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Playing Baking tracks through a Guitar Amp #554458 09/12/19 10:58 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2015 Posts: 1,114 Cornwall UK Mike Head OP Expert
OP Mike Head Expert Joined: Dec 2015 Posts: 1,114 Cornwall UK	Hi all I thought some of you that use your BIAB for your backing tracks to play your guitar with may find this simple idea useful. Gets the sound nicely coming from one location. Without too much fuss. Playing Baking tracks through a Guitar Amp While some folks like to keep their backing track and guitar amp separate. Others often ask if they can use the guitar amp to play or mix in the backing track at the same time as the guitar. The answer is yes providing you can play in to clean input unaffected by your pedal effects chains. No fancy mixers required just this very useful Fender A B Y pedal ( approx £26 ) Basically 2 inputs A and B then 2 switches for A or B out, or A + B out. Also as the unit is entirely Passive it can be used either way as 2 in 1 out or 1 in 2 out. The pedal only req 9 volts for the leds but you don’t have to have them if you can work out what you are doing without them. For those who don’t use the clean channel you may be able to insert this at the insert effects point if you have one on you amp. See option 2 in my diagram. Those with modelling amps need to check if the insert return point is after any modelling ie clean return to say the power amp. This would normally be the case. You have no extra volume / mixing knobs to twiddle just use you guitar volume control and the volume control on you backing track source device to balance the sounds IMPORTANT NOTE As this is a passive device with no input buffers it is important not to connect input A or B to a low impedance source, like an 8 ohm headphone out socket, as this will put the amps input to close to ground. When on the A+B setting. This would result in you not hearing your guitar from A if you connected a headphone output from your backing track device to B. So be sure to only connect to a higher impedance source like line out! Mike Head SEP 19 Last edited by Mike Head; 09/13/19 05:53 AM. BIAB2021 UltraPlus,AsusN55S1Tbssd, W10/64,Akai EIEpro Yamaha CVP405,SquireStrat, CoolsoftVMidSynth Novatation Impulse61 Ctr kbd, Cwalk blab Kontakt http://mikesmusic.byethost16.com/

Re: Playing Baking tracks through a Guitar Amp Mike Head #554499 09/12/19 06:21 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA R rockstar_not Veteran
rockstar_not Veteran R Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA	The problem is that most electric guitar amps have midrange focused speakers. Diminished high end. Better to go another way and play backing tracks through a keyboard amp and use a guitar amp sim on electric into the keyboard amp. My Songs, photos, writing,etc. My Sound Cloud

Re: Playing Baking tracks through a Guitar Amp Mike Head #554537 09/13/19 01:04 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 892 Sonoran Desert mrgeeze Expert
mrgeeze Expert Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 892 Sonoran Desert	Well said, rockstar_not. Guitar amp alone doesn't get it done. I've tried it with a Quilter Micro Pro HD 12, Fender Vibrolux, Fender Mustang GT The high end disappears and the "band" turns into mud. Separation between instruments (especially bass/drums/organ) no longer exist. Its just not good enough to play behind at a real gig. Playing at a friends Bar-B-QUe, maybe. I think an amp sim with full range powered speaker or PA is the best sounding rig I've come across so far. An frfr speaker (like QSC 12.2) works well for this. Currently I use a EV Evolve 50 line array with a Tech 21 flyrig as the sim. Ipad for the backing tracks. Normally I use a cable from the Ipad but the EV bluetooth is pretty good. The EV has better (to my ears) bottom/separation than the QSC but costs a bit more My whole rig packs in/out in 2 trips to the car. I'm guitar/tracks with no singing so I don't pack a mixer or Mic Stand/Mic The bottom of the EV is about 42 lbs, about the weight of a Vibrolux. I wish it were lighter (I'm 61) but the sound is worth it. My $.02 biab2026(Mac) Latest Build Mac OS (Latest) Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram Logic Pro (latest or pretty close) Blue and White Sea Star

Re: Playing Baking tracks through a Guitar Amp Mike Head #554590 09/13/19 07:47 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,858 Middlesex, NC Guitarhacker Veteran
Guitarhacker Veteran Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,858 Middlesex, NC	Yep.... I prefer to have 2 different sets of speakers.... one for the tracks and either I'm playing through my POD into the DAW or..... my amp in the room. I've used guitar amps for mic, and also for playing music..... but that was back in the garage band days. You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add 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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