Routing for clicks and backing track

[zeuslovebolt]

Hi all,

i'm trying to get used to routing and could use some help.

I have produced a whole set of backing and click tracks and I'm now trying to set up the routing. I'm really new to the routing side of things so apologies if this is tedious!
Is it possible to route the click track and prompts to an interface via the USB and the backing tracks to the stereo headphone jack so I can send to the desk. For rehearsals I'm just coming out of the headphone output with the clicks on the left and the backing on the right. However, we need to have the backing in stereo.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I have 2 channel Scarlett 2i2 at home but we'll get what we need to make it work.

Any help would be great!

Thanks

Shaun

[daniellumertz]

well, some solutions:

1) Use an MIDI keyboard or anything to send the click track. REAPER MIDI -> MIDI device -> Headphones...

2) A interface with more outputs


IDK if there is other, maybe, people tends to be creative....

[Fex]

Originally Posted by zeuslovebolt

Is it possible to route the click track and prompts to an interface via the USB and the backing tracks to the stereo headphone jack so I can send to the desk. For rehearsals I'm just coming out of the headphone output with the clicks on the left and the backing on the right. However, we need to have the backing in stereo.

This sounds complicated - perhaps unnecessarily so. Two possible approaches suggest themselves to me, but TBH, I'm still not entirely clear what the ultimate objective is here, so I'm going to ask you two fantastically stupid questions. Humour me.

1) What is "the desk"?
2) You need to have the backing in stereo. Why?

[zeuslovebolt]

Thanks for the replies

The desk is the front of house mixing desk to which both click and backing track will go and the click will be sent back to me (drummer) and the keys player and the backing track will go to FOH.

We need the backing track in stereo as there's a lot of them with panning effects. Its a Floyd tribute band. For rehearsal purposes mono is fine but we'd really like the full effect of the clocks etc swinging between L&R. not to mention the sheep and pigs!

I'm guessing the 4 channel interface would be the proper way but i'm struggling to figure out the routing. I dont see my interface when i open up the routing matrix.

S.

[Stella645]

Yes....you'll need 4 channel interface.

Create 2 buses, one for FOH and one for Monitor. (one of them could be your existing master bus if you like)
Route tracks accordingly and then assign the 2 buses to the 2 stereo pairs of your 4 channel interface using routing.

If you open routing on any track you can delete the hardware out and add another where you assign to the interface outs you need.
Obviously you only have 2 outs currently so all you're going to see is 1/2 or L/R

[Fex]

Originally Posted by zeuslovebolt

The desk is the front of house mixing desk

Gotcha. It didn't occur to me that this might be a live set-up, TBH.... I thought maybe it was a recording project.

That being the case, I don't think it makes much sense to try and jury-rig anything with heaphone sockets and MIDI keyboards. There is one good solution for a working live tribute band:

Originally Posted by daniellumertz

2) A interface with more outputs

Originally Posted by zeuslovebolt

I'm guessing the 4 channel interface would be the proper way but i'm struggling to figure out the routing. I dont see my interface when i open up the routing matrix.

[EDIT: better answer by Stella645]

Before you buy a 4 channel interface, consider whether you might need yet more channels in the future. Four channels will of course be sufficient to handle the click and the pigs (three different ones).

[daniellumertz]

I sugested the MIDI out of reaper because it is a solution that sometimes can be done without having to buy anything ( If you have an MIDI keyboard/or anything without use ) but yeah more outputs is really what you want haha, you can not only send clicks but also messages as " hey bassist to plaay in 3 2 1 " etc...

I once did a Ableton Live set that one channel was dedicated to send message to the musicans, so the clips were audios for me to guide/conduct them, never put it in pratice because of covid tho ....

[zeuslovebolt]

Thanks for your replies, so helpful.

It seems the way to go is to get a 4 channel interface. I'm gonna have to watch some routing videos again to try and get the basic physical actions of making it work! Im starting to get my head around the routing matrix.
I've taken this over from a previous band member so its a massive learning curve.. but fun.

4 channels should be sufficient, i have the prompts with the click and then just 2 channels for the stereo backing track. The videos i'm assuming will come from the HDMI output... Sheesh... ive got so much to learn! Back to youtube!

I wonder if you can link 2 x 2 channel interfaces... I have 2 usb outputs on the laptop??

edit: actually... of course this wont work.

[daniellumertz]

Originally Posted by zeuslovebolt

Thanks for your replies, so helpful.

It seems the way to go is to get a 4 channel interface. I'm gonna have to watch some routing videos again to try and get the basic physical actions of making it work! Im starting to get my head around the routing matrix.
I've taken this over from a previous band member so its a massive learning curve.. but fun.

4 channels should be sufficient, i have the prompts with the click and then just 2 channels for the stereo backing track. The videos i'm assuming will come from the HDMI output... Sheesh... ive got so much to learn! Back to youtube!

I wonder if you can link 2 x 2 channel interfaces... I have 2 usb outputs on the laptop??

edit: actually... of course this wont work.

Actually I have seen some people do that using asio4all but never need or tried . To do the routing for reference tracks just add an hardware output in your track that have the things the musicians should hear and don't send it to the master track

[domzy]

Originally Posted by zeuslovebolt

I wonder if you can link 2 x 2 channel interfaces... I have 2 usb outputs on the laptop??

yes, you can if you use asio4all, best option is a single interface with multiple outs though