TO FIND a keyword in a question you may have, use the keyboard shortcut "Ctl + F" (Control/Find). If you have a question that does not appear in this section, please contact us or call (626) 791-4255.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What are Drum and Bass Tracks? Drum and Bass Tracks are backing tracks that replicate the drum set and bass guitar of popular songs. The main difference is that these tracks are recorded by real musicians with real instruments (as opposed to computer-generated samples) for a more organic sound. Designed for guitar and piano players, this type of mix allows their instrument to be clearly heard - instead of being lost in a full-production, karaoke-type of mix. The combination of having these tracks recorded by real musicians and that the tracks are scaled down to ONLY drums and bass helps create the feeling of playing in a 'live' band.

Are Drum and Bass Tracks tracks the same as "Karaoke"? No, nor do they include the lyrics, sheet music, tabs or graphics.

Why are there multiple choices for some of the songs? The reason that there are multiple choices of some songs is because either the bass has been transposed to a key other than the original or the track is without bass and is just the drums.

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, there is 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 these tracks without the bass? Yes, Stereo Drum Tracks and Mono Drum Tracks (both without the bass) are available for most songs. (To search for these tracks, type in "drums" in the search box.)

What does it mean when there is a parentheses around the key? The parentheses signifies that the bass has been digitally transposed from the original key.

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 Napster or iTunes (you may also get hard to find songs from YouTube.com).

I placed an order yesterday on your site but had to spend time reactivating my Paypal account. How can I look up that order?
To review and complete your order:
1.) Log in,
2.) Click "Account Maintenance",
3.) Scroll down the page and click "View" to view your most recent order,
4.) Complete your purchase using Paypal. (If changes are required to your order, please place a new order instead. Once your new order is confirmed, it will take you to the Paypal page again to complete your purchase.)

I have made my payment through Paypal. When will I receive my Download IDs? Once your order is confirmed and your payment is verified, you will receive the Download IDs by email. Please note that the verification process may take as much as 1 hr. to be completed after your payment is received.

I recently bought 3 tracks from you and they were sent in video format. Aren't these supposed to be in mp3 format? They are in .mp3 format!  Make sure to download the tracks before playing them.  Otherwise, if your Quicktime player plays it before you download it onto your hard drive, it can erroneously mark the file as a video file when it really isn't. Best to download first before playing it.

I have paid through Paypal and the money has been debited from my account. Why have I received an email that says that the order status is "Pending"? Disregard this email - your download IDs will be sent to you soon.

What if I ordered a song in the wrong key? No problem, we will replace it at no charge . Just let us know your order number and your preferred key for that song and and we will email it to you as soon as possible.

Is there a way to preview a track before purchasing? Yes, in addition to the samples on the Home Page there are also 18-second mono samples on the Latest Tracks page. If you require other song samples please contact us.

The Drum and Bass samples 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. We pay tribute to the artists by copying the drum grooves, drum fills and bass lines at a rate of about 95 -100% like the originals. Important signature licks are always copied to capture the essence of the song, unlike what you find with most other backing tracks.

What if I need the bass track in a different key than what you have listed? If you need the bass in a different key, please specify that key in the Notes section of your order and it will be transposed digitally at no extra cost. (Please allow extra time for your order to be processed).

Do you offer songs with the keyboard or piano part, strings, rhythm guitar, background vocals, etc? No. Just 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 unless the longer or 'live' version is more popular. Please note that most tracks are under 5:00 minutes in length except for songs such as "Radar Love", "Free Bird", "Black Magic Woman", etc. which were recorded at their original lengths, because the radio edits of these songs are not as popular among users of this site. Songs like "Don't Fear The Reaper" are not the longer version. If you have a questions, please contact us .

Why don't you email the .mp3s instead of Download ID(s)? The download process works much more efficiently than the potential problems from emailing large files.

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 allows you to burn .mp3s to Audio CDs.

How do I connect my iPod, .mp3 player, laptop, or CD player to play these songs through my sound system? 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 from track to track? Yes, but with over 1,000 songs that have been mastered for this catalog, there may be an occasional slight adjustment needed for your specific use or application. If you feel that there is a problem worth mentioning, please contact us by clicking here and it will be resolved. Otherwise, a free program to use for this process is called Audacity.

Can I order these tracks as .wav files, Mixcraft files, or files other than  .mp3s? Sorry, we currently only offer our tracks in the .mp3 format.

Can I order the individual .wav files to practice mixing the drum tracks on my own? Please email us or call (626) 791-4255 to discuss the possible options.

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, the downloading of them, or is it my system? 99.999% of the time this problem has to do with a computer speaker cord that is not plugged in all the way. If it is plugged in partially, only the left channel (the drum 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 Drum and Bass version of a song but you only offer the Stereo Drum Track? Please request the track that you need and the bass will be recorded for it.

Do the tracks have effects such as reverb and compression or do they need any further processing? Our 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.

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 you've purchased due to hard drive failure, they can be replaced by providing the order number or exact date the tracks were purchased. Once again, back up your files just to be safe!

What sample rate are your .mp3s? The sample rate of these tracks is 192 kbps.

What about songs that "fade out" on the original recording or don't have drums in the intro? For songs that originally "faded out" there are distinct endings that are easy to follow and perform with. For songs that did not have drums in the intro, middle or ending, there is an appropriate percussion part such as a hi-hat, ride cymbal or hand percussion to keep time in a musical fashion until the full drum set and/or bass pattern comes in.

How do I request a song that is not on your list? If you would like to request a song that is not currently in the catalog, please click here.

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 gift certificates? Yes. Gift coupon codes of any amount can be purchased by contacting us.

Do you take credit card payments over the phone? We no longer take credit card payments over the phone... but, Paypal can be used to make your credit card payment even if you don't have a Paypal account. Here's how:

1.) After placing your order and being directed to the Paypal page, look near the bottom left hand corner where it says, “Don't have a Paypal account? Use your credit card or bank account ” and click the “Continue” link.

2.) Fill out the information under “Pay With Credit Card”.

3.) If you have previously used Paypal in the past but don't wish to use it for this order, you must use a different email address and credit card number than what was previously associated with your former Paypal account.

Are the drum tracks recorded by the same "Jim McCarty" who played drums for the Yardbirds? No. Recording and performance credits of this Jim McCarty can be found by clicking here.

Copyright © Drum Tracks by Jim McCarty, LLC