Metronome from a Midi trigger

[gapiro]

Hello!

I'm currently working on a start of a project doing classic house music and one of the things we really need is in ear clicks  - primarily for transitions of songs etc

Its not something i've ever done -  I've been doing some research and it seems harder that I would like to set up!

What would you recommend as the way to do it? I looked at mainstage but it appears you have to define bar lengths for things - is there such a thing as having something change to the next click track at the next tempo etc upon a pedal press (ie i'm assuming a midi signal - could thus be also a trigger pad?)

 

[BigRedX]

What are you using to generate the rest of your MIDI data?

[cheddatom]

one of the drummers things would probably do it, something like this: https://www.roland.com/uk/products/spd-sx/

I've never done it myself though, maybe check out some youtube demos?

[gapiro]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

What are you using to generate the rest of your MIDI data?

As yet we have no other midi data - we've got

Drummer using a hybrid kit, (although he has some sort of pedal or button to change kits - that might well be midi?)

Keys player using Mainstage - I assume a patch or a bank of patches per track

Myself - Bass and Bass Synth (although it appears I might be adding a keyb)

 

[BigRedX]

I'm trying to get my head around what you need.

Normally musicians need MIDI clicks because they are playing along to a pre-programmed backing track. This doesn't appear to be the case for you.

What exactly do you need to clicks for?

For tempo? For cues?

Do you need to clicks all the time to keep in time, or just to set an initial tempo?

[gapiro]

We need clicks to keep in time because samples, effects, etc are going to be very programmed to tempos (because we're trying to recreate very produced music) 

[BigRedX]

Will there be tempo changes within the songs?

[gapiro]

Possibly?

[BigRedX]

Most bands that use a click also use lots a pre-recorded backing so they are using the click as means of keeping the live musicians in sync. Also the songs have a definite structure so the click runs at the right tempo for the song. Even if there are tempo or changes in the time signature they will always happen in the same place, so the musicians know when they are going to happen.

To me it sounds as though your band want to use the click in a more free-form way and as a means of ensuring that when the samples and effects are triggered the band is playing at the correct tempo.

For this, the simplest way I can think of is to use a drum machine or DAW plug-in that allows you to program a specific tempo as part of a pattern and also allows you to select patterns using MIDI program change commands. Program up your click track - rim shot quarter notes with an accent on the first beat of the bar is generally a favourite - run each pattern on repeat, and then use a MIDI foot pedal to change patterns to give you the new tempo.

The problem will come if you want to change tempos MIDI mid-song as the click will suddenly switch to the new tempo, and unless you are all expecting it, it might cause some timing problems until all the musicians have locked onto the new tempo.

I suspect that this system will be one that you will have to experiment with as a band, and adapt as you figure out what works and what doesn't. 

[Bassalarky]

There are some looper pedals that might work, eg a jamman? You can build a library of loops - can be sounds, riffs, whole backing tracks or just click - at a preset tempo. These can be selected and started/stopped with pedal switches and even have the tempo adjusted by a 'tap tempo' function. On the better ones you can also split sounds and click to L/R outputs.  You could also use a 4-way interface from the keys setup and use mainstage to send click on dedicated output?