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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Any Advice On How To Make A Backingtrack?
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 03:36 PM
Hey Gmc!
This is probably a question mostly directed at the instructors (as they are the only ones, whose backingtracks I've heard) but any advice is welcome! 
I really want to be able to make my own backingtracks, so that I could get to make some material on my own.
But unfortunately, I suck with computer software, and I need some advice on which programs to purchase in order to be able to make backings.
I don't have the largest budget imaginable, but hit me with some suggestions. I know I need some drum-software, but how such softwares work beats me. 
So, any advice is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
/Seagull
Posted by: Matt23 Aug 25 2008, 03:39 PM
I've got Acoustica Beatcraft for drums, which is quite cheap (£20) and sounds quite good and is pretty easy to use, of course try the free trial first. I'm testing fruity loops now which is quite good but is a bit difficult to use and limited in sounds unless you buy extra stuff with it.
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 03:43 PM
Yeah, tried Fruity Loops as well, but I thought it sucked. Too difficult to use.
Oh, and btw, it would be real nice if the softwares are easy to use. 
Posted by: Matt23 Aug 25 2008, 03:46 PM
Yeh well i definitely recommend beatcraft then.
Posted by: jacmoe Aug 25 2008, 03:51 PM
Try http://www.line6.com/riffworks/.
The demo movie at Line6 shows how to make a backing track in a couple easy steps.
It's got Instant Drummer.
If you have a pod or a toneport, you should be ready to go. 
It'll cost you $99, which is fairly cheap IMO.
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 03:59 PM
The demo movie at Line6 shows how to make a backing track in a couple easy steps.
It's got Instant Drummer.
If you have a pod or a toneport, you should be ready to go.
It'll cost you $99, which is fairly cheap IMO.
Sorry, I haven't got a Line6 processor. It's an old Korg AX1500G which I intend to record with.
Thanks though!
Posted by: Matt23 Aug 25 2008, 04:04 PM
Audacity and Reaper are cheap and good for recording.
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 04:15 PM
Yeah, I'm actually using Audacity already.
For guitar parts.But how about bass? And how to merge the bass tracks with the drum tracks?
Posted by: Skalde Aug 25 2008, 04:28 PM
Hi seagull,
I am currently working on a Student Instructor lesson "How to create a backing track with only freeware tools"
Should be finish in a couple of days. 
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 04:44 PM
I am currently working on a Student Instructor lesson "How to create a backing track with only freeware tools"
Should be finish in a couple of days.
Sounds awesome Skalde! Will definitely check it out then.
Posted by: kjutte Aug 25 2008, 05:17 PM
This is probably a question mostly directed at the instructors (as they are the only ones, whose backingtracks I've heard) but any advice is welcome!
I really want to be able to make my own backingtracks, so that I could get to make some material on my own.
But unfortunately, I suck with computer software, and I need some advice on which programs to purchase in order to be able to make backings.
I don't have the largest budget imaginable, but hit me with some suggestions. I know I need some drum-software, but how such softwares work beats me.
So, any advice is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
/Seagull
You get machines for drums and bass, but I advice you to pull the chords off yourself to make it sound a bit less synthetic.
Anyway, I use addictive drums, and an octave changer to do the bass with the guitar.
Posted by: Emir Hot Aug 25 2008, 05:22 PM
A friend of mine recently bought a very cheap system. Sound card EMU 0404 and he got Cubasis recording software + Proteus X - some sampling software with tons of great sounds. All that for £60. You would need to spend a couple of weeks learning how to use all that and do some test work. I believe that you can produce good quality tracks in 2 weeks if you work every day.
Posted by: kaznie_NL Aug 25 2008, 05:52 PM
Thanks though!
Is it true that AX1500G has the same card as the AX5G? I own a 5G
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 07:42 PM
Sorry mate, I really don't know anything about that
@kjutte: Which octave changer? A software program?
@ all the others: Thanks for your input!
Posted by: jacmoe Aug 25 2008, 07:55 PM
It's a guitar effect, which (as the name implies) changes the pitch an octave or two higher/lower.
Posted by: Guitar1969 Aug 25 2008, 07:56 PM
This is probably a question mostly directed at the instructors (as they are the only ones, whose backingtracks I've heard) but any advice is welcome!
I really want to be able to make my own backingtracks, so that I could get to make some material on my own.
But unfortunately, I suck with computer software, and I need some advice on which programs to purchase in order to be able to make backings.
I don't have the largest budget imaginable, but hit me with some suggestions. I know I need some drum-software, but how such softwares work beats me.
So, any advice is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
/Seagull
Go to Jamstudio.com - You can make some basic backingtracks by entering in the chord progression, and picking which instruments you want(Such as Drums, bass, piano, etc) and some of the sounds are good. Its free and its the easiest way to get going fast with no computer skills.
I use it to pracxtice a song when I'm too lazy to spend the time doing anything more.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Aug 25 2008, 08:56 PM
What soundcard do you have mate?
Posted by: seagull Aug 25 2008, 09:22 PM
Still the sucky on-board standard soundcard, but soon I will buy a new pc with a good soundcard in it, so I might as well prepare for it.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Aug 26 2008, 12:25 AM
You will have latency issues with that card, but still you can practice in some multitrack software a bit. Reaper is free, and it is a decent DAW to begin with. Install it and try some drum, bass and pad VSTis. You can find a bunch of them on the net relatively cheap.
What computer do you have now?
Posted by: seagull Aug 26 2008, 06:12 PM
What computer do you have now?
DAW? VST's? Sorry, software noob coming through
Computer is just an old one I assembled myself, but when I get a new one it's gonna be a whole lot better. I am planning on getting some decent recording equipment when I get the money, which shouldn't be long from now as I started working full-time a couple of weeks ago.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Aug 26 2008, 06:31 PM
Computer is just an old one I assembled myself, but when I get a new one it's gonna be a whole lot better. I am planning on getting some decent recording equipment when I get the money, which shouldn't be long from now as I started working full-time a couple of weeks ago.
Sorry mate, DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation which is basically environment where you record, mix, produce and export your music.
You can record audio in DAW, like a guitar or voice, or you can create a MIDI track, that has only notes in it, presented in graphics.
Unlike audio, notes in MIDI are just bits for CPU to read. Then you can assign VST (VirtualStudioTechnology) instrument to that MIDI. VST instrument is basically computer software that can generate audio (by raw generating or playing recorded samples, or combining both).
So if you have a MIDI track that says "C" note, and you assign the VST piano instrument to that track, the piano will play C note.
Or if you have C note and you assign drums to that same MIDI track it will play a kick drum, if you have D note it will play a snare drum. Drums and other sounds can then be mapped, so you can change notes, so you can for example put kick to "D", or snare to "C", the possibilities are as you can imagine infinite.
MIDI file will never sound as good a good ol' audio file, because VST technology is not that advanced at the moment, but in the future it will be the basics of music creation.
So if you wanna start, get a REAPER. It is a free DAW, which means free software for recording, mixing, producing and exporting your music (among other things). Then you try to install some VSTi/s. If you tell me what kind of backing tracks you wanna made I will be glad to tell you what VST's are out there.
Also check out http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=7161 where Andrew so nicely and systematicaly presented different software components involved in making you music.
Posted by: seagull Aug 26 2008, 07:09 PM
Sorry mate, DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation which is basically environment where you record, mix, produce and export your music.
You can record audio in DAW, like a guitar or voice, or you can create a MIDI track, that has only notes in it, presented in graphics.
Unlike audio, notes in MIDI are just bits for CPU to read. Then you can assign VST (VirtualStudioTechnology) instrument to that MIDI. VST instrument is basically computer software that can generate audio (by raw generating or playing recorded samples, or combining both).
So if you have a MIDI track that says "C" note, and you assign the VST piano instrument to that track, the piano will play C note.
Or if you have C note and you assign drums to that same MIDI track it will play a kick drum, if you have D note it will play a snare drum. Drums and other sounds can then be mapped, so you can change notes, so you can for example put kick to "D", or snare to "C", the possibilities are as you can imagine infinite.
MIDI file will never sound as good a good ol' audio file, because VST technology is not that advanced at the moment, but in the future it will be the basics of music creation.
So if you wanna start, get a REAPER. It is a free DAW, which means free software for recording, mixing, producing and exporting your music (among other things). Then you try to install some VSTi/s. If you tell me what kind of backing tracks you wanna made I will be glad to tell you what VST's are out there.
Also check out http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=7161 where Andrew so nicely and systematicaly presented different software components involved in making you music.
Superb reply! That really enlightened me!
I wanna make some rock, blues, funk backings that I can improvise over and thereby make some material on my own.
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