PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Beginners Forum live performance

Just a quicky!
When playing live, do people use Band In a Box, or transfer file to RealBand? (or something else?

Roy

I've been in a duo using self-generated backing tracks since 1985. Here is how I do it:

http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.html

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Well Norton.
What a great article!
I enjoyed reading that.

Roy

Roy, there's a similar topic on this in the "Off Topic" forum.....

Going Live...what do I need?

One common issue people like to avoid is a computer problem. Some folks like to use an MP3 player to play backing tracks because it's more simpler to use and less prone to issues as a computer. Enjoy the read.

I make a set list on my MacBook and use it live in Jukebox mode when performing.
If needed I also have all songs on my iPhone.

Wow! I understand the answers others have gave but I despise using fixed mp3's and feel I've paid goodly sums for live play features, like the conductor, to use BIAB live. Does anyone here use it instead of mp3's? I love the big lyrics window and think I will get used to the conductor if I start using it on a regular basis.

Seems the biggest problem the mp3 users have is the fear of BIAB crashing on the job. For those of you using BIAB live, do you have problems with crashes on the job?

No, I never had a computer with BIAB crash on a job. I do, however, try to keep things as simple as I can by using the MP3 player BUT I put .WAV files on it for the best quality I can get. The laptop stays in the car as a backup.

Thanks for the comments.
Others thing I like/don't like.
I does not remember my cappo position, in the saved song, so it has to be set before pressing play.
As its Zoom meeting I use it for, and only do the same number a few times, without much practice (new numbers each week) its handy to see the 'chords screen' while playing, to get the finish etc correct. I can't do this with mp3's.

Roy

What I use to show lyrics and chords is Songbook. In this I can also add comments such as capo position, chorus, verse, instrumentals, tags, slow down or what ever.

I insert pauses to the scrolling where I need them, say stop the scrolling for a time whilst playing an instrumental the come back in and the scroll restarts.

One could easily load the song apply the capo on the said fret. Then start the scroll and MP3 with the chords coming up at about the right tempo for the MP3. After experimenting with a few songs it is very easy to use.

In my case have the words in a text format. Import the text into Songbook add a title and other comments. Set the time of the song (the length of the MP3 in mm.ss), the location of the MP3. Set the key to make changes easier later if required. Then add the chords into the words so it all matches up. Maybe add a pause for the intro.

I load the song press start and also start the MP3. So the song starts showing me the chords for the intro, stops the scroll to allow the intro time and continues the scroll for the words and chords to come up.

Comments are inserted to let me know where I am. e.g. verse 1, chorus, instrumental (16 bars). The scroll pauses whilst the instrumental is played. Then the scroll restarts after the time allocated for 16 bars.

All simple and easy IMHO.

Tony

There is more than one right way to do this.

I don't do set lists, because I'm not clairvoyant enough to know what song would be absolutely best for the audience 10 minutes from now. That's why I use a laptop and not a mp3 player.

When playing I watch the audience to determine what I should play next. One example: If they are on the dance floor and looking like they are getting tired, calling another fast song would not be the best thing to do. So judging from what I already know about the audience I might pick a slow song, if there are ballroom dance types I might choose a 'specialty' dance that they would get up for while the others catch their breath and sip their drink, play a request that doesn't fit anywhere else, or it might be time to make an announcement.

On the opposite side, if they look like they need another fast song, I can free one hand for a couple of seconds to call up the next song and hit enter as soon as the song I'm currently playing is done. Sometimes 3 seconds between fast songs is too long, because once they make the decision to go back to their tables, not much will change their mind. It's easier playing a fast song when the dance floor is crowded.

I can make the decision of what would my experience tells me what would be best for the audience 15 seconds before the song ends, and it will only take 2 seconds to cue up the next song.

I couldn't do that with a tablet or mp3 player. Sometimes I only have 2 seconds to call up the next tune.

My philosophy is to give the audience what they need, when they need it, even if they don't know what they need and when they need it. I look at their clothes and shoes before starting (you can tell a lot from that), decide what to play, see how it's going over, near the end of that one call up the next song, and repeat until the gig is done.

I figure that if I give them a better experience than my competition, I'll get more gigs. So far that has worked, at least until COVID-19 knocked on our door. I've actually had to block out time and refuse gigs to take an annual vacation.

Computer reliability

I've been using ThinkPad computers on the gig since 2002, when IBM still made them. There is a spare up and running at all times. Since 2002 when I started using ThinPads, I've needed the spare twice.

(1) the hard drive started making a mechanical noise so between songs I moved the USB end of the USB->Audio interface to the next computer. The audience never knew there was a problem. Next day I replaced the Hard Drive

(2) The CMOS battery went out. This is the first time that happened and I didn't know I could manually enter date and time and boot the computer, so I went to the spare. The repair was a $5 'coin battery'. That was on one of my 2002 computers, and it's still running today.

I wouldn't use a different brand of computer, only ThinkPads because of their reputation.

I saw a video tour of the International Space Station, and they have two, redundant ThinkPad computers that regulate all the life support functions of the space station like oxygen, cabin pressure, etc. Obviously NASA feels ThinkPads are the most reliable too.

But like I said, there is more than one right way to do this.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Hi Bob, I do set a list but I can very easily change on the fly. All my songs are there in basic alphabetic order and I also have lists of types of music. Say 60 rock, waltzes, Australiana, so it takes very little time.

I find if I don’t have some idea before I start I tend to fumble around looking for songs a bit and/or often play the same songs in the same venue time and again. Using a list I can be sure I’m not playing the same song in the same venue the next time I’m there (unless for some reason I want to). When I add a song to the list Songbook shows what list the songs have been added to.

Using Songbook gives me heaps of flexibility.

Tony

Like I said, there is more than one right way to do this.

I'm glad that works for you.

I tried an iPod once, and it took me too much time. But then I have over 600 songs in my repertoire.

So if I'm playing a song and decided to play "Wagon Wheel" next, when the song is done I type W hit Enter and "Wagon Wheel" starts immediately. It's the first W song. If I want "Walk Like An Egyptian" I have to type WAL and hit Enter. It starts in less than a second.

I can even type that W or WAL during the song I'm currently playing. I can often get a hand free for a second. Then when the song ends I hit Enter the next one starts immediately, almost as smoothly as a DJ.

After decades of doing this I'm pretty good at sizing up an audience and knowing a safe song to open with by the way they dress, the shoes they wear, their age bracket, and how they conduct themselves. Then it's just a matter of watching the audience while playing.

It's what works for me. YMMV

Insights and incites by Notes

I use IOS devices (IPAD Iphone) to play my 320kb mp3 backing tracks on stage. I use BIAB and Logic Pro to create them.
I sometimes use bluetooth if its available but prefer just running a cable from the ios device to the PA/mixer/amp/speaker/etc.
I find Bluetooth implementation spotty across PA manufacturers. Some brands its good enough, other places not so much.
So for audio quality, I find the cable the most consistent.


I use Anytune Pro to handle playing back the mp3's. I can create set lists, loop, change key, tempo. etc.
I find it great for rehearsing and learning tunes also.
Anytune has bluetooth/midi implementation so you can used a midi/bluetooth pedalboard to control start/stop, next/previous, etc. This is pretty useful if you've got a guitar in your hand.
The software makes gigging with backing tracks easy.

I can easily copy my tunes and setups from one ios device to another. I usually use an ipad as i like the larger screen.
I have an iphone with the same material at the gig in case the ipad goes awol.


I've only done this for about 5 years so don't have the experience of others on this forum.
I can setup my rig in about 2 minutes and everything fits in the side pocket of a gig bag.