Hi all.
 
Guess the title is kind of self-explanatory. I have the need to play live with my band with keyboards' backing tracks going live and click track going into drummers' headphone. Anyone knows if Sonar can do it and if so how to do it (I have Home Studio version)? Also, I'd like to understand more of the following points:
 
1- is it better to use multiple tracks for each song with splitted midi-click tracks or to use one unique track set for the entire playist with splitted midi-click tracks, or to use separate midi and click tracks?
 
2- is there some way in wich I could play them with my tablet instead of my pc?
 
I' m new to playing with backing tracks, so I need to understand how it works
 
Thanks in advance
 
 

I've been using backing tracks since 1984 so possibly I can help, I also bough Home studio last year as I was planing on using the playlist feature and yes, Home studio is all you really need.  My gut feeling is it would be the most stable of Sonars. You can add lots of 3rd part VST's to beef it up. Keep an eye on the Deals forum here. And it's all you need to creat what your thinking. 
 
I originally used an Atari playing midi sequences. Those drove various rack sound modules. 
As it was mostly drums and bass with the odd keyboard part I had no problem with the balance between the instruments. I had a system to keep this the same song to song.  So for the last 20+ years I've been just using stereo backing tracks. 
 
I put everything on Mini disk for a decade and then about 2004 bought a laptop. I have used Win Amp to play my stereo wave files ever since. It's the only play that will stop after each song.   The only reason I want to try to use Sonar is I miss having Midi control my effects. 
I've been messing with the Playlist but compaired to the simplicity of using Win Amp I find the Playlist a bit to clunky and slow. With win amp I can make set lists and easily change them on my breaks.  I'm working on the Playlist project and It means totally re seting up the projects a certain way. Taking me a year so far!  
 
Here's a simple solution if all your needing is Keyboards and a click track for a few songs.  I play in a acoustic duo and  I split the stereo into Bass on the left and the drums on the Right. We run the Bass to a Bass amp and it's like having a real bass player on stage. The drums go to a floor wedge that the audience doesn't really hear. It helps us keep in time. You could do the same only send the Keyboard to the FOH and the drums ( click) to the drummers floor wedge or in ears. So yes you could do this with a Tablet. I'd recomend the Radial Trim Two for this. It's perfect as it has it's own level control. 
http://www.radialeng.com/trimtwo.php

 
 
So you 

You might also check out this free software:  Worshipsong Band
 
I have not used it but plan on checking it out.  Skip through the intro video to see the features.
 
EDIT: Output is limited to three channels - i.e. Stereo track + Click but it seems like it has a lot of nice performance features like lyric & chord chart display, network for same view on multiple devices, changing song format on the fly - e.g. chorus, verse, bridge, etc. sections.
 
Download Page

Got all exited about a possible better way to play backing tracks so I downloaded Worship Song Band. Good news- it's free. Bad news, totally useless for anything but church. 
First, seems it only plays the songs they have to offer  
Also just a quick poke around and I found a lot that didn't work the way I would need it , No drag and drop set lists for one. Anyhow looks like it will do what it does but with limitations and nothing of interest outside of a church. 
 

Cactus Music
 
The drums go to a floor wedge that the audience doesn't really hear. It helps us keep in time. You could do the same only send the Keyboard to the FOH and the drums ( click) to the drummers floor wedge or in ears. 
  

 
I honestly don't think I would be able to play to a click live if it was coming through the floor monitors.
 

Hey Johnny, sorry it didn't work out for you or me - I was optimistic myself but alas....
 
I do know you can use your own tracks.  From what I understand (and read), they are read directly from a .ZIP file.  I purchase tracks from PraiseCharts and MultiTracks.com all the time - they are simple individual .WAV files (not proprietary).  I dropped the zip file into WSB and it converted them all fine.
 
I did see a YT tutorial that said there is no conversion if your files are already mp3, ogg, or flac (don't know what all files it will use).  I exported a mix both as mp3 & flac from Sonar, zipped them and threw them in WSB - it was a much quicker load.
 
But yes, it is limited, not the most polished software, nor does the setlist have many usable features :( 
Most other players I've come across are proprietary and don't allow user content.

-francesco-
Hi all.
 
Guess the title is kind of self-explanatory. I have the need to play live with my band with keyboards' backing tracks going live and click track going into drummers' headphone. Anyone knows if Sonar can do it and if so how to do it (I have Home Studio version)? Also, I'd like to understand more of the following points:
 
1- is it better to use multiple tracks for each song with splitted midi-click tracks or to use one unique track set for the entire playist with splitted midi-click tracks, or to use separate midi and click tracks?
 
2- is there some way in wich I could play them with my tablet instead of my pc?
 
I' m new to playing with backing tracks, so I need to understand how it works 
 
Thanks in advance
 

Over the years I have played live lots with a laptop solo and with a full band and I've found it is best to keep things simple as possible. 
 
My current live set up is built round an oldish laptop with an SSD installed and a RME Fireface 400 as the audio interface.  This has been rock solid and only has what is needed to play the songs back in the set.  I keep the project as simple as possible as well and bounce stems from the original projects and have four busses set up Three sent to the front of house (drums, bass and everything else) and then another that is the headphone mix that includes a click track that I generate as an audio track.  The first three busses give the engineer a chance to balance the audio for the room and then the headphone mix with a click that I can share with others via a headphone amp as needed. The tracks sent to FOH can be stereo or mono depending on the venue and what the engineer wants plus if needed I can just send a single signal to the PA very quickly. 
 
The main thing is to practice lots with the set up to see if it works. 
 
 

quantumeffect

Cactus Music
 
The drums go to a floor wedge that the audience doesn't really hear. It helps us keep in time. You could do the same only send the Keyboard to the FOH and the drums ( click) to the drummers floor wedge or in ears. 
  

 
I honestly don't think I would be able to play to a click live if it was coming through the floor monitors.
 

 
Exactly, that is why we use a simple drum track. Even when I record I never use click track always preferring to play to drums. And you have to also realize this is a low keyed acoustic act and not a rock band. So floor monitors work better for us than in ears. 
 
Even though I've used backing tracks for 30 years I don't believe they are appropriate in many situations. I would never myself use them in a 4 or 5 pc band. Too weird for me. Mind you I'd rather have a canned drummer than some people I've had to suffer....