equipment needed to start one man band.

[chaseroonie]

Hey all,

Im researching trying to find out what exaclty i need equipment wise to get a one man band up and running. I would like to be able to play guitar live and have bass, drums, and whatever else necessary to accompany. I have played by myself for quite sometime and looked for musicians to no avail. I have a PA, Fender 212 R twin tube, so im just assuming im needing some kind of software, any help is greatly appreciated!

[Southern Ill Electrics]

Kickdrum/shaker-microphone-3 strings and a amp.

[ce24]

BIAB..Band In a Box and you're good to go.....The current version uses wav files of real instruments and it sounds good!

Cheers
ce24

[ibobunot]

You need two women...

[Joisey]

Originally Posted by ibobunot

You need two women...

On the bucket list.

[ibobunot]

Originally Posted by Joisey

On the bucket list.

Bob Log III is a genius... not a musical genius but a genius nonetheless...

[rangercaster]

a laptop with some good software could do the job just fine ...

[bender-freak]

here is a very basic list of what i use, some of it a little out-dated, i suppose, but it's all paid for itself many many times over and i never saw a need to up-grade....there's a lot more to it than what i have listed, but this post would weigh in at 14 pounds if i listed it all..sorry, no pics, maybe later..

for bass/drums/rythym i use a Solton MS40 module, 400 different drum/bass/rythym patterns, with foot operated MIDI bass pedals (similar to organ pedals) operated with left foot, also has a "tonality pedal operated by the right foot that controls volume and changes chords to 7th, min,aug,min7th...you can also have drum rolls, cymbal "accents", etc.

i use a MIDI controlled (from the Solton MS40) Digitech VHM5 vocalist for harmonies

i use a Roland GR09 guitar synth

one of my multi-bender equipped guitars and whatever amp/s i choose (2 needed if playing synth)

main drawback to a system like this is the set-up/teardown time involved, but soundwise and performance wise it was well worth it to me. i am not a fan of prerecorded backing tracks for the main and simple reason you are stuck totally with THAT arrangement and THAT arrangement only. with the Solton series drum/bass rigs you can create your own arrangements on the "fly", make the song as fast/slow/last long as YOU or your audience wants. plus, if you know the song, you can fill ANY request. if you depend on backing tracks, you'll find real quick you are going to need hundreds and hundreds and you still won't have near enough. the only limitation i have found to the "Solton" is ME and how many songs i know.

you also need a good 300 watt minumum sound system to run everything thru, trying it thru a mixer and guitar amp ain't gonna happen, you will need at least 6 channels and 8-10 is a LOT better.

this stuff is not cheap; last i figured everything up in late 90's, i had close to $20,000 in it all, and there was stuff i could have added even then...some just use a Boss DR of some sort and are happy with that; i never was as i wanted a "band", and years ago i tired of the "drama" of trying to keep a live group together, sober, showing up on time, getting their wives and girlfriends to mind their own business...one man band isn't for everyone, but it's what i prefer; OMB is somewhat a misnomer for me; i did a 2 piece since i don't sing because of severe asthma.

perhaps fellow forumite John Short from Perth, Western Australia will chime in on the topic; he and i have played together quite a bit using my "band"...John, if you're out there, jump in....

[backalleyblues]

I've been thinking about doing the same thing, with a slightly different approach... I've found a bunch of blues tunes already coded in MIDI, I just bring these into Garageband to tweak to my satisfaction, then export the audio to iTunes. From there, it goes onto my iPod, which will be connected to my PA. Select a tune and go... Guitar and vocals will be live of course...

Franc Robert

[Cleeve]

The machines are taking our jobs!

[Wally]

Originally Posted by Cleeve

The machines are taking our jobs!

The Singularity approaches......

[guitarman_nebr]

i used two Zoom RT323 drum/bass machines.

programmed 150 songs on them. i used a Digitech Vocalist for harmonies.

drums, bass, guitar, lead vocals, and backing vocals

good times. the only thing is when i was having a rough night, there was no one to pick me up and carry through.

[JohnnyCrash]

The only equipment I can think if is... a band.

Joking aside, maybe you should pre-record the drums and bass (playback through PA via CD player), then get a looper for rhythm parts. IDK.

[ce24]

If you program your songs in BIAB and don't use the generic midi import you can make them sound and actually be pretty free form. we have some songs like I shot the sheriff that is 8 minutes long. we program plenty of measures for riffs. we've extended Sultans of swing to something like 6 minutes or so..if you do it right software for a one man band thing can work great and BIAB is only 300 vs 20,000

Cheers
ce24

[jmaul]

no one does one man band better than Martin Dosh, but there are no stringed instruments involved- pure drums and synths and looping pedals, and craziness. Very worth the live show, too. He's a hell of a drummer too.
(this really picks up around minute 3, but the first part is the building and necessary)

[F6_FullMelt]

Originally Posted by backalleyblues

... I've found a bunch of blues tunes already coded in MIDI, I just bring these into Garageband to tweak to my satisfaction, then export the audio to iTunes...

Franc Robert

wait, this is news to me.

we can get files so that when they are opened in garage band...they appear like the projects you record yourself?? Like I could single one instrument out, cut little parts out, and record new things and remove the seams??

This could be a really cool middle ground for my brother and I to do some work together. I really like guitars and Garage band, and he makes the illest of beats. I suck at composing whole songs, specifically those bass parts...

Now that I think of this, it seems really simple, and obvious that they should exist. Where can I find fun tools like this?

[backalleyblues]

Do a search for free midi songs (add the genre of your choice) and you'd be amazed at how much is out there, some are great, some not so great... save the file as a source (midi code) file, then drag into Garageband, and watch it break into individual tracks, each with its own instrument. I turn off the guitar parts (and a fair number of other tracks) and tweak some of the others (on The Thrill is Gone, I turn down the strings-too loud!), maybe change the kind of piano used, etc., then export the file as audio...

Franc Robert

[bender-freak]

Originally Posted by ce24

If you program your songs in BIAB and don't use the generic midi import you can make them sound and actually be pretty free form. we have some songs like I shot the sheriff that is 8 minutes long. we program plenty of measures for riffs. we've extended Sultans of swing to something like 6 minutes or so..if you do it right software for a one man band thing can work great and BIAB is only 300 vs 20,000

Cheers
ce24

the thing is there is a LOT more stuff involved than just a drum/bass unit that i DIDN'T list...when i came up with my total of roughly $20,000, i was including 2 Fender Concert amps, MIDI tone generators, many, many cables, mics, 2 complete sound systems; 1 for vocals, 1 for the Solton, 4-15" with folded horns PA spkr cabs, monitors, some of the stuff i got back then is cheaper now....and trust me, i did NOT buy it all at once...i started out with me and my buddy Red and just the basics we HAD to have... we added to the stuff as we became more proficient and the stuff we already had started "paying for itself", PLUS we started getting better paying gigs pretty quickly ....it paid off good enough for us that we both ended up with identical "gig rigs" out of our efforts....and i still have mine; when Red died in 2007 his widow tried to sell his stuff, but no one had a clue how to even hook it all up, let alone use it, so she still has most of it....

one man band looks easy from a distance, till you try to do it, there is a definite learning curve...

heck...app. $20,000 ain't nothing when it's an accumulated total over several years....some guys spend that much and more on a single guitar....

to the O.P...good luck with it all, hope ya have fun with it....cheers

[ibobunot]

Stefano Barone = one man band...

[xStonr]

this should do the job

[Chicago Slim]

I record my songs (using a Zoom MRS 1044CD portastudio), and remove the vocals and guitar part, for a backing track. I actually prefer to work with another singer, and keep 2/3rds of the music live. I use the built-in digital drums, everything else is me.

[bender-freak]

Originally Posted by xStonr

this should do the job

my identity has been exposed..!!!

this is what's ahead for all retired guitarists

[tjalla]

Originally Posted by ibobunot

Bob Log III is a genius... not a musical genius but a genius nonetheless...

Quote of the day!

I did a festival recently and saw Bob Log sans helmet backstage talking to staff who were promptly on the walkie talkies conveying Bob's urgent message... "Bob Log has lost his handphone. I repeat, Bob Log has lost his phone..."

Anyway...

Coming back to the one man band, you have several options - backing tracks, looper pedals, stomp boxes, triggers, two women etc etc. However, the only thing I recommend being aware/cautious of is that often you can (not will) get caught in a 'gimmick' rut ie whatever device you use can end up defining your sound.

I've steered away from the ubiquitous 'four-on-the-floor-homemade-stompbox' thing because I've seen a few local acts get pigeonholed with that doof doof sound. And once you get punters hooked on that dancefloor vibe you can't do anything else - you can become a 'party act'. Unless of course that's what you want to do, then by all means...

[eddiewagner]

i tried a whole bunch of things: loopers, drummachines, backings. now i do it all with my guitar into an acoustic amp. all the rest was just a burden and took the fun away. my wonderful wife said after my first sologig: "when people see a guy with a guitar, they expect just that." that changed my mind about playing alone. my 2 cents, ymmv.....

[chaseroonie]

I agree Eddie, i have little to absolutley no respect for kareoke singers, however, i do play my instrument, write my own songs, and perform my own music. I still would like to play acoustic given the right setting. But i have been observing bars when im playing and not playing and people gravitate to sound and energy. The more energy you can bring to your music the happier people are, hence the more drinks they buy, the more the club owners call back. etc etc. I can't compete with just my guitar and voice, even though im a proficient player. Ok ABOUT BAND IN A BOX!, i DLed the 2007 demo and a lot of what you could produce sounded like early 90's tecno music. The only way i will purchase software to back me is if it can fake the average listner, and still attain the respect of the common musician. I want to be able to play lead solos in my music as well as with covers. Can an owner of BAND IN A BOX, please tell me if i will be able to do these things? Thanks so much, this forum rocks!

[ibobunot]

Not as much a "one woman band" anymore...

[Jubal81]

Originally Posted by ibobunot

Bob Log III is a genius... not a musical genius but a genius nonetheless...

Seconded. Finally saw the Bob a few weeks ago and it was the most fun I've had at a show in years. Great player and outstanding showman.

[ce24]

chaseroonie...in a word YES. I -play in a trio and we use BIAB for our backing and we Jam for many measures in some songs it's mostly Bass and drums but for reggae and others there is a bit of keys and strings but it's very versatile. We frequently hear "this is the best band you've had here in a long time." would I prefer a full band ..yes.. but here in podunk Idaho we don't have any drummers and bass players that are willing to commit to choose from. soooo this is what we do and IT WORKS and it works really well. we've been having to turn down gigs lately now that our name is getting around.

Cheers
ce24

[chaseroonie]

Thanks CE, i think i am going to give it a shot. They have so many packages available. Which one would you reccomend? Your situation seems identical to mine in that im in a podunk as well, and there are very few drummers and bass players, and the ones that do exist are half impossible to work with. I play counrty music and classic rock, so could i get the cheapest pack, or does it pay off to go mid with the $370? Thanks again.

[mtjo62]

I've been creating backing tracks for a duo I'm in, so I'll bring this back to the top. You can create pretty realistic backing tracks using Midis from the net. I treat them like a store pizza where I spice them up and arrange them to our style. I run the sequences using the SB library and then use Audacity to record "What you hear" as I play the song. Just normalize it and it is ready to go basically. Below is an MP3 of a Brooks & Dunn tune were are covering. We just play along with rhy/lead guitars and vocals.

http://opensourcepartners.net/media/...ytonk_girl.mp3