Live Backing Tracks

[RumTumJM]

I put this on the Noticeboard, but figured I'd be a fool not to put it here, as well...


Had the pleasure of seeing the guys, last night, and BOY did they not disappoint! They really are out to prove that they're still viable, these days!

Here's by big question: To your knowledge how much of their show is pre-taped/tracked? If I didn't already know HOW GOOD they all are, as singers and musicians, I'd have sworn it was ALL canned.

Now, I know they used backing vocal tracks in the Bobby Kimball days. BUT, what about now? I saw a video of a soundcheck Q&A, from 2013-ish, where Luke claimed that, aside from some auxiliary tracks (sound effects, loops, etc), it's live...notably the vocals & instruments.

Is that still the case? If so, they really make Warren & Shem sound like a choir. And the instruments blend perfectly.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I put this on the Noticeboard, but figured I'd be a fool not to put it here, as well...


Had the pleasure of seeing the guys, last night, and BOY did they not disappoint! They really are out to prove that they're still viable, these days!

Here's by big question: To your knowledge how much of their show is pre-taped/tracked? If I didn't already know HOW GOOD they all are, as singers and musicians, I'd have sworn it was ALL canned.

Now, I know they used backing vocal tracks in the Bobby Kimball days. BUT, what about now? I saw a video of a soundcheck Q&A, from 2013-ish, where Luke claimed that, aside from some auxiliary tracks (sound effects, loops, etc), it's live...notably the vocals & instruments.

Is that still the case? If so, they really make Warren & Shem sound like a choir. And the instruments blend perfectly.

Where you at the Morristown, NJ show?

[RumTumJM]

I put this on the Noticeboard, but figured I'd be a fool not to put it here, as well...


Had the pleasure of seeing the guys, last night, and BOY did they not disappoint! They really are out to prove that they're still viable, these days!

Here's by big question: To your knowledge how much of their show is pre-taped/tracked? If I didn't already know HOW GOOD they all are, as singers and musicians, I'd have sworn it was ALL canned.

Now, I know they used backing vocal tracks in the Bobby Kimball days. BUT, what about now? I saw a video of a soundcheck Q&A, from 2013-ish, where Luke claimed that, aside from some auxiliary tracks (sound effects, loops, etc), it's live...notably the vocals & instruments.

Is that still the case? If so, they really make Warren & Shem sound like a choir. And the instruments blend perfectly.

Where you at the Morristown, NJ show?

I was at the show, the next night, on Long Island.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I put this on the Noticeboard, but figured I'd be a fool not to put it here, as well...


Had the pleasure of seeing the guys, last night, and BOY did they not disappoint! They really are out to prove that they're still viable, these days!

Here's by big question: To your knowledge how much of their show is pre-taped/tracked? If I didn't already know HOW GOOD they all are, as singers and musicians, I'd have sworn it was ALL canned.

Now, I know they used backing vocal tracks in the Bobby Kimball days. BUT, what about now? I saw a video of a soundcheck Q&A, from 2013-ish, where Luke claimed that, aside from some auxiliary tracks (sound effects, loops, etc), it's live...notably the vocals & instruments.

Is that still the case? If so, they really make Warren & Shem sound like a choir. And the instruments blend perfectly.

Where you at the Morristown, NJ show?

I was at the show, the next night, on Long Island.

Gotcha. Last show I was at was last year, it was apparent that Shem and Warren were doing alot of the heavy lifting. During the FIB years, the canned BG were more obvious.

[RumTumJM]

Take this clip, for example.

https://youtu.be/odbGicngF14?t=76

On the chorus, notably the "for you GIRL" line, is that a crafty use of reverb & harmonizers on Shem & Warren, or the sound of taped assistance. (I know that, as is often the case, the vocals sounded a lot bigger & fuller at the venue than they do on the videos.)

[Andrew]

Its all live, all the time.

Joseph is awesome, Shem has an amazing voice, Warren singing and new lad Xavier is also singing his heart out.

Why are some always looking for the scandal and/or negative to bitch and moan about?

[The_Noble_Cause]

Its all live, all the time.

Joseph is awesome, Shem has an amazing voice, Warren singing and new lad Xavier is also singing his heart out.

Why are some always looking for the scandal and/or negative to bitch and moan about?

I believe they are live. That said, RumTum's review of the concert was quite positive and fans shouldn't be afraid to speak their mind and ask questions.

When I saw Toto during the Falling in Between tour, it was obvious to me that Bobby's lead vocal on Africa was not live. I didn't post about it, because the rest of the show (including Bobby) was phenomenal. Should I have said something? In hindsight, maybe. Look at what we know now.

[RumTumJM]

Its all live, all the time.

Joseph is awesome, Shem has an amazing voice, Warren singing and new lad Xavier is also singing his heart out.

Why are some always looking for the scandal and/or negative to bitch and moan about?

I didn't mean to come across as bitching & moaning. Rather, I was very impressed with what I saw Friday night, and I was interested in figuring out how such a quality product was created.

[tedpruitt]

I didn't mean to come across as bitching & moaning. Rather, I was very impressed with what I saw Friday night, and I was interested in figuring out how such a quality product was created.

You have some of the most experienced performers in the business on stage. You have the technology that allows them to dial-in the show once they rehearse so that things like instrument levels and vocal blends appear effortless. But, as always, the technology without the talent is moot. Today's technology pretty much allows them to put on a perfect sounding/looking show, each and every time. Combined with the musicians who seem to rarely have an off night (yeah, it happens, but it's rare with these guys unless they are sick or burnt out) and you have a pretty magical show.

Nothing is canned as far as I know. They just don't have to. The intro is canned. Steve P uses some sequencing on parts that would be impractical to pull off live, but other than that. It's all them.

Glad you enjoyed it!

[Ehwmatt]

Its all live, all the time.

Joseph is awesome, Shem has an amazing voice, Warren singing and new lad Xavier is also singing his heart out.

Why are some always looking for the scandal and/or negative to bitch and moan about?

Why are you always so defensive? It's not your band. RumTum is a long-time solid poster here and clearly not trying to troll. It's a legitimate question, and I can understand why he asked it because the backing Vox do sound huge this tour.

My two cents: the show and backing Vox are quite live. I was very close to the stage in August and could hear Shem's voice acoustically, hitting those huge highs as he walked around the stage. Plus, as others pointed out, they've got several great singers up there. Do they use any kind of processing or effects or even the occasional added voice on tape to fatten up some of the harmonies? I can't say for sure, but I'll take Luke at his word that it's 100% live. If there's a little "sauce" on the backing Vox, I wouldn't be concerned -- they've gotta be at least 90-95% live based on what I saw and heard.

[RumTumJM]

Thanks for the support (not that it was necessarily needed).

Look, I know I have posted about this general topic, quite a bit, on here. And I admit that it's something that intrigues and, at times, frustrates me quite a bit. Ultimately, the technology and possibilities for modern live shows is mind-boggling.

Now, I understand why some, like Andrew, can get defensive about this type of stuff. People love to throw out allegations. We all think we're experts in some way, shape or form. HAHAHA! (Some ARE more than others, clearly!) Look at the fights that STILL break out over Def Leppard! It's part of the fun that we have following this stuff to the extent that we do. We stress over it, so others don't have to!

Ultimately, while I am by no means an advocate of tracking/sampling, I get it, now, more than ever. BUT, since there can be an arguable level of deception in this stuff, in the end, I'd like to know the truth. That way, while I'm still likely to go to the shows, I can applaud raw talent or shake my head at the right times.

[Andrew]

All good.

Just be happy Toto are live live live!

[Ehwmatt]

Thanks for the support (not that it was necessarily needed).

Look, I know I have posted about this general topic, quite a bit, on here. And I admit that it's something that intrigues and, at times, frustrates me quite a bit. Ultimately, the technology and possibilities for modern live shows is mind-boggling.

Now, I understand why some, like Andrew, can get defensive about this type of stuff. People love to throw out allegations. We all think we're experts in some way, shape or form. HAHAHA! (Some ARE more than others, clearly!) Look at the fights that STILL break out over Def Leppard! It's part of the fun that we have following this stuff to the extent that we do. We stress over it, so others don't have to!

Ultimately, while I am by no means an advocate of tracking/sampling, I get it, now, more than ever. BUT, since there can be an arguable level of deception in this stuff, in the end, I'd like to know the truth. That way, while I'm still likely to go to the shows, I can applaud raw talent or shake my head at the right times.

I don't mind a track or two to fatten things up on backing vocals. And sometimes you can't avoid needing a triggered synth sequence/arpeggio/whatever if there are multiple keyboard parts. I do want the core performance to be 100% live, though, and I do want the band doing at least 80% of the lifting on harmonies.