Samples and click tracks

[coasterbass]

We're learning quite a tricky track that has some massive synth track on it that our single keyboard player possibly can't handle.

I've found a copy of the original synth parts as recorded by the original artist (god bless the internet!)

I'm not wondering about whether it would be possible to lift this original track and have us play along to it ?
Trouble is that I have no idea whatsoever about how this might work...

I imagine I'd have to stick some clicks at the start, and it would have to be in the drummer's foldback, but what else is involved? To these things actually work in a real life scenario??

[BigRedX]

Unless the part is very rhythmic (or your drummer is the human metronome and never changes tempo by even a fraction of a beat) you'll probably need to add a click for the full duration of the track, for the drummer's benefit only that they can monitor via headphones. The drummer plays to the backing/click and you play to the drummer.

Edited August 7, 2008 by BigRedX

[coasterbass]

Thanks - yes, its consistently moving arpeggios : (

[Galilee]

If the sample track runs all the way through the song, it's a complete pain. We've tried playing along to song-length samples and, even with a click track for the drummer, it's next to impossible to keep in time with them.

What we do now is create smaller patches (say, up to 30 seconds) that can be triggered by a human when they're required. These are loaded into a piece of free software on the PC (forget what it's called but I can find out if you like) and triggered by a bank of midi-controlling footswitches (like [url="http://www.roland.com/PRODUCTS/en/FC-200/index.html"]this[/url]). Whoever's least busy at that point hits the switch!

[coasterbass]

[quote name='Galilee' post='257220' date='Aug 7 2008, 02:12 PM']If the sample track runs all the way through the song, it's a complete pain. We've tried playing along to song-length samples and, even with a click track for the drummer, it's next to impossible to keep in time with them.

What we do now is create smaller patches (say, up to 30 seconds) that can be triggered by a human when they're required. These are loaded into a piece of free software on the PC (forget what it's called but I can find out if you like) and triggered by a bank of midi-controlling footswitches (like [url="http://www.roland.com/PRODUCTS/en/FC-200/index.html"]this[/url]). Whoever's least busy at that point hits the switch![/quote]


Presumably the drummer would still have to be going at a consistent speed otherwise the sample will never run at the same speed?? Mmmmm - this does sound like bad news.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Galilee' post='257220' date='Aug 7 2008, 02:12 PM']If the sample track runs all the way through the song, it's a complete pain. We've tried playing along to song-length samples and, even with a click track for the drummer, it's next to impossible to keep in time with them.

What we do now is create smaller patches (say, up to 30 seconds) that can be triggered by a human when they're required. These are loaded into a piece of free software on the PC (forget what it's called but I can find out if you like) and triggered by a bank of midi-controlling footswitches (like [url="http://www.roland.com/PRODUCTS/en/FC-200/index.html"]this[/url]). Whoever's least busy at that point hits the switch![/quote]


Ooh - I'd be interested in hearing what software are using? It's not Ableton Live is it?

[Galilee]

Nope, it's called Battery 3.

I just asked our guitarist and apparently it [b]was[/b] free, but it's not meant to be, if you catch my drift.

[mike257]

Done this with a couple of bands now. We've used various devices for playback, ranging from the onboard sequencer of a keyboard, to a multitracker, to a portable DVD player loaded up with an audio CD.

We premix the tracks so one side of the stereo has a click for the drummer, and the other side has the samples on. We just connect one side to a headphone amp for the tubthumper, and the other side to a DI box that goes off to FOH. If you've got a drummer who's au fait with playing to a click track then this works a treat!

Mike

EDIT: If there's gaps in your song where the drummer doesn't play, he will of course have to still keep a pedal hat/stick click going to keep you lot in time with the click!! Took a few reminders before ours got his head round that bit

Edited August 7, 2008 by mike257

[Galilee]

[quote name='coasterbass' post='257246' date='Aug 7 2008, 02:38 PM']Presumably the drummer would still have to be going at a consistent speed otherwise the sample will never run at the same speed?? Mmmmm - this does sound like bad news.[/quote]

Only way is to suck it and see I suppose. It's not a massive amount of work to setup a full track with click (especially if you already have the keyboard part), and maybe your drummer [b]will[/b] be able to play along to the click for the whole song.

For us, the struggle was where we had a backing track that lasted the whole length of the song but was only a click in places, then big stabs of keyboard (or whatever) in other places. In that case, it's not just a keeping in time issue, it's also a making sure that you play the song exactly the same every time issue. If you throw in half a bar extra somewhere (for example), then you're shagged, because you're out of synch with an immovable backing track. Whereas, if you have a human triggering bits and pieces when required in the song [b]you're playing[/b], then you don't have to be so accurate with your real instruments.