Comments on: To CLICK (track) or NOT to CLICK

By: Legend

Legend — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:31:41 +0000

Click tracks are the death of ART…Using them Live is Cheating and Destroys all intent on Being a REAL band…
And recording…Blah! They will ruin whatever kind of Reality you were looking for. DEATH TO CLICK TRACKS!!!!

By: KitC

KitC — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 04:29:59 +0000

Hi Gerry. It’s true over production is so easy, but midi has taken a bad rap over the years for producing cheesy sounds and, sadly, a lot of producers just don’t know when to stop ‘producing’. It only means they’re out of touch with the artist and the artist’s vision of the song.

Since this is originally about click tracks, all I want to add is that I’ve heard songs that seem to lurch all around the tempo map. Adding the necessary midi ‘embellishments’ to make a song shine will definitely be easier if the tempo is stable and locked to a grid. Midi isn’t just about pads and sounds, it’s also about effects automation and track envelopes. And since most contemporary pop music have similar “A” and “B” sections, having a stable tempo makes copying automation clips and envelopes that much easier. Of course you can always nudge a clip left or right to make it sync with the beat.

By: noeldj

noeldj — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:22:46 +0000

im NO EXPERT!!!! i like to play it with my heart and soul…what happen’s….happen’s im all natural…but ive been practicing now with my metronome to get to know the different time signature’s to get the feel of it not just by listening and following the “click” but to internalize the “clicking sound”

By: Gerry

Gerry — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 22:54:01 +0000

hi Kit, that’s the producers call what sorts of other sounds to embellish the music with - hopefully in line with the artist’s vision for the songs. MIDI or not, adding or embellishing can do good and bad - over production is so easy that the “soul” of the music can get lost in the mix. I remember the Beatles “Let it Be / Naked” release had stripped down versions of their songs - sans all the lavish orchestrations.

By: KitC

KitC — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:00:18 +0000

Ever added midi tracks to a rubato performance? Sometimes, in the context of producing, you want to add that little something; actually, I know of a lot of recordings that were made that way, built up over a core recording. A song recorded with the help of a click track will be easy to add midi to; but a rubato performance can be murder especially if you have to copy that section of midi to another part of the song (thank God for Time Warp ). You can still add tension by playing just slightly ahead of the click, while lagging just slightly will give a laid back feel.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 22:52:57 +0000

what to do with the click track after tracking?
* mute
* de-activate (make inactive)
* delete altogether if in the mixing stage already

your experience practicing or playing to a metronome should help a lot in your sessions. using a click is just for guidance. There are some great music that were recorded with clicks yet the feel is still behind the beat - sooo groovy.

By: kilawinguwak

kilawinguwak — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 19:45:06 +0000

so wait, this might sound really silly (since i’ve never really recorded anything) but once you’ve finished one session - meaning you’ve recorded all instruments in and they’re ready for mastering - you just edit out the click track?

i don’t know. i’ve worked with metronomes before, fast notes or no. so long as i can tap my foot to the beat, its ok. and hardbop can sound really cool when recorded with a metronome guide. parang siga kung kakayanin, haha.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 03:21:47 +0000

if the song you are recording more or less relies on one BPM, a click track would greatly benefit the production in the long run. along with the GRID mode in Ptools, editing the performance takes will be a breeze. It also helps a lot (and allows them to adjust gradually) if the band can rehearse properly with a click track several days before the actual recording.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 23:26:17 +0000

kudos for replies guys. Just for clarification, using a click track doesn’t just affect drummers but most all guys in the band, guitarists and bass players, too. True, it ALL depends on the time allowed - can’t help that, it’s teh producer’s call. hazel is on target re “maturity”… how studio savvy the group is - guys that are first time recording in the studio may take more effort - even if they are “tight” live.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 04:50:40 +0000

hi gerry,

if the drummer is really good, click tracking would allow a lot more flexibility in terms of edits and retakes. otherwise i just let ‘em play to their own beat because most times it is easier to coax a good performance out of musicians if they were comfy. i find that only VERY good drummers can play comfortably to a click track. trying it on less mature musicians could only cause a lot of delay and other disasters.

Good luck!

Hazel