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I'm looking for some guidance in using backing tracks.
I am hoping someone here, that may have tried the many different approaches to this issue, can lend me some advice as to the Pros and Cons that come with these different methods.
I have RealTrack drum and bass backing tracks that I have put together using BIAB and RB.
I've panned the drums to the right and bass to the left.
So that I can plug them into their individual channels on my PA, and have individual volume and eq controls of each.
I don't plan to expand my use of backing tracks beyond these two instruments (drums and bass).
These backing tracks would be used by a duo, consisting of male and female vocals and one guitar rhythm/lead.
We would be playing at Retirement Facilities with tunes like, Ain't Misbehaving, Girl From Ipanema, and Crazy.
I've been searching the internet for ideas on what might be a cost effective way to play these backing tracks
thru my powered Peavey mono mixer.
I've read that some folks use Looper pedals like the JamMan Solo, some use small battery powered MP3 players,
some have mixers with usb inputs and control the backing tracks thru their laptop.
and the one idea that I'm leaning toward is a DJ type single CD player with USB (for flashdrive).
I like the DJ CD deck idea because it can play a single song and stop, without having to reach for a pause button. This would also be very cost effective, with my present inventory of musical equipment.
Any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Bill
Last edited by DHD; 03/15/12 12:21 AM.
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I've got a few friends who carry their tracks on either MP3 player with a good playlist manager, or an iPhone/iPod/iPad. Just put your MP3 backing tracks on it, plug it into the sound system (stereo mini-plug to stereo 1/4" or whatever's appropriate -- you might want to keep a mini-to-mini and mini-to-1/4" with the MP3 player at all times), open your player program, and click Play.
Best, Tom SmithWin10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM BIAB 2025 • Reaper 7 • Izotope MPS AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
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I like a laptop, which i do not have one right now. So i use my home build desktop it is installed in a cabinet with my mixer and such. Rolls on wheels, and all.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2025, Realband, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 9 32c , Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app.
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I've got a few friends who carry their tracks on either MP3 player with a good playlist manager, or an iPhone/iPod/iPad. Just put your MP3 backing tracks on it, plug it into the sound system (stereo mini-plug to stereo 1/4" or whatever's appropriate -- you might want to keep a mini-to-mini and mini-to-1/4" with the MP3 player at all times), open your player program, and click Play.
Hi Tom
I have read of folks doing that, but I have never heard the end results.
Did the sound quality, sound ok to you ?
Thank you for responding to my question.
Bill
Last edited by DHD; 03/14/12 11:41 AM.
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I love the laptop, mainly because I have the chord sheet rolling in front of me at all times and when you do many, many tunes (and at my age) I don't even try to remember all the changes anymore. Been using one for too long to remember (oh, we already addressed memory) with no issues.
Break A Leg!
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I like a laptop, which i do not have one right now. So i use my home build desktop it is installed in a cabinet with my mixer and such. Rolls on wheels, and all.
Certainly would have more control over the backing tracks, which would be really nice.
What would you do for an interface between the laptop and the mixer ?
Bill
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Quote:
I love the laptop, mainly because I have the chord sheet rolling in front of me at all times and when you do many, many tunes (and at my age) I don't even try to remember all the changes anymore. Been using one for too long to remember (oh, we already addressed memory) with no issues.
Break A Leg!
The laptop idea is sounding more interesting.
My laptop's sound quality is terrible.
What laptop to PA interface are you using ?
Bill
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You can just go directly from the laptops audio output to the mixer.
In my desktop unit i have a M-Audio 24/96 card, and it has great sound. I have two 320 gig drives, in the system, and one TC Helicon harmonizer.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2025, Realband, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 9 32c , Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app.
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Hi Bill, Like you I only have Bass, Drums....sometimes Guitar....... on backing tracks. I'm playing & singing, live on Guitar & Banjo. My equipment is very low tech!  Large Sony MiniDisc player adapted to play from a foot pedal. I set it on "Auto Pause".........Which makes it as seamless as possible for me.......no fiddling with hand controls.....most of my gigs are on stage, so I like to "present" things if possible. Another bonus with the Sony, is the ability to "edit" & change a running order to suit. Works for me!  Joe G.
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Bill, I use my iPhone into the house PA or my own PA to play .WAV files that I prepare. Before that, I used an iPod but any MP3 player would do. The 1/8" headphone output jack is the same on all of them, and is the same as you would use on a laptop unless you had an outboard sound module. I bring a 25' RCA to RCA cable split down the middle for when I plug into powered speakers. One end has the 1/4" phone jack adapters, and the other end has an RCA female to stereo 1/8" adapter. About the songs you play, I know the first two, "Ain't Misbehaving", and "Girl From Ipanema", but I'm not familiar with the third, "Crazy at Retirement Facilities". Wonder what those lyrics are. 
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Quote:
Bill, I use my iPhone into the house PA or my own PA to play .WAV files that I prepare. Before that, I used an iPod but any MP3 player would do. The 1/8" headphone output jack is the same on all of them, and is the same as you would use on a laptop unless you had an outboard sound module. I bring a 25' RCA to RCA cable split down the middle for when I plug into powered speakers. One end has the 1/4" phone jack adapters, and the other end has an RCA female to stereo 1/8" adapter.
I do not have an iPhone, iPod or MP3 player to experiment with, and know very little about these units.
Do any of these units have the ability to play a single track, without the user having to activate pause or stop ?
At some forums I have visited, some folks complained of occasional audible beeps generating from their MP3 device through the PA system, or when activating buttons on the MP3 device.
I would assume that these beeps could have been deactivated ?
I like the idea of using .Wav files over MP3.
Do these large .Wav file sizes hinder file retrieval ?
Does larger file usage effect, battery recharge intervals ?
Quote:
About the songs you play, I know the first two, "Ain't Misbehaving", and "Girl From Ipanema", but I'm not familiar with the third, "Crazy at Retirement Facilities". Wonder what those lyrics are.
"Crazy at Retirement Facilities"
I imagine it could have some very comical lyrics, if such a song existed.
Good catch Matt.
Some very poor sentence structure on my part. Sorry.
I changed it to read:
We would be playing at Retirement Facilities with tunes like, "Ain't Misbehaving", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Crazy".
Thank you Matt for responding to my questions and catching my mistake.
Bill
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My players do not beep.
If I'm playing a song and want to prevent it going to the next until I am ready, I use the audio editor to add 30 seconds of silence at the end of songs. That way, if there is applause, I can take a moment before adjusting the player .
Wave files load with the same speed. Not all M3 players can use wave files, so check before buying. I don't think there is any difference in battery performance, only storage space, from using wave files instead of MP3s.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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There is an app for idevices that is tailored for live set list usage. It stops after each song until you press continue. IIRC, it supposedly allows you to easily find and play a song outside of the set list and continues where it started in the list afterwards.
I haven't tried it nor do I remember the name of the app off hand.
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Keebo, if you remember what app that is, please post. Thanks.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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If you go the iPhone route - remember to remove the SIM card or go into 'Airplane Mode' to prevent unwanted mishaps!!! Kevin 
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Quote:
Bill, I use my iPhone into the house PA or my own PA to play .WAV files that I prepare.
In airplane mode I can only hope..... unlike the young lady at songwriter circle one night who was pouring her guts out onto the stage when her iPhone rang.....
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Quote:
"Crazy at Retirement Facilities"
Okay, NOW it sounds like a songwiter's challenge to me.....
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Matt,
"If there is applause" . . . I love that line.
Could be a song title.
Later,
PS: After hearing your stuff if there is no applause, the audience has no doubt expired.
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Funny, guys.
I would like to add "Crazy at Retirement Parties" to my repertoire, though. Is it a blues?
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Sounds like it would be bossa, Matt, right in your genre!!!
"I can just imagine the posibilities
Crazy at retirement facilities...."
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We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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