Click in control room monitors during tracking: Yes or no?

AlexLakis · 22nd June 2007

Lately, while tracking to a click, I've been pumping the click only into the headphone feeds, and muting it in the control room monitors. I've been finding that I can get a better feel if the drummer is grooving or not without it, and afterall, it's not going to be there in the final product...Do many people do this?

mixerguy · 22nd June 2007

this is the norm.

emfrank72 · 22nd June 2007

Why should we have to suffer a click?

octatonic · 22nd June 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexLakis

Lately, while tracking to a click, I've been pumping the click only into the headphone feeds, and muting it in the control room monitors. I've been finding that I can get a better feel if the drummer is grooving or not without it, and afterall, it's not going to be there in the final product...Do many people do this?

It depends.

If the drummer can groove on the click (most can't) then I leave it there all the time and only tuen it off after all the tracking is done.

If the drummer can't groove on the click and there is no sequencing then I don't use one- which means I have to do all drum edits manually- which is a pain, but much better than trying to make a track conform to something mechanical.

Unless I'm doing really aggressive metal- then I almost always have to use it.

Oh, if I am doing the guitar playing- and everything was tracked to a click but the drummer can groove- then I turn it off and react to the drummer.

As I said- it depends.

seaneldon · 22nd June 2007

i'll unmute the click in the control room for a few bars every once in a while just to see how the drummer's "doing". if you're using a HF "click" or hihat kinda sound, i'd recommend rolling off the high end a little so your ears don't freak out after extended click listening...

-Noodles- · 22nd June 2007

I was reading an article about Danny Carey from Tool...
(this isn't 100% on topic but..)

When dealing with complex time sigs & timings etc he just finds the groove, and doesn't really "count" out the beat.

Usually, if the drummer can do this - and the song doesn't require a strict regiment, I'd attempt to steer clear of a click. [or have one present, in case of emergency!]

luctellier · 22nd June 2007

I always keep the click but at a low volume.

willerichey · 22nd June 2007

I have found that the click can be both salvation and a death sentence.

Played/worked on recordings that were so dead on the click that it took all the feel out of the song and sounded sterile but other sessions where the drummer couldn't play to a click or stay on time to save his life and it showed.

The guys I play with now record to the click, but we aren't concerned if the drummer goes alittle off the click during his fills just as long as they fit and he comes back in on the one. Sometimes we can bury it and forget that its even there.

I would use the click as a reference in the control room here and there to make sure the take isn't too off tempo, but I wouldn't sweat it if it wanders as long as the drummer knows where the one is. A good drummer should be able to play ahead, on top of and behind of the click sometimes all in the same song.

melodic_disaster · 22nd June 2007

usually start with the clik, sometimes you nead to hear it as not all drummers know what type of clik they respond to well. though i don't know anyone who would actually want to listen to it for fun, but its a matter of good production to hear how they respond to it.

once that's determined..please make it go away!

22nd June 2007	#1
AlexLakis Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Annapolis, MD/Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,631 Thread Starter	Click in control room monitors during tracking: Yes or no? Lately, while tracking to a click, I've been pumping the click only into the headphone feeds, and muting it in the control room monitors. I've been finding that I can get a better feel if the drummer is grooving or not without it, and afterall, it's not going to be there in the final product...Do many people do this?

22nd June 2007	#6
-Noodles- Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2006 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 717 1 Review written	I was reading an article about Danny Carey from Tool... (this isn't 100% on topic but..) When dealing with complex time sigs & timings etc he just finds the groove, and doesn't really "count" out the beat. Usually, if the drummer can do this - and the song doesn't require a strict regiment, I'd attempt to steer clear of a click. [or have one present, in case of emergency!] __________________ Mac user; Logic and ProTools.

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22nd June 2007	#2
mixerguy Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 4,002	this is the norm.

22nd June 2007	#3
emfrank72 Gear addict Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Washington State Posts: 373	Why should we have to suffer a click?

22nd June 2007	#5
seaneldon Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Bahstahn, MA Posts: 2,687	i'll unmute the click in the control room for a few bars every once in a while just to see how the drummer's "doing". if you're using a HF "click" or hihat kinda sound, i'd recommend rolling off the high end a little so your ears don't freak out after extended click listening...

22nd June 2007	#7
luctellier Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,530	I always keep the click but at a low volume.

22nd June 2007	#8
willerichey Gear maniac Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Orlando Posts: 184	I have found that the click can be both salvation and a death sentence. Played/worked on recordings that were so dead on the click that it took all the feel out of the song and sounded sterile but other sessions where the drummer couldn't play to a click or stay on time to save his life and it showed. The guys I play with now record to the click, but we aren't concerned if the drummer goes alittle off the click during his fills just as long as they fit and he comes back in on the one. Sometimes we can bury it and forget that its even there. I would use the click as a reference in the control room here and there to make sure the take isn't too off tempo, but I wouldn't sweat it if it wanders as long as the drummer knows where the one is. A good drummer should be able to play ahead, on top of and behind of the click sometimes all in the same song.

22nd June 2007	#9
melodic_disaster Gear maniac Joined: Jun 2007 Location: manhattan Posts: 199	usually start with the clik, sometimes you nead to hear it as not all drummers know what type of clik they respond to well. though i don't know anyone who would actually want to listen to it for fun, but its a matter of good production to hear how they respond to it. once that's determined..please make it go away!