Hod do you work with click?

[::XeS::]

Hi
As the title say, how do you work with click in your studio?
Do you use simply a metronome or you create a click track based on a preproduction section, when the clicks follow not only the tempo but also the rythm of the song?

 

[Tachy]

I always record a ghost guitar track with metronome to send at the drummer, if the song need tempo changes, I do a tempo track.....

 

[AStacy2]

I use the metronome in my DAW. If the time signature changes, I just go into that measure and change it, if you did pre-production that makes this even easier.


And why would you want the click to follow anything but the tempo? I think that's what they were made for, to keep the tempo consistent. Maybe I'm understanding you wrong though...

 

[Polpotkin]

When i record with my band i always record the songs at home first, to programmed drums. When we enter the studio i put in a mixdown of the guitars/bass/keys and adjust my DAWs metronome to it, with all the signature changes. That way i dont have to play to my drummer while tracking and can concentrate on listening to him playing.

 

[::XeS::]

I actually use Metronome when I track a song but yesterday I read this article: http://mixguides.com/microphones/tips_and_techniques/audio_recording_drums_december/

Peter Collins, producer of Rush and Queensryche say:
"“I usually like to use click tracks, which are not metronomes, but actually tonal sequences that follow the chord changes. It’s also helpful for everybody concerned, in terms of reminding them what the pre-production was. It gives everyone some room to breathe around it, because it isn’t as rigid as a metronomic-type click."

So now I have a doubt because I've ever used metronome

 

[kaomao]

keep it simple!
Just create a midi file with all thempo chages so you can import it in every daw so you don't have to manually enter tempo changes and stuff

 

[AStacy2]

Never knew a metronome and a click track were 2 different things...

 

[2012]

It depends on the song.

If the song has tempo changes, I create a map and the click follows the map. I use a variety of click sounds and set the accents and meter according to what the drummer wants.

 

[MrLee]

I remember the first time i recorded a song at a friends homestudio, he made a clicktrack from "programmed drums". When a riff had a surten rythmic feeling in 7/4 he made the clicktrack "point out" the rytmic feel, not only click on 1,2,3,4 etc. He said it was easier to "get in the mood" and play odd things tighter.

kinda like 2012 points out..

 

[smy1]

For groovy riffs I use a drum rhythm with an offbeat hat or shaker. Makes everything more "head-nodding" ...

I also program midi bass throughout the song. That way I instantly know when the guitars are off. Later everything gets replaced by real drums/bass (if necessary).

 

[gabriel g.]

my biggest problem with clicks are triplet riffs.(do you know what I mean, the darkest hour stuff)
this is realy hairy to do.

 

[Kazrog]

I always just use the standard click, even for gnarly odd-time stuff. I mainly mess with the subdivisions, like if I have a 7/8 section I set the click to eights, if I am in 12/8 I set the click to dotted quarters, etc. I've definitely had complaints from some people that they can't "feel" the rhythm this way, so I don't recommend it in those cases. I have on occasions like that programmed in a quick beat to emphasize rhythms to help musicians who don't get weirdly inspired like I do by stock click tracks.

 

[wishtheend]

my biggest problem with clicks are triplet riffs.(do you know what I mean, the darkest hour stuff)
this is realy hairy to do.

That's because it's not really triplets. It's just 16th notes where you don't play the 4th note (assuming your talking about the gallop kinda palm mutes)

 

[gabriel g.]

no it´s real triplet beats. And it´s not the true metal rythm you mean.
What I mean are 3/4 build into 4/4.

(vielleicht kann mir das hier einer vom deutschen ins englische übersetzten.
triolisch heißt das.)

 

[billcraftmetal15]

I always tend to program the click track with all the tempo and time signatures first, but then its usually easy if its my own music because i tend to notate all my stuff on sibelius anyway, just export the midi, then i'll make sure that the right beats are accented etc.

If you're having trouble with a triplet click, make the time signature 12/8 and accent 1,4,8,12 as your 4/4, the only thing to consider is that the tempo may change depending on how your daw works, because a 12/8 usually works with a dotted 1/4 tempo rather than a standard 1/4 tempo, so you may have to multiply the tempo by 1.5 in the 12/8 bar to make it the same as the 4/4.
So for example a 4/4 bar at 150bpm will be the same as a 12/8 with a dotted 1/4 tempo of 225.

Someone else may be able to explain it better, but anyway, try 12/8.

 

[chadsxe]

no it´s real triplet beats. And it´s not the true metal rythm you mean.
What I mean are 3/4 build into 4/4.

(vielleicht kann mir das hier einer vom deutschen ins englische übersetzten.
triolisch heißt das.)

I play "darket hour" type stuff all the time and it is indeed 3 __th (depending on your orginal BPM) notes like mentioned above. You have to select the correct time signature and bpm from the start in order for everything to work correctly.

 

[xmarcelx]

no it´s real triplet beats. And it´s not the true metal rythm you mean.
What I mean are 3/4 build into 4/4.

(vielleicht kann mir das hier einer vom deutschen ins englische übersetzten.
triolisch heißt das.)

dict.leo.org says it's triplet!?!
I guess know what you mean: DH often play 1/16th triplets so its 24 strokes per bar (?!?) and 6 notes per click if you have a 4/4 click!
You can add a drum track where you program 1/16 triplets on the hihat or whatever you like!
I got the first DVD from chris and he plays it to a standard 4/4 click at about 100bpm if i remember correctly

 

[gabriel g.]

in this way everything goes fine. The real problem is when you want more snare hits. dump-dick dump-dick dump-dick :dump-dick dump-dick dump-dick :
while playing triplet (12 kicks 6 snare hits in standard 4/4)


I hope you understand what I mean.

It´s crazy, I am making music since the age of 5(in music schools). And I dont know the correct english words for what I mean

sorry

 

[VengeanceIsMine!]

The easiest way to record with tempo changes, is to map out each phrases tempo and how many measures it has. Most recording programs will allow you to create a tempo map, in which you just set the timing for as many measures as needed, then change the time.

Also, its much easier to record riffs that are played in the quarter beats, or in odd timings, in double time.