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Back at it again. Duo band.


banditt11

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Was doing the solo duo thing for years up here in Michigan. Got lured into playing in a 4 piece band. Fast forward 5 years and here I am again! I have a lot more equipment this tome around. Just need to decide what I want to use to play my backing tracks and what sound system to use. Amazing over the years how much stuff you collect when it seemed like a good idea at the time LOL.

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Hey DaddyMack. Thanks for the welcome. I started out with Showplay on a 15" laptop hooked to an XV5050 Roland sound modual and going through a Yamaha powered board. Had separate channels for Drums, Bass and some sparse keys. I dropped that and went to a Merish 3 playback midi player all in one machine. Used those over the years with zero problems. Now that I am out of the band scene once again, I am thinking at this point just going with the Beatbuddy pedal which I've had since it came out just never really applied it. Decisions decisions.

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The Beat Buddy is a challenge, I was an early order with them, with the second footswitch, which, for me, made the 'tap dance' bigger, but more manageable...add to that a looper and a vocal harmonizer and you had to be Fred Upstairs, Mr. Bojangles and the Nicholas Brothers all rolled into one .... and still play guitar and sing....finally unplugged and started simplifying.

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Yep. I hear you on that. Add good timing to hit the pedal also. I found an old behringer 2 pedal switch as the addon. Couldnt see spending 50 bucks for a new footswitch pedal. Last night I actually pulled out the Merish player and found myself playing about an hour with it and feeling comfortable once again.

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Rather than use a Beat Buddy or any other drum machine, you can record the drum track it a click in. Then call them up from your phone.

Instant drummer, no foot stomping! You just have to play it the same way every time.

If your using a looper and want real time control just create a beat tapping on your guitar or strumming muted strings.

Either way works, depends only on your preferences. 

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5 hours ago, kbeaumont said:

Rather than use a Beat Buddy or any other drum machine, you can record the drum track it a click in. Then call them up from your phone.

Instant drummer, no foot stomping! You just have to play it the same way every time.

If your using a looper and want real time control just create a beat tapping on your guitar or strumming muted strings.

Either way works, depends only on your preferences. 

Oh yea. Thought of that. been working up some songs since I posted and the Beatbuddy is feeling pretty comfortable right now. Just have to hit that foot switch in the right place. I actually use Setlist Helper on my tablet also.

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6 hours ago, kbeaumont said:

Rather than use a Beat Buddy or any other drum machine, you can record the drum track it a click in. Then call them up from your phone.

Instant drummer, no foot stomping! You just have to play it the same way every time.

If your using a looper and want real time control just create a beat tapping on your guitar or strumming muted strings.

Either way works, depends only on your preferences. 

but that was [for me at least] the whole point of the BB...you can make changes on the fly, change fills, stretch an ending, cut a verse or chorus or add one...and to not do it exactly the same way every time was the whole point to me, because I believe  music happens in the moment, it should be as live as possible...otherwise you could track it all and lip-synch......

I know many here are track adherents, and that is fine if it works for you, but I really like to know I have leeway with a song, because I want it to be fresh every time. My issue was that it became about all the little boxes on the floor, and not about me and the guitar....and that was the point where I decided to go back to square one. YMMV...and that is perfectly fine...

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You just have to play it the same way... every time...  this is a major deal breaker for me...  no way does that fit me but ive seen it work wonders for others...  that said I make a concentrated effort not to be like every act you see in every duo/solo stage across the country...    everyone has gadgets, toys, electronic smoothies...  mmmmmm...   so “just another guy” on stage with a guitar can definitely be cookie cutteringly mind numbing or it can be a delightful diversion from whatever one perceives as the norm...  I have all the toys.. harmonizers, digital geegaws and who’s it’s... (if you need pitch correction, hire a vocalist with some skills or play really really well), and it detracts from my performances every time.   I’m not sitting on stage, thinking about what choreography routine I must bend to in order to make sure I have that track... wait... intonation...   what was that???    instead, I’m standing, reaching for the mic from my toes, opening my heart and just listening to it pour out...  no thinking, no dancing to another tune, no books, no phones or tablets...  just allowing it to flow from the heart...  and say what you want, ive seen virtuoso players get passed over by the masses for a simple, humble artist choosing to not be too afraid to show their heart...  they’re going to love you if you just be you...seriously, you’ve got this.

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Dare I say it? Voltan is correct. :thu:...which is why I came to essentially the same conclusion...be in the moment, don't restrict your creativity, make each song of each show unique.

I realize that doesn't work for everyone, but trying to over-program my performance was too much like 'work'...and it detracted from my actual performance, by allowing the technology to be the 'star', as impressive as it could be, it needed to be subordined...or in my case removed. I may even opt to used the toys again [if
I proceed with the new duo I'm considering], but in a far less demanding way, and far less over all.

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I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to manipulating MIDI files. I can sit in a dark room all night and day and fiddle with them till I get them just the way I want. I am really a drum and bass minimalist when it comes to backing tracks. I strip every bit of information out of a MIDI file that is not needed. My sound module has 4 channels out. I use separate volume controls for each off my PA board. Then play guitar to that and sing. Then again here comes the Beatbuddy and before you know it I have a stuff load of songs set up on it. Being in bands forever I have had my share of drummers and bass players who keep you on your toes when it comes to critical parts not quite getting there. That is why I don't mind backing tracks at times because I know when the drummer and bass player are for sure will be right on time! 😁 And I can concentrate on having some fun. Ultimately you just have to have fun however you go about it!

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I understand...  ive gone the same route in analogue...  I’m multi-instrumental and have put in the time playing, recording, mixing it all down... freaking over the most minute, insignificant thing to any but another geek musician...  but say I’ve just recorded my sleazy version of van morrisons moondance and in the middle of the second verse I hear Gershwin’s summertime? Or whipping post, or riding the storm out...     It’s a natural , smoother than... well, it’s a smooth transition into another world... that can’t be done because I programmed this in another time... another frame of context...  it just won’t allow for the slightest variation let alone a complete revamp...  and I get it... there are folks that spend their lives trying to sound like someone else’s idea of how something should be played...   and then you have miscreants such as I that give the purists nightmares...

dont look under your bed!

sweet dreams!  

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and that was one of the reasons I ultimately stripped back down...that ability to create a transition, medley or mashup on the fly...truly, to me the joy of being a solo act! To be fair, I am revamping my act now [yet again], with more 'G.A.S. standards', but the goal is to allow me that freedom to make a leap...without a net...and see where it takes me.  Recent occurrences, just in practice, was 'Misty' into 'One More for the Road' and 'The Way You Look Tonight' into a medley of Everly Brothers songs, into  'Walk Away Renee'. You just never know, with an adequately warped mind, where you can wind up given the circumstances and the material. Would I do something like that live? You bet yer sweet bippy!

[geez, when was the last time anyone said that?]

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