Click Tracks

Deijavoo

Is there anything more sterile when watching a band or is it precision perfection?

I'm definitely in the former way of thinking.

monquixote

Depends how good the drummer is. 

A really good drummer can play around the beat of the click without being robotic.

Deijavoo

I'm struggling to think of a "famous" one to do so.

I think the drummers in Portishead and Roni Size did but that suited the music. I could be wrong that they did though?

Some mates of mine play in a local tech metal band and while they are all awesome musicians it's just not for me and I wonder if it's the level of how precise it is that throws my ears.

monquixote

90% of recorded music is done to a click.

Do you mean for live?

Deijavoo

Yeah that's what I meant when I said watching.

90%? Do you reckon bands are really that high in percentage?

monquixote

For stuff done on majors I would think so.

I used to play in a band that used a click for some tracks. There wasn't a noticeable difference in the way the drummer played between those that were and those that weren't. 

Deijavoo

I just think that whenever I hear a band in the distance at a gig and it sounds like the drummer is holding back and/or too regimented throughout I instantly look for the headphones and start to lose interest from there. I know samples and triggers etc...need to be set to click but, well, yeah....

Deijavoo

monquixote said:

For stuff done on majors I would think so.

Also, I'll blame this for why I'll never be a major.

Danny1969

Yes almost everything is done to a click but we have tempo maps, it's not the same all the way through if you don't want it to be, and like @monquixote said the drummer can push the click it doesn't have to be robotic

I'm mixing a band tonight in London that use click and a lot of pre recorded backing, will take a little snip of video

Cirrus

Sometimes it fits, sometimes it doesn't. If it sounds bad it's the drummer's fault, because he's trying to rush each beat then having to pull back to stay in time with the click. Or it's the rest of the band's fault as they try to take off without him.

On our album currently being recorded we cut the drums to tempo maps.