A couple questions about click tracks and click plug ins

[guittarzzan]

I'm getting ready to record a song with a different feel than most anything I've done before and want to get some info on click tracks. Thanks in advance for your info.

-Are there any click track plug ins that are really great for setting up different feels like triplet feels, a pushed feel etc and have a variety and sounds to select from for PT?

-Am I missing something or is the click in PT just set at quarter notes and there's no option for 8th or 16th notes or triplets etc?

-Is it fairly common in pop/rock production to increase tempo in the choruses by 1 or 2 bpm and then back down after the choruses etc or is a click usually just set and that's it for the entire song? I know every song is different. I'm just curious if slight tempo changes are fairly common practice or very rare.

thanks.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by guittarzzan

I'm getting ready to record a song with a different feel than most anything I've done before and want to get some info on click tracks. Thanks in advance for your info.

-Are there any click track plug ins that are really great for setting up different feels like triplet feels, a pushed feel etc and have a variety and sounds to select from for PT?

-Am I missing something or is the click in PT just set at quarter notes and there's no option for 8th or 16th notes or triplets etc?

-Is it fairly common in pop/rock production to increase tempo in the choruses by 1 or 2 bpm and then back down after the choruses etc or is a click usually just set and that's it for the entire song? I know every song is different. I'm just curious if slight tempo changes are fairly common practice or very rare.

thanks.

You can spoof the click into playing other patterns by changing your time signature, but that can lead to much confusion.

What you might prefer would be to grid out and loop an actual drum beat on a midi track and play it back through a keyboard or a VI. You can try applying a groove template to the midi to make it swing or shuffle or whatever. I find they (groove templates) can often be an improvement over a 'straight' beat. A rock beat is also more accessible to those who are uncomfortable with a click. I will usually draw in some hi hat, kick and snare notes with the pencil tool and then experiment with different groove settings.

I can't speak for anybody else, but when I do stuff with clicks, fractional BPM changes are quite common. even .3 or .5 BPM can have quite an effect. You may have to 'warn' people who are overdubbing where they are.

Just insert a tempo event at each place on the time ruler where you want to change. Put in several small changes to achieve a gradual change.

[Protools Guy]

I will create my own "click" (audio sample) and paste it into a grid that is set to the feel that I want (ie 16th note triplet). This way, I'm playing to an audio click, not a midi click. I'm also able to create the click with the feel that I want for a couple of bars and then copy and paste this throughout the song.
HTH..