Click tracks

[JimmyM]

hey j, how prevalent is the click in your world? did you use them with nin on songs that didn't have tracks? how about in the studio? obviously you have to use them sometimes, but if there are no tracks to follow, do you still use them?

what's your philosophy about them in situations where you're not using tracks? sometimes i listen to the old stuff and i hear the tempos push and pull a little and i think that's a good thing that can add character to the song, and i kind of miss that in a lot of today's music. how about you?

 

[behndy]

sub'd.

my band puts a fair bit on the backing track (just me and a synth player/singer right now).

murrrr?

-0behn desu0-

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Depends on the music, but:

Clicks are fairly transparent for me now, I feel like I can "ebb and flow" with the time, and still be aware of the click. But before, I felt very constrained by them. Without a click, I feel a nice little extra bit of freedom which I always enjoy having.

As long as the drummer is quite good.

JMJ

 

[JimmyM]

wish i could say the same thing. i can deal with them and can work the music with them too, but i don't think i'll ever get used to them. a drum machine doesn't distract me so much, but that click sure does. sometimes i think it puts me on the spot...i play to the click but i'd rather just play to the drummer. if he's a tiny bit late or early, i'd rather hit with him than the click, but sometimes the click forces me to hit with it instead. very distracting to us old farts

 

[maturanesa]

depends on the music style. i use it for all, but never in jazz or classical.

 

[capnsandwich]

I always use a click when recording. I'm so used to having that guideline to keep me in time. I've done it without clicks before but it's so much easier on the engineer when everything's lined up. I've even used clicks live but you'd better hope that everyone you're playing with can play to it. It could lead to an unnecessary train wreck.

 

[JimmyM]

I always use a click when recording. I'm so used to having that guideline to keep me in time. I've done it without clicks before but it's so much easier on the engineer when everything's lined up.

yeah, that's the excuse i'm always given..."if we edit it, the tempos will be off." to which i always say, "so don't edit it." unless of course i'm not in charge and or getting paid, in which case i do it and take the check.