I'm OH so close....help! (Exporting music from Ableton/Computer to PA)

[Beatle_Matt]

This may sound like a seriously n00bish question, and I've been searching the boards and nothing seems to answer the question for me.

 

I have a laptop with Ableton Live on it, replete with arrangements. I'm trying to get it so that our drummer can play along to the click track within these arrangements - but here is where the issue lies.

 

Using these forums (thanks!!!) I was able to have the click track was in the right channel, and the actual music that I recorded in Ableton in the left (my laptop's only audio output is a 1/8" stereo out).

 

My question is this - what is the best way to proceed from here? Is there some kind of hardware dongle I should maybe be going into FIRST that would be more efficient splitting the audio or sending it to the board/drummer? Something like 1/8" to two 1/4"? I realize the sound might be "mono"...I just want to know I'm on the right track, or where to go from here!

 

Thanks guys!!

[controlvoltage]

There used to be a soundcard for laptops from Echo, I think it was called the Indigo DJ... it has two independent stereo outputs. DJs could monitor on one output and send the final mix from the other output. If you can find one (or another multi-channel laptop soundcard) you could run the mix in glorious stereo to the PA on one channel and send the click to your drummer on the other. I use an 8-channel audio interface for a similar purpose. Individual channels (keys, drums, guitar etc.) go out from Ableton to the front-of-house mixer, while the drummer gets his own channel of click going to his headphones. Works great.

[Metrosonus]

behringer makes a cheap USB interface with RCA outs. You'll get ground noise through the 1/8 out. I think it'd be possible to use the onboard for the click