Questions for those of you that run backing/rhythm tracks

[Badfrog]

What is your setup?

I ask because I don't have a band (thought occasionally I'll get together with someone that drums) but I do have a Boss RC-3 looper. Right now I'm just not sure that I'm in love with the idea of my lead play being funneled thru the looper pedal. Also, I'm thinking about getting a new amp and need to incorporate this into my decision.

Do some of you folks just run backing tracks on a stereo in your room? Do you run it thru another amp? Do you just live with the sound that your looper pedal gives you and have it in front of your amp or in an FX loop?

I'd like to get a tube amp in the 15 watt range since I mostly play at home. Would a parallel FX loop help me in my quest? I've read a little bit about the Burriss Royal Bluesman but I'm not sure how the parallell FX loop works. Would it be possible for me to record a rhythm track with my Boss RC-3 in the FX loop and then once I'm done turn off the preamp out side but leave the power amp in side open? Thus I can have my backing track playing thru the amp but my lead play doesn't go thru my looper (since my playing isn't being sent into the loop anymore)? Is that how something like this can work? Or am I off on my thinking?

Just trying to figure out how to have my cake and eat it too if it's possible.

 

[mikeyen]

Not sure exactly what you're asking, but sounds like your'e saying the looper is coloring your tone too much. It could be a matter of mismatched impedance, mismatched input/output levels, things in the wrong order in the chain, or maybe you just need a better quality looper. I'd suggest putting the looper in the FX loop, at the end of your chain, and try playing with input/output levels to make sure everything's at the proper level.

If there are non-guitar instruments in the backing tracks, though, you'll have better luck running the backing out of something other than a guitar amp, which is usually designed to sound good with guitars. In fact, a desktop/laptop hooked up to an audio interface and a pair of decent monitors will get you a lot of mileage (backing tracks, play along recordings, writing songs and recording demos...), and are very affordable these days.

Hope this helps.

 

[Badfrog]

Not sure exactly what you're asking, but sounds like your'e saying the looper is coloring your tone too much. It could be a matter of mismatched impedance, mismatched input/output levels, things in the wrong order in the chain, or maybe you just need a better quality looper. I'd suggest putting the looper in the FX loop, at the end of your chain, and try playing with input/output levels to make sure everything's at the proper level.

If there are non-guitar instruments in the backing tracks, though, you'll have better luck running the backing out of something other than a guitar amp, which is usually designed to sound good with guitars. In fact, a desktop/laptop hooked up to an audio interface and a pair of decent monitors will get you a lot of mileage (backing tracks, play along recordings, writing songs and recording demos...), and are very affordable these days.

Hope this helps.

I was just mainly wondering how other people run their backing tracks, just to get some ideas on how to best set mine up.

Also, I was wondering if I should look into amps with a parallel FX loop (would this type of loop help me to avoid playing my leads through the Boss RC-3 pedal).

 

[Badfrog]

I guess there aren't many here that play with a looper or backing tracks? Or maybe my original post had too much gibberish.

 

[Randy Van Sykes]

I play in a cover band (3 piece) that uses backing tracks (keys and such) to fill iin the sound. You just need something that plays a stereo track (iPod, mini disc player) and put the click on one side for the drummer only to hear and the backing on the other to send to the soundman/vocal PA...done.

 

[trwigg]

I have the RC50 and I don't play out but like to jam and I will record onto the RC50 and run it to a separate amp from the one I play my leads through. I have a blast with this thing. It is probably the best musical thing I have purchased ever.

 

[thefyn]

I have fun creating my own. With about $300 worth of interface/mic/software you can create/record your own music. Then it is as easy as playing it via an MP3 player to jam with through a PA etc etc.

Maudio fast track
SM57
Sonar home studio 7XL (It has drum tracks etc etc you can use)

Good to go!

 

[Badfrog]

I have the RC50 and I don't play out but like to jam and I will record onto the RC50 and run it to a separate amp from the one I play my leads through. I have a blast with this thing. It is probably the best musical thing I have purchased ever.

Okay, this is what I'm thinking about doing. I have a Vox VT50 that I really don't use much (and it wouldn't fetch much if I tried to sell it) and I was considering keeping it around to run rhythm or backing tracks thru and that would leave my good amp uncluttered for lead play.

It just seems that when I get everything going thru one amp it just gets to be too much to mess with and some of the sound/tone starts to go down the drain.

Keep the replies coming guys, I like hearing what other people are doing out there.

 

[Badfrog]

I have fun creating my own. With about $300 worth of interface/mic/software you can create/record your own music. Then it is as easy as playing it via an MP3 player to jam with through a PA etc etc.

Maudio fast track
SM57
Sonar home studio 7XL (It has drum tracks etc etc you can use)

Good to go!

I think that is going to be me down the road as I add more and more equipment. I think my previous attempts to run everything thru one amp was just getting to be waaay too much for one amp to handle.

 

[dangeroso]

I would look at the Digitech JamMan Stereo. It's practically made for this use.

it has a memory card and USB connection to manage and store loops or backing tracks. You can drop MP3s right on to the unit and play along.

It also acts as a looper.

 

[Badfrog]

I would look at the Digitech JamMan Stereo. It's practically made for this use.

it has a memory card and USB connection to manage and store loops or backing tracks. You can drop MP3s right on to the unit and play along.

It also acts as a looper.

I have a Boss RC-3 which is similar in nature but it adds a fair amount of noise to my setup. If I knew for sure that the Digitech was quiter and had better sound quality, I'd be all over it.

 

[Mr Boggie]

What I found most critical is having an input level on the acutal looper. Jamman and boomerang does, the RC30 didnt. It would way mess with my levels. I also found that the jamman and boss coloured my tone. The boomer didnt as much. I think now, im back to square 1. just playing along with a cd or my laptop and then at practice with the boys. the looper just didnt work that well with my toys and so far, I've tried.

boomer 3 - great if you dont need memory to jam on
rc30 - gimmicky
jam man original - bad sound
jam man solo - hit 2x to stop, i dont think so
boss gt10 - useless
each one was missing something. but what it gave back to me was improvement to my timing and phrasing. Your mileage may vary.

really what i want, is load backing track into device X and queue my solo, in and out of the verse/chorus. it sounds simple enough but i have yet to find it well.

 

[semi-hollowbody]

backing tracks on laptop-audio interface-pa/monitor speakers

I played with a band that used backing tracks for drums and keys...he did this and we jammed along at loud volumes

I tried connecting my ipod to my boss rc30 (the dual pedal) and run it through my amp but it sounded like ****...
so I do ipod (with backing tracks) - home stereo

 

[phishintrip007]

I have a JamMan, the older big one not the new stereo one and not the small solo. But, I dump backing tracks on the flash card and also plug my iphone into it. I don't like how the JamMan squashes my tone when I run the guitar thru it so I plug it into my guitar amp on the second channel. I have a 72 fender bandmaster. It has 2 channels with eq for each (well bass and treble anyway). So while the guitar amp speakers aren't really that great for running the backing tracks through, I can get decent sound out of it. I run my guitar thru the other channel where I can set the treble and bass how i want.

If you were playing gigs with backing tracks, I don't know I would go that route. For jamming around the house and learning tunes though it works great. If I had a PA, I would def run it thru it instead of the guitar amp but since I couldn't afford the PA system at the time and the JamMan has a mic in I went that route.