Click Coming Through The PA

C

CameronS

New Metal Member
Aug 3, 2012
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Hey so I have this weird problem where my click tracks keep coming through the PA. I have an ipod > splitter to mono L and R > PA / Headphones. But for some reason my setup is really unreliable, and sometimes you can hear the click through the PA(pretty quietly). I replaced my ipod, headphones, and splitter but it still happens, and its definitely not in the track.

Soo... What are you guys using for backing tracks? Is there a more reliable method than i'm doing?
 
I even bought something that wa supposed to be fool proof for this from sm audio and had this problem, something to do with using a iPod, and its stereo cross talk. Use a laptop and interface and no issues. Super frustrating.
 
I had a similar problem.

It was using an S-PDS though.

You're running the headphones out from the PA to the drummer? If I'm correct, most PA's put out a mono signal. You'd need an actual Headphone Out on the PA I think.

For us, we were trying to run clicks and backing tracks off the S-PDS. We setup the track properly (clicks panned hard L, backing hard R, or vice versa) and we hooked up headphones to S-PDS Left out (or headphone out) and sent R out to PA. We got slight bleed of the click in the PA and it was very frustrating. Did some Googling and found out that we neeeded a dummy 1/4" plug to put into one of the outputs and used the headphone out for headphones.

Sorry, going a bit off topic there.

Your tracks are set up properly? (click panned 100% one way, backing track the other?)

It's not a setting in your iPod or anything?
 
No, its definitely somewhere in the cables. Tracks are 100% left and click is 100% right, then it gets split into mono L and mono R.
L > DI > PA
R > mono to stereo adaptor > 1/4" to 1/8" adaptor > my headphones.

Idk. If theres some little interface or something that would be more reliable than a bunch of adaptors, it seems like that would be a better option. Bringing a laptop to shows would kinda suck though haha
 
Mono to stereo adapter for headphones is probably what's causing it. Why not just go R > Mono 1/4" cable to mono 1/8" adapter? You'd only be hearing the clicks, but I don't see the problem there. Maybe some slight crosstalk going on? You are splitting it, what seems like, properly.
 
Well the mono to stereo adaptor is because I was only getting the click in one earbud and it wasn't loud enough, so the mono to stereo made the click come from both sides of my headphones. I'll test it out right now and see if removing that piece fixes it though

EDIT: Nope, doesn't help. My best guess is the splitter isn't 100% solid, but I guess the point of this thread is to see if there are better methods, and to see what everyone else is using
 
Been using your method a few years and always get problems like the click coming through the PA or the sound only working when one of the cables is slightly pulled out or whatever. It's absolute wank, the low cost of the splitter cables and adapters etc leads me to believe they're probably made very badly with very low end parts. Would be good if someone could generate a more sciencey explanation of what we might be doing wrong and maybe a solution. I think i'm gonna go with the laptop and interface method from now on, will need to get a new interface though cz fuck taking my studio one. Looking forward to having stereo backing tracks and making midi send tracks to change my amp patches automatically.
 
I actually came across a tip today about getting a splitter that goes through the USB jack on the ipod instead of the headphone jack, I think I might try that cause it seems like the headphone jack type of splitter isn't reliable. If I ever find a completely reliable method that doesn't involve a laptop i'll definitely make a tutorial thread about it
 
It's probably the splitter.
We have used an iPod based system for years and there has never been any bleed.

Here is the signal flow:
IPod L (click) -> Y cable Left -> small mixer operated by the drummer
iPod R (backing) -> Y cable Right -> DI-box -> FOH

You can use the DI to split the backings to the drummers mixer. That way the drummer can hear and adjust the levels of both click and backings. And with the small mixer you'll not have to listen the click from one side of the headphone only.
 
Are you using mp3s for your backing tracks? the mp3 codec always introduces a slight amount of crosstalk between the channels. Make sure you are using .wav
 
Great point about wav files.
Didn't even cross my mind 'cos that should be a given.

The wav cabability was one of the reasons we switched to an iPod back in the day.
 
we also had allot of bleed with this kind of setups, it is mostly caused by cheap hardware(bad soldering / interference / grounding etc). in our case it was the shitty behringer mixer our drummer used to split ipod (left click + right samples) to mono PA + stereo click.

also double check if you dont made any mistakes with mic/line levels/-20db pads etc.
 
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