SLMC

Nina Bean · Joined: 19 Feb 2012 Posts: 1

Okay, I'm hoping someone reads this and takes pity on me. I've been singing in SL to backing tracks from a PC using Winamp/Shoutcast for years. My computer took a total crap on me and freezes after about 2 minutes of startup, and I can't .... do anything on it. Which brings me to my Macbook. I'm not sure how to proceed using my Macbook, but I do have all my tracks backed up to a flash drive, and would prefer to just convert over to the Mac. If anyone has any idiot proof explanation on how to set up, it would be very seriously appreciated. I had to cancel a gig tonite and I have 4 this week, so I need to rectify the situation asap. Thanks again, in advance.

Mad

Silas · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 48

Nicecast has been a reliable standard for audio streaming on Macs for years. The license is $20 - $30 and is one excellent deal. Never got tagged for an update charge and consistently reliable.

Part of Nicecast is Audio Hijack and this allows you to capture audio for Nicecast from the specified app. I direct it to GarageBand so anything coming out of GarageBand will go out on the stream.

It's through GarageBand that you specify the input which is probably some type of USB interface. In this way, you can pull input over a stereo channel from your USB audio interface and you can run a backtrack behind it.

For setting up a gig in GarageBand, you pull in the AIFFs for your back tracks / songs and add them as separate stereo tracks. Mute each one.

This will be one fat file but it will have all the songs / back tracks you need for your gigs and all you have to do is unmute whichever one you need and mute it again when you're done before going on to the next. It works pretty quickly and I've found it effective.

That combination of software is inexpensive and highly-effective. Highly-recommended after doing it this way in SL since somewhere in 2006.
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Tishe · Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 494

Thanks Silas!! I was hoping one (or more) of you long time Mac streaming experts would be able to help Nina out!!

/me points at Silas, Nina if this guy says it's so, take it as gospel. He definitely knows what he's talking about.

Silas · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 48

Melvin Took put me onto putting all your back tracks into the same GarageBand file.

How about that for a legendary name from the past!

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