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Posted by: methodseeker Jun 9 2009, 05:09 AM

I do nearly all my practicing at night, with kids sleeping nearby, so I need a way to play the lesson backing tracks through headphones, mixed with the guitar.

I know how to do it if I can download the backing tracks as mp3s, but I can't find a way to do that.

My current setup is:
mac mini w/ garageband
m-audio fasttrack
boss DR-880 (drums plus amp modeling)

The fasttrack plugs in via USB, and garageband can output to it, so I can mix its output with non-recorded guitar through the dr-880 and monitor with headphones. But OS-X appears not to be able to route general sound (e.g. from the browser) to the fasttrack.

- Is there a way of getting lesson backing tracks as mp3s?
- If I just play the backing track through the browser, does anyone know of a way of getting the browser sound out USB to fasttrack?

As a last resort, I suppose I could get another piece of hardware to mix the sound that would otherwise go to the speakers. (Fasttrack doesn't have an appropriate input for the speaker out line.)

Thanks for any help.

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Jun 9 2009, 05:21 AM

Best method is to request a certain backing track or tracks that you are working on. You can post that request in this part of forum or Instructor Boards. I am sure every instructor will be more than glad to send you backing track you need.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jun 9 2009, 02:38 PM

There is no way to download the backing tracks directly, so the best way is to ask instructor to send one for you mate. Cheers

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Jun 11 2009, 11:04 PM

Once you plug in your fasttrack to usb, you should be able in general settings on Mac (I use win so I don't know where they are) to setup the sound settings and choose the Fasttrack USB as your primary sound device/driver. Then all sound from your OS should be heard through fasttrack. There must be such an option somewhere in the system settings.

Other way is to ask individual instructors to send you the backing tracks in mp3 format

Cheers

Posted by: methodseeker Jun 12 2009, 04:07 AM

You're right, thanks Bogdan!

I looked in the mac forums at apple.com a few weeks ago, and it was claimed this is impossible under the current version of OS-X. However, I just tried it, and it worked. (Maybe a recent upgrade fixed it?) For anyone else who's wondering, when the fasttrack is connected, just go System Preferences, select Sound, select Output, and you should be able to select M-Audio Fast Track USB for default sound output.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Jun 12 2009, 11:41 AM

Glad it worked out! Thing is that Fasttrack (or toneports etc) are great external sound cards and its good to use them for all system sounds too