Playing Backing Tracks Through a PA (and other PA probs!!)...

Paligulus

Hi folks,
1) Basically I'm looking for the best (cheapest?!) way to play backing tracks through a PA.

At the moment I'm using a laptop to play the tracks through the PA. Apart for being very un rock n' roll its a bit impractical!!

Most people seem to use a mini-disc player to play the tracks. I presume this is because they dont skip? I'd prefer not to get one though...

What do yee guys use?


2) Also, I'm using a GIGRAC 1000st (1000 watts) and I am using two 300 watt speakers. The guy I bought them off said I ould blow them if I put my master volume over half way. Is this correct? He said if I wanted to use it in a live setting I would need 2 more base bin speakers (300 watts each). I

If I do need extra speakers is there a cheaper option?!

Cheers

Savman

Believe me, MD's skip something terrible if they get knocked around. In fct they dont skip, they just stop working altogether. But they are the norm for live backing trax for some reason, perhaps you could try a portable mp3 player? A simple lead is all you need, preferably taking a stereo signal from the headphone out of the player to 2 x Jack or Phono inputs on the desk.

Bass bins only come into the equation if you want to rock out, there are many ways to blow speakers so hard to advise there without knowing exactly what you have...

Paligulus

Well I would have preferred not to buy a MD player but if someone had off strongly recommended I might have reconsidered!! So that's that out of the way!!!...

I have 1000Watt PA and two PV 300W speakers. At most I'll have 2mics, 2 guitars and backing tracks running through it. I know when I run a full band through it I'll have to get bass bins...

Savman

Keep an eye on the levels of the laptop into the desk but otherwise should be grand.

nohshow

MP3 players tend to have a very low output from the headphone (which is usually the only) out, but might nevertheless be too high for a PA's line in (anybody else know better?)

That said, I've run my MP3 through the line in on the mixing desk at home and it's been ok.

MDs are all-around good, the quality is top-notch and the skipping (delays while it finds the track again) only really happens when you try bouncing it off something - like walls, pavements, heads. Leaping around near one shouldn't discourage it one little bit. But if you're dead set against them, stay that way. The medium of the future is still to come.

If there's no danger of overdriving the PA with the MP3 player (the wiser techies amongst us may comment on this), I'd say this is probably what you're really looking for, though.

Giblet

I'd also find a way to sync it all via midi or something. ie: time the samples off the midi clock which also runs the metronome to the drummer.