FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a count off at the beginning of each song? What if the original song did not have drums or bass at the beginning? Yes, there is a 2-measure "stick click" count off before each fast song and 1-measure count off before slow songs. For songs that originally did not have drums in the intro, I've recorded a hi-hat, ride cymbal, or an appropriate percussion track to keep time until the drums (or drums and bass) come in.

Do you offer songs with the keyboard or piano part, strings, rhythm guitar, background vocals, etc? No. I'm just sticking with drum and bass tracks for now. :-)

Are these tracks the "long version" or the shorter "radio version"? In most cases, the shorter, "radio version" is recorded. If the "live" version or longer version is/was more popular I have or will record that version instead. Please note that most tracks are under 5:00 minutes in length except for songs such as "Radar Love", "Freebird", "Black Magic Woman", etc. which were recorded at their original lengths, well over 5 minutes long.

I can play the .mp3s that I just purchased from the links you provided but can't download the songs onto my Mac. How do I save them? Holding down the Control button and double clicking the mouse, will let you save the individual files. For Mac users, choose "Download Linked File". Do not choose "Open In ITunes". For PC users, right click the links and choose "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As...".

Can you email the .mp3s instead of sending the link for me to download them? Because there are too many potential problems emailing large files, I find that the download process works much more efficiently. If you need .mp3s emailed to you, the cost is $1 per file.

Can I download these tracks then burn the songs onto a regular Audio CD that will play in my home stereo or portable player? Yes. Most CD burning software will allow you to burn .mp3s to Audio CDs. Remember to choose "Audio CD" instead of "Data CD".

Can I automatically download the tracks once I've paid using Paypal? Not yet. I've been in the process of setting up an automatic system that will allow immediate downloads but it is not ready yet). In the meantime, my hours for processing orders are from 10 AM to 6 PM (Pacific Time) on Mon.-Fri. Weekend response times may vary but are usually pretty quick. Usual response time is between 10 minutes to 3 hours on weekdays and sometimes a little longer on weekends.

How do I connect my iPod, .mp3 player, laptop, or CD player to play these songs through my P.A.? There are several different ways to hook up your system. The most common way would be to use a "Y" cord made up of a stereo jack (1/8" or 1/4") plugged into your sound source to (2) mono RCA or 1/4" inserts into your P.A. Or, the two signals (drums and bass) can be "Y'd" together so that you will only use one channel of your P.A. for the backing tracks. This will limit your control over the drum and bass mix but as the songs are all pretty close in mastering, it will work just fine.

Are all the tracks mastered with even volumes? Yes, but with close to 800 songs that have been mastered for this catalog, there may be an occasional slight adjustment needed for your specific use or application. A free program to use for this process is called Audacity.

Can I order these tracks as .wav files instead of .mp3s? I do not offer my product as downloadable .wav files, .wav CDRs, or on audio CD (except special content songs) . To convert your .mp3s to .wav files, you can do so by downloading the free software offered by Music Match Jukebox by clicking here. (Click on the button that says DOWNLOAD JUKEBOX.) Once installed, open the program and go to FILE, then CONVERT FILES. You would then double click the folder that contains the .mp3s you would like to convert. Highlight them and choose the format that you wish them to be converted to (.wav) then click on START.

Do "Special Content" have different instrumentation than your other tracks? No. All tracks are strictly drums and bass (i.e no keys, strings, background vocals). "Special Content" only refers to the medium in which they are sold. In this case, the songs listed on that page are sold on CD.

I purchased and downloaded your Drum and Bass Tracks but when I play them back I only hear drums and no bass - even when I pan all the way to the right. Is there something wrong with the tracks or is it my system? Whenever I receive this message, 99.9% of the time it has to do with a computer speaker cord that is not plugged in all the way. If it is plugged in partially, only one channel (or side) of a file will be audible. Please check your connections and if there is still a problem, try burning the tracks onto a CD and play them in your car to hear the drum and bass split in the mix.

What is the advantage of using an iPod, .mp3 player, or laptop? The ability to create playlists (set lists) of songs in the order that you wish to perform them is better than being confined to a song sequence from CDs that you have burned.

What if I need the bass track in a different key than what you have listed? If you need the bass track in a different key on a song, please specify that key in the Notes section of your order and I will transpose it digitally. (Please allow extra time for your order to be processed). A $5 fee will apply unless the key I offer it in is not the same key as was recorded by the artist named.

What if I need the Drum and Bass version of a song but you only offer the Stereo Drum Track? Please request the track that you need and I will have the bass recorded for it.

Do the tracks have effects such as reverb and compression or do they need any further processing? My goal in producing these tracks is to emulate the drum and bass parts from the original recordings while keeping somewhat of a "common thread" from track to track. When applicable, reverb, compression, gating and delay are used on the drums with some compression on the bass. In case the user does wish to modify them for his or her personal use, the fact that the drums are panned far left and the bass is panned far right (on the stereo track) makes this possible.

If my hard drive fails and I lose all the tracks that I've purchased from you in the past, what can be done? First of all, always back up files that are important to you. In the event that you lose the Drum and Bass or Stereo Drum Track files due to hard drive failure, they can be replaced ONLY by providing the following information:

1. Exact date files were purchased,
2. Method of payment used, and
3. A list of the songs that were previously purchased.

Incomplete or missing information will require a minimum $30 fee for look up. Once again, back up your files just to be safe!

I purchased and downloaded your Drum and Bass tracks and noticed that the drums are panned all the way to the left and the bass is panned all the way to the right. Is this correct? Yes. The reason is so that the user can have full and separate control over the drum and bass levels through his or her PA. (Note: In case you are reading this page and have not yet read the intro page first, please click here).

Is it possible to get "centered" mixes of these Drum and Bass tracks (stereo drums with the bass mixed in the middle)? "Centered" mixes are no longer available. To create a stereo "centered" mix you will need to purchase both versions of a song (Drum and Bass for the mono bass and the Stereo Drum Track) and mix them with your multi-tracking set up. For a mono mix, a "stereo to mono" adapter can be used to blend the two stereo channels together.

The Drum and Bass demos sound great but how close do you copy the "whole" songs to the original recordings? The arrangements are copied exactly to the artist's version that is listed unless otherwise noted. The grooves and fills of the drums and bass lines are about 95 -100% like the originals unless they are "meandering" parts. In that case, I copy the important signature licks to capture the main essence of the song, unlike what you may find with most other backing tracks.

What are the arrangements of the jazz standards? All tracks except for jazz standards are arranged like that of the artist listed and would need to be referred to for their arrangement. The jazz standards may vary only slightly from the original (depending on whose version you consider to be the original). For example, if the intro of a jazz standard song originally had 6 bars, I will either change it to either 4 bars or 8 bars. Song forms on jazz standards will always stay true to the original even if there was an unusual phrase or section on the original recording. For example, if the form of a song after the intro is "AABA", I will keep it "AABA" during a solo section and not add extra bars. In cases where there was a rubato or "out of time" section, I will record it "in time" or not have the drums and bass start until that section has passed. For song endings (no matter which style), that don't have a distinct ending or that fade, I have created clear and obvious endings that work well.

Do you offer chord charts, arrangements sheets, or "tabs" for your tracks? No. But, all of my tracks emulate the artist who's version who is listed. Please refer to that version of the song by purchasing it from Npaster or iTunes (you may also get hard to find songs from YouTube.com). For legal reasons, I can not supply any type of sheet music on this site.

If I put my capo on the second fret which key should I order a song in? I really don't mind answering most technical questions but prefer that you ask another guitar player or guitar teacher for a quick accurate answer. Thanks.

Are you the same Jim McCarty who played drums for the Yardbirds? No. But I really enjoy his work. If interested, a list of my credits can be found by clicking here.

Thank you.

Jim McCarty
email contact
(626) 791-4255

Copyright © 2009 Drum Tracks by Jim McCarty, LLC