Playing backing tracks on my FR8X

[Valski]

Hello there,

I own both the Bk7m and an Fr8x. I love them both and they are simply wonderful together, however I find that it's a lot of equipment to haul around for smaller gigs. So recently I tried recording backing tracks on the Bk7m and playing them back on the Fr8x. It's wonderful and works well, in fact better than expected. The quality of the recording and the volume generated by the Fr8x is truly beyond my expectations. There was sufficient volume for a small crowd of 60 guests and this means that I can leave my sound system at home and venture out with just the accordion more often.

My only concern is starting the recorded songs because there doesn't seem to be any way to record some clicks at the beginning of each song. This would be really helpful when playing back my music. Perhaps someone can share some tips regarding the issue.

 

[Chris Laarman]

(I don't have either. I couldn't find a BK-7m manual with Roland. I assume the "recordings" to be in audio (.MP3 files) rather than MIDI (.MID files).)

If the BK-7m should have a count-in option, it wouldn't get recorded (I think). I can think of these two work-arounds:
- Have each song start with an intro (like the last four bars of a chorus).
- Record two or four drums-only bars before the start of each song.

Hope this helps...

 

[Valski]

(I don't have either. I couldn't find a BK-7m manual with Roland. I assume the "recordings" to be in audio (.MP3 files) rather than MIDI (.MID files).)

If the BK-7m should have a count-in option, it wouldn't get recorded (I think). I can think of these two work-arounds:
- Have each song start with an intro (like the last four bars of a chorus).
- Record two or four drums-only bars before the start of each song.

Hope this helps...

Thanks Chris,
Actually they're best recorded as WAV files according to the manual. However most technical manuals leave something to be desired and I know that there's a one second lag before the files play However that's too quick because the play button is right at the bottom of the keyboard and you have quite a jump to get your hand into position to play.

Also each style of song has an intro and ending function but I don't think that they're all appropriate to the song. I I may try this one or two bar approach. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Tom]

....you could bring the wav file into an editor like Audacity, add the clicks or intro, and export to the format you desire. You could record the clicks or intro yourself at the desired tempo also in Audacity.

I don't know anything about the bk7. I would be surprised it doesn't export with the intro. Someone else will know. Another alternative would be to record the backing with the intro on another device, trimming it as desired in Audacity.

 

[Valski]

Okay Tom, Thanks for the tip. I would think that it should be built in but like most things technical, there's always an extra step and added complexity.

 

[Glenn]

I don’t know the bk7m but if you can create a WAV file on the bk7m is there no option to include the lead-in metronome. I assume the bk7m has such a metronome?

 

[Ventura]

the BK (as all modules do) is generating audio from MIDI data

therefore, if you can capture your track as a MIDI file, it is hugely easier
in my opinion to manipulate it there for a custom intro, to insert a couple of quiet bars
or a few lead in clicks

then feed the MIDI file as tweaked back to the Module and record your audio output

 

[Valski]

I don’t know the bk7m but if you can create a WAV file on the bk7m is there no option to include the lead-in metronome. I assume the bk7m has such a metronome?

Yes, I'm afraid that this option doesn't really exist.

 

[Chris Laarman]

My only concern is starting the recorded songs because there doesn't seem to be any way to record some clicks at the beginning of each song. This would be really helpful when playing back my music. Perhaps someone can share some tips regarding the issue.

(My second approach)

If... if... if... - You might generate and record accompaniment files on your computer (PC, Mac), instead of the BK-7m. The "king of the hill" is Band-in-a-Box (generally referred to as "BiaB") by PG Music. It has evolved from a simple "rhythm box" for jazz pianist Peter Gannon to a musical Christmas tree, but one can be very productive using it. Basically entering the chords on a grid, selecting a style and a tempo. I don't know much about arranger keyboards (as an alternative to computer software), but Jos Maas has been trying to make a "poor man's BiaB"named "One Man Band", that uses styles in the format of the Yamaha PSR keyboards. Finally (in my non enumerative listing), there is the music software that can handle both BiaB- and PSR-styles and do (with a few add-ons) almost anything musical (probably starting as notation software): Harmony Assistant (and lesser Melody Assistant) by Myriad.

You didn't ask this. You may well be reluctant to spend time (learning curve...) and money on alternatives to the BK-7m that you have and love. But you may like to have a Plan B for transportability.

A final word on money, regarding these three. BiaB has a tradition of yearly paid upgrades (around 1 December for Windows, in the following summer for macOS). I have lost contact with Jos Maas, but he used to offer paid upgrades when development justified so. Myriad has a policy of one-off payments, but they may surprize by treating perceived upgrades as separate products. (I could imagine VST-compatibility being an example.)

 

[Pbraido]

Hello there,

I own both the Bk7m and an Fr8x. I love them both and they are simply wonderful together, however I find that it's a lot of equipment to haul around for smaller gigs. So recently I tried recording backing tracks on the Bk7m and playing them back on the Fr8x. It's wonderful and works well, in fact better than expected. The quality of the recording and the volume generated by the Fr8x is truly beyond my expectations. There was sufficient volume for a small crowd of 60 guests and this means that I can leave my sound system at home and venture out with just the accordion more often.

My only concern is starting the recorded songs because there doesn't seem to be any way to record some clicks at the beginning of each song. This would be really helpful when playing back my music. Perhaps someone can share some tips regarding the issue.

Use intro #1 on the BK7 it is the shortest intro for whatever style you are recording and is usually only a couple of bars long or record your own intro with one of the accordion voices on the BK then start playing along with your backing track when your own recorded intro ends

 

[Valski]

Use intro #1 on the BK7 it is the shortest intro for whatever style you are recording and is usually only a couple of bars long or record your own intro with one of the accordion voices on the BK then start playing along with your backing track when your own recorded intro ends

Okay thanks for the tip. I'll check with the manual how to select intro #1 on the Bk7m because I rarely use the intro and ending function. The backing tracks on the module are excellent and some of my keyboard playing friends have compared the Roland sounds favourably to the ones that they use. My existing setup has so many amazing functions that I doubt that I will ever use all of them. These small suggestions really help me to learn about the various ways to make my music better.

 

[JerryPH]

Hello there,

I own both the Bk7m and an Fr8x. I love them both and they are simply wonderful together, however I find that it's a lot of equipment to haul around for smaller gigs. So recently I tried recording backing tracks on the Bk7m and playing them back on the Fr8x. It's wonderful and works well, in fact better than expected. The quality of the recording and the volume generated by the Fr8x is truly beyond my expectations. There was sufficient volume for a small crowd of 60 guests and this means that I can leave my sound system at home and venture out with just the accordion more often.

My only concern is starting the recorded songs because there doesn't seem to be any way to record some clicks at the beginning of each song. This would be really helpful when playing back my music. Perhaps someone can share some tips regarding the issue.

Simplicity itself...if you are not using the intro from the BK, literally any DAW application like REAPER or Audacity can be used to do that. While listening to your backing track, hold a pair of drumsticks or even a couple of wooden spoons and tap along with the music for 1-2 measures. Record with the DAW while you are listening to the music.

Add the taps to the start of the song, export the entire backing track, export it and you are done... literally a 1-2 minute process on a bad day. Configure one of the chin switch buttons to start/stop the MP3 track and it makes starting even easier!

The issues with playing with the 8X like this is that high quality files (*.WAV files) can bog down the entire accordion and strange things start to happen. Best to use mid quality *.MP3 files (128k 44.1mhz) files will play a lot easier and the drop in quality isn't evident.

 

[Valski]

Simplicity itself...if you are not using the intro from the BK, literally any DAW application like REAPER or Audacity can be used to do that. While listening to your backing track, hold a pair of drumsticks or even a couple of wooden spoons and tap along with the music for 1-2 measures. Record with the DAW while you are listening to the music.

Add the taps to the start of the song, export the entire backing track, export it and you are done... literally a 1-2 minute process on a bad day. Configure one of the chin switch buttons to start/stop the MP3 track and it makes starting even easier!

The issues with playing with the 8X like this is that high quality files (*.WAV files) can bog down the entire accordion and strange things start to happen. Best to use mid quality *.MP3 files (128k 44.1mhz) files will play a lot easier and the drop in quality isn't evident.

Thanks Jerry,

Your technical knowledge is amazing and your willingness to share this knowledge is very much appreciated. I think that you have a special talent in your ability to decipher technical manuals far beyond the abilities of us mere mortals.

 

[JerryPH]

Thanks Jerry,

Your technical knowledge is amazing and your willingness to share this knowledge is very much appreciated. I think that you have a special talent in your ability to decipher technical manuals far beyond the abilities of us mere mortals.

Thanks, but this is one of those things that I had thought about before... because the BK can be used to create some nice backing tracks and I made one once for a friend, but thought that had I needed to do that, I'd like to have a little 1-2 measure lead in and how to do it. Using a DAW was the easiest and fastest way that I knew how to do that, plus it's actually fun.

 

[Valski]

Use intro #1 on the BK7 it is the shortest intro for whatever style you are recording and is usually only a couple of bars long or record your own intro with one of the accordion voices on the BK then start playing along with your backing track when your own recorded intro ends

Thanks for this tip. It works very well and I like the end result. I never played around with the Bk7m intros so didn't know that little tip.

 

[Valski]

Simplicity itself...if you are not using the intro from the BK, literally any DAW application like REAPER or Audacity can be used to do that. While listening to your backing track, hold a pair of drumsticks or even a couple of wooden spoons and tap along with the music for 1-2 measures. Record with the DAW while you are listening to the music.

Add the taps to the start of the song, export the entire backing track, export it and you are done... literally a 1-2 minute process on a bad day. Configure one of the chin switch buttons to start/stop the MP3 track and it makes starting even easier!

The issues with playing with the 8X like this is that high quality files (*.WAV files) can bog down the entire accordion and strange things start to happen. Best to use mid quality *.MP3 files (128k 44.1mhz) files will play a lot easier and the drop in quality isn't evident.

Hi Jerry, what do you use to convert the WAV files to MP3? I tried something and it didn't work very well.

 

[Glenn]

Both Reaper and Audacity can export to mp3

 

[JerryPH]

Hi Jerry, what do you use to convert the WAV files to MP3? I tried something and it didn't work very well.

Reaper. Post production is in Reaper for me and I export to MP3 at any quality level I want. Once settings are set it is a 2 click process with a file name typed in.