Recording - July 2010 - 33

a count-in and continues throughout the verse. Notice that the Track 5 click track is locked in time so it can’t be moved by accident. The rest of this recording project continues in the same way, alternating freeform and steady tempo sections, with all of the steady sections benefiting from the use of a click track. Variations on this method include using a click throughout the entire song except at the very beginning or end, or using one tempo for all the choruses and another for the verses. When is a click not a click? Another approach is to dispense with the click track entirely and instead record a backing track without using a click. Some people play better to a track in their headphones than to a click. This could very well be a scratch track that you’ll lose later, but it will provide a tempo guide for subsequent overdubs. If you’re not using a click at all, and your engineer is complaining about editing problems, it is possible to create a tempo map from an existing recording. Several different recording software packages have this capacity. I

wouldn’t go this route, as it seems like a really awkward process for little gain. But it is an option. The beat goes on Here are a few more general tips to keep in mind when using a click track in your recordings. Watch out for headphone bleed from the click. I confess that I’ve been caught by this mistake more than once—I’ve recorded perfectly good takes, only to listen back and hear the click click click in the background. To avoid this, stand quietly in front of the mic for a few seconds while the click is going, and then check the playback for telltale leakage. [Also, watch for unused headphones lying around, or for players who shift one earphone off the ear—that can cause the click to bleed into nearby mics. Give such players a mono-in-oneside-only click track.—Ed.] When you’re recording a slow song with a click, try using two clicks per beat (one-and-two-and-...) for greater accuracy. Have one on the beat and one on the eight-note in between beats (the “and”). Make the one on the beat a bit louder to help you keep track of which is which (one-and-two-and...).

Practice outside the studio with a metronome to help you get used to playing with a click track. As an instrumentalist, it behooves you to occasionally practice using a metronome anyway. It can help your technique no matter what instrument you play. Also, even if you never intend to use a click track in your own recordings, you may be asked to play to a click on someone else’s recording, so it’s a good skill to have. If you’re doing several overdubs using a click track, turn it off after the first few tracks. This is especially important if you’re recording by yourself. The click can begin to integrate itself into your critical judgment of the mix and affect how you think the finished product will sound. Remember, the click track is just another tool. Use it wisely and your music’s soul will shine all the brighter for it. When he’s not writing articles, David Summer (summer@recordingmag.com) works as a web programmer, performing musician and music teacher. He also produces music education podcasts which can be found on his website at www.summersong.net.


http://www.summersong.net http://www.audiorecordingschool.com/recording.html http://www.audiorecordingschool.com/recording.html

Recording - July 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - July 2010

Recording - July 2010
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Earthworks SR40
A Drum Miking Primer
Mojave Audio MA-101fet
The Fine Art of Drum Replacement
FXpansion BFD Eco
DAW Details
Create Your Songs With Drum Loops
Grace Design m501 Preamp
MXL Drum Cube and A55-Kicker
Readers’ Tapes
Recording’s Showcase of Sounds
Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0— A Walking Tour
PreSonus FireStudio Mobile
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 4: The Business End, Part 1
Once Over—Reviews in Brief
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - July 2010 - Recording - July 2010
Recording - July 2010 - Cover2
Recording - July 2010 - 1
Recording - July 2010 - Fade In
Recording - July 2010 - 3
Recording - July 2010 - Contents
Recording - July 2010 - 5
Recording - July 2010 - Talkback
Recording - July 2010 - 7
Recording - July 2010 - Fast Forward
Recording - July 2010 - 9
Recording - July 2010 - Earthworks SR40
Recording - July 2010 - 11
Recording - July 2010 - 12
Recording - July 2010 - 13
Recording - July 2010 - A Drum Miking Primer
Recording - July 2010 - 15
Recording - July 2010 - Mojave Audio MA-101fet
Recording - July 2010 - 17
Recording - July 2010 - The Fine Art of Drum Replacement
Recording - July 2010 - 19
Recording - July 2010 - 20
Recording - July 2010 - 21
Recording - July 2010 - 22
Recording - July 2010 - 23
Recording - July 2010 - 24
Recording - July 2010 - 25
Recording - July 2010 - 26
Recording - July 2010 - 27
Recording - July 2010 - 28
Recording - July 2010 - 29
Recording - July 2010 - FXpansion BFD Eco
Recording - July 2010 - 31
Recording - July 2010 - DAW Details
Recording - July 2010 - 33
Recording - July 2010 - Create Your Songs With Drum Loops
Recording - July 2010 - 35
Recording - July 2010 - Grace Design m501 Preamp
Recording - July 2010 - 37
Recording - July 2010 - MXL Drum Cube and A55-Kicker
Recording - July 2010 - 39
Recording - July 2010 - Readers’ Tapes
Recording - July 2010 - 41
Recording - July 2010 - 42
Recording - July 2010 - 43
Recording - July 2010 - 44
Recording - July 2010 - 45
Recording - July 2010 - Recording’s Showcase of Sounds
Recording - July 2010 - 47
Recording - July 2010 - 48
Recording - July 2010 - 49
Recording - July 2010 - Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0— A Walking Tour
Recording - July 2010 - 51
Recording - July 2010 - PreSonus FireStudio Mobile
Recording - July 2010 - 53
Recording - July 2010 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 4: The Business End, Part 1
Recording - July 2010 - 55
Recording - July 2010 - Once Over—Reviews in Brief
Recording - July 2010 - Advertiser Index
Recording - July 2010 - 58
Recording - July 2010 - 59
Recording - July 2010 - 60
Recording - July 2010 - 61
Recording - July 2010 - 62
Recording - July 2010 - 63
Recording - July 2010 - Fade Out
Recording - July 2010 - Cover3
Recording - July 2010 - Cover4
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