[Patrick Foarde]

I am a first-timer, and I need some help setting up a live remote rehearsal.
Here is the setup:

Me in Atlanta GA, playing harmonica through a harp mike and singing through a Sure SM58 dynamic mic . Currently both are connected to a Focusrite 2i2 DAI, which is connected to a Mac Mini M2 via USBC. I have Farplay installed on the MAC, which is connected via Ethernet to a gigabit router. I have gig-speed service via Xfinity.
Bass player in New Jersey – not sure what his Internet setup is, but assume it is adequate
Drummer, Lead Guitar and singer in Mexico City. Again not sure what the Internet setup is.

I understand the connectivity requirements and will work with the band to optimize them

My question is how should the instrument players (electric guitar, bass and drums) be set up for the live session – should we mic all of their amps and patch the mics into a mixer/DAI and into their computers, or if they can direct input into their computers should they do that? Or can they play live using their amps into 1-2 dynamic mics?

I looked at the Mixer instructions and am not clear on how you assign remote inputs to tracks. Can you elaborate on that?

Sorry if these questions sound dumb. I know enough about audio mixing to be dangerous.
I really want this to work bc I have several collaboration opportunities. This one is for a live show in October so the ability to rehearse remotely would be a huge benefit.
Appreciate any advice you can offer, and happy to answer questions to make it clearer.

[David Liao]

Dear Patrick,

Thanks for your questions!

Have the drummer connect an SM58 (or similar dynamic mic) to a Scarlett Solo (or other audio interface). Put the mic near the drummer’s mouth and then reposition the mic to adjust the balance between drums and vocals the mic picks up, if desired.

Here are two great options for your guitar players (you can go with whichever option it’s easiest to get equipment for).

• Option 1: Have each guitar player use an instrument cable to connect the line output on their amp to a line-input jack on a Scarlett Solo (or other audio interface with line input — not all audio interfaces have line input). To pick up talking, have each guitar player connect an SM58 (or other dynamic mic) to their audio interface too.
• Option 2: Have each guitar player connect two dynamic mics to a Scarlett 2i2 (or other audio interface with two mic jacks), putting one of the mics in front of their amp and the other near their mouth.

The Input Mixer controls the mix of local sound sources you send into the session. To control how loud or panned each remote player sounds in your headphones, use the gain sliders and pan pots (knobs) that appear in the right half of FarPlay’s main window during multi-user sessions.

Could you share the styles of music you’d like to rehearse? Atlanta/New Jersey and Mexico City are far apart, so if you play fast rhythmic music with drums, the musicians in Atlanta and New Jersey will sound slightly behind in the ears of the musicians in Mexico City. That being said, there are still lots of styles of music you can rehearse together online over the distances between your band members (we recently shared an example of making energetic, rhythmic music together 3600 miles apart).

Thank you,
David Liao

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.

[Patrick Foarde]

Wow thanks for the fast response.

We will be playing a mix of 70’s rock, disco, and Latino. In terms of “fast,” most of those songs are rockers like Born to be Wild or Rock N Roll All Night so 145-146 bpm, and a couple of the disco tunes might be considered fast – like BeeGees You Should be Dancing (123-125 bpm). (it’s for a reunion party :-))

Another question. In lieu of a DAI can we use an analog mixer with USB stream capability? I don’t know what my drummer and the crew in Mexico will have (yet). I assume they would need a DAI or mixer with enough inputs for instruments and vocals. Can they patch 6 inputs into the computer and have it treated as one track in the Farplay mixer? or is there a better way?

[David Liao]

Hi Patrick,

A mixer with USB output (USB mixer) is an audio interface :). If connecting a USB mixer to a Windows PC, make sure to use one with manufacturer-supplied ASIO drivers. Some USB mixers don’t come with ASIO drivers, and audio drivers provided by Windows have higher latency.

FarPlay easily accepts a stereo mix (typically provided by basic USB mixers and audio interfaces) as well as the 6 input channels in your example, say, from a Scarlett 18i16 (or other audio interface with lots of inputs). If you bring in 6 inputs into the computer, create a track for each input in FarPlay’s Input Mixer, which then combines the separate tracks into a single stereo (or mono) mix to send to the session.

For a song at 145 bpm, the musicians in Mexico will hear you in Atlanta and especially the bass player in New Jersey play slightly behind the beat. For a rough sense of how the delay between the musicians in Mexico and the bass player might feel, check out this example of Oteil Burbridge playing bass in California for a class in New York, where the drummer was located. Just let the musicians in Mexico know to keep going (ask that they don’t slow down to help the musicians in Atlanta and New Jersey catch up).

Thank you,
David Liao

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.
• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.