Frequently Asked Questions

I'm new here. What should I do to get started?

 

Register for a free account with us and get free demo content and a free MultiTrack of the Month!  Then download a free trial of Ableton and watch videos on Ableton basics to get started.  We're glad to answer questions too at support@multitracks.com.

 

Does our drummer need to have headphones?
Yes, the drummer must have headphones to hear the click track counting each song off, and to play to the click during the song.  We recommend that the click be loud in the drummers ears, and over time, you’ll never want to play without it!
Can we use this without a drummer or if our drummer is gone one service?
Yes, there is a drum track and loop track on every song.
Is it a good idea to put these loops and tracks in the monitors?
Yes, you can put the tracks in the monitors live. We recommend not putting the click track in the floor monitors, only in the drummer’s headphones or in-ear monitors.  See our recommendation on the training page for different monitor options.
Why do I need a separate external hard drive?

It has been a long standing practice of the professional audio and video world to use a separate external hard drive when working with steaming audio or video. The basic idea is that you lessen the workload on your internal drive if your audio is on one drive and your software is running on the internal drive.  Many internal computer drives are 5400 rpm, but if you're buying a computer for this application-- always upgrade your internal hard drive to 7200 and your external should be 7200 rpm as well.  Firewire is best for your external hard drive connection (over usb) because of the way firewire communicates information.  We recommend a 6 pin Firewire 400 connection for your drive.

 

Shoud I use MultiTracks.com backing tracks if I have a band?
Absolutely! Many of the bands you know run live tracks at every show. Bands like U2 and Coldplay may only be 3 musicians and a singer when they perform live, but your hearing loops, pads, organ, strings and extra guitars in the mix and these tracks are from the original record. The basis of this concept is everyone should play to a click. Once everyone is locked in to a click, you can add whatever layers you like to bring the song together. In your MultiTracks.com session, you simply mute or un-mute whatever you prefer.
Why do I need to set up my computer to run audio?
Programs running in the background can have a serious effect on the operational effectiveness of Ableton Live and any other computer based audio program and can interfere in the smooth streaming of audio from the hard drive. Basically, you need to disable background programs related to time. For example: turn off screen savers, automatic updaters, sleep functions, automatic spin-down of hard drive, etc.
I've just downloaded my first song and the tracks are not lined up. Sounds funny. What do I do?
Go to "Record, Warp, Launch" in your Ableton preferences and turn off "Auto Warp Long Samples."
When you want to go back and forth between a section, do you have to press the button at the exact moment in the song?
No, you set a window (typically 4 bars) that you want Ableton to go at the end of that window to the next section.  A “bar” or a “measure” is 4 counts in a song that’s 4/4.  We set the tempo and time signature in the session for you, but if you’re building a Custom Sunday you can copy our settings for your new session.  Most songs will be 4/4 and thus, each measure has 4 counts.  A 4 bar phrase then has 16 counts.  So imagine every 4 bars the song is in a new window where if you signal a locator to be the next section played, Live knows to finish the last part of that 4 bar phrase.
 
 
 
We recommend you know what sections you plan to “potentially” loop in a service, and practice the looping function to make sure it works for the section you want to loop.  Typically all 4/4 songs when you want to loop a chorus or loop a bridge will loop with no problem.  If you have a different time signature you can change the time signature of the grid in Live versions 7 and later.
 
My computer goes to sleep and then I have problems with the tracks skipping a little just after the song starts.
Change your settings so your computer never goes to sleep.
A Few General Tips...
1.  In general, the less sound on stage, the better it will sound in the front of house.  The more in ears and headphones, the better the sound.  At the very least, we recommend that your drummer use headphones with a click track in his/her ears and NOT use a floor monitor.  This will decrease stage volume and tighten your band.

 

2.  The more musicians that can hear and play to the click in their ears, the tighter the band will be.  If the click is a little strange at first, after time you’ll love it and never want to play without it!

 

3.  You can take the monitor send signal from the snake on stage and run a wired signal to a pair of headphones for your stationary musicians.

 

4.  If your out of monitor sends, an option is to see if multiple musicians can put one ear in to hear the click and in-ear mix, and with the other ear they can listen to their amps.

 

5.  Just adding a loop track (at the very least played through iTunes or any player and running 1/8 inch out of your computer  to your mixer) will do a lot for your live sound.  The percussive loop will fill out the drum sound and make the whole mix feel fuller.  The loop tracks at MultiTracks.com are just that- a click track and loop track to use in Ableton or any player.
General Ableton FAQ
Please visit http://www.ableton.com/pages/faq/general_questions
Workaround for Warping Issue in Vista
If you are a Windows Vista user and you've downloaded a trial version of Ableton Live 8, you may be experience a warping issue. Here is a workaround. Step 1: Turn off Auto Warp Long Samples in your Ableton Preferences. If you're tracks are still warped, watch this video for further instruction. Click Here
Is this just like an accompaniment track?

No, there are many differences, but here we’ll list two.  First, you can control where the tracks go, in real time!  So, in a live set you can decide to loop the bridge 5 times and all you have to do is press a button at the end of the bridge.  It does not have to be at a precise moment either.  You set the window of how many counts you want to be able to have to press the key or button you assign to the section.  Secondly, every track is individualized so you can turn them on or off.