SOUND ON SOUND

[nickmostly]

Hello!
I am trying to find an app for android that will allow me to select different sections of pre-recorded accompaniment: (intro, verse, chorus, etc) for live performance. Ableton does this but I’m trying to avoid adding a Windows tablet to my stage set up and I don’t need all the other stuff ableton does. I am currenly using mp3 files but something that works with midi data would be a possibilty.
I currently use an android tablet and Mobile Sheets for my sheet music and my accompaniment. Works nicely, but I would like the flexibility of being able to arrange on the fly instead of being nailed down to the track: a chance for audience participation, extended solos etc. My ideal would be the ability to control with my Soft Step midi controller but touch screen control would be fine too.
Any Ideas or alternatives?
Thanx Much!!

[Murray B]

I can't speak from experience yet, but I'm just starting to research Bandlab for a work project - it might be worth checking out, think it will work for what you want and it's free :-) There's also a browser based version that might allow you to create your projects on something more user friendly than a tablet.

If this isn't right for you my apologies as I haven't spent much time looking at it's capabilities yet.

If you have an iPad the loops function in Garageband might do the job too.

Edit: Hopefully someone who knows what they are talking about might chip in with some suggestions based on real world experience, my response is a bit vague really.

[Sam Spoons]

How will you control the selection of each section? If you plan to use a foot pedal have you considered a multitrack looper, I have a Boss RC300 which will let you run three loops and switch between them in tempo* I have used this to arrange intro, verse and outro or WHY on the fly. It has 3 hours stereo loop memory and can store 100 songs so it'll easily cover a fairly complex set. The only problem would be if you needed more than three song sections per song. The RC505, I think, does five but it is designed for desktop control so you would probably need a midi foot controller.

Otherwise, Loopy HD offers a lot of loops and I believe it can be midi controlled so that may, with your soft step, be another option (not sure if it works with android though).

* It can also run the loops in sync like most other loopers.

[shufflebeat]

Check out Audio Cues by Radial Theater [sic] for a straightforward audio file trigger-er.

Android. I've used others on iOS.

[nickmostly]

Wow! Thanks all!!.. all great ideas!
I had the RC202 looper but could not control it with the soft step.. I spent weeks with sweetwater techs and Roland Techs and never could get it to work.
Both Audio Cues and Bandlab look like they could work!
I'm downloading an tryin em
will let you know!
LoopyHD wasnt available for android..
Thanks Again!

[shufflebeat]

I've just hooked up my Donner Bluetooth pedal (page turner) to my Moto g7 phone and assigned triggers for the controls in audio Cues.

I hadn't planned to do this myself but you may have put the idea in my head for later.

:)

[nickmostly]

Nothin Works!
Bandlab is cool but is not designed for doing a live loop performance.. you can do all kinda things with the loops and you transfer into a sort of DAW, a good one bein free. But I have Cubase.
The audio loops looked good but what it calls "immediate" when going to another audio clip or repeating one actually has a split second lag which makes keeping a steady beat impossible.. Shoot!
Thanx much for the ideas.. I'm thinkin android OS hasn't got the power to do this.. probly why theres not an android version of Ableton. It seems a simple enuf idea.
Probly will look for a hardware looper or add a windows tablet.
Any other ideas??
Thanx again!

[shufflebeat]

AB audio player (also does video).

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kojimahome.music21

Set up A/B loops in an audio file, save them, trigger with touch screen.

I think your best bet is to use something like an SFX board as previously mentioned and have the files longer than you'll ever need, just fade out when appropriate.

I don't really see the downside, what am I missing?