Hi

Can anyone help? I'm trying to make my live set up simpler. Currently we have an unreliable laptop running ableton backing tracks to two outputs: one is the track to the PA and the other is purely a click to our drummer to stay in time with the backings. I also use the laptop to connect a midi controller for all of my soft synths from Reason.

Without paying for a Macbook Pro I'm trying to buy a keyboard with good sounds built in (to do away with reason) and a song player for backing tracks. I'm looking at the Roland Juno Di for this. Trouble is we need a metronome sync'd to the backing track.

Has anyone over come this issue i.e playing two separate audio tracks out of separate outputs of a hardware keyboard? Is this something i can do without paying as much for a Fantom style workstation? The lack of reliability of out laptop has ruined our last two gigs so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thankyou!
Andrew

I did this for years using a Kurzweil K2000, which has a sequencer built in - click down one side of the 'B' outputs and a few sounds down the other side.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Technically you shouldnt have issues with Ableton built-in metronome. I personally never use metronome though but every time when I need it I just make one extra track of a click sound that runs absolutely sync'd to the rhythm. That ways I can also run it at any speed or variation.

By the way I couldnt figure out how your laptop is the culprit for this issue. What laptop is it?

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SoundCloud

Thanks guys for the advice. The Laptop I've got is an oldish Dell one running Vista but the specs aren't too great and the battery and charger seem to be a bit faulty and have a habit of overheating and cutting out (though it only seems to happen in gigs it seems!). When this happens I lose power to my midi controller too as well as the backing tracks momentarily being muted which throws the band off.

what with the cost of replacing them for good parts being quite high i wanted to look into other solutions that might be simpler and more reliable. I thought if i could get an 'All in one' hardware keyboard this would be a good solution.

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The Laptop I've got is an oldish Dell one running Vista but the specs aren't too great and the battery and charger seem to be a bit faulty and have a habit of overheating and cutting out (though it only seems to happen in gigs it seems!)

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O my God! Did you just say Dell or was it an optical illusion?
No, I'm pretty sure you wrote Dell.



Andrew, you touched my nerve. You said your laptop is Dell and you said its old and specs aren't too great and the battery and charger seem to be a bit faulty and have a habit of overheating and cutting out. My dear friend, this is a great opportunity for you to start bending circuits, and make this stubborn kin of Michael Dell at-least somewhat conducive to your music. Another great use you can make of it is go to Austin, Texas, USA. Take a cab to reach Michael Dell's place. Ditch the surveillance cams and enter that elegant lush living room. Locate Mr. Dell behind his vicious smile, sitting there counting other people's hard earned cash. And bang your old un-circuit-bent laptop on his thick skinned head.

In my bad old days I worked for Dell Technical Support, which was outsourced to here in India, and I was responsible for ruthlessly making some very needy and hand to mouth people's life much more needy and much more hand to mouth when I had to tell them as per protocol that the machine that we have returned to them after servicing is their own, which apparently was a lie. Dell gives you only the refurbished parts even if the machine is under warranty. And they have audacity to say that its not true, if questioned. Ask those poor victims, the man of cloth who suddenly realized that all their video recordings of sermons have miraculously transformed into some stupid disgruntled fat boy on a chocolate hogging frenzy pops up on screen and claims that he is the bloody king of the world. How unchristian!

Your only problem is DELL. The most hilarious thing they ever did was release a studio series, which was purposely downgraded to the point of not producing music at all. So without delay do as I say.



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SoundCloud

Wow! your not the first person to advise against Dell but now it seems that I can't ignore that advice anymore!

Its just a money thing I'm afraid, I shall have to get saving and give my money to Mr Jobs instead!

Roland Juno Stage has a dedicated click out for drummers.....

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Jonny