Need some in between songs equipment advice

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 11:08:28 AM

Need something triggered by the drummer maybe? Just some sound samples that can fill in between songs. Not sure how to accomplish this. We do not do to much talking between songs and I figured some good samples could enhance peoples experience at our shows.

So yeah something someone in the band can simply trigger and then the sample plays. Should also be easy to transfer from computer to piece of equipment that will play samples and easy to hook all of it up to house PA and not piss off the sound guy to much or make our set up time a bitch. Thanks

Would be great if someone has some live experience with this.

johnny problem · May 17, 2011, 12:40:37 PM

Why not get a loop pedal for the guitarist or bassist? With a couple effects like phase and delay, you could make some really interesting loops and just trigger them in between songs.

Cave in were especially good at doing this in between songs while tuning.

Hemisaurus · May 17, 2011, 01:07:27 PM

Roland make a sampling pad, we looked at it for some reason I now forget.All in on unit with 9 surfaces, 6 pads, 3 rimshots.

VOLVO))) · May 17, 2011, 01:57:39 PM

Ipod -> DI Box -> soundboard

just make a "radio show." I made one where it sounded like a guy turning a dial on an old radio, some fuzz and feedback, christian radio, fuzz feedback, Steve Miller Band, fuzz feedback, "COME ON DOWN TO DOBB'S AUTO IN DOTHAN, ALABAMA", fuzz feedback... you know...

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 02:39:22 PM

sunno thats what im talking about but something that is a little more um I dont know.
Like
song 1 ends hit button 1 sample 1 starts/ends
song 2 starts/ends hit button 2 sample 2 starts/ends

so on and so forth.

We dont need anything that has its own samples. We want to make our own like clips from horror movies crazy sounds evil shit being said by scared women your all going to die type shit

Theres got to be an easy, low tech, fool proof way to accomplish this.

VOLVO))) · May 17, 2011, 02:49:29 PM

I just gave you the easiest, low tech, fool proof, and cheapest way to do things. I'm assuming one of you guys own an ipod/mp3 player? I'm assuming someone has audio editing software. Just make multiple tracks, track 1 sample, hit play on ipod. skip to track two for the next one.

Triggered from your computer, or get the analog version which is 350 bucks.

Yamaha and roland both make sample pads, 400+ bones.

Low tech, and easy is the way to go.

fuck, use a radioshack tape recorder, and plug it DI into the board.

VOLVO))) · May 17, 2011, 02:53:53 PM

Also, bands have been doing this shit since the 80's.

Mortician, Impetigo... etc.

Chovie D · May 17, 2011, 02:57:52 PM

Today is the Day used to do that with a tape deck. Steel Pole Bathtub too. early 90's before really portable sampling pads and stmopboxes. Today Id look into the samplers, ipods, and stompboxes, but thats what they did back when on the low tech tip. I think the dude from steelpole had a small handheld player that he would juts hold up to he mic? cant recall....

Danny G · May 17, 2011, 03:05:12 PM

In my first band in the early 90's I'd play samples of dialogue/movie quotes from a handheld tape player placing it up to my guitar pickups, clean channel of course.

//Punk as Fuck.

LogicalFrank · May 17, 2011, 03:43:44 PM

I think a Boss/Roland SP x0x series might be what you're looking for. They seem like pretty cool boxes. From what I'm reading, the Boss SP 303 seems to be what people prefer as far as sounds but the Roland SP 404 has a lot more sample time. A lot of older samplers will use memory cards that you can't really find anymore and are starting to cost a fortune on eBay so watch out for that.

Honestly, for what you are talking about, it seems like iPod solution would work just fine.

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 03:51:54 PM

yeah I like the ipod idea just thinking there will be a long lapse after songs starting it stopping it and getting next sample ready on an ipod. Well not to long but I was hoping for something a little different. thanks for all the responses. Seems like there isnt anything really geared towards that. More expensive, expensive sample equipment that has to much shit we dont need or manual ipod/tape player.

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 03:59:37 PM

The Boss/Roland sp 404 is badass me thinks. I assume I can import audio and assign different audio to different keys? Man this would be perfect if they made a super basic one. For around $99 Im thinkin would be good. Track 1 attached to key 1 and so on. Then what this thing hooks to a di box and is ready to go? Maybe this is the key. Going to have to sell something. I have a tascam dp004 for sale if anyone needs a digital track recorder. Also willing to trade plus cash for something like said Boss/Roland sp 404...........

LogicalFrank · May 17, 2011, 04:11:38 PM

There is an SP-202 on eBay, BIN for $100. That is probably the best you will do in that price range unless you get lucky. It is old so it will use some ridiculous smart media card or something for storageand only hold a couple MB of samples.

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 04:15:21 PM

How long in seconds is a mb? If it is that simple. I suppose it matters what format the sample is in or something.

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 04:21:00 PM

theres a sp202 for $50 with 8 mb card. Im wondering how you transfer samples from a computer to this thing? Im fuckin so lost with this shit. Sorry for my lack in understanding a technology I wish to harness the power of live. Mkay.

Hemisaurus · May 17, 2011, 04:30:00 PM

At CD quality a MB is about 1 minute, in mono 2 minutes, at half the bit rate 4 minutes, etc.

I guess I'm not clear on what you are trying to do, here's a suggestion, if you are just wanting random music, noise, effects whatever. Take an iPod, CD Player, cassette tape, whatever you are comfortable with, make one long continuous mix and just leave it playing. Feed it through a passive volume pedal (like $30 for a cheap one) and just push down on the pedal when a song finishes to turn it on and it'll fade in nicely, when you are ready for the next song, push the pedal the other way and the music fades out. You can hook it into your amp or a bass amp, the PA, whatever.

If you want specific samples, for specific songs then, yeah, a sampler of some kind is the way to go.

Therapy used to have their sound guy do the samples, he had the sample pad set up beside the desk, used to trigger the during songs too, he was a busy guy

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 04:56:50 PM

Yeah specific samples for specific songs that are able to be started and stopped separately of each other. I think the roland sp series stuff or similar device is going to work perfect. Just wondering how you get samples on an older machine like the Roland sp 202. Guess I could google it just feeling real shitty today. Lazy and shitty got a hell of a cold. God damn heads pounding. Probably should have posted this when I could think clearly about what Im after as well as do some of my own research.

Lumpy · May 17, 2011, 04:57:36 PM

Boss RC20 or RC20XL (just has longer sampling time - 16 minutes - that you mighty not need). They're about 150 bucks, used. Good as a looper, too.

Record and store your samples (10 different storage 'patches' or whatever you'd call them), kick the pedal on to start, off to stop (can be set to fade out). Only major drag is that you have to advance the dial to switch samples, either by hand or with an additional Boss footswitch. Also, it takes a little time to learn how to use the pedal correctly, and it's frustrating when you don't know what you're doing.

Best bet seems like an iPod maybe? When you decide you don't wanna do this any more, you still have a nice iPod for jamming in the van. (Multi-purpose).

Low tech idea: 8 track tape player. Each track has a different loop, just advance the tape to the correct track.

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 05:12:49 PM

I think I am going to buy the Roland sp 202 for $50 + $15 shipping. I just read some of the manual and it seems to be perfect. Can assign different samples to different pads which is perfect so after song 1 hit pad 1 ect. awesome. This might be the best thing. Just sucks all these shit things are rca not 1/4 or xlr but they make adapters. Thanks stoner rockers. Yeah and this is for my drummer to use I have enough shit to tapdance on.

justinhedrick · May 17, 2011, 05:28:12 PM

we're JUST starting to to do this as well. our first show with it is on thursday. i'm just not very good at picking out samples at this point . . .

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 05:32:30 PM

what are you using for a sampler? or whatever?

And does this look like a scam?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-SP-202-/260785524724?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb8074ff4#ht_500wt_1156

justinhedrick · May 17, 2011, 05:40:42 PM

i use that exact same thing. the sample time depends on the sound quality (it gets really shitty really quickly!) but it works for us. i looped some old fire and brimstone preaching, some white noise, and so forth.

that sampler is CHEAP esp with the memory card!

ROWDYBEER · May 17, 2011, 05:43:52 PM

yea just leary on the seller. No feedback (0) and the roland site says it only offered up to a 4 mb card and he is listing it with a 8mb and all the other sp202's are like $200+ maybe he expects it to go up a lot in 9 days. I dont know never bought anything from a private seller on ebay only "stores".

LogicalFrank · May 17, 2011, 05:54:23 PM

Does seem a little strange on the size of the card as does 0 feedback... $49 is not out of this world inexpensive for a 202 though. They go for under $100 all the time.

Chovie D · May 17, 2011, 06:53:31 PM

Quote from: ROWDYBEER on May 17, 2011, 05:43:52 PM
yea just leary on the seller. No feedback (0) and the roland site says it only offered up to a 4 mb card and he is listing it with a 8mb and all the other sp202's are like $200+ maybe he expects it to go up a lot in 9 days. I dont know never bought anything from a private seller on ebay only "stores".

trust your instincts...avoid. look elsewhere.

The guy from steelpolebathtub did what frank described, holding the player up to his pickups. it was very effective, looked cool, and was punk as fuck. Today is the Day had a casette player, maybe a dual casette player, mounted in their rack gear. They did exactly as you descrbe wanting to do. specific samples between specific songs. i hvae no idea how they did it tho, shut it on and off in a tmely manner that is.

Did you know you can buy 'looped' tapes? 5 minutes, 15 minutes, etc. They are endlessly looped and will just play forever. we used to use them for art installations and such before digital tech was prevalent.