Hi everyone, I’m new here. Hope I’m posting in the right category.
I’m a professional musician and I use MIDI files for backing tracks live. I recently did a cruise ship gig that was both pop music and jazz standards depending on the venue. If anyone is looking for professional quality MIDI files to download for free, check out https://midifilesdownload.com . The site has a huge jazz MIDI file collection as well as lots of other musical styles, rock, R&B and more. Quite a lot of my backing tracks came from this site. The MIDI files will require editing to your needs of course but it is a great place to start. If you’re looking to download MIDI files for a cruise ship gig, this is the place. Helped me out tremendously. Hope this helps someone else too!
Thanks. I was just on a cruise last week where a duo used tracks. He played piano and she sang. They were both very talented. I have used live looping forever and have played on some smaller ships for American Cruise Lines as a duo with my wife. The trend seems to be to use tracks. How was the experience? We have been debating whether we want to go down the tracks path…thanks for the link.
MIDI backing tracks for cruise ship gigs is the way to go especially if you’re doing jazz. Loopers just don’t cut it IMHO and I have never seen any cruise ship performers using one.
Yes, I can see that. There was a solo acoustic guy that played pop songs with a looper on the ship (NCL)…but the majority I have seen are track based too. Thanks again for the info.
Personally, I can only handle listening to a loop for a tune or two then I lose interest. As a seasoned jazz musician, a few measures of repeating motifs just doesn’t cut it for me and it doesn’t engage the listeners very well either.
Also, I NEVER use sequencing tech live. I’ve had every kind of MIDI error there is live, including the way too common MIDI note stick and it is embarrassing. I burn tunes to a .wav file and use them live…fixed that problem instantly. Computers should be used for producing tunes, not live situations.
Yes, I would do the same…mix the midi stuff down to a stereo pair via a DAW. I would play them off my tablet, or phone in an emergency. A little side note, what do you use for your sound plugins triggered by the MIDI when mixing them down? I would assume an acoustic bass and some keys? Actually I assumed you are a guitar player…maybe not?
As far as getting bored I can certainly understand that in a jazz setting, the acoustic guy was playing pop tunes so they are fairly repetitive.
Good to have back up. Burn to CD also, CD players are reliable and common. I have used the Sony minidisc too. A few different formats doesn’t hurt. Absolutely keep your MIDI files on a thumb drive or USB hard disk along with backup and recovery files if needed.
I use Calkwalk by Bandlab to edit MIDI files and for audio recording as well. It is still free but it won’t be for very long, they are going to a subscription model soon. There’s a ton of free VSTs and virtual instruments. It comes fully equipped right out of the box. It is up there with Pro Tools as far as features go. Get it while it’s still free. https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk?lang=en
Hi TechE
Thanks for sharing
So if I download the midii files and want to just remove some of the instruments with cake walk is it easy enough to do for someone who has never done this.
Editing MIDI files is pretty easy. If you want to remove an instrument, with the mixer view, just mute the channel. There’s a button marked “M” that’ll do the job.
