Laptop

Most of the time now, I just use my iPhone.

Got to remember to put it in Airport Mode though...

Matt, I am with you on this one. I am also just using my iPhone. Have even stopped taking a backup but I suppose I should, one of these days there is going to be a disaster but then I suppose it depends on what type of gig it is. If it were at my regular gig it would not be too much of a problem as I would just finish of with acoustic numbers (been done before!) I always make sure I have plenty of battery before I leave. I am finding it such a relief to not have my laptop anymore. Best regards

Jo and Matt

I also have used my iPhone and iPad to play backings but the hassle of iTunes and changing playlists makes me turn to Android rather.

I have an Asus Transformer 10" tablet and a Samsung Galaxy Note II and it is a real pleasure to organise my mp3's on a micro SD card via an adaptor on my desktop machine or laptop using Windows Explorer. Once I have all the files I want, I simply reinsert the micro SD back into the ASUS or Samsung and I am good to go.

I have all my CD's, old records and tapes backed up to 320bps MP3's on 1Tb and 2Tb hard disks. I regularly change files to play while on the move and I compile MP3's for Sunday worship lists using BIAB that change weekly. The Android openness makes the task a breeze by not having to rely on one program i.e. iTunes to get files onto the tablet.

In fact it is not only music files that benefit but any MS office and pdf files that I may need to use while out of the office. With the low cost and high capacity of micro SD cards these days I can have a card for each project if I so wish.


Kevin

Kevin - I had heard the sound from the Galaxy Note II is not great - is that true, even if you play it back through a great system (which I'm guessing is what you do ?).

I've been on a 'basic' phone for years because I'm too cheap to upgrade, and couldn't see the cost-benefit factor working out for me. Always-available internet was never something I needed, I much prefer my 24 inch monitor experience. However...I do have to take notes about the kids I work with, and I love the stylus and slightly larger size of the Note II, which just became available (or maybe, I only recently discovered it).

Can you say a little more about the sound out of the Note II, why you picked it, and what you like most about it ?

You probably heard the Galaxy note's sound is not good from an iPhone fan spreading FUD! And... he probably never even listened to the output of one.

I HAVE! I have played it through a 5kW system as well as my normal 500W speakers on a stick and I cannot fault the output in any way.

I am not a devotee of either the iPhone or the Samsung Galaxy... or anything else for that matter! I use whatever is useful and performs the task at hand.

Some software is only available for iPad such as Cubasis and Auria. Some of the softsynths like the Korg iMS20, iPolysix and iElectribe are good iOS synths and beat the Android offerings hands down.

For me, playing back music files is better on the Android system using a file explorer like Antek Explorer which has its own built in player. Taking Word, Excel, PDF's and AutoCAD drawings out of the office and onto site is easier with Android.

When I started with tablets I got the ASus 2nd hand for a great price and programs such as Chordbot were only available for the Android hardware.

I can't fault either the iPhone, iPad, Asus Transformer or the Samsung Nexus Note II on sound quality.

So really it's swings and roundabouts on both systems.


Kevin

+1 for your post. There are too many fanboys for one or the other platform, when both do a lot of the same things. Later, Ray

I think a Samsung Galaxy Note II is very soon to become part of my hardware collection. Thanks for helping me with this decision Kevin : )

Appreciate the responses, but I am looking for the simplest, least expensive product to play back MP3s - with a decent sized screen that I can actually read/scroll the song titles and obviously with decent quality... I am NOT interested in a phone... thanks.

Pooch

When you mention a decent sized screen you are definitely heading into iPod or a 5"/7" tablet. Lots to choose from, but if it were me I'd make sure it was running Android. The iPod is OK but again you have to live with iTunes.

I had an iPod, ended up loading an Audio Bible on it and giving it to my mother.


Kevin

I sure would like to go to the convenience of the mp3 format. However, our group has stuck with the laptop, since all the soloists want to see the chord changes----especially on standards and jazz tunes.

Laptop playing WAV files. You really can hear the difference between an MP3 and a WAV over a PA system.

And, the laptop is multi-functional (and relatively inexpensive these days).



Regards,


Bob

pooch,

Another factor in choosing your playback equipment is the type of gig you are playing. As if you are playing a 2-3 song set at an open mic I would set my criteria at #1. best sound quality and #2. lightest hardware to carry with ease of setup and take down.

The reasons I use laptops are the opposite as I will do anywhere from 20 - 50 songs on a gig. So for me to remember all the changes and arrangements, some as you know very intricate on some jazz tunes, with all the lyrics the laptop is a must. Besides the comfort zone of having everything printed out in front of you at all times there are the files containing hundreds of tunes that may not be on the play-list for that gig but because of a spur of the moment incident or a request could be plugged in rather quickly and may just be the song that puts your show over the top for that particular crowd.

OK, beside that I am a control freak on the gig.

I guess what you are getting here are all good options as each one works very well for the musician who are using them. With that said the same would have to happen for you, and that is personal choice.

Best of luck to ya, and break a leg!

Later,

You can play wav files on Android - iPhone too I think.

Just that they obviously take up more space but if premium sound quality is needed then it's worth using more storage. That said most people could not tell the difference in a blindfold test between wav and 320kbps mp3's.

Kevin

I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7" tablet primarly for backing tracks when doing my music gigs...but it has a lot of great features for other uses too. It will play mp.3, WAV files,etc, also has Wi-Fi, camera, etc. There is a great backing tracks app availble at the Google Store...the app lets you load up a master file of tunes on your Tab 2 then create your own set lists (or play lists.) You control the start of the tune...the music will play and then stop at the end of the tune....this is a great feature for playing live gigs as most mp.3 players will just continue from track to track on their own...not good for a live music act. The Tab 2 is selling for $179 at the big box stores. I have been using mine for over 6 months.....no problems.

I use a laptop. Why? I don't do set lists, and going from song to song on a laptop is quick. While I'm playing a song, I can reach over and type a few letters on the laptop, and it's ready for the next song.

Why don't I do set lists? I'm not clairvoyant. I have no idea what will be best for them 10 minutes from now. While I'm playing a song, I'm observing the audience and using my experience to guess at what would be the best song to play next. If they are on the dance floor to a fast one, but their faces look like they are tired, another fast one won't do as I'll lose them. Conversely if they are full of energy a slow one wouldn't be appropriate next.

Music is a dialog between the musician and the audience, not a monologue. (side note - why aren't the endings of dialog and monologue spelled the same?) I can go instantly from song to song when needed, and I can change my mind during the last few moments of the song I'm currently playing and still get to the next song instantly.

When people come up and tell me, "Thanks for a wonderful evening" I know I paced the crowd well.

Of course, as always YMMV - there is more than one right way to do this.

Insights and incites by Notes

I use a package called OnSong with my iPad2 which can also put out lyrics to the screen if you want; shows the chords and lyrics of course, and allows you to create "sets". You can also auto-pull back chords and lyrics from the web if you need a particular song. iTunes is useless.

This package was created mainly for people playing in churches I think, and so created specifically for playing your backing tracks.

It also always cues at 0 and and you have the option to stop and when it starts it starts automatically from 0 which is good.

Loads of other stuff.

The only thing I wish it included was EQ for individual songs, which would really polish it off, I've written to them about that.

Here is a link http://www.onsongapp.com/perform/

It also can be used with a foot pedal for starting and stopping songs which seems cool.

Cheers
Greg

I've been using an iPad with the ForScore app for a couple of years now.
ForScore can display a fake book page with the audio file already attached. Two birds, one stone.

iPads are very cool and all that but Pooh is talking about cheapest. $500-600 is not cheap. I keep looking at them, lots of friends have them and I think they are cool and pretty useful but every time I think about it I find something else more useful to me for that kind of money. $200 or so I would probably get one but not six.

Bob

Just to give some perspective I'll describe my system that is on the other end of extreme.For me I not only want to sound like a band I want to feel like a band.
I use a laptop with RB. My tracks are then setup to go to an ESI Gigaport HD+ that is a USB 8 channel Playback interface. These 8 channels then go into a 16 channel Hardware mixer. I use a TC Helicon Harmony GXT for vocals into 2 more channels and finally play bass through a Tech 21 VT Bass pre into another channel.The output of the mixer then goes to a 31 band mono EQ. The output of the EQ to a BBE Sonic Maximiser.Then to an active xover. The Freq. above 100 Hz goes to a 1000 Watt Crown and out to a pair of 15"& horn tops. The freq below 100Hz goes to a 1500 watt Crown and out to a pair of 15" subs.
I have pre built everything so that setup is about 20 minutes.
I also have a pair of 10" subs and 10" + horn tops that I can use instead of the big speakers for smaller gigs. All else stays the same.

John,

I believe that the TC Helicon Harmony GXT is designed to work from a guitar input. Does it work well with your bass signal for harmonies, or do you set the key manually?


Regards,


Bob

Interesting. Thanks.

I'm toying with the idea of using a GXT for my wife's harmony vocals, but she plays bass. Might work better for us to take my guitar output to feed the GXT.

And here I thought I had all the gear I would ever need!


Regards,


Bob

In my opinion, using a laptop opens more possibilities than other systems that do nothing but play a track.

The Laptop lets you play from a sequencing program. Sequencing programs (Like Power Tracks, Real Band, Sonar etc) usually have the ability to work with both audio and midi, and also offer more routing possibilities. Routing options can let you do things like send the bass track to a bass amp, guitar track to a guitar amp etc


The MIDI can be used to control devices such as lights, volume, effects, patch changes etc all without having to stomp on pedals or distract you in any way.

Midi driven devices also include vocal processors, which can let one performer sound like many by providing harmonies in real-time.

A sequencer also lets you keep your songs divided into separate tracks... so if a friend wants to sit in for a few songs or the whole gig, you can must the instrument he plays. Or, if you use the tracks to flesh out the sound of a whole band, and the keyboard guy gets sick or quits before a gig, you can turn that track back on and never miss a beat.

And as Notes Norton said, it gives you enhanced ability to change songs on the fly

With a laptop You can play from chord charts and keep the lyrics on screen

and many sequencers include a "juke box" feature that lets you set up play lists, and then it plays the songs in order. There are also USB foot pedals available for not much money that let you control the flow of the songs hands-free

And these days laptops are often less expensive than "pads&pods"... its a case of supply and demand. Now is a very good time to buy a laptop... you can get a lot of functionality for not much money

Anyway, these are the reasons why I opt to use a laptop.

But, as stated earlier.. if I only wanted to play a backing track, I'd definitely use an MP3 player of some kind.

Have Fun!

Pat, Notes and others make some excellent points for using a laptop. In fact in an earlier post,. I also extolled the laptop/netbook virtues. However, recently I've had problems with it. Initially, I thought it was the mp3 software player that I was using so I switched to Windows media player. It does the same thing with wmp also--sort of like some buffering process like when you send something to the printer.

The problem is this.....When I push play for the 1st song, it doesn't play and the little circle just keeps spinning. This only happens with the first song. I use playlists for the types of gigs we do. So far, the only way I've found to combat this is to get everything setup and then put the netbook to sleep. I wake it up when we get to the gig. I've had this happen twice and the last time was with an audience of a couple hundred people. Well, that's pretty embarrassing. I'm going to check and see if the same thing happens if I don't load up a player pgm and just double click on a tune in a folder instead. In the mean time, I've ordered a little Phillips mp3 player to use as a backup. There's really no time to futz with this kind of stuff in the middle of a church service. The sound quality is fine. I only use single play. My ears are wide open to suggestions. Oh yeah, I also have a Nexus 10 that I haven't tried for gigs since I'm not certain of it's reliability.

Stan

I tried to find a standalone mp3 player that would do single play, but after hours of searching, they no longer seem to be produced.

Bob (Notes) way is the best and most practical for the types of gigs we do. We don't have any gigs where we play more than 18- 20 songs so we just have those songs in a folder in the order that we want to play them. To do this, we number the songs ( 01, 02, etc..). We use Win Media Player. With the folder open we just double click on a song. I use the mouse pad to go to the next song. We talk to the audience in between songs except at church.

I took most of the programs off of our ASUS Eee netbook. The wifi is set for manual connect only. I upgraded to a usb external sound card -- Creative Soundblaster THX which comes with a volume control and remote. The sound now is pretty good compared to no sound card which is terrible. Lots of good reviews on the THX which was only $56 on Amazon.

"...but I am looking for the simplest, least expensive product to play back MP3s - with a decent sized screen that I can actually read/scroll the song titles and obviously with decent quality... I am NOT interested in a phone... thanks."







Laptop/Windows Media Player/MiniLyrics. Works great.

Here's the link for MiniLyrics:

http://www.crintsoft.com/


Free. Can't get much cheaper than that.


Regards,


Bob

I'm wood shedding now getting rid of the rust. I should be ready in a month or two for some guitar trio gigs with biab holding down the bass & drums & yours truly on the guitar.

I'm thinking of a lappie with biab & usb output. I think I'll run my guitar into a pod. I kind of like the thing.

For a portable PA rig I'm thinking of something like the Fender Passport 500 Portable PA.

Comments.

The Fender Passport is a toy. Better a small mixer and a pair of powered speakers on sticks.

90 DB is right on track with his advice.

I LOVE my 15" Mackie Thumps fed via laptop headphone/RCA jacks through a small mixer.

Break A Leg!

Later,