Using a laptop for live performance?

[guitarplaya18]

Hey,

got some questions about using a laptop while performing live, hope some of you can help. Pretty much, this new band i have going on has a lot of layers in the songs. So i was thinking I would just have some of the layers pre recorder and have it go from my laptop into the venues PA/mixer whatever. So how would I do this?

I'm using fruity loops and I want a click track + the layers to go to an ear piece that my drummer has while just the layers go to the PA. I'm sure this is possible. I'm using a macbook.

any help would be great dudes,

thanks

 

[ParsonsMatt]

My band did this when we were playing live.

We had Laptop + RME Fireface on stage.

Guitars were plugged into the two instrument inputs of the RME. The RME was sending out a headphone feed (click track+backing track) to the drummer, and then 4 outputs of R/L orchestra and R/L guitars that the soundman mixed.

It sounded really awesome when we got a good mix. Which was... two out of the 6 shows we played.

 

[arv_foh]

there have been like 10 threads about this already in the past 6 months, use the search function

you pan the click to hard left, the backing tracks in the center if you want them to go to both mixes (drummer and foh), send to a stereo output on your interface, the left channel goes to drummer, and the right channel goes to the FOH mix

 

[guitarplaya18]

cant find any, but would appreciate if you point me in the right direction. Btw, what other equipment would i need besides a laptop? I really have no idea about doing this...btw the RME fireface is way too expensive, some alternatives? Thanks

 

[arv_foh]

cant find any, but would appreciate if you point me in the right direction. Btw, what other equipment would i need besides a laptop? I really have no idea about doing this...btw the RME fireface is way too expensive, some alternatives? Thanks

any interface that has at least 2 outputs

mbox
maudio fast track
apogee duet
etc

I really just told you all you need to know

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/385155-playing-live-click-track.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/244583-playing-live-click-backing-tracks.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/318094-ideas-how-trigger-samples-live.html

 

[colynomial]

Did this with my band for a few months and it was the worst experience of my life. Unless you're on tour with Metalica you probably don't have the setup time or front-of-house expertise to do it without wanting to kill yourself every night. Trust me- I wanted it to work so bad I would actually bring a supplemental on-stage PA with us to gigs.

The best solution is simply to put everything- orchestra, keyboards, backing vocals, sub drops, etc- in the left channel and click in the right. Then just use and iPod with a splitter. I hate the idea of all my orchestration being in mono but there's just no other low stress way to pull this off IMO.

 

[Torniojaws]

I've had success with my laptop system. It's fairly quick (5~10 min) to setup after a bit of practice, and works everytime. You can ease your job by first planning how you rig things, so while you wait for the laptop to boot, you are setting up the guitar amps, and so on, so there is no waiting involved at any point.

On my laptop, I run Reaper 64 with 9 tracks (I use programmed drums for live performances):

1 - Kick
2 - Snare
3 - Overhead
4 - Toms
5 - Synths and FX
6 - Backing guitar DI track for live reamping (mucho coolo )
7 - Bass DI for live reamping kickass
8 - Intro/Outro
9 - Cymbal count-ins (which I forgot to add to the original drumtracks when exporting them )

From Reaper, the signal goes to RME Fireface 400. From it, tracks 1-5, 8 and 9 go to ADAT Out and to Behringer ADA8000. From ADA8000, I take the 7 x XLR line outs to FOH through the venue's multicore cable.
The two remaining tracks (guitar & bass DI) go from the Fireface's line outs to reamp boxes and then to the amps (I usually bring two guitar heads & one cabinet, then borrow the second cab and bass amp).

From there on, it behaves like a regular gig - you get drums and whatnot to the venue monitors, and you can follow the programmed stuff like that, without a click.

But that brings me to your question:

It would be no problem to just make a click track and send that signal to your drummer's headphone amp from the interface Or to the monitor mix guy, if you have one at the venue.

 

[greyskull]

Did this with my band for a few months and it was the worst experience of my life. Unless you're on tour with Metalica you probably don't have the setup time or front-of-house expertise to do it without wanting to kill yourself every night. Trust me- I wanted it to work so bad I would actually bring a supplemental on-stage PA with us to gigs.

The best solution is simply to put everything- orchestra, keyboards, backing vocals, sub drops, etc- in the left channel and click in the right. Then just use and iPod with a splitter. I hate the idea of all my orchestration being in mono but there's just no other low stress way to pull this off IMO.

+500000

 

[Raptor7]

You guys want STEREO backing tracks and STEREO click and backing tracks for the drummer?
Use this http://www.esi-audio.com/products/maya44usb/
I am using it, it works flawlessly.
Drummer can use the Heaphones port (mixed signals) and the backing tracks go to FOH through either Out1 or Out2 (both stereo). Problem solved.
It powers up from the USB bus so no need to worry about more power outlets, it is very light, reliable, etc

 

[Aaron Smith]

Did this with my band for a few months and it was the worst experience of my life. Unless you're on tour with Metalica you probably don't have the setup time or front-of-house expertise to do it without wanting to kill yourself every night. Trust me- I wanted it to work so bad I would actually bring a supplemental on-stage PA with us to gigs.

The best solution is simply to put everything- orchestra, keyboards, backing vocals, sub drops, etc- in the left channel and click in the right. Then just use and iPod with a splitter. I hate the idea of all my orchestration being in mono but there's just no other low stress way to pull this off IMO.

Not totally in agreement with this... I use a MacBook Pro + Mbox 2 Pro live with my band, and it's works just fine. Analog 1-2 to the drummer, Analog 3-4 to the PA. I have this case, with the Mbox 2 Pro velcro'd to a 2-space rack shelf, as well as a Radial stereo DI on the shelf, so the stage guy just needs to route me two XLRs during setup, instead of me having to ask for them to bring out two of their own mono DIs, which would likely annoy every single person I might ever ask. We even have some par 56 RGB LED cans, which are all automated to the music... MIDI track -> MIDI input of a small Elation DMX lighting controller. The MIDI just tells the controller to change scenes, which are all programmed into the controller itself. Works great! We custom built a power cable with outlet boxes every 15 feet, and attached XLR cables (didn't want to pay for DMX data cables, haha) to the power cable with gaffing tape, so during setup we just stretch out the cable, set out the lights on the floor behind where we stand, plug it all in, and we're good to go. Stereo backing tracks, and music-synced backlighting color and motion against a foggy stage (we supply our own fog too)

 

[Jordon]

Not totally in agreement with this... I use a MacBook Pro + Mbox 2 Pro live with my band, and it's works just fine. Analog 1-2 to the drummer, Analog 3-4 to the PA. I have this case, with the Mbox 2 Pro velcro'd to a 2-space rack shelf, as well as a Radial stereo DI on the shelf, so the stage guy just needs to route me two XLRs during setup, instead of me having to ask for them to bring out two of their own mono DIs, which would likely annoy every single person I might ever ask. We even have some par 56 RGB LED cans, which are all automated to the music... MIDI track -> MIDI input of a small Elation DMX lighting controller. The MIDI just tells the controller to change scenes, which are all programmed into the controller itself. Works great! We custom built a power cable with outlet boxes every 15 feet, and attached XLR cables (didn't want to pay for DMX data cables, haha) to the power cable with gaffing tape, so during setup we just stretch out the cable, set out the lights on the floor behind where we stand, plug it all in, and we're good to go. Stereo backing tracks, and music-synced backlighting color and motion against a foggy stage (we supply our own fog too)

This. Once you get setup down, it really doesn't take much more time/effort to do it. A big tip is to have a "test track" (a synth, or even guitar) in the set/session. During rehearsal, you set the test track to match the volume of one of the guitars. Live, tell the soundguy that the test track should match whichever guitar you set it to in rehearsal. The backing tracks should be fairly close to where you need them in the mix with only minor tweaking needed.

I hope that makes sense. I'm quite sick and drugged up...not sure I can for coherent thoughts.

 

[Z3R0]

Not totally in agreement with this... I use a MacBook Pro + Mbox 2 Pro live with my band, and it's works just fine. Analog 1-2 to the drummer, Analog 3-4 to the PA. I have this case, with the Mbox 2 Pro velcro'd to a 2-space rack shelf, as well as a Radial stereo DI on the shelf, so the stage guy just needs to route me two XLRs during setup, instead of me having to ask for them to bring out two of their own mono DIs, which would likely annoy every single person I might ever ask. We even have some par 56 RGB LED cans, which are all automated to the music... MIDI track -> MIDI input of a small Elation DMX lighting controller. The MIDI just tells the controller to change scenes, which are all programmed into the controller itself. Works great! We custom built a power cable with outlet boxes every 15 feet, and attached XLR cables (didn't want to pay for DMX data cables, haha) to the power cable with gaffing tape, so during setup we just stretch out the cable, set out the lights on the floor behind where we stand, plug it all in, and we're good to go. Stereo backing tracks, and music-synced backlighting color and motion against a foggy stage (we supply our own fog too)

I got the same case as you, and the same general idea.

Lights/Tracks/Everything. Only running a Profire 2626 live, and trying to run in-ear monitors from the outs on the Profire as well... Still hammering out issues. I'm having weird issues with Reaper just losing touch with the Profire. Monitoring the inputs just stops, and we can't hear anything. But lights/samples keep working...

Trying to trigger drums live w/ Slate samples too. Drumagog has too much latency and i can't get around it. Hoping Trigger can solve this!!

 

[xFkx]

Trying to trigger drums live w/ Slate samples too. Drumagog has too much latency and i can't get around it. Hoping Trigger can solve this!!

Yeah, i'm having the same issue. But god damn if i'll have to start touring with a stupid ilok dongle