To click-track or not to click-track..

  • Thread starter Thread starter technominds
  • Start date Start date

Click track or no click track?

  • Yes, keep it locked on the beat please!

    Votes: 100 73.5%

  • No, use your own time to create live energy!

    Votes: 36 26.5%
  • Total voters
    136
Harvey Gerst said:
Yes, to record and produce their new album. I mean, our studio; my son Alex is their producer, not me.
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Harvey Gerst said:
Unless we're hired to "produce" the band, I'll only suggest that they try to play to a click. If they're having real problems playing to a click (and they're footing the bill), I'll recommend that they forget about trying to play to a click and just play.
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Harvey Gerst said:
Using other musicians was not an option, and the record company wanted radio-friendly hits. So, a click track was absolutely necessary.
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Do you see how that seems contradictory to me?

We're way off topic here.

noobs, look, if you're not recording a drum circle or leddy's jazz album, just use a fucking click so your stuff don't suck.
 
And just so we're clear, I don't remember ever hearing a click track being used on any of the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Joni Mitchell recording sessions that I was present at.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
And just so we're clear, I don't remember ever hearing a click track being used on any of the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Joni Mitchell recording sessions that I was present at.
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and it sucked. that's what I'm saying!
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Now, THAT's funny!!:D

Ya got me!
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glad you got a chuckle, but seriously, we both know that the technology wasn't available 60 years ago, and frankly, the music business, including how it's made, has changed dramatically. The amount of bands that existed at that time was a fraction of what there is now, and almost none of them were recording at home.

And we all know what bands you've either recorded or watched recording. Name dropping is totally unncessary. ;)
 
ez_willis said:
glad you got a chuckle, but seriously, we both know that the technology wasn't available 60 years ago, and frankly, the music business, including how it's made, has changed dramatically. The amount of bands that existed at that time was a fraction of what there is now, and almost none of them were recording at home.

And we all know what bands you've either recorded or watched recording. Name dropping is totally unnecessary. ;)
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But sometimes, it's fun.

All your other points are very true, but it still comes down to this (for me, at least):

If the band is paying to record a demo here, and a click doesn't seem to be working for them, we'll try it without one. But that's just me.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
And just so we're clear, I don't remember ever hearing a click track being used on any of the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Joni Mitchell recording sessions that I was present at.
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Linda Ronstadt was pretty hot in the 70s...did you have any stories...if they are to risque you can PM me:cool:
 
Harvey Gerst said:
it still comes down to this (for me, at least):

If the band is paying to record a demo here, and a click doesn't seem to be working for them, we'll try it without one. But that's just me.
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I agree with that, totally, but if it's the typical home recorder looking for advice to use a click or not, I'd say use it.
 
Gotta vent here. So I'm helping the band my brother is in do some recording. They just recently found a drummer so they are still getting him up to speed.
The plan is to record all the parts except drums to a click track so we can give the drummer something to practice to and at the same time get scratch tracks done that we can use to track drums when we are ready.
Two birds with one stone. We can record everyone at the same time while they listen to the click with headphones. Should be easy right?

Well the guitar players won't play to a click. I understand that some songs might grove too much to follow a click but these don't. They have been playing to drum loops on one of the guys boss loopstation up until last week. If they can play to that they can play to a click right? They tried one time and immediately started giving me shit and suggesting all different ways to get this done. I tried to explain nicely that the extra work I would have to do as a result of not using a click track was more difficult than it would be for them to just learn to play to a click. They weren't hearing it and actually started being real assholes. I eventually had to lay down the law. If you are using my gear and my time and not paying me a fucking dime then you are going to do it my way or not at all.

If you can't play to a click track the problem isn't the fucking click track. Buy a metronome and fucking figure it out.
 
liv_rong said:
Why dont you just use that as the foundation then?
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I did think of that. The pedal doesn't have a midi in so I can't sync it up with reaper. I could record it, match it up and loop it or just pump it through the headphones and not worry about measures lining up in reaper. There are definitely ways to work around it but it's so freaking simple to play to a click it seems stupid to jump through hoops just because they are being stubborn and lazy. Especially since that pedal sounds so much like a click track I already know they are capable of doing it. If they were a paying customer or if they didn't get so shitty with me about it I would be more willing to work with them. As it is............. buy a metronome and hit the woodshed fuckers.
 
I personally don't use clicks. And I happen to believe that they aren't musical.
 
I've always used a click track when recording all instruments separately but if the band wants to record live off the floor I rarely use a click.
Matt
 
I generally think both sides are right. I've nothing in principle against using clicks for the various reasons stated though I don't use them. I tend to establish foundations with the drummers. But we do vary in tempo, without a doubt. Interestingly, once we realize we're wavering, we just track again and the result is usually much improved. But there'll be times when one may need metronomic time. And, as has been pointed out, an imaginative player doesn't have to play like a click, just to it. I remember using a drum machine live. Initially, I underestimated just how much my timekeeping wavered - and I had good timekeeping. But after a while I got used to it and found I could weave the guitar around the metronomic beat.
 
From what's already been said, it's obvious there is more than one way to skin a cat and more than one valid point of view. It depends on the piece, instrumentation, genre etc. I usually go with live and no click. track.
 
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