Click & Tempo track

S

sixer2007

New member
The band I'm working with has lots of tempo and signature changes throughout about 6 tracks we'll be doing. Luckily the drummer is a math and beat wiz so he's able to tell me things like "these 3 bars are 4/4, then the next 4 are 3/4" and so on, so I can map them in Cubase 5 so the click track matches every beat.

I have a couple questions. If the band doesn't know the signatures, what can I do to teach myself? Should I try to get demos so I can do my best to map it? Should I change the click so that there are no "down beat" tones and the same click tone throughout?

Also, if I were to export the wav files and input them into a new session for mixing (all in cubase mind you, I just like to separate my recording sessions from mixing sessions), will my time based delays still work in sync? Or Do I need export the temp and signature tracks and upload to the new session?

Thanks for any thoughts!
 
I'm not sure about your last question. But as for the click, I would try and keep it without a down beat, but maybe get a different sound for the first beat of every change. If that's possible? I feel like it is. But if it's not, my opinion would be just to leave it with no downbeats, that way it'll be a lot easier for you to map out and they'll be playing with a drummer so they should be fine.

If the band doesn't know the signatures? You would teach yourself? I'm a little confused on that. The drummer knows the signatures, and if they've practiced at all they at least know the changes, whether or not they know what they are actually playing...hopefully they can play it..

Not sure if any of this was help, doubt it, but there ya go! Happy tracks!
 
If a band does a lot of time and tempo changes and cant tell you what they are, the only way to make it happen quickly is to just do the song in sections, then edit it together.
 
Schwarzenyaeger said:
If a progressive band doesn't know their own signatures, tell them to go fug themselves.
Click to expand...
+1 to this... If any band doesn't know what time sig they are using then they are most likely all bass players (or vocalists, perhaps)...:laughings:

As far as teaching yourself, that's not too difficult - a cheap metronome can help when it gets to the real off-the-wall beats. But, as has been mentioned, if they've got a drummer then it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out.
 
As far as learning goes, you simply need to go to youtube and search all the goofy time signatures you can think of. Each one has a distinctive feel. You just kind of feel it after a while.

If you really want to just count it, tap your foot to the tempo and count until the phrase ends/repeats. That will give you the top number, now you just have to determine if you were counting quarter note, eighth notes, etc...
 
Thanks for all your help and ideas!

What I meant by learning is being able to count easily and know what the time signature is. That way i can help the band map it out so that changes are in the click. Even though drummers "know" the signature, I'm not sure they can all explain it in 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 jargon, you know?

I think what i'll need to do in those cases is to make a monotone click with no down beats. Tempo changes are much easier to map of course.. just change it till it feels right.

Also does anyone know about exporting the signature/tempo track and the re-importing it into cubase?
 
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