Playing with backing track

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The Danish Piper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2023 2:57 pm
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Tell us something.: I am a original a piper and play the Highland Pipes and Scottish smallpipes and have done so for 17 years
About 1,5 years ago i took up the Low Whistle and really enjoy that as well.

Playing with backing track

Post by The Danish Piper »

Hello everyone

What are you advices for recording a video, were you play along with a backing-track?

I was thinking about playing the backing on a separate loudspeaker and adjust the volume to my whistle.
But I am not quite sure, that I am happy with that result.
I think the quality is not as good as having two separate tracks going into somekind of mixer, but I dont know much about that kint of recording.

Are someone having some good experiences and advices?
Playing music since 2006
Whistle and different sets of bagpipes.
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Sirchronique
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Tell us something.: I like whistles, flutes, lyres, cittern/mandolin/bouzouki family instruments, as well as heavy and nasty slap bass. Languages, linguistics, history (especially Migration Period and Bronze Age Europe), cuisine from various parts of Latin America, chili growing, bushcraft, and the works of JRR Tolkien also tickle my fancy.
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Playing with backing track

Post by Sirchronique »

I’m sure there are several ways to do this, but I can explain how I’d do this with the things I have on hand, if I were wanting to do so.

I have an EQ pedal with an Aux-in port and headphone port. This makes it very simple. Microphone goes into mic-preamp, and mic preamp goes into the pedal, and the pedal can go into the recording interface or the audio input of whatever you are recording to. Depending on what type of mic you are using, you might not need the mic preamp for your purposes.

You can then plug the source of your backing track into the aux-in of the pedal. You can also plug headphones into it. This way, you are hearing yourself, and the backing track, and the backing track is being recorded at a good quality along with what you’re playing because it isn’t losing quality by coming out of a speaker and then through the mic.

I don’t actually record with backing tracks, but I use this just as a way to play music with myself by running in a recording of me playing the same thing on a different instrument. It can be a fun thing to do from time to time. It’s like having a pseudo-session with clones of myself playing different instruments from the comfort of my own bed. However, one could certainly record such things with this method or use other tracks from other people instead of recordings of yourself.


However, you could probably make it much more simple than what I’ve described above. Any recording interface with an aux-in port and headphone port on it should be able to allow for the same thing with fewer steps. You just plug whatever is playing the backing track into the Aux in. This way you are hearing the backing track as you’re playing, and the backing track you are hearing is being recorded along with your instrument you are playing. What you hear in your headphones (yourself+backing track) is what’s being recorded.


You didn’t mention what you are recording with, but I’m assuming a regular microphone and a PC. Depending on the mic and device, the options may be different.

Of course there are many ways to accomplish what I’ve mentioned with software, but what I’ve mentioned doesn’t require fiddling with any of that, and accomplishes it all with hardware.
The Danish Piper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2023 2:57 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I am a original a piper and play the Highland Pipes and Scottish smallpipes and have done so for 17 years
About 1,5 years ago i took up the Low Whistle and really enjoy that as well.

Re: Playing with backing track

Post by The Danish Piper »

Sirchronique wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:28 pm I’m sure there are several ways to do this, but I can explain how I’d do this with the things I have on hand, if I were wanting to do so.
...
You didn’t mention what you are recording with, but I’m assuming a regular microphone and a PC. Depending on the mic and device, the options may be different.
...
Of course there are many ways to accomplish what I’ve mentioned with software, but what I’ve mentioned doesn’t require fiddling with any of that, and accomplishes it all with hardware.
Hi Sirchronique
Thanks for the reply.
I will get some of that recording gear you mention and try to get things to work.

When making recordings today, I use a Zoom recorder. When I want a recording with video, I just use my smartphone and use the Zoom as an external microphone.
That works very well.
But when wanting to play along with a backing track, I can hear the track, but no sound is comming on the video.

Maby in this case, using a smartphone for videorecording, is not the best option.
Playing music since 2006
Whistle and different sets of bagpipes.
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Sirchronique
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Tell us something.: I like whistles, flutes, lyres, cittern/mandolin/bouzouki family instruments, as well as heavy and nasty slap bass. Languages, linguistics, history (especially Migration Period and Bronze Age Europe), cuisine from various parts of Latin America, chili growing, bushcraft, and the works of JRR Tolkien also tickle my fancy.
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Playing with backing track

Post by Sirchronique »

Does the zoom recorder have an aux-in port? If so, just plugging the source of the backing track into that should do it.

Alternatively, for smartphone recording you could get something like an iRig. Some of their models have that port. You can plug your zoom recorder into that along with your backing track, if you get the model that allows for it. That would be a very simple solution and doesn’t require all the things I mentioned.
The Danish Piper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2023 2:57 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I am a original a piper and play the Highland Pipes and Scottish smallpipes and have done so for 17 years
About 1,5 years ago i took up the Low Whistle and really enjoy that as well.

Re: Playing with backing track

Post by The Danish Piper »

My zoom recorder has an in-put where I can use two large Jacks going into it, and one small in the other end.
This may be a "beginners question" :) but is that the same as an aux-in port?
It also has a mode where I can use 4 channels at one time.

The irig you mention seems like a good connection for getting this to work along with Phone recording.
Do you know, if irig is something only for iPhones.
(I currently use Android-system)
Playing music since 2006
Whistle and different sets of bagpipes.
User avatar
Sirchronique
Posts: 1014
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 9:56 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I like whistles, flutes, lyres, cittern/mandolin/bouzouki family instruments, as well as heavy and nasty slap bass. Languages, linguistics, history (especially Migration Period and Bronze Age Europe), cuisine from various parts of Latin America, chili growing, bushcraft, and the works of JRR Tolkien also tickle my fancy.
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Playing with backing track

Post by Sirchronique »

The Danish Piper wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 10:25 am My zoom recorder has an in-put where I can use two large Jacks going into it, and one small in the other end.
This may be a "beginners question" :) but is that the same as an aux-in port?
It also has a mode where I can use 4 channels at one time.

The irig you mention seems like a good connection for getting this to work along with Phone recording.
Do you know, if irig is something only for iPhones.
(I currently use Android-system)

You’ll have to check the specs, but I think iRig can still work.

I don’t know what kind of inputs your device has. An aux-in port is about like a headphone input sized hole (the little hole on yours could be for headphones instead, I don’t know). It usually says “aux” right next to the hole. Do you have a link to the device you are using?

If the two larger inputs you mentioned are 1/4” slots, then you could probably get that to work with whatever you are playing the backing music from, too; with the right adapters. For example, converting from a headphone/speaker out to 1/4” and plugging it in.
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