Guitar Channel Strip with Playback

Hi there

If I'm reading you correctly, I think you may have misinterpreted how to set this up.

Basically, what you should do is use one 'set' for each song. At the set level, you then add a software instrument channel strip for that song's backing track (are you just using one backing track with eg bass and drums mixed together, or have you separated them? If the latter, you just add one SI strip for drums, another for bass, another for keys etc - all in the same 'set').

Within each set,you can then add a number of different patches for your different guitar sounds. You can then move between these patches without your backing track stopping. When you want to play the next song, move onto the next set.

Hi

Ok, I'm up to speed now. When you say '8 track playback player', I assume you mean the 8 backing track mixer template?

What I'm referring to is using a different template, which I think would work better for you. Try opening a new concert. When MS offers you templates, click the 'guitar rigs' button, then select 'Single amp & one backing track'.


You'll see a folder labelled 'my song' with a patch underneath it. Click on the folder, to access the set level settings. Now try adding channel strips here (as many as you need for all your backing tracks - bass, drums, keys etc), and load up a playback plug-in in each one. Now, click on the gear icon, and add as many patches as you need for your guitar sounds in that song.

Add new channel strips for other live instruments in each patch (eg, if you need a vocal channel, remember you add it to each patch within a set).

Once you've done that set up for your first song, click the gear icon again, and add a new set, and repeat for each subsequent song (sets = songs).

You will now be able to start playback for each song, and switch between patches without stopping playback.

This might seem like a pain, considering you've already done your set up, so somebody else might be able to point you to a simpler solution.

Message was edited by: littleeden

Message was edited by: littleeden

No, no - never use the 'C' word 😉

Mainstage does just what you want it to - I've been using it in exactly this way for gigs for over two years.

All you have to do is this: in each set, open each of your playback plug-ins (double click on the button and you bring up the playback interface), look in the bottom right corner, and you'll see a window labelled 'Group'. Set the same group for each playback within a set - eg, for set/song 1, put each instance of playback to A, for set 2, put each one to B etc. Now all backing tracks for a song will play together.

Three things to remember -
1 it's important to choose a different group letter for different sets

2 put all the playbacks within each set to the same group letter

3 when bouncing, ensure all your stems start from the same place - eg, if you have a keyboard line that doesn't come in till the second verse, you still need to bounce it from bar 1 (if that's were you've bounced all the other stems from).

Message was edited by: littleeden

Message was edited by: littleeden

Hey, glad I could help. Happy gigging.

Sorry to intervene but I need a little help. Let's say I need to do a session of five songs live. I need them to just flow from one to the next without stopping. What is the solution for this kind of setup?

Hi there - I'll do my best, but first, a couple of questions for you - I assume you're using backing tracks - if so, how many for each song, do you put them together on Logic, what live instruments are you playing?

Thanks for the reply. I am using around 4 to 6 backing tracks for each song. some stereo and some mono. I put them together in Logic Pro 9. I am using three mics, a guitar, one synth and a bass live. It's a band of five people.

OK, off the top of my head, what I'd suggest is that you lay out your backings sequentially in Logic and bounce them all from the start - ie so you'd lay all your drum tracks end to end, and bounce them as one file, then repeat for your other backing instruments. Note that even if one of the songs didn't feature a particular instrument, you would still have to include the 'space' where it isn't playing in the bounce.

Then, create a set containing all the playback channel strips you need, and load the bounced files into them. Remember to select the same group for each playback plug-in to get them to all play together (as described above).

Now within that set, create as many patches as you need for your live instruments, and within each patch add as many channels as you need for your instruments. Now set up the sound for each instrument within the patch as required. Note that you may want multiple patches to correspond with each song if you need to change the instrument sounds during the song.

Now you will be able to play the backings so that they run together, while switching between patches to get your different instrument sounds for each song without stopping playback.

There you go - there may be an easier way of doing this, but I can't think of it at the moment, so if anyone else out there can, please jump in.

OK. So if I have eight songs in a session. I should bounce all the audio files as one or more continuous Playback files. (guitar track or drum track). That would be let's say a concert about half an hour long. Then load all the patches etc in that same set.

Yes, that's about it. As I say, there may be a more elegant solution, but I can't think of it at the moment.

OK. Thanks for the guidance Littledeen. I have about a month or so to get things fully organize before my band start to perform live. I would be using a MacBook Pro with the i5 processor. I should be able to have it under control by then. Bye.