Topic: Playing with a "real" drummer - Live controls: Style Track Mute? Freeze?

[FrankJaco]

Hello All,
I have many banks of registrations set up each with one (or two) of them for each song. I use a foot pedal to advance registrations during my songs to change voices, style variations etc. which I believe many (perhaps most) people on this forum do as they usually play the instrument as a one-man band or to create a full arrangement...

A drummer friend and I would like to play together, thus I would like to drop out the drum sections yet leave the bass and perhaps some other style sections.  I could go registration-by-registration dropping out the particular style channels for every registration of all of songs and re-save them. This would take a lot of work, so I would like to find an easier way...

It seems to me the the Live control knobs set to Style Track Mute A/B would be a great short cut to get to what I want. And it works kinda of...  When I first start the song, I dial down it down to what I want. But as soon as I advance to the next registration it defaults back to all channels and I again have to dial it down.   It seems that there should be a way to have the setting (say set to 4) on Style Track Mute B to stay constant when I switch to the next registration.  Perhaps a combination of Style Track Mute and the "Freeze" button that I have never quite figured out?

Am I on the right track? Any suggestions or guidence?

Thx,

fj

[mikechavez]

if your keyboard is an sx900, and you use it amplified, you can send the drum to output 3 or 4, with that, it will prevent it from sounding on channels 1 and 2. If it is direct on the keyboard, with its speakers , it seems to me that there is no way, other than making the changes register by register.

[Fred Smith]

Your on the right track. You need to freeze the style.

Go to Regist Freeze in the menu, and check Style. Then turn freeze on (button on the keyboard).

Cheers,
Fred

[mikf]

Even if you find a good way to silence the drum tracks, it may not be easy to stay in time. You might need to send a metronome click to your drummer.
Mike

[FrankJaco]

Mike:   Thanks for the response. It would be a solution if I had a SX900...  Alas I have an SX700 which doesn't have extra outputs. There has been a few times that I wished I spent the extra $$ for the 900!  Looks like this is another one.

Mikf:  Thank you too for your input. I agree that a metronome may be required. My drummer friend says that he often adjusts his timing to that of the bass player. And since only a drummer and keyboard with no styles or other enhancements sounds a bit thin (at least with me playing it), we thought we would give this a try and see if it might work.


Fred:  If I understand you correctly I could....

1. Call up one of my song registrations.
2. Dial down the style either by the live controls or turn off the channels.
3. Go into the "Freeze" menu itself and select Style only.
4. Turn Freeze on and play.

Is that correct?  Would that allow the style variations to change during the song as I change registrations?  If so, this could work.  I assume that when I bring up my next song that contains a completely different style, I would need to go thru the same steps.

Thanks4all,

fj

[EileenL]

Why not just go to Channel On/Off and turn drum channel off. Now put freeze button on. Works for me.

[Fred Smith]

Fred:  If I understand you correctly I could....

1. Call up one of my song registrations.
2. Dial down the style either by the live controls or turn off the channels.
3. Go into the "Freeze" menu itself and select Style only.
4. Turn Freeze on and play.

Is that correct?  Would that allow the style variations to change during the song as I change registrations?  If so, this could work.  I assume that when I bring up my next song that contains a completely different style, I would need to go thru the same steps.

No. When you freeze the style, you freeze the style. The variation will not change. I'm not sure why this is an issue if you've silenced the style, but, anyways, that's the answer.

Cheers,
Fred

[FrankJaco]

Yes, It seems that is the case with both your suggestion as well as Eileen's.  If I freeze the style the variation freezes too.  It was my hope that that the variations would still change (as the baseline and phrasing patterns do change too, not just the drums).  I think Mike was right, if I had a 900 I could route those channels to the secondary output (and not use it), but as I have a SX700, I will either have to create alternate registrations or go with 1 style variation per song.

Thanks all for your thoughts!

fj

[J. Larry]

Not meaning the change the topic, but, only to point out that Band In A Box can do what you’re asking about.  I’ve played live several times successfully with a drummer, where you simply mute the drum track on the mixer screen (and it stays that way for all songs until you click it off) and the drummer takes a monitor feed from the mixer (using small ear buds) and plays in time with the remaining tracks.  It’s never been a problem and gives the appearance (and sound) that approximates a live band, with everything else that’s going on.

[FrankJaco]

An interesting idea.  I will try it.  But for the existing registrations I think I will go one-by-one and save them under an alternate name with the drums dropped off. And perhaps since my drummer friend wants to take his cues from the bass, I will boast the baseline a couple of decibels too.

Thx,

fj