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Some basic assumptions before those that eschew backing tracks chime in..
- 33% of playing will be saxophone
- I'm not really interested in learning to be a chord melody player on guitar
- There are no bass / percussion jazz players in this part of the world. And if they were, this is not the sort of gig they would be looking for.
If you find the use of backing tracks to be beneath your pay grade that is understandable and by all means, move along. This is a discussion on the gear you need when backing tracks are going to be used.
So.. support for vocals (amplified), saxophone (unamplified), guitar, and tracks. Minimal gear and weight but with reasonably high fidelity sound.
Where I'm at today:
- Acus 350 (similar to a Schertler 400) to amplify all sources
- Lightweight mic stand and mic
- Pedal board with EQ, reverb, amp emulation for guitar, tuner, and looper
- Instruments (archtop, tenor saxophone, sax synth)
- Android tablet. Might go to Apple.
- Too many cables
Using iRealB at the moment. Sound quality is just OK but not great in spite of higher fidelity Acus amp. Material is Jazz 101. Right now thinking even mediocre vocals on 1/3 of the songs will be a positive. Have not figured out how to sequence a set list or how to mount a tablet where it isn't the audience's face. Gigs will be volunteer at the Cancer infusion clinic and possibly assisted living. But certainly looking to deliver the quality level that would be expected at any paying gig (or, actually, quite a bit better than what I've seen around my area..
Also looking to get rid of cables with bluetooth but that's a work in progress.
So.. what are others using? PA speakers seem a little on the low fidelity side (I have a high end Yamaha and the Acus is better). Bose maybe. Also how much gear are you schlepping about? Vocals important? The pedal board and cabling seems a hassle but haven't found a way around it. Two different bluetooth set ups? One to pedalboard, one to speaker? Garage band vs. iRealB.. Apple vs. Android.. experience and suggestions from others appreciated.
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06-01-2022 05:27 PM
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I think the weak link for you is probably your backing track playback. I assume you're using the headphone out jack and plugging a cable directly into the Acus (which, I'm told, is really good - I've never seen or heard one live). I don't know the resolution of the audio output from iReal, but I suspect it's dependent on the tablet, interface, and DAC you use to drive the amplifier. I also suspect (but do not know for sure) that your Acus does not have a digital input, so you'll probably get much better sound quality by running the digital output from your tablet into one of the many fine tiny DACs for $100 or less made for phone and tablet use.
You can now get a fine little DAC with BT input and connect your tablet that way. Remember that BT has evolved dramatically over the last few years, and if you get a DAC with current generation BT, you'll need a tablet that also has that codec or the quality will be that of the older version. The latest BT codecs sound great - I bought a pair of transmitters / receivers a few months ago and love them. The new low latency BT kernels will only work well with the same codec in both transmitter and receiver. I don't know of any tablets with the latest qualcomm low latency BT, but there may be some. But you don't really need low latency, since youll be playing live against the backing track.
Your setup is otherwise no different from many others. I used to use the same approach but through a Gigrac powered mixer, and the sound quality was excellent.
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Usually I prefer live looping to backing tracks, but I've done workshops where I'd just use one acoustic amp for everything. So a two channel acoustic amp, one channel is guitar, second one is a mic (which you can use for vocals and sax - i used it for a mic to talk through). Phone plays the backing track through the return of the amp (or aux in if it has one). So I just carry a guitar and one amp, plus what effects you need. Two amps (or pa speakers) if I want stereo.
One thing I would do if it was a gig, would be to export mp3s out of the ireal (it can do that easily), and use them instead of playing directly from the ireal app. I frequently use ireal for practice, and sometimes (rarely) it freezes or otherwise misbehaves depending on version/phone etc. So it has not been 100% gig worthy to me.
But if you go for ireal, just create playlists. Then you just keep the phone unlocked, and when you end a song, flip to the next one.
Frankly the abersold play alongs are better quality than the ireal, so always an option. Or building a collection downloading from YouTube backing tracks also.
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The Genius Jamtracks app is considerably better than iReal Pro, but it is more limited in its repertoire, but one can add tracks of one's own. Plus, it only works on an iPhone or iPad, so that may be a deal-killer for you.
The Toob Metro speaker coupled with a Quilter Superblock would lighten your load considerably, but it has no input for audio from your playback device. But you might be able to fix that with something for your pedal board.
The Henriksen Bud 6 has bluetooth input for an audio device (like your phone or tablet) and therefore optimized for digital input, but it's pricey and is basically otherwise a smaller-speaker duplication of your Acus, even if less than half the weight. The Bud 10 would be a better comparison, and is still 2kg lighter than your Acus, but again, a major financial outlay.
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I have maybe 2 dozen prof. produced backing tracks on my iPad pro and for a solo gig I plug that into my ROLAND Street XL amp (stereo !) and I'm done.
Looping is an option but I rarely go that route - planning to get my head around it though ....
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From the sound of my iPhone through my Blu, I think the BT codec used by Henriksen is probably the base level SBC, not the latest Qualcomm aptX HD. I love the Blu, but the BT sound quality is not nearly as good as it is from my aptX equipment. It’s fine for practice. But for live performance, high quality playback is essential. If your “backing band” sounds like a band in a boom box, you will too - no matter how great the sound of your guitar.
Originally Posted by Ukena
Here’s a list of tablets with the aptX HD codec. Add a $50 BT receiver and you’ll have the bet sound quality BT can provide.
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Genius JT is another good app to try for background tracks. I like it a little better than iReal Pro. If you have Band in a Box you can also try that, but I recommend keeping the backing tracks very basic.
I think having a couple lightweight powered speakers, a little portable gig table and an iPad will get you there. Taking a line out of the headphone jack works fine. I used to also make some of my own MP3s for background, but that may be more labor intensive than you had in mind. Simple setup. Three cables for mic, guitar and iPad. Four if you want a pedalboard, although you may not really need the board.
Either way, you can make it work. The simplest approach usually seems to work best. You don’t want to be distracted by a lot of gear tech stuff when you’re trying to perform. Keep it simple, engage with the audience and have fun. If you do that you’ll be fine.
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Your comments are much appreciated. As something of a gear-head I admit to introducing some complexity into my rig. That and I like the way an archtop sounds through a good amp sim / speaker IR and there is a base amount of gear to get there. So, pedalboards, full range speakers, et al. I bet with the right bluetooth set up it won't be too hard. Also going to try some different kinds of tracks and will certainly export to MP3 (you know.. IRealB does hang up quite a bit). And then there's the chance to throw in some looper which I enjoy and provides some variety.
As for audience interaction.. jeez.. hope not. I'm more like 'hey.. hey.. no.. don't touch that..' and get off my lawn. But I would like to perform some for folks that could use a bit more music. Like the time my wife was in infusion (years ago, she's fine now) and a nice woman with a cello showed up in the clinic. She played some Bach and Beethoven and Mozart. Simple. Beautiful. It made a difference. If I can do my equivalent of that, I would like to.
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A wireless system can help. I find the quality better than using a cable. It's possible to use two systems, one from the guitar to the pedalboard, and another from the pedalboard to the amplifier, and I've done that, but I don't like it that much. Usually one is enough. But I do highly prefer a wireless system to a cable, at least from the guitar to somewhere. I don't own a pedalboard, because I seldom use more than one pedal, and usually none. The Line6 Relay G10 has two outputs on the receiver, one 1/4" and one XLR, and that is often useful. The ones like the Xvive are less versatile, having only a 1/4" plug for the receiver, but no cable to the amp is needed, so that's sometimes a plus. I find these wireless systems infinitely better than any bluetooth system I've tried.
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I haven't yet found a BT system for guitar that didn't have unacceptable (and grossly audible) latency. I use a Boss WL20 system with only one minor complaint. It sounds great but drops out every once in a while (which no one except me seems to notice). Originally Posted by sgosnell
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I have occasional drops with my Xvive, less with the Line6, but sometimes on that also. It's caused by interference from the two routers I have in the same room. I don't experience it elsewhere. I can eliminate it by placing the receiver behind something which blocks the router signals, typically the amp. The wireless systems use the 2.4GHz band, which is the same as wifi and bluetooth, and although they may be on different channels, interference can still happen. Latency is definitely an issue with the bluetooth systems I've tried, although I haven't tried in several years, I just gave up on it. I hear no latency with the guitar wireless systems I have.
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Bose Compact handles guitar with 1/4" input, mic with XLR input, and tracks with RCA or mini-stereo inputs, plus a 1/4" output for going into house PA. Subwoofer in base, speakers mount on extensions, getting them up about 6', great for self-monitoring and spreading the sound around a room. Excellent hi-fi quality. Playback of backing tracks on iPod Nano or SanDisc players, or a loop pedal with memory chip, like Digitech JamMan. I make a lot of my own tracks using Logic, for quickie arrangements, I will use IRealPro, but generally dump basic tracks into the computer and add percussion or keyboard pads or rhythm guitar. You can customize the available tracks by adding intros, endings, interludes, modulations, etc. I find that I often end up playing my own bass parts instead of the irealpro tracks, and I also occasionally add drum fills or light percussion. I do lots of senior work; there is no budget for sidemen, and the gigs are only an hour, so putting together a nice program with massaged tracks is the way to go. Singing is improved for us mediocre singers with a Boss VE2 vocal harmonizer. you can minimize cable messes by making cables with the George L system. I generally put the guitar through a modeler pedal; the Digitech 360 does the job easily and sounds good. For rockabilly/country sounds, the Rumble Seat pedal by Analog Alien is very, very good. But the Bose Compact is the basis of a good sound that carries indoors or out.
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What concerns me is if there is a nearby microwave oven. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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I don't think the microwave should be a problem in the 2.4GHz range.
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Based on experience, a microwave will completely disrupt the bluetooth signal between a phone and speaker or airpods. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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That hasn't been my experience, but not all microwave ovens (or bluetooth receivers) are identical.
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I haven't tried gigging with it, but I've done the same thing at home for practicing.
I use an old phone and IReal into a Roland KB150 with a wire. Old fashioned 1/8th inch to quarter inch with an adapter. Wire. Old phone so that it doesn't ring or otherwise exercise free will.
I don't think the sound is all that great. The phone sounds fine playing back recordings, so it's something about IReal.
I use IReal tracks for practice, but if I was gigging, I'd collect some backing tracks from youtube. Generally, they're better musically, although less flexible. And, I'd have to figure out how to make them sound good. My guess is that mp3s from youtube would sound fine.
Guitar goes into a Boss ME80 pedal board and then into an amp. I can get a reasonable guitar sound through the KB150 which has 4 channels. But, at home, I go through a DV Mark Little Jazz.
I could do it, instead, with a mixer and powered speaker.
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If you find a microwave owen that doesnt use 2450 Mhz frequency please let me know Originally Posted by sgosnell
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Agree with you that iRealPro doesn't sound great. If you choose vibes or Rhodes for some tunes it's just OK. Still better than sliced bread for practice but it just seems a little too Casio for performance. Could be done especially with a minimum volume mix, but I have been looking for better backing tracks. Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
You can convert youtube backing tracks to MP3 using various utilities and working with that now. Of course I could record guitar, use my Beatbuddy for percussion, and fake the bass using a UBass. Hmm.. or I could search youtube..
For a good guitar tone I'm using a Strymon Iridium. Maybe not as good as the real thing but good enough.
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IRealPro will export MIDI.
The MIDI file can be opened in MuseScore and/or Reaper (Musescore is free, Reaper free to try).
With Musescore you can write a track using standard notation and move that by MIDI to Reaper.
From Reaper you have all sorts of control over the sound.
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I've done some of this and gains can be made in instrument sounds and it opens the door for swapping piece parts. However you still don't get the level of background comping and chord variety you get in some of the better youtube tracks. Kind of reminds me of how much I could improve in my rhythm playing.. dang. Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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If I use a YT backing track for the JGO virtual jam, I record it directly into Audacity and save it as a wav or FLAC (depending on whether I think I'll ever use it again - I save FLACs but delete wavs because of their size). Once it's in Audacity (which records everything as a wav), I can add my part(s) and mix it all down. I use DSP plugins to add whatever effects I want and to post-process the tracks and master as necessary (e.g. mid-side, widening etc). Originally Posted by Spook410
This will give you excellent audio files you can use for practice, performance, recording etc. You can then export all audio from Audacity as mp3s, FLACs, or any of several other lossy and lossless formats.
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