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Samples while playing live

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  • 13-09-2009 8:27pm
    #1
    drummerman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Well good people, i'm looking for suggested listenings, advice etc. about this topic.

    Our band has decided to start using samples live (mainly keyboards- one of the guitarists is sick of switching mid song between playing keys and guitar) and i've suggested adding drum loops / samples to the mix on top of the live kit (if they work...no point in throwing them in for the sake of it).

    My problem is two fold.

    First, how to place a metronome in the backing track - should we aim to have a simple metronome low enough in the mix so it isnt noticable to the audience, or add in a simple keyboard / precussion part to help me keep as tight as me snare drum?

    Second, I'm finding it difficult to find appropriate loops to put in, at the moment they just aren't complimenting the live drums at all! I've been messing with one of the songs that I know samples would work in, but I just can't get a hold on the right one(s). I'm trying to find bands that use this quite well, and all i've come up with is Garbage...would anyone have any listening suggestions of other bands that exploit this to its fullest for inspiration? Or should I just hammer on through loads of ideas until I find the right one?

    Sorry if this is all a bit confusing, any help would be greatly greatly appreciated!
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    #2
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    The Flaming Lips do this a lot, and I think quite well.

    A lot of times you can hear a metronome coming out over the PA (which I think can both add to and subtract from the song), but a lot of the time, they use weird sounds and noises instead of a conventional click, so it doesn't sound totally stupid.

    Here's one of my favourite tracks they do it for

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJTha1SDSwM

    The drums are both live and recorded. There are pads and stuff and backing vocals on the backing track, AFAIK.

    Back when they didn't use a live drummer

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F8EAv8jSWE


    Using backing tracks completely takes any improvisational possibilities out of songs, though (heh, kinda obvious, sorry :P), I would say use with caution :pac:


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    #3
    novarock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭novarock


    My band uses a lot of samples/backing tracks live. Our drummer plays off a click for these tracks. This is the simplest way we have for doing it:

    The samples are on a Roland SPD-S
    http://www.thomann.de/ie/roland_spd-s_sampling_pad.htm?sid=407b057b54a4301d899b579ff1a44c7b

    The are three outputs on the SPD-S. We send the mono/left straight to the PA,

    And we put the stereo mix out to a behringer headphone mixer similar to this one http://www.thomann.de/ie/behringer_mon_800_minimon.htm

    As there are multiple inputs on the mixer, we input the metronome on one of the other channels, that way you can do your own separate monitor mix.

    All of the tracks start with a four count for the drummer and the tempos are all preset etc... Its been the simplest way I have found anyway..


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