Click tracks

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Bell Green
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Click tracks

Post by Bell Green »

Sometimes I find the rimshot sound of the metronome a bit boring, even though it helps me to stay in time while recording. But what I've found to be more useful and helpful in getting into the groove is to have a simple drumtrack, just kick and snare, so it's much easier to hear the first beat of the bar. The thing is though, I can get caught up in programming the drum part then and get distracted from recording the guitar part in time. The other thing is that the "metronome" drums can often end up as becoming the drum track. The point of the click track is to act as a guide which is then removed in the final song.

Does anyone else use a basic drum part as a click track? What is your method? Do you have ready made metronome templates for different styles e.g. rock, funk, blues etc. I could set up a few autoload templates with some rex files, but don't want to end up using the same drum tracks in every song in that style.
so . . . when was the last time you backed up?
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Kapitano
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Post by Kapitano »

I'm in a band currently without a drummer, so I put together a CD of basic kick-snare-kick-snare beats at various tempos to practice with. It's a skatepunk band, so that kind of simple solid rock beat is fine for the genre.

But, for more soulful or chilled work, the syncopation of an Engima or Soul II Soul beat is IMO better - probably because it lets the rhythm circulate around the crotchet beats, instead of being regimented to them.
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jute gyte
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Post by jute gyte »

i almost always use a standard 4-4 kick-snare rock beat to record with.
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Mostess
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Post by Mostess »

I've never found metronomes (or click tracks) to be useful. The more I attend to them, the less interesting the music I make becomes. The less I attend to them, the less in-time I am. Drum tracks solve this problem, but create a new one.

I'm just starting to use drum tracks. I like to make them by hand by placing samples into Audition and mixing them into larger wav files for looping. Once the basic pattern is down, there's no need for a click track.

My big problem is that the final recordings seem a little lifeless. I'm not sure where that comes from; maybe I'm just not good at a) making energetic drum loops or b) playing energetically to drum loops. I'm working on it.

I'm curious about your experience...
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Kapitano
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Post by Kapitano »

Mostess wrote:metronomes (or click tracks)
Click tracks are cirtainly a mixed blessing.

I mentioned my band use a CD of sequenced drums to practice to, and it's extremely convenient, plus it enables us to practice without driving the neighbours insane witb the volume. But, having practiced for weeks with the CD, it's a wrench to perform with a real drummer - even one who essentially recreates the 4-4 click track.

Our drummer is actually very good, and accurate in his timing. But, the sound of the drums, the small variations in tempo, the tiny errors, and the fact that he changes patten in different parts of the song and improvises fills...all require significamt readjustment from the rest of us.

My own music is electronic and sequenced, and I can get quite neurotic about making the rhythm of my singing match exactly with the beat - even when, as in this week's song, there are no drums in the final version.
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UnDesirable
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Post by UnDesirable »

Mostess wrote:
My big problem is that the final recordings seem a little lifeless. I'm not sure where that comes from; maybe I'm just not good at a) making energetic drum loops or b) playing energetically to drum loops. I'm working on it.

I'm curious about your experience...
Instead of make loops with all the drums on one track, you might try making seperate loops for each drum, that way you can put different effects on the individual drums.
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Post by j$ »

Mostess, my tip is steal other people's, direct from drum fills/solos/count-ins &c on CD, then spend all yr energy trying to hide their source. Great things come from that.

Seriously, sometimes a well-nabbed and masked hit can make all the difference. IMO. Not that I have any recorded proof of my own, of course :)

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jack
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Post by jack »

Mostess wrote: I like to make them by hand by placing samples into Audition and mixing them into larger wav files for looping. Once the basic pattern is down, there's no need for a click track.

My big problem is that the final recordings seem a little lifeless. I'm not sure where that comes from; maybe I'm just not good at a) making energetic drum loops or b) playing energetically to drum loops. I'm working on it.

I'm curious about your experience...
this is what i've been doing now for the past couple of months and i'm finding that although it requires a bit more time and effort, i like the results better. like undesirable mentioned, i often use 10-15 different 4 or 8 measure loops i've created out of dr. rex/redrum/reason, so that i can effect these differently. i build the arrangement around the loop placements, some come in for just a verse or chorus, some play the whole tune. and i try to really play with the panning and levels of the loops to try to get the dynamic oomph you refer to (not that i'm getting it, but i'm going for it) by filling the space, instead of just the normal full pan. once i find the right drum backingmix i can work with, i bounce down a stereo track. then i open a new session and import the stereo track. this becomes the click that all gets played to. this way i can manage my drum mix and song mix seperately, and can modify the drums easily and bounce down a new drum track anytime without much fuss. and my main mix isn't cluttered with 10 tracks of sample placements.
Hi!
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