recording to a metronome

[highwaynine]

I don't know which is better - to record the drums and bass to a metronome, and everything else to that, or just to do a "typical" run through the song, and let the tempo do whatever it does naturally.

The advantage to the metronome approach (I guess) is that you can copy and paste "good" sections of a chorus, etc, instead of punching in. But how much of an advantage is this? We're not used to playing to a click track, so is it going to be too much pain to try to record to one?

 

[Nitrobattery]

If your drummer has never played to a click before it might take some getting used to, but I've found the best way to go is to have him play to the click, nail it, and then everyone else play to the kit AND the click. it's a huge pain in the ass, but the results speak for themselves. It definitely takes some getting used to and I remember the first time I tried playing to both my brain had a hard time processing it all. The good thing though is after a take or two you sort it out and you're off and running.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I guess it depends. If you have a good drummer then he should be able to keep on time with the click no problem and start the song off on the right foot. From there you can turn off the click track for a more natural feel for the other members of the band. If you are OK with the tempo varying (usually during transitions from chorus to verse or what have you) or think everyone can play their part in one take then just go for it 'all natural' and don't worry about the click. If you plan on adding beat synced delays and stuff later then that's much harder to do if it's not synced to a tempo. Adding any loops is also very hard (next to impossible). I guess it comes down to how much post-production work you will be adding in and the abilities of the musicians in your band (whether they can jive with a click track or not).

There are pros and cons to each approach but using a click track will most likely save you headaches throughout the project.

EDIT: and the copy and paste is definitely a time saver and a useful tool for flubs!! But only works if a click track is used of course.

 

[JF Omalycat]

The first time I did any studio drumming, everyone (due to the demands of the engineer) was adamant about using a click track. I was okay with the idea, tried it out and didn't have any problems playing to it. Tried a song with rhythm guitar/bass/scratch vocals, one or the other would inevitably wander a little, drag, etc, totally screwing up my groove. Next take...Went to just me and the bass player/scratch vocal, was a little better, still not great. Next take..... Just me, all alone, playing to the click by myself, in the middle of a big ass live room, with the rest of the band staring at me through the console window. Totally nerve racking and self conscience. The drum tracks came out solid enough, and everyone else seemed happy, but I never was. Couldn't get over the feeling that it sounded....I don't know...uninspired? Sterile? Almost mechanical???
Anyway, about six months later we did another session and and I pretty much put my foot down, engineer be damned. I told the guy we wanted to try a few tracks "live", everyone but the singer in the same room, lots of room mics, etc. (basically Albini style) What do you know, we managed six great takes in less than 40 minutes. Finally had the mojo in the studio and good times had by all.
Of course the singer spent the next ten hours nursing his parts anyway...

 

[Blackface tweed]

I think it sounded sterile to you mainly because you used to play some parts a bit faster than others :wink: . Also when you're playing with the click or the metronome for the first time(or the first dozen times) you're trying to stay in one tempo so you would pay less atention to the dynamics and feel. But after some practice you'll be able to add more life and feel to your playing while staying in one tempo.
For me it usually takes 20-30 takes to get used to the metronome. But my buddy needs only 5-6 takes to be time-sharp and not mechanicall at all.

on the other hand some songs just sounds more natural when played with slight tempo variations.

 

[Elpelotero]

I suggest finding the member who is best at playing to the click recording a scratch track and then everyone plays to that instrument. The click is hard, but when you get it it's sweet. When you make the click groove it's magical.

 

[Anonymous]

when we record we have some roles defined and follow the drumline.

guitar and piano know the differences between major and minor and many more myths,
the bass player supports with the song key and connects to the drummer who is the
metronome of us all.

let bass and drums play along together and set a guitar pilot track (just for orientation)
as long as bass and drums are "grooving" the rest of the musicians can build up on that later.

anyway, anyone can only play as fast or slow as the drummer - he rules the beats.

 

[Blackface tweed]

There's a trick with the tempo, I'm using it when I want to add some groove to my riffs.
let's say you have a riff at the 200 cpm(clicks per minute). It's rather tricky to play and pay attention to the metronome at the same time(the more clicks the harder to consentrate). But try to slow your metronome down to 100 CPM. and try to play with the same speed as you would with 200 CPM.
for me tracks with slow metronome sounds more live and less sterile than tracks recorded with fast metronome.

sorry for my English :lol:

 

[Chris McKinley]

Here's a little variation on the advice that I haven't heard anybody mention so far:

1) Everybody warms up with a metronome or click track. Yes, everybody, not just the drummer. The whole band's sense of time will improve.

2) Have the rhythm guitarist lay down a pilot track to the click.

3) Have the drummer record a track while listening to both the click and the rhythm guitar pilot track. That way he has both a guide for perfect timing (the click) and he knows where he is in the song (rhythm guitar) which allows him to toss in the occasional fill to taste.

4) Have the bassist and rhythm guitarist record their parts while listening only to the drummer's track....no clicks or pilot tracks.

I have found that with both myself and other musicians in the studio, this can be a painless way to get the steadiness and accuracy of playing to a click and just enough live groove to wiggle a little bit. I haven't met the person who can actually groove while a click track is playing, which is why I have you record your bass and rhythm guitar to just the sound of the drummer.

Once that core of drums, bass and rhythm guitar is set, you have your foundation. You can double up on guitar tracks, do guitar leads, punch in drum fills, whatever....to your heart's content.

BTW, a similar concept can be used to help the lead singer nail his vocals:

1) Set your drum, bass, and rhythm guitar foundation as above.

2) Have your singer record a pilot lead vocal track. Have him do it as straight as possible with no flourishes, no grinding in the voice for emphasis, no scat singing or ad libs. You want this track to be both as boring as possible and as pitch-accurate as possible. Have the singer focus only on getting the pitch as perfect as possible. No spice to jazz it up...this isn't the final track. It should sound like a 9th grade choir with perfect pitch....bland as can be.

3) Have your backup singers (including the lead vocalist if he's doing backups) record their track while listening to the lead vocal pilot track. Having a perfect-pitch lead track is much easier to harmonize to, and it will help the backup vocalists place the proper emotional emphasis at the right time(s) in the song.

4) Finally, have your lead singer record his actual lead vocal track while listening to the drum/bass/rhythm guitar foundation and the lead pilot track and the backup vocals at the same time. This will give him both the timing, pitch and lyric cues as a safety net, and it will give him the confidence of singing along to an already-existing vocal, just like he does in the car or the shower where he can really belt it out without being self-conscious. This time he can let loose and sing it however he actually wants it to be on the final recording.

BTW yet again.....notice that I haven't yet mentioned the lead guitar solo. That is on purpose. Unless your lead guitarist has an exactly composed solo already in mind, it is often best if he waits till everything else is recorded before he lays down his solo track. Just as with lead singers, and sometimes moreso, lead guitarists often need to feed off of the total energy of the song to tap into their greatest inspiration for the solo that really fits the energy, groove and vibe of that song. The more your lead guitarist is a one-take, off-the-cuff, pure improv kind of guy, the more this will benefit him.

Good luck and have fun with it.

 

[MusicManJP6]

You're a fountain of knowledge, Chris! That's yet another great post under your belt...

 

[Blackface tweed]

BTW witch metrone sound do you prefer more? the mechanic(or mechanic like) click sound or electronic beep:?:
for me beep is not an option cuz it allways gives you a not like A or E... and sometimes it's sounds horrible with the guitar.

 

[JF Omalycat]

Not a fan of it in music, typically, but I prefer the "cowbell" click, myself.

MORE COWBELL, PLEASE.

 

[Chris McKinley]

I use a mechanical metronome because I don't have to worry about batteries, I don't like the beeps, I get a visual cue of moving parts in case I can't hear the thing, and I can change the tempo much easier.

 

[highwaynine]

Really good suggestions, guys. Thanks!

Having never tried playing to a click before, my drummer was pretty frustrated. But, she wants to try to learn how, so we'll see. I appreciate the ideas for helping us know "where we are" in the song while tracking with the click.

 

[Chris McKinley]

Learning to play to a metronome or click track is frustrating and humbling at first because it makes you realize that your sense of time wasn't so accurate after all. Drummers are used to being the time, not having to keep it to something or someone else. Sometimes the shortest way out is straight through. Tell her to stick with it during the initially frustrating part.....the reward is that she'll be a much better drummer in a very short time. Although I'm a guitarist, if it's any inspiration, I went from Van Halen/Randy Rhoads as my top speed to recording a shredder album with Yngwie-fast licks on it over the course of about five months when I first started seriously practicing to a metronome. I realize speed isn't the goal, especially for a drummer, but the precise coordination and timing that it takes to play that material without mistakes is as much a matter of keeping accurate time as sinking into a slow, flawless groove.

Convince as many of the rest of the band to practice to one as you can. You'll all be thankful for it.

 

[Silverwulf]

We have some buddies that always play live to a click (well, the drummer does and they play to him). Our old drummer...we could barely get him in the same room with a click... :lol:

 

[Blackface tweed]

well we're thinking about getting a click for the live shows, because our drummer speeds up for about 50-80 BPM in the middle of the song when we're playing live... and sometimes he hits the handbrake and slows down to the original tempo or slower.... Damn that sounds so awfull. and there's nothing we can do about it... Once he's on the stage, he's out of the control. :twisted:

 

[Elpelotero]

Definitely get him a click.

We watched a video recording of a live show we did about a month ago and I was cringing every couple of minutes at all the mistakes. You never realize these things when you're on stage, but once you take an objective look and then compare yourself to a professional band, it's eye-opening. Perhaps show the guy a video? There are plenty of bands that play to a click live, such as mute math.

 

[Blackface tweed]

Definitely get him a click.

We watched a video recording of a live show we did about a month ago and I was cringing every couple of minutes at all the mistakes. You never realize these things when you're on stage, but once you take an objective look and then compare yourself to a professional band, it's eye-opening.

Yeah! same thing here. I just cant watch our live videos... but I'm forcing myself to, because it's the only thing that can tell you what's looks good and what's not. But our drummer is a different story, guess he knows about his tempo issue, but he can't control himself or something, so a click would be a perfect foothold for him and the rest of the band as well.