Band Walks Into Your Studio...But doesnt know the tempo of the song....

TheTruth_Mikeyd

TheTruth_Mikeyd

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What do you guys normally do in this situation. I know count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply it by 4 will get you close. Just curious about how other producers/studio owners go about this.
 
TheTruth_Mikeyd said:
What do you guys normally do in this situation. I know count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply it by 4 will get you close. Just curious about how other producers/studio owners go about this.
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your DAW should have a tap/tempo. Have them play a bit of the song and use that. I usually round it up to a good number. Say if you tapped out 118, I'd put it to 120.
 
I don't think I've ever recorded anyone who does know the tempo. Tap it out in the DAW or count it out. Either way works.
 
This was done..(click.click.click.off.off off)..I had a slamming headache after the first 2 hours. These are things full sail university didn't tell me How to treat a shitty band good to keep there business. Great school though! because of the teachers.
 
I never know the tempo until I have to record it...

Takes 2 minutes to work out... shouldn't be a problem.
 
Have the band play the song and use a tap tempo. Any band that does not use a click won't know the tempo. And train them to use a click it will make your job easier and harder at the same time but hopefully a better result.... Guess all your clients won't be pros
 
If they don't play to a click track at home when they practice ??? Forget it in the studio, you will waste the whole day trying to get them to play in time with it. You will also get comments like "the click track keeps slowing down and speeding up". :confused:

Alan.
 
thanks for the input. None the less I found the tempo, and the tempo changes. I just was wondering what you guys where doing. Thanks again guys
 
Some songs do that - if theyr'e not used to a click track they may not have noticed. When you have some down time try putting a click track to Honky-tonk woman and see how that works out :)
 
I'd hit the record button and say 'ok start playing'. If they dont know their own song's tempos, do they even know what a click track is??
 
If they're going to be recording all the tracks live, you can probably get away with them just counting off the song and hitting record... You'll capture their performance, warts and all...
If they're going to do all the tracks separately, you're probably going to have to force them to work with a click... If you have a drum machine or drums VST, you can program it to a steady boom-chuck (kick-snare) and have the bass player and/or drummer try and work with that... Many times that's a better intro to working with a click than just a straight clave/woodblock/cross-stick.
Once you get a pretty solid rhythm take, the rest of the band can build from that.
:)
 
I recored a lot with no click, no problem.

When I do use a "click" for myself, it is always some preprogramed drums. The click track gets lost in my head and I end up way off from it.
 
Well if they're really that bad you can always just record the band as a whole, and use those tracks for reference tracks. It may not be in time to the click, but it should at least be close and work as a song.

The Honkey Tonk Woman example that Bruiser said is great lol. There are songs that aren't done to clicks.
 
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