Playing backing tracks while in Set List mode

xorms · Post by **xorms** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 7:07 am

Hi everybody,

Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere, but I must say I have tried a few of the general backing track suggestions on this forum and elsewhere, yet to no avail.

I want to import a WAV file (e.g. all the other instruments in the band) and have it start playing on command from setlist mode, so that I can play along with keyboard parts.

I'm sure theres just a button or something similar somewhere that I can't find. Navigating this machine does get tedious at times!

TIA

alland · Post by **alland** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 7:58 am

General workflow should be like:
1) create/save songs in SEQ, audio track(s) having your wav, MIDI track(s) having timbres you want to play live
2) in SetList mode assign SetList slots to song# and Track param to live timbre/tracks you are going to play
3) load songs before performance begins
4) After selecting your song in SetList, press start/stop to start song
Param guide p670 says more:
"If you like, you can have the same Song in multiple Slots, each with a different Keyboard Track. You can then switch between the Slots, changing the sound assigned to the keyboard, as the Song continues to play."

SynthKeyWizard · Post by **SynthKeyWizard** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:13 am

You have to create SEQs with your WAV backing tracks and your timbres for playing this songs. Then you add this SEQs to setlist and play as always.
To start backtrack - just push SEQ START button.

If you need to switch to different timbres while playing song, just make copy of your setlist slot and change midi track to another one. Of course, you have to load appropriate program into your song.

With my band I playing backing tracks with click for drummer easily.
I manage my tracks routing in the next way:
1. All keyboard sounds are routed to the MAIN OUT
2. All backtracks routed to INDIVIDUAL 1,2 (backtrack are divided to groups, like percussion, synths, FXs and I can control volume and eq of every track in realtime if I need. This is suitable for live situations)
3. Click track is routed to INDIVIDUAL 3,4 (via headphone amp to drummer headphones)

The only thing that you need to load your SEQ file every time you start Kronos (because it hasn`t SEQ autoload function, at least yet)

But with my method you have some cool advantages:
- you can record controllers for yor live playing (for example I use pre-recorded amp-drive crescendo with my Drive-EP program in one song, and pre recorded wah pedal movement for wah clavinet sound in other song)
- you can program sysex messages to switch timbres in your midi tracks, and even IFX-MFX changes
- you can program Program Changes and other controllers for external equipment (for example, to switch sounds in guitar fx processor. With my band I use prog changes to switch timbres in drummers percussion module)

geoelectro · Post by **geoelectro** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 12:45 pm

In my case I mostly run backing tracks out of a Combi. I import the waves, create a program from them, insert it into a combi. I can assign that "track" to start from a certain key and then play along with it. (or Nano pad)

In the newly created program using the track you set the sound to HOLD so once it starts it plays to the end.

I run a click on output 3 and the track on output 4. Of course all FX's and EQ's are available per timbre.

Using the Combi method means you don't have to load anything at the gig. Just set your backing tracks to auto load in Global.

Geo

SynthKeyWizard · Post by **SynthKeyWizard** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:33 pm

Combi method can cause one problem: if you reach polyphony limit, your backtrack can stop. You have to set timbre priority to avoid this, but even this settings doesn't guarantee proper workflow. I tested this many time and polyphony overload can cause cutoff in your sampled backtrack. In live situation this is unacceptable.

For playbacks I'll try to use iPad in near future, but still can't find good docking station. All of them provides only one stereo pair, can't find equivalent with two or more stereo outs. "Ipad-camerakit-sound card" setup also is unacceptable for me bacause of unreliable connections.

One more option I found - is to use iPad with Cubasis app as clicktrack player. iPad will be sycronized with kronos via bluetooth midi. Only one thing - I need to buy BT-midi adapter. Have to test this option.

SynthKeyWizard · Post by **SynthKeyWizard** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:42 pm

What about using combi as backtrack player - I used this option few years, but in another way.
All my backing tracks I divided into short pieces, 2-4 measures, (sometimes just simple loop or fx phrase), assign them to different keys and play them when i need. I prefer to call this method "live backtrack" because i can change song structure on the fly, when i need. But if yor backingtrack is complex - the best way is to use sequencer. You just need two free hands to play the rest)))

geoelectro · Post by **geoelectro** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:23 pm

SynthKeyWizard wrote:Combi method can cause one problem: if you reach polyphony limit, your backtrack can stop. You have to set timbre priority to avoid this, but even this settings doesn't guarantee proper workflow. I tested this many time and polyphony overload can cause cutoff in your sampled backtrack. In live situation this is unacceptable.

I have been running tracks like this for over two years. I have never had a track stop due to polyphony. This indeed would happen on an M-3, but it never has on the Kronos. I've even tried to cause it to stop, never does.

I can stop it by pressing the compare button in an emergency. I can also have the mixer selected and fade it out with the sliders.

I use the sequencer as well when I need to add to the tracks. Just have to load it every time.

Geo

SynthKeyWizard · Post by **SynthKeyWizard** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:47 pm

So I think we have to ask Korg to implement seq autoload function)))

geoelectro · Post by **geoelectro** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 10:00 pm

SynthKeyWizard wrote:So I think we have to ask Korg to implement seq autoload function)))

Agreed!

Geo

xorms · Post by **xorms** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:04 am

Thanks for the replies.

Geo I am going to try your method tonight. If I understand correctly, it will let me hit an assigned key and the the track will play until the end, and i'll be free to scroll through my patches in set-list mode as usual, just as long as the backing tracks are playing from patch 0 and HOLD their duration?

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:33 am

No, SST only works for ONE patch change. After a second change, the first patch is cut off.

Divyx · Post by **Divyx** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 8:46 am

SanderXpander wrote:No, SST only works for ONE patch change. After a second change, the first patch is cut off.

Damn so that awesome video where Jordan Rudess plays tarkus with kronos, it didn't specify you can't play the backing tracks from kronos and he used another source for that?

If only you could change combis while keeping the audio track playing somehow.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 8:55 am

You can load the backing track into the sequencer and use the sixteen timbres and 12 IFX of sequencer mode to prepare any combination of sounds you might need during the backing track. You can then put your sequence into setlist mode in multiple slots and specify for each slot which timbre you want to play. You'll still be working within the single sequence but that way you can use a bunch of different sounds. So that's how he did that. What you can't do is start a backing tracking and just randomly flip through patches. For that, the backing track player would have to function as a completely independent unit. Jif that's what you need, you should get a separate unit.

Divyx · Post by **Divyx** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 10:00 am

SanderXpander wrote:You can load the backing track into the sequencer and use the sixteen timbres and 12 IFX of sequencer mode to prepare any combination of sounds you might need during the backing track. You can then put your sequence into setlist mode in multiple slots and specify for each slot which timbre you want to play. You'll still be working within the single sequence but that way you can use a bunch of different sounds. So that's how he did that. What you can't do is start a backing tracking and just randomly flip through patches. For that, the backing track player would have to function as a completely independent unit. Jif that's what you need, you should get a separate unit.

Thanks for the info bro!
I'll propably be fine with the sequencer mode thing.

xorms · Post by **xorms** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:41 am

geoelectro wrote:In my case I mostly run backing tracks out of a Combi. I import the waves, create a program from them, insert it into a combi. I can assign that "track" to start from a certain key and then play along with it. (or Nano pad)

In the newly created program using the track you set the sound to HOLD so once it starts it plays to the end.

I run a click on output 3 and the track on output 4. Of course all FX's and EQ's are available per timbre.

Using the Combi method means you don't have to load anything at the gig. Just set your backing tracks to auto load in Global.

Geo

I'm still having trouble with this. I've loaded a drum track.wav into a program and since copied that program to a Combi. The program is set to hold and the combi is loaded into the setlist. I trigger it with a key and it starts OK, but whenever I start playing along on different Setlist slots, it fades out after ~4 bars.

Did I miss something?