Tricks or Tips for Performance Timing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter aprilsrain
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aprilsrain

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Hey there, Just posted on the newbie forum, but I think this is a good recording topic in general. Do you do anything consciously to help your timing while tracking? I've noticed I push and pull a lot more than I thought I did before I was looking at waveforms both on guitar and vocally, though a lot less so with vocals. What do you do to try to keep yourself in time?
 
There's this crazy radical invention called a metronome. I use that.
 
Heh, was hoping for something a little more than that. I guess there's no ways to really describe it other than metronome and practice.
 
If your drummer sucks, you could always replace him ;)

But seriously, metronomes and practice...
 
Click track helps and after a while you don't need it. Hopefully.
 
I use a simple drum beat off my keyboard when recording the basic tracks. Usually it's a midi download to computer, then I'll dick around with it to add accents/cymbals so I know when the verses and chorus' go. The I record everything to that track and then add real drums (thanks to Jason Jones / poeticintensity). I think Jason uses a click track set to the same bpm when he tracks but I'm not positive. I have to rely on the drummer in live situations.
 
aprilsrain said:
I've noticed I push and pull a lot more than I thought I did before I was looking at waveforms both on guitar and vocally, though a lot less so with vocals. What do you do to try to keep yourself in time?
Click to expand...
You got into trouble as soon as you looked at the wave form. If there is no push and pull, if the wave lines up perfectly with the grid, the performance will suck.


Now, I have no idea how good your performance actually is. You might very well need practice. But you will know you got there when you listen to the play back and think "Yeah! I nailed that one!".
 
ido1957 said:
I use a simple drum beat off my keyboard when recording the basic tracks. Usually it's a midi download to computer, then I'll dick around with it to add accents/cymbals so I know when the verses and chorus' go. The I record everything to that track and then add real drums (thanks to Jason Jones / poeticintensity). I think Jason uses a click track set to the same bpm when he tracks but I'm not positive. I have to rely on the drummer in live situations.
Click to expand...

This is what I do. Before I record the parts, I make a MIDI drum beat and add accents to whatever I'm accenting on my guitar/bass/other instrument. Then I record and it's a lot easier. Of course, as others have said, that's no excuse to replace a metronome and practice...

†
 
It really depends upon what you're recording. Classical won't get a click or anything like that.

After a certain number of years you won't use a metronome anyway. Practice. Practice. Practice.

But if you're putting a song together by yourself: drums first.
 
Cool. I practice as much as I can. Hopefully I'll be better after awhile :)
 
Skip the metronome and practice then change your name to Slash.
 
Playing with as many other musicians as you can will help you with your timing as well.
 
Make sure you can hear things really well. Experiment. Practice. Use a drum machine, metronome, etc.

For me, it often helps get a good feel on a song to track the vocal, guitar or other key rhythm part and drum machine all at once to start the thing off. That takes me more practice time, but the feel of singing and playing to a beat works better than doing the parts separately. I track to tape so that pretty much locks in the timing of the piece.

Cheers,

Otto
 
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