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 smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
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