# Come on...Rush uses either pre-recorded tracks or hidden musicians **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849 "2015-07-11T08:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/1 "2015-07-11T08:02:51Z")
I am in the middle of reading the Rolling Stone article on the Canadian band Rush when I come across this whopper that RS should have known better: _Lee multitasked, holding down bass and vocals while also using every available limb to play synthesizers and trigger backing parts — a feat that pushed virtuosity into the realm of circus act. "Every rehearsal, I was screaming, ‘I can’t do it!’ " says Lee. “But it just felt wrong to have another dude onstage with us. We talked about it all the time — we still talk about it! But it’s a no-go zone, can’t do it.”_ Credit: Read more: [From Rush With Love: The End of the Road for the Geek-Rock Gods? – Rolling Stone](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/from-rush-with-love-cover-story-20150616#ixzz3fZEIg6NR) Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook THEN, I see THIS video at 0:45 where unless Geddy Lee has the psychic ability to press keyboard pedals with his mind, its obvious that Rush DOES use recorded tracks, or a musician hidden behind the stage: Don't get me wrong, I like Rush, and think they are great musicians, but don't give me this bullshit that Geddy Lee is singing, playing bass, keyboards, and triggering sound effects all at the same time. I don't blame Rush for perpetuating this horses ass shit, but doesn't Rolling Stone have the responsibility for at least questioning the claim???? ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/2 "2015-07-11T08:22:14Z")
. . . . . then go about 19:30 here . . . . [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVkb7ulSnjA) ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/3 "2015-07-11T08:59:35Z")
Perhaps they use loop pedals to play back a part, for instance, to keep a riff or baseline going while doing a solo? ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/4 "2015-07-11T11:12:22Z")
I am not a musician but when the magazine are quoted in the OP as saying Geddy Lee does ‘\*\*\*trigger backing parts’ \*\*\* isn’t that a straight out acknowledgment the band are using at least some pre-recorded parts in concert? TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/5 "2015-07-11T11:19:24Z")
Yeah, what else could that mean? What exactly is Rolling a Stone failing to ask? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/6 "2015-07-11T11:35:35Z")
Triggering samples is not always “OMG! They are FAKING!” Sometimes it’s an easy extender for bits and pieces. You control where you trigger it, it does its job. It is not “push this button to sound like a symphony.” To be clear: I am not even remotely a Rush fanboy. They are a fine band, but not my band. But **russian heel** , you are quibbling at the margins here. They are fucking awesome musicians, and Geddy’s multi-tasking live remains one of those “bwah?” accomplishments that most musicians respect deeply, regardless of their views on Rush - just like Peart’s drumming. If Geddy wants to hit a trigger or two - jeez, let him. There is nothing to see here. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/7 "2015-07-11T11:55:41Z")
I just saw them live and the music all sounded pretty live to me. Forty years is a long time to get good at something. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/8 "2015-07-11T12:12:22Z")
In the first example provided, I presume you’re talking about the higher pitched synth line. If you’ll look at Alex Lifeson you’ll see him triggering those with his foot pedals. In the second example the intro is triggered by Neil on his sound pads. You can see them to his left in the overhead shots of his kit. He triggers a lot of the effects through those for samples while the others are busy. You can also see Alex’s foot pedals again in that song. And man, Ged’s voice really is going, isn’t it? ETA: During the early 1980s Geddy really DID have to do all of that at once. That’s when their stage set up included full keyboards for Alex, too. It was too much for one person to take care of. So Ged would have three or four keyboards and other sets in front of him and Alex would have a smaller set off on his side. In the mid-80s the technology caught up so it could be one keyboard - or two - and sound effects could be loaded via disk and triggered elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/9 "2015-07-11T14:18:52Z")
I don’t see any virtue in replacing actual musicians with “triggered” segments. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/10 "2015-07-11T14:27:34Z")
Triggered segments don’t cost money and they don’t have opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/11 "2015-07-11T14:40:00Z")
So the members of Rush are cheapskates and hard to get along with ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/12 "2015-07-11T15:05:36Z")
Even easygoing people will often struggle to get along while working together in a band. And while saving money is nice, it’s also about pleasing a fan base who might be inclined to resent a new addition to personnel. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/13 "2015-07-11T15:05:45Z")
Yeah, sequencers have better personalities than some people. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/14 "2015-07-11T17:32:19Z")
They’ve always used recordings for Aimee Mann’s voice in “Time Stand Still”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dMSFqXGZ5TQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Rush - Time Stand Still (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMSFqXGZ5TQ) ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/15 "2015-07-11T18:38:55Z")
You shut your filthy mouth right now! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/16 "2015-07-11T19:02:32Z")
**Coldfire** must be spinning in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/17 "2015-07-12T07:35:02Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Triggering samples is not always “OMG! They are FAKING!” Sometimes it’s an easy extender for bits and pieces. You control where you trigger it, it does its job. It is not “push this button to sound like a symphony.” > > To be clear: I am not even remotely a Rush fanboy. They are a fine band, but not my band. But **russian heel** , you are quibbling at the margins here. They are fucking awesome musicians, and Geddy’s multi-tasking live remains one of those “bwah?” accomplishments that most musicians respect deeply, regardless of their views on Rush - just like Peart’s drumming. If Geddy wants to hit a trigger or two - jeez, let him. > > There is nothing to see here. WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, STOP THE CLOCK.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: I think I made it clear in the OP I wasn’t ripping Rish as musicians. But all I see in the video I posted is Geddy Lee walking away from there synthesizer and suddenly out of the clear blue air notes being played. But, I am NOT musician and ready to learn. What the FUCK are these “triggers” and how do they work on a live show? AND, wouldn’t it just be easier to hire, for $100,000 a year, a keyboardist on stage to do all this? I would think Geddy would have more fun doing it this way. JMHO ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/18 "2015-07-12T09:30:31Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > You shut your filthy mouth right now! 😉 Here! Here! ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/19 "2015-07-12T09:44:45Z")
Does the multitasking have anything to with Lee’s vocals sounding like a cat being raped? By Godzilla? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849/20 "2015-07-12T11:45:35Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, STOP THE CLOCK.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: > > I think I made it clear in the OP I wasn’t ripping Rish as musicians. > > But all I see in the video I posted is Geddy Lee walking away from there synthesizer and suddenly out of the clear blue air notes being played. > > But, I am NOT musician and ready to learn. > > What the FUCK are these “triggers” and how do they work on a live show? > > AND, wouldn’t it just be easier to hire, for $100,000 a year, a keyboardist on stage to do all this? I would think Geddy would have more fun doing it this way. JMHO Ah, okay - a few points: - Triggers: Musicians pre-record bits, and have the ability to Trigger them, often based on a drummer or a keyboardist having a “trigger pad” next to their gear which they can use to kick off each trigger. - Uses: \> A vocalist has a “full song trigger” of a backing/guidetrack. Ashlee Simpson was famously hosed on SNL when her drummer hit a trigger by mistake and her full vocal was triggered, making it clear she was lip synching. Bummer. \> To add big substance to the sound - i.e., to add players like a horn or string section, or add a backing synth track like ZZTop when they are known for being a 3-piece boogie band. Add thick backing vocals to beef out a vocal sound for key parts of a song, etc. \> To add “spice” to the sound - i.e., you are creating 95% of the sound, but need a bass pedal bit for 4 measures right _there_. Hit a trigger - you’re all set. AND - if you want room to improvise, those triggers are short enough that you can hit them and use them as part of stretching out jams, etc., too. Some uses cross a line of live vs. pre-recorded. Many don’t. Helpful? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-on-rush-uses-either-pre-recorded-tracks-or-hidden-musicians/724849.md?page=2)