In the old days when I still played pubs, outdoor functions, weddings, parties etc I almost always used midi NOT mp3. When I started playing mp3 was not a thing and so there were not small media players as such.

Hence I used thousands of midi files played by an old (well it was newish then) laptop through a MPU401 into an SC88 Pro. The nice thing about this system is that if the bass was a little lacking, I could boost it through my midi player. I eventually got ALL the Tune1000 discs available as that sorted out lyrics as well as giving an impressive range of songs.

I also had BIAB (was it version 7 or 8) for the songs I didn't have a backing for. BTW it was all midi - no realtracks then. These I would tell the folks I would prepare a backing in the next break and then give it a go. I had several fakebooks in pdf format on the laptop.

Never had any problems whatsoever. Not one crash in over 10 years of playing. Nowadays I have gravitated away from full backings to Bob's method of accompaniment on piano or guitar. I prefer the keyboard with Korgs Triton VSTi as a sound source with an old digital keyboard (with proper weighted keyboard) midied up. This is what I use for my worship sessions these days. I think people appreciate the honesty out of such a system.

If I ever got tempted to go back performing I guess I would use a laptop with a sound interface. I wouldn't bother with a mixer either - I would use my M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R as it has 8 line/mike inputs and a full internal mixer with effects. This would then feed two powered speakers. It doesn't get much simpler than that. I might add that it wouldn't be midi now but flac tracks.


Kevin smile

Last edited by Kevin Woolley; 04/02/21 07:35 AM.