Live Back Tracks - Need Help!!!

[savanderbok]

so here's the situation:

My band only has one guitarist (me) and we want to use backtracks for second guitar and other small ambient parts. i have a MBP and I've been using Mainstage 2 to make the back tracks that include a click track for the drummer.

I NEED to know HOW to get these back tracks to play through a PA. like what kind of hardware would i need to do so.

i'm new to this sort of stuff, so any information can help!

thank you!

 

[xdenzleed]

I've been wondering about that myself as I'm about to finish my bands EP and we need to figure out how to run all the synth's through the PA.
But I would imagine the easiest way would be like this:
Run the backing as a stereo track from a laptop into a small audio interface (like an M-audio ) that will go into the live mixing desk and into the PA.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong

 

[jrg828]

all you need is an Ipod, and a splitter

if you want to do it cheap and effective, not to mention consistent, this is the best possible method

my band did it for 2 years, the hardest part of it is actually getting the drummer to play to a click XD

 

[savanderbok]

could you elaborate on the process of doing that? haha

 

[Hemorrhage]

could you elaborate on the process of doing that? haha

This is how we have been doing it for years (for synths and orchestrals only tho). Mp3 file in the iPhone that has all the synths panned all to right and the click panned to the left. A wire like this (Amazon.com: Hosa CMP153 Y Cable 1/8 Inch TRS to Dual 1/4 Inch TS Cable - 3 Foot: Musical Instruments) to the iPhone and left 1/4 to a mini mixer next to the drummer so he can adjust click levels to himself and right to the table. All the tracks in the phone are named as own albums so the phone wont start playing the next one automatically. Also all possible sounds are off from the phone and its in the flight mode. Super easy to use.

Some people will most likely come and say that mp3 in mono will sound like shit. At least we have not yet been able to play a gig in a place with such PA systems etc that wav/stereo would have made a slightest difference to the listener. Not sure if this method works that well on guitars (I'd just get another guitarist) but its cheap and simple.

 

[Tyler]

with my band, we have the click track playing with the song on the right side so my drummer doesnt lose time, and on the left we have the samples (bass drops, synths, layered guitars etc) and we use a presonus hp4 for splitting it