Walk me thru logistics of playing as solo artist with backing tracks

[niceguy]

I'd like to start performing my music live again, but I want to go it solo.

 

My recordings are full-band affairs, but live, it'll be just me on guitar and vocals.

 

I'm thinking I'll sing the lead vocal live (duh), and I'll play any main guitar parts, riffs, and solos. Basically, if anything is in the forefront, I'll be performing it live. Everything else will be on backing tracks.

 

I have NO idea how to proceed.

 

Should I put em all on my iPod, or my PC, or my Macbook? I'd rather not use my Macbook, because it's pricey.

 

How do I connect it all onstage? Like, what do I tell the sound guy to do? Do I need to buy any other pieces of gear? How do I control it all onstage?

 

I've been offered a festival in Berlin, but I can't afford to hire a band and fly them out there for the mere few hundred Euro they'll pay me. That got me thinking about playing live with backing tracks.

 

Yes, I know it's not ideal, so please, PLEASE don't take this into a tangent of your personal beef and make it into something it's not

 

Thanks for any help!

[tim_7string]

Check out the Solo and Duo Acts Forum. They can help you with what you are asking.

 

I am planning to do the same thing. I have a trio that I enjoy a lot, but I have written and recorded songs that 'require' keyboards, lots of harmony vocals and additional guitars. It would be too cost-prohibitive to augment the trio with extra musicians for a night or to get more bandmates, so for those songs, I would like to just perform them as backing tracks in a solo situation. And since I already recorded all the vocals and instruments myself, it really would be a solo show.

[IsildursBane]

IMO, don't do it. I don't think I've ever seen a solo act playing to tracks that wasn't as cheesy as hell. Either rearrange the songs for solo performance (which, IMO, can sound fantastic when done well), or learn how to use looping pedals/fx to build the other tracks on the fly.

 

-Dan.

[Kramerguy]

 

IMO, don't do it. I don't think I've ever seen a solo act playing to tracks that wasn't as cheesy as hell. Either rearrange the songs for solo performance (which, IMO, can sound fantastic when done well), or learn how to use looping pedals/fx to build the other tracks on the fly. -Dan.

 

 

I wholly agree with this. There was a local guy doing that the other night when I met a bunch of friends at a bar, I kept my opinions to myself, as I'm biased, yet all my friends who are not musicians voiced those same feelings.. "cheesy", "lame" etc..

 

Regarding loopers.. they are fantastic as an accessory, but when used start to finish on every song... it becomes rusty nails on a chalkboard REALLY fast. Most guys around here with loopers just abuse the hell out of them for entire sets. It gets old really fast.

[IsildursBane]

 

Regarding loopers.. they are fantastic as an accessory, but when used start to finish on every song... it becomes rusty nails on a chalkboard REALLY fast. Most guys around here with loopers just abuse the hell out of them for entire sets. It gets old really fast.

 

 

True. So I amend what I said - arrange most of the stuff for solo performance and leave maybe 1-2 to build with a looper.

 

-Dan.

[kmart]

 

Should I put em all on my iPod, or my PC, or my Macbook? I'd rather not use my Macbook, because it's pricey. How do I connect it all onstage? Like, what do I tell the sound guy to do? Do I need to buy any other pieces of gear? How do I control it all onstage?

 

Just some basics here...

 

You CAN playback your tracks from iPod, PC OR Macbook...so that decision will be up to you.

iPod would likely be the simplest manner, but understand that you'll need to start/stop/advance your tracks just as if you were choosing 'regular' songs in a playlist, so that means picking up the iPod, pressing play, putting it back down, starting to play along, etc.

 

Using some sort of DAW or other playback software or similar on your PC or Macbook will allow you a bit more flexibility in how you control playback, as you can use MIDI controllers (particularly a footswitch) to start/stop/advance, etc.

 

How to connect...if iPod, should be as simple as line out to DI to soundman.

PC or Macbook...again, you'll need to line out to DI, but you may also look into multiple outs via an audio interface, so you can send individual tracks to their own channels, etc.

 

What do you tell the soundguy to do? As little as possible; the burden for ensuring the sound is what it should be is on you, period. You will almost certainly need to make sure your tracks are all normalized volume-wise, so the sound guy only has to set & forget the level of your tracks in FOH/monitors, and any volume changes between/during songs or parts of songs have already been programmed/recorded by you.

[KeysBear]

I have seen the solo act done right by a man who recorded his own backing tracks he plays from his laptop. He sets up playlists for each set and it flows rather seamlessly. He plays guitar and sings. He plays gigs that would otherwise go to three piece acts and packs in the crowd every night. But to be fair he is a star quality singer with tons of charisma and runs a recording studio. He knows how to get his mix sounding superb and perfectly balanced through his PA. I think if you spend a lot of time getting your sound right you can avoid the cheese.

[Lee Knight]

The problem, even if you manage to "avoid the cheese", is it is awkward for an audience to watch. There are things that if are too far apart visually and aurally, come off weird. That's why looping works so well. We just saw you "put it in there". However, with DJ culture making its way into the mainstream, there are things that can work with a seemingly big visual/aural gap. But it isn't going to be tracks from a recording. As in a full band arrangement.

 

I think you'd need to have a bit of an electronica vibe about the arrangements and make a bit of a show around you building the track live to a degree. The fact that you're asking about this says that's not really your forte.

 

Personally, I'd find a percussionist who sings and rearrange your stuff for duo live.

[niceguy]

 

Just some basics here... You CAN playback your tracks from iPod, PC OR Macbook...so that decision will be up to you. iPod would likely be the simplest manner, but understand that you'll need to start/stop/advance your tracks just as if you were choosing 'regular' songs in a playlist, so that means picking up the iPod, pressing play, putting it back down, starting to play along, etc. Using some sort of DAW or other playback software or similar on your PC or Macbook will allow you a bit more flexibility in how you control playback, as you can use MIDI controllers (particularly a footswitch) to start/stop/advance, etc. How to connect...if iPod, should be as simple as line out to DI to soundman. PC or Macbook...again, you'll need to line out to DI, but you may also look into multiple outs via an audio interface, so you can send individual tracks to their own channels, etc. What do you tell the soundguy to do? As little as possible; the burden for ensuring the sound is what it should be is on you, period. You will almost certainly need to make sure your tracks are all normalized volume-wise, so the sound guy only has to set & forget the level of your tracks in FOH/monitors, and any volume changes between/during songs or parts of songs have already been programmed/recorded by you.

 

 

Great, thanks! I didn't even consider the DAW and MIDI approach; that would make things infinitely easier. Do you know of a good DAW for this purpose, and a good MIDI controller/interface?

 

EDIT: just saw that MainStage 2 is only $30. Gonna look into that.

[BATCAT]

 

You CAN playback your tracks from iPod, PC OR Macbook...so that decision will be up to you. iPod would likely be the simplest manner, but understand that you'll need to start/stop/advance your tracks just as if you were choosing 'regular' songs in a playlist, so that means picking up the iPod, pressing play, putting it back down, starting to play along, etc.

 

 

One way around this is to put ten (or whatever) seconds of silence between each tacks of backing- you can still pause it if you need more time but otherwise you can just let it play.

[niceguy]

 

One way around this is to put ten (or whatever) seconds of silence between each tacks of backing- you can still pause it if you need more time but otherwise you can just let it play.

 

 

Yeah that's a great idea. I tried that last night, experimenting, and it works pretty well. Though, kmart brought up the excellent MIDI controller idea, and that's looking like the way to go.

[kmart]

 

One way around this is to put ten (or whatever) seconds of silence between each tacks of backing- you can still pause it if you need more time but otherwise you can just let it play.

 

 

Yes, that can be done...but then you're tied to that timing, and if you decide to chat a bit between songs, fumble for your capo, etc...you're off.

[kmart]

Great, thanks! I didn't even consider the DAW and MIDI approach; that would make things infinitely easier. Do you know of a good DAW for this purpose, and a good MIDI controller/interface? EDIT: just saw that MainStage 2 is only $30. Gonna look into that.

 

My 4-piece uses tracks, and much of what we use/do is well above the most rudimentary usage, but as you dip your toes into seeing what can be done via the stripped down version of MainStage...

 

Before I joined the band, they initially dumped everything onto an iPod that the previous drummer controlled.

 

Then they started using the full version of Logic. Then switched to full version of MainStage running Logic.

 

We've jumped back and forth among a few variations of that as we've grown our show (now using the software for tracks, vox efx, guitar efx, softsynths triggered by MIDI keyboard controller, MIDI lightshow commands, etc.), but at the core, it's largely Mainstage.

 

I use a footswitch from www.logidy.com for playback control from my kit.

[BATCAT]

Yes, that can be done...but then you're tied to that timing, and if you decide to chat a bit between songs, fumble for your capo, etc...you're off.

 

Well, that's why I mentioned just pausing it.

[Potts]

In all seriousness, I'd start by getting out of this forum and going over to Solo and Duo.

[Potts]

 

One way around this is to put ten (or whatever) seconds of silence between each tacks of backing- you can still pause it if you need more time but otherwise you can just let it play.

 

 

Then you're stuck with a setlist. Use the laptop dude.

 

 

I'm a little surprised by all the "blanket" statements I've seen in this thread from some.

[TIMKEYS]

 

I have seen the solo act done right by a man who recorded his own backing tracks he plays from his laptop. He sets up playlists for each set and it flows rather seamlessly. He plays guitar and sings. He plays gigs that would otherwise go to three piece acts and packs in the crowd every night. But to be fair he is a star quality singer with tons of charisma and runs a recording studio. He knows how to get his mix sounding superb and perfectly balanced through his PA. I think if you spend a lot of time getting your sound right you can avoid the cheese.

 

 

Had a guy like that back in the zoo. It was easy to call it cheezy till you figured out he layed down every track sang harmony on every back up vocal and played all the instruments for the tracks and played lead guitar and lead vocals live. He owned a studio as well.

[niceguy]

 

In all seriousness, I'd start by getting out of this forum and going over to Solo and Duo.

 

 

Yeah I very quickly regretted posting here. I truly, honestly don't give a {censored} about someone saying, "Don't do it!" That has no effect on me; it's just wasting time.

[kmart]

 

I'm a little surprised by all the "blanket" statements I've seen in this thread from some.

 

 

Im not.

 

There's ample representation for the 'tracks mean one thing, and one thing only'/unable to consider the possibility of other realities camp here.

[kmart]

 

Yeah I very quickly regretted posting here. I truly, honestly don't give a {censored} about someone saying, "Don't do it!" That has no effect on me; it's just wasting time.

 

 

 

 

To be fair, there are some of us here who use tracks well (if I do say so myself) in a full band setting.

 

But yeah, there seems to be less bias around them in the solo forum.

[Potts]

Im not. There's ample representation for the 'tracks mean one thing, and one thing only'/unable to consider the possibility of other realities camp here.

 

True...I did notice that you gave some solid advice though I wouldn't expect anything less.

[IsildursBane]

 

The answer to that is probably because the musician was cheesy as hell. The answer to that is probably because the musician was cheesy as hell

 

 

Perhaps, but I've seen plenty of solo acts and if the vast majority of the ones who use tracks fall into the "cheesy" camp and the majority of those who don't use tracks don't fall into that camp (though they may be lousy in other ways), I'd say there's a fairly strong correlation between tracks and cheesiness.

 

FWIW, the videos on your web site are exactly what I expect to hear when I see a solo act. I see a guy singing and playing with energy, carrying the tune by himself, presenting the essential parts of the song - which is great. It's tough to tell on my chintzy speakers, but it sounds like most "produced" element of it may be some harmonizer on the vocals. You don't need anything more than that to get the point across, despite the fact that most of those songs, as they're typically known, had full band arrangements.

 

Typically, when I see a solo guy playing on top of a bunch of tracks, I see a guy who's more caught up in the production of the song than in the actual song itself and if you sacrifice the song for the sake of the production, you get neither.

 

There may be exceptions for guys who do electronic music or some other weird stuff, but they are exceptions.

 

 

It was easy to call it cheezy till you figured out he layed down every track sang harmony on every back up vocal and played all the instruments for the tracks and played lead guitar and lead vocals live. He owned a studio as well.

 

 

I don't see how the two are related. Most modern country music is cheesy despite being performed by world-class musicians and recorded by top engineers in amazing studios.

 

-Dan.

[Potts]

FWIW, the videos on your web site are exactly what I expect to hear when I see a solo act. I see a guy singing and playing with energy...

 

Thanks Dan. I do about 20% backing tracks as well though and give the same energy and performance as when I'm straight solo. I'm not a huge fan of the tracks. You'll notice that I don't have any vids on my page with them. It's all business for me though. When people say "pick it up" to acoustic players, it doesn't mean they want faster- it means they want drums and bass or what they equate to dance-able music.. I figured that out long ago. They look at it as opportunity to get stupid for a minute. I look at it as an opportunity to let the next acoustic song spotlight whatever it is that I want them to hear WITHOUT a track.

 

For instance...they get Margarittaville and Garden Party and I get Let it Be and Crazy Love. It's a perfect relationship for what I do.

 

I know what your saying though- you said it much more eloquently the second time than the first

[bigboy78]

 

Had a guy like that back in the zoo. It was easy to call it cheezy till you figured out he layed down every track sang harmony on every back up vocal and played all the instruments for the tracks and played lead guitar and lead vocals live. He owned a studio as well.

 

 

Why did it stop being cheese when you realised he cooked it all on his own?

 

If I pay a world class group of session players to create tracks does that mean they are more cheezy than something I put together myself using GarageBand and a 49 note USB keyboard?

[IsildursBane]

I know what your saying though- you said it much more eloquently the second time than the first

 

Yeah, I tend to do that. It doesn't seem to go over well with the ladies, either. They keeping expecting me to get it right the first time.

 

-Dan.