Apps by Arlomedia

I have been using an iPad running BandHelper to play backing tracks and click/cue tracks through a Behringer WING Rack. This setup works very reliably and can be adapted to any multi channel audio interface. The basics are covered in Arlo's Advanced Audio tutorial (https://www.bandhelper.com/tutorials/advanced_audio.html), but a few additional details are important:

1. Use separate recordings
The simplest setup is to use one stereo track: one mono channel contains the backing track, while the other mono channel contains the click track. This works, but it has some limitations because both signals share the same stereo pair. A more flexible approach is to use BandHelper's multichannel-audio function with separate recordings. When the relevant BandHelper options are enabled, separate recordings play back in perfect sync:

• Multi-Route Audio
• Play Recordings Together

2. Hardware setup
My setup consists of:

• iPad running BandHelper.
• Powered USB hub.
• Long active (!) USB cable between the USB hub and the WING Rack.
• Behringer WING Rack acting as a multichannel USB audio interface.

With this setup, the WING provides 48 USB input and output channels to the iPad. BandHelper can play up to eight stereo recordings simultaneously, which corresponds to up to 16 audio channels. I currently use only two stereo recordings:

• Backing track.
• Click/cue track.

The same principle could also be used for more complex arrangements. For example, separate instruments could be provided as individual backing tracks. This would allow individual backing elements to be mixed separately on the WING Rack.

3. Leave USB 1/2 available for other audio
I recommend leaving USB 1/2 unused for BandHelper recordings: The reason is that many other iPad apps do not support multichannel audio output. Apps such as Apple Music generally send their audio only to the first stereo pair of a multichannel audio interface. For example:

• USB 1/2: break music from Apple Music.
• USB 3/4: BandHelper backing track.
• USB 5/6: BandHelper click/cue track.
• USB 7/8 and higher: additional BandHelper recordings if required.

This separation makes the setup much easier to operate during a show. Break music can be faded or muted independently, without affecting the backing or click tracks.

4. Plan the recording order carefully
BandHelper assigns recordings to the selected interface channels in ascending order. For example, assume the recordings are configured to use:

• Recording 1: USB 3/4.
• Recording 2: USB 5/6.
• Recording 3: USB 7/8.

If a particular song contains only one recording, BandHelper will use the first selected stereo pair, USB 3/4, for that recording. It will not automatically reserve USB 5/6 for a click track simply because that channel pair was intended for clicks in other songs. This means the order of the recordings matters! Therefore, the most frequently used or most important track should normally be Recording 1.
For example:

• If some songs have a backing track but no click track, make the backing track Recording 1 and the click track Recording 2.
• If most songs have a click track but only some songs have a backing track, make the click track Recording 1 and the backing track Recording 2.

The important point is that BandHelper keeps the selected channel order, but it does not leave gaps for missing recordings.

I hope these tips are helpful - good luck with your setup, and please let me know how it works for you!

Thanks for the info! Regarding #4, if a song has a Recording 2 but no Recording 1, you can add a blank recording in that slot to keep the positions consistent. Here's a file you can use:

https://www.bandhelper.com/samples/Empty%20Recording.mp3

You would only need to add that to your account once and then you can use the same empty recording in multiple songs.