Using backing tracks live

[KingPrawn]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Having had another read of your OP, If the backing tracks are to replace your current keyboard player, why don't you get him to make them?

Great idea chees

[Huge Hands]

My question would be - has your drummer played to click before?

As a former drummer, I tried it for the first time in a studio setting back in my uni days.  I thought I would need to hear the click really well and got them to turn it up and up - til it was almost bashing my ear drums across my head into each other!

Suffice to say, it wasn't great playing or a great track.  A few years later, when working as a live sound engineer, I spoke to one of the pro drummers about it and listened to his click during a rehearsal, it was much quieter.  He had it at a level where you barely heard it, then if you started falling behind/speeding up, your brain would suddenly notice it and concentrate on it.  When I then tried it a year later at these sort of levels with my own band, it worked really well for me.  When on time, the click almost disappears and you are able to enjoy the music.  As others have said, depending on what is on the track, you may not need to hear it at all, especially if it is washy strings or effects.

I'm saying this because in my opinion, some drummers will never get their heads round playing with a click.  Some may just need some adjustment on their levels and then get it fine.

Apologies if your drummer is well experienced and knows this all already!

[police squad]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

I was replying to the OP

Doh, my bad

[mrtcat]

I've worked with tracks for years. It's ok but not my favourite way of working. A real keys player (and I mean a decent one) is better by miles but if you're needing all manner of random noises a track may be better. In terms of set up its really easy but it all hinges on the drummer being able to work with a click. We used to either use karaoke version or "borrow" original stems from a Russian website. Pan the track 100% left, the click 100% right and then use a stereo to 2x mono cable out of an ipod / tablet / laptop. 

This was a soundcheck from a few years back with a band that is no more - because we all got fed up of playing horrific music in horrific social clubs lol

 

[KingPrawn]

1 hour ago, Huge Hands said:

My question would be - has your drummer played to click before?

As a former drummer, I tried it for the first time in a studio setting back in my uni days.  I thought I would need to hear the click really well and got them to turn it up and up - til it was almost bashing my ear drums across my head into each other!

Suffice to say, it wasn't great playing or a great track.  A few years later, when working as a live sound engineer, I spoke to one of the pro drummers about it and listened to his click during a rehearsal, it was much quieter.  He had it at a level where you barely heard it, then if you started falling behind/speeding up, your brain would suddenly notice it and concentrate on it.  When I then tried it a year later at these sort of levels with my own band, it worked really well for me.  When on time, the click almost disappears and you are able to enjoy the music.  As others have said, depending on what is on the track, you may not need to hear it at all, especially if it is washy strings or effects.

I'm saying this because in my opinion, some drummers will never get their heads round playing with a click.  Some may just need some adjustment on their levels and then get it fine.

Apologies if your drummer is well experienced and knows this all already!

its new ground for us all so any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Dropzone]

https://www.karaoke-version.co.uk/

We use this site and is £2 per track and you can amend the mix as many times as you like. Great quality for covers and we do some Dub step stuff that we couldn't reproduce. We don't do it for the full set, but when we smash out a Rammstein track people take notice.