Canned tracks

[Br1ck]

Without exception, I hate anyone using any kind of backing tracks while performing. If it is a solo act in a bar, I just walk away. Now if someone can use a looper in real time, I'm all in, but recorded loops, no way. I just detest mechanical rhythm.

Do these folks really get the gigs for doing this? After all, the patrons buying the drinks don't seem to mind. Is this just another manifestation of cranky old man syndrome?

[foldedpath]

Well that makes two of us cranky old men, if it is a syndrome. In many cases I don't think the patrons mind, because it's usually someone just playing background music in a restaurant or bar, not a "performance" where you're expected to listen. At least that's where I've mostly seen people doing this.

There was one guy I actually enjoyed listening to, at an outdoors beach-side restaurant in Miami when I lived there. He was a one-man Reggae act with pre-recorded tracks, singing and playing keyboard. He was really good at it. It was just background music and set a nice vibe for the place, so I don't think anyone cared about the canned tracks. Mostly though, I don't like hearing canned track players because it's usually some modern Pop music or Rap thing that I can't relate to (cranky old man syndrome).

Looping is different, but over the years I've gotten more cranky about that too. In an actual performance where you're expecting people to pay attention, I don't think it works very well. For the general public, it's still something of a mystery gadget. If you employ it casually, the audience may think you're using canned tracks when they hear music that don't correspond with your hands on the instrument.

The alternative is the show-and-tell approach, where you make a point of demonstrating to the audience how you're using a looper and building tracks. I'm not sure that works well either. It detracts from the music and makes it seem like it's more gadgets than musicianship. I briefly experimented with looping years ago, but gave up when I realized how difficult it was to get the audience to realize there was some skill involved without the show-and-tell approach. I'd rather just dazzle 'em with my single instrument skills (yeah, right).

[OneChordTrick]

Make that 3 cranky old men. Perhaps we should form a support group?

In moderation I think a looper can add an extra dimension but as you say the general public doesn’t understand them; at a recent Glastonbury festival Ed Sheeran came under a lot of criticism for using one as the perception was that he was playing to a backing tape.

[James Vwaal]

Not everyone can be K.T. Tunstall. She honed her looping skills as a busker. I think it helps the audience to see one adding the various layers and building up the rhythm before going into the singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4iZNTwi2Rk

One other artist that I saw who pulled the layering bit off quite well was the jazz flautist Tim Weisberg, who built layer after layer of flute parts: bass flute, tenor flute, soprano flute. This was done live, in concert, as the encore after the rest of the band had left the stage.

But, yeah, canned backup is cr@pola. Add me to the cranky old men club.

[Mark Wilson]

Now if someone can use a looper in real time, I'm all in

Just spent a month in Key West and saw a ton of one person acts. There was a guy playing at bar next door that used a looper live for solos and he killed it. He would do verse chorus etc and then he would play thru a short progression on rhythm (captured on looper) and then solo over that. Best thing I'd seen musically in years. Simple set up + talent. Impressive

[allenhopkins]

...Looping is different, but over the years I've gotten more cranky about that too. In an actual performance where you're expecting people to pay attention, I don't think it works very well. For the general public, it's still something of a mystery gadget. If you employ it casually, the audience may think you're using canned tracks when they hear music that don't correspond with your hands on the instrument...

Local songwriter Fatima Razic is pretty damn good at looping, and makes a very enjoyable performance out of building arrangements with keyboard, harmony voices, vocal percussion etc. Audiences seem to find it interesting, and the end product is pretty good music.

[Mandoplumb]

I don't know that I understand the backing verses looping. I thought looping was repeating what you had played once or many times and backing was prerecorded music that you played along with. If I'm right about backing how is that mechanical rhythm, the band recording it is playing the rhythm when they recorded it, just as they would be playing the rhythm if there. I put the mandolin on a sound track for a gospel group that lead singer played a Dobro. Every song left a " break" for him to play live,worked pretty good. What I don't like about playing or singing to tracks is there is no room for reading the audience and adjusting. Also the recording makes no attempt to cover my mistakes singing as my band does.

[Br1ck]

Some loopers let you save loops for future use, so you could have a lot of pre recorded loops. No different to me than backing tracks.