Playing to a Click Live

[Flemmigan]

also, my band played the backing tracks today through our PA and the intro is this lead type of part, and it was absolutely ear peaircing. Like...it hurt. But then when we played everything sounded fine. What all can I maybe do to ensure that the backing tracks wont hurt anyones ears live?

All I can think of is have a sample that you can do a quick soundcheck with right before your set. As long as that sample sounds like a good volume, and its volume corresponds to the rest of the backing track, I'd imagine you should be good. Nothing sucks worse than getting to a part in a song and one part being ridiculous loud. So, make sure all your backing tracks are at a relatively steady volume.


I'm wondering about using a laptop for the click and backing tracks instead. For instance, imagine this:
MacBook Pro + DAW -> Profire 2626 -> set the different channels to different outs, have the click channel only go to an out for headphones for the drummer

Seems to me like this would work (let me know if it seems like it wouldn't). My reservation is with the laptop. I've heard lot of talk about stage vibrations being very detrimental to the hard drive and so on. A solid state drive is pretty far down on my shopping list right now, so I'm wondering, any ideas for stabilizing a laptop for a live setting?

Perhaps just a foam "stand" that facilitates ventilation, etc. to prevent overheating while cushioning the computer from vibrations. That definitely seems like it would prevent a lot of vibration, but would it be enough?

EDIT: I mean, check out this old school footage of TREOS (one of my favorite bands but I digress). Casey is using an ironing board for his laptop and FireWire interface for the backing tracks haha. If something that minimal can work, seems like a little more insulation would do the job as well?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC4b9Qu6Uao

 

[D1nkum]

My band (I Shall Devour) is about to start running a click track live with our string samples.. We've run it at practice and it is amazing. So much tighter, and you know where it's gonna come in.

Run it from a laptop, and pan the tracks left and right. Strings/Orchestrals/whatever samples on right, run to FOH, click on the left run to our drummers in ear.

 

[MetalBuddah]

My band (I Shall Devour) is about to start running a click track live with our string samples.. We've run it at practice and it is amazing. So much tighter, and you know where it's gonna come in.

Run it from a laptop, and pan the tracks left and right. Strings/Orchestrals/whatever samples on right, run to FOH, click on the left run to our drummers in ear.

One you go click track, you never go back. It has improved my band's playing tremendously. Glad to hear it is working will for your band (which I will probably check out when I am off work )

 

[LewisMembery]

Any have a link to the type of cable needed?

I bought what I thought was the correct splitter but the click ends up spilling either side, not sure if it is because I have a splitter that sounds the same signal to both outputs, but can't seem to find the correct cable anywhere???