on to the method I'm currently using. I made an instructional web page about that, it may be much more than you need, but you are welcome to use what you want and ignore the rest. http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlInsights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,726
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,726 |
the backing track will not care, it will just go on and on.
And be sure to have good monitors or speaker placement so that you can hear the backing track well.
Bwahahaha... yup...ask Mariah how well THAT turned out.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
Bwahahaha... yup...ask Mariah how well THAT turned out.
Whaddaya mean?!?! It was the sound guy's fault. LOL
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
My take on the use of backing tracks is as follows:
1) I agree with Notes Norton that the audience tends to be much more OK with it than musicians... but it still has to sound good.
2) Using TRAX isn't an automatic slam-dunk... lots of stuff can still go wrong, and you need to be rehearsed enough to know and prepare for the most common technical problems
3) Try to keep it as believable as possible. Use trax to play songs that other solo musicians might play without trax. Songs that are virtuoso performances just won't fly if the virtuoso part is pre-recorded. On the other hand, if you're playing the virtuoso stuff ... and nailing it... that's a different story
4) As Herb mentioned about Mariah Carey's new year's eve fiasco... a canned track absolutely requires everybody in the band to hear and follow along. I tried to incorporate trax into a couple of bands that had a drummer, and the drummer played so loud he couldn't hear the trax... consequently, he sped up or slowed down and it totally screwed up the song
there's lots more, but those are a couple of the key points I've had to deal with. By all means, pursue the use of trax, especially for small gigs like parties, where the alternative would likely be no music at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 40
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 40 |
I'm a percussionist/singer and gig regularly with the lead singer from my band if we're playing small rooms, or budget is a big concern for the venue. We gig with the tunes all the time and have been doing it for 15 years, so lack of practice is usually a non-issue. My recommendations are:
1. Practice as much as possible to work up some great sets that you know really well: this one's a no brainer.
2. If you're considering BIAB, it could be a great tool for individual practice. Pan drum is an interesting instrument because it's musically a closer relative to the mallet instruments (xylophone, vibraphone, etc.). I'm also a public school music teacher and use SmartMusic backing tracks (which sound basically like BIAB) all the time with students.
3. Once you've done the above, decide if you might like to take some or all of the BIAB elements "on the road" to use on gigs. I'd imagine that with pan and uke, you'd benefit from drums and bass either way, but other possibilities are pretty much endless as well. Playing to a rigid backing track does present its own set of challenges, as Norton said.
If this duo act is one that you want to really develop, BIAB could be just the ticket. However, it's going to take some considerable time to put the songs together and tweak things to your needs. I hope this helps!
-Mark
Last edited by railway mark; 01/02/17 07:23 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887 |
There is a big controversy among musicians about using backing tracks or not. However, it's important to know that there doesn't seem to be one with audience members. My vote is Yes but with a lot of practice. First of all, you will find the tempo of your backing track to be very strict. It's like playing with a metronome. When I started using a drum machine in the late 1970s with our old trio, it seemed like the drummer sped up and slowed down -- of course the machine wasn't doing either. Next you need to know that your arrangements are static. It's like playing in an orchestra using charts. If one of you get lost, there will be no "vamp 'till cue" or any of those other devices to get you back on track if you get distracted. I get around that by using a DAW to put audio cues in the music. Depending on the song, a percussion instrument or an identifiable lick before the B part or wherever needed. And rest assured, distractions will happen. You'll be playing away and someone will come up and ask you to play "Happy Birthday" to a mumbled name that you will have to ask them to repeat so you can understand it, and the backing track will not care, it will just go on and on. And be sure to have good monitors or speaker placement so that you can hear the backing track well. I've been playing with self-created backing tracks in my duo since 1985 and I've gone through a few different methods from cassette tapes to hardware sequencers to software sequencers and so on to the method I'm currently using. I made an instructional web page about that, it may be much more than you need, but you are welcome to use what you want and ignore the rest. http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlInsights and incites by Notes Thanks. When I do my solo gigs, I always use real tracks for my gigs because I play the melody and I need a "backup band". What I like to do somethimes is include solos real tracks to make them feel realistic as possible. I do notice that when playing in a band, you can do a lot more than BIAB can do. You can have the chords be played however you want, with what ever inverstion or extension you want. You can make the horns parts exactly as you want.
Computer: Macbook Pro, 16 inch 2021
DAWs: Pro Tools, Logic, and Maschine
plays drums, percussion, bass, steel pan, keyboard,
music producer/engineer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887 |
Bwahahaha... yup...ask Mariah how well THAT turned out.
Whaddaya mean?!?! It was the sound guy's fault. LOL I'm the sound guy.
Computer: Macbook Pro, 16 inch 2021
DAWs: Pro Tools, Logic, and Maschine
plays drums, percussion, bass, steel pan, keyboard,
music producer/engineer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 483
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 483 |
If you decide to use BIAB to reinforce your performances, I personally would and in fact do, I would recommend once you have the set of songs completed, drop it into your phone or a CD and play the hell out of it.
I loaded my phone with my music and played it through my car stereo every time I was driving (alone) until I knew the music and my vocal parts backward and forward. If you and your other band member both do this, your rehearsal time will be productive and performances will be able to withstand annoying distractions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471 |
I tend to use MIDI tracks instead of Real Tracks and I export into a DAW/Sequencer then save to mp3. Why? For a few reasons: - I can change the key and/or tempo without artifacts
- I can change instruments, that guitar part might sound better on a rhodes, clav, or a different sounding guitar like a tele or lp
- Using synth sounds makes it sound less like karaoke
- I can massage and manipulate the parts to my hearts content, move rolls around, change notes, add song specific licks,
- Alter the groove. I find live groove needs to be more extreme than recorded groove. So I can exaggerate the swing, move beats 2 and 4 ahead or behind the beat a bit, put a slight swing feel into 8th or 16th notes, and so on
- Change the balance and/or dynamics. I also find that recorded balance isn't right for live performances. When you approach a building with a band, what do you hear first? Usually the bass and the crack of the snare drum. I can do this easily with MIDI. I can even mix some timbale with the snare to get that crack on the 2 and 4 when the drummer hits the rim and the head.
- Real accelerando and ritardandos plus holds as long as I want them to hold
- And quite a bit more
So you ask, what about tone? The audience doesn't care as much about tone as they do about expression. If they cared about tone, John Lennon, Stevie Nicks, Dr. John, Blossom Dearie, Bob Dylan and so many, many others wouldn't sell any records. In addition, people wouldn't listen to mp3s on earbuds, or as in the past listen on cassette tapes, 8 tracks, or 45rpm records. And when it comes to tone, what is good tone? For guitar is it Hendrix, Slash, Page, Beck, Hall, Pass, Burrell, Wylde, Santana, Clapton, Van Halen, Richards, Paul, King, Young, Gilmour, May, Guy, Vai, Satriani, Hammett, Iommi, or another? And on which guitar/amp/fx? On tenor sax is it Getz, Coltrane, Barbieri, Turrentine, Randolph, Brecker, Webster, Kirk, Lovano, Hamilton, Sims or another? The public doesn't care about tone. They care about expression, and I find that I can manipulate the expression more with MIDI files than I can with prerecorded audio files. With good synth modules I can get over 90% of the tone, but 500% more expression. And I didn't hear Carey's screw up, but I'm sure I've done it myself. I've played in live bands where we had a train wreck as well. How you recover from a screw up is important. For me I find that most of the time I can recover so the audience doesn't know and sometimes even my band mates. But there are times when you can't cover it up. Then it's time to be human, say something to the audience like "Did you ever have one of those days?" laugh at yourself and the situation, and start over again. It actually puts the audience on your side. Of course you can't do that on live TV where you have an allotted time slot that is marked to the second. I don't know how Mariah carried it, but I do feel for her. It happens to everyone sooner or later, with or without tracks. There is of course, more than one right way to do this. You have to pick what works best for you, and then do your best job to make it work. Also, be flexible to new ideas, or even old ones that work better for your situation. The adaptable survive. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,739
Posts795,613
Members39,946
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean