Want live keyboard tracks for Beatles Cover Band!

[jeffwest]

OK so how do I get from here to there?

I have no MIDI experience but I can use software.

I have 4 "Beatles" in the band and no one plays keyboards. We want to have backing tracks on stage playing the keyboard parts.

Should we edit out all but keyboards parts in a midi file then convert to MP3? Then how do you add a click track for the drummer? Can we do this and achieve a professional sound without spending an arm and a leg on keyboards and midi gear?

How does everyone else do this?

We only need about 20 songs and they are all Beatles and all from the 60's. Nothing fancy, no other need or use for the keyboards or MIDI gear.

Will a PC sound card produce professional sounding piano, when played from stage?

Should I bring a notebook to the gigs? Are there noise issues?

Did I already ask how the heck you make a click track? If I could figure that out I could pan keys right, click left and send the left side to the drummer.

Come on you guys and girls! There has to be an easy answer here!

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

Jeff

[gibbo]

Hi Jeff,
We've already had a discussion about this, see;
midimart.proboards56.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1168339837
As to the quality of sound-card piano samples, I think not if you want the band to sound great.
Get a module or download a decent piano/keys soundfont. Have a look through the forum threads all of your questions have been discussed at various times.
Good luck.

[JazzCat]

Hi ya Gibbo,
He's asking a lot more questions than are answered by the one thread you mentioned. He wrote to me first and I sent him here to ask you all because so many people here handle their live gig situations differently.

He asked me about the possibility of using MP3s through an Ipod ,after someone creates MP3s for him. Well, I use strictly MIDI, so I don't feel qualified to advise on if that will work well or not.
I explained how I go about it and I sent him info on some MIDI players.

As for trying to find info on this forum... Well, I have spent literally hours searching for a certain topic or message I replied to because I forgot which board and which topic it was under. Some I have never found again!.... zat give you an idea how hard it is to find stuff here?
Cat >^..^<

[gibbo]

OK Cat,
Maybe someone will pick up this thread and reiterate the info. My point was that there are a few threads on soundfonts, clicktracks, laptop useage, etc etc. They're pretty easy to find by checking the thread titles in areas like Technical Questions and so forth.
I always like to educate myself by studying as many viewpoints as I can find, trying various options and seeing what works best for me.
Let's see what comes up in answer to Jeff's questions.

[JazzCat]

Yeah, me too. The main thing he's looking for is an inexpensive way of doing it and still have quality sound.
I can certainly understand not wanting to spend a load of money on equipment to perform a lousy 20 or so tunes. LOL!

[midimart]

The only solution for this is going to be very difficult.

As you say, the pan idea seems the best solution to me. The drummer must hear all the track except drums as to keep the right timing, the rest of you follow the drummers timing.

The problem is, the drummer will have to keep the right timing as for when the piano kicks in. Even a 64th of a note out and you will sound a load of garbage.

I can do this for you, but you will have to give me a little time and I'd keep the volumes low but the piano high, or organ or harmonica or strings etc etc.

Give me a track in midi or let me know a track from our listings (including key) and let me play with it..... I'll see what I can come up with and send you the result in mp3.

Can't promise, though I will do my best.

[jeffwest]

Thanks much.

I just took your midi file "Beatles - All You Need is Love" and removed Guitar, Bass and Drums. Not sure that I can send an attachment on this board so I'll send it to support at midimart.

I did a search on your site and can't find how to add a click track to a midi file. Seems like a simple thing, but maybe not!

If someone could tell me an easy way to do that, then I think I can do the rest myself. I just got a Roland Sound Canvas and downloaded the Jazzware software and it sounds great.

So I can edit the tracks now myself. If I could just add the click tracks, then I think I could pan music one way, click track the other way, convert midi to mp3, and I am all set.

Can you teach a midi beginner how to add a click track?

Also, if you could recommend a high quality midi to mp3 converter program - that would be great too!

Thanks again!

Jeff

[gibbo]

Quickest way is to use the metronome function of your sequencer program and just record the met. as a series of midi notes to a seperate track.
That is; load up your edited midifile and record a new track with the metronome being recorded. I'm sure there are many other ways. One band I know keep the kick drum as a click and the drummer plays on top of that. I find, in the studio, that drummers work best with "sticks" ie: C#1 as the click note. If you use hi-hats the click tends to get lost. Check it out with your drummer and find out what he likes best, the sticks can get a bit wearing after a while. I'll check it out with some guys I know who do this pretty successfully and let you know if there's any more info.

[midimart]

Hi Jeff - I have done a click track for you on the track you sent me. Hope it works well for you.

I have also sent you an outline on how to get a click track on JazzWare....

As for the midi to mp3 converter, I use and recommend www.midconverter.com/ it is not expensive but it records very well, have a listen to our mp3 files.

Best of luck, and let me know how you get on.

[JazzCat]

Jeff has found a solution to his problems. He found some people who do nothing but Beatles tracks as close to the old originals as they can do. These are apparently live players recording individual parts, not one guy doing MIDI to audio. He's going to pay the big bucks for those tracks rather than have to learn, buy equipment, and keep asking for help.
He was so happy with the help received on this particular board, and the help and suggestions from me off board, that he's going to donate to the site! Just another pat on MIDIMart's back. <smile>
Cat >^..^<

[jeffwest]

Actually it's "small bucks" but thanks to all (especially Cat!). You helped me get where I needed to go, however I stumbled across a much easier and cheaper solution for my 20 songs. But I did send a small gift to MidiMart as a thank you.

By the way, I purchased the product at www.midconverter.com/ to do midi to MP3 conversions and never could get it to work, they didn't respond to my support requests and so I had to find a free one on-line that worked first time - no problems.

Thanks again.

Jeff

[paulhcctt]

if the files are sent to [e-mail] with a tempo map. i will sample them in reason, pan the click right (For drummer) and piano left (For main mix)

that way you use the right channel on a send route for his "Phones" so that only he can hear the click with a piano bleed.

tried and tested for me and my old band. and probably every other band playing to a click

only a few mins job, and will gladly do for you

here is an example: www.4shared.com/file/11358907/2152f242/clicktrack.html

pan hard left and right and see what the audience hears versus your drummer. i bled the piano track in too so that he can hear the piano part in his monitor also