Click Track problems argh!!

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badgerer

badgerer

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Ok, new problem for ya! hehe

I can't record and play the metronome at the same time in n-Tracks, but that's besides the point. I made a home made click track in leaf drums and chucked it in n-Tracks as a .wav file and that's fine. However, I've realised that when I go to drum, you can VERY clearly hear the click track being played in the headphones whilst playing the drums. How very very &$^%"£ frustrating! I've got AKG 240 cans. I've tried fiddling around with the volume a bit, with no luck. Any suggestions please, I can't really record anything until I've got this sorted!

Thanks very much,

Tom
 
Click Track.

Try normalizing the click track to bring up its volume.
 
The problem's with the mics picking up the click through the headphones, so I don't think increasing the volume of the click would help?
 
or, you could use a compressor that has the ability to only compress or limit in a given range, then set it for the range of the click and viola!

Have not done it myself, but should work.

You may also be able to replicate the click in reverse phase and have them cancel each other??
 
Reverse Phase

That's a great idea. I was just thinking the same thing (kind of) :).
 
Reverse Phase, Hey jdier!

Hey jdier, you are saying make n-track reverse the phase of the click track and then badgerer should listen to the new reversed phase click track while recording?
 
I was streching here a bit, but my thought process was to add a quiet version of the click to the mix with the phase reversed in hopes that the reversed phase would cancel the non-reversed phase coming through the cans.

I may have my head up my ass, but thought it would be simple for him to try it.
 
I just read what I posted and decided it was not very clear...

Record just as he is now, but also record the click track.

When he is done, reverse the phase on the click track and play it back in the mix (at a low level)

The result will be a click in positive phase coming though all of the drum mics and a reverse phase click (hopefully) cancelling out the original click.

Once again, let me stress that I am reaching here. My thoughts are not that this is obvious or simple or surething, just that it would be an easy test.
 
Reversing the Phase

N-track has a phase reversal plug-in that should do the trick.

I think you are right jdier. All badgerer would have to do is play his drum track that he already laid down with the click track "phase reversed" in the mix.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Hey badgerer... let me know if it works :).
 
Sorry, I have absolutely no idea how to do a phase reversal on a track. I'm a bit puzzled though, would everyone with headphones that don't shield the sound well enough use this option? It seems like a complicated means to and end, but then again what do i know!
 
Phase Reverse

Not that complicated.

In live recordings, some have reversed or "phase shifted" the monitor play signals in order to cancel what bleeds into the singers microphones. This helps when recording a choir live and when the all can't wear headphones.

The result of adding two identical signals together with one of them reversed in phase is "no signal". It's like

1 + (-1) = 0

Try this out.

1. Record your track with that nasty click sound bleeding into the drums.

2. In N-Track, use the "Auto Vol" effect on the click track and check the phase shift checkbox.

3. Move the fader with the click track down to zero.

4. Playback your recording with just the drums and the click track enabled.

5. Move the fader of the click track up slowly until you can't hear it anymore in the mix.
 
Re: Phase Reverse

wedsr1 said:
Not that complicated.

In live recordings, some have reversed or "phase shifted" the monitor play signals in order to cancel what bleeds into the singers microphones. This helps when recording a choir live and when the all can't wear headphones.

The result of adding two identical signals together with one of them reversed in phase is "no signal". It's like

1 + (-1) = 0

Try this out.

1. Record your track with that nasty click sound bleeding into the drums.

2. In N-Track, use the "Auto Vol" effect on the click track and check the phase shift checkbox.

3. Move the fader with the click track down to zero.

4. Playback your recording with just the drums and the click track enabled.

5. Move the fader of the click track up slowly until you can't hear it anymore in the mix.
Click to expand...

Didn't get any luck with that at all unfortunately!
 
Phase Reverse

Sorry that it did not work. But it is a tried and true thing that people do.

You may want to try another little experiment just to prove that it does work.

1. Duplicate your already recorded drum track.

2. Phase shift one of the tracks.

3. Play them back together. They should cancel each other out.

Another thought...Also, make sure N-track is not recording the click track onto the drum track.
 
"Another thought...Also, make sure N-track is not recording the click track onto the drum track"


I was wondering about that to. I can hear the click track leakage before the drums kick in, but never audible along with the drums.
 
I didn't see this idea, although I skimmed it rather quickly, but here's mine...

DON'T BE A CHEAP ASS AND GO OUT SOME GET DECENT HEADPHONES!!!

Seriously, Radioshack even makes headphones so that no sound will escape the ear pieces. I'm sure cash is tight, but if you're seriously recording, you need a good pair of headphones.

That will solve all your problems.

The only other suggestion I can give you is to use those little walkman earphones that go right in your ear and muffle them with another pair of headphones or a toque (yeah I'm from Canada) or something that will cover your ears.


BP
 
buckshot plevna said:

Seriously, Radioshack even makes headphones so that no sound will escape the ear pieces. I'm sure cash is tight, but if you're seriously recording, you need a good pair of headphones.
BP
Click to expand...


That's what I was kinda thinking. I think I actually used a pair of those (K240S) to record vocals for a song a couple weeks ago though. The're actually pretty nice for home studio phones. Even with the music turned up pretty loud in the cans while singing, I still didn't hear any leakage when I solo'd my vocals afterward. Maybe it might be something as simple as adjusting em to fit tighter on his head?
 
buckshot plevna said:
I didn't see this idea, although I skimmed it rather quickly, but here's mine...

DON'T BE A CHEAP ASS AND GO OUT SOME GET DECENT HEADPHONES!!!
Click to expand...

Sorry...I didn't realise buying £70 'phones was being a cheap ass?! Cash is pretty tight considering I've just bought my whole set up, I didn't think I was particularly skimping on the cans either but what do I know?? :confused:

The only other suggestion I can give you is to use those little walkman earphones that go right in your ear and muffle them with another pair of headphones or a toque (yeah I'm from Canada) or something that will cover your ears.
Click to expand...

Well I'll experiment around, see if I can solve the problem. Thanks for your advice.
 
Wow, 70 bucks and they're still no good? Test them before you buy 'em! Get somebody to talk to you while wearing nothing but the phones, if you can hear alright, don't buy 'em! I understand your pain, because I went through the same thing, also while recording drums) it's very frustrating I know, but the problem wasn't solved until we got some sound-tight cans...

BP
 
Re: Phase Reverse

wedsr1 said:
Another thought...Also, make sure N-track is not recording the click track onto the drum track.
Click to expand...

How would it be doing that? I'm so blatently new to this I don't really know anything!
 
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