Drummer issues.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:19 pm

I don't know if this is the right forum to post this in, but I need some help.

I have a problem with some drum tracks. We recorded this drummer (we're recording the rest of the band soon) that couldn't play to a click track. We tried and tried but he just ignored the click. Is there something on par with Beat Detective that's fairly cheap so I can get his stuff to line up, or is there a way, short of chopping everything up, and sliding it to a grid that I can use? We have a decent sound, and after we mix it I'm sure the drums will sound good, we just need them to be in time, and they aren't. Does anyone have any advice? Have you had this problem before? What did you do?

Thank you all very much in advance for any help you can give me.

Oh, we recorded the tracks on Pro Tools. I also have Logic that I can use, so if there's any suggestion in either one of those programs that would be GREAT!!!

Thanks again.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:37 pm

hook the drummer up to an electric shocking device and force him to learn how to play with a met. every time he goes off time from the met, shock him. that'll get him to learn to play to it. really i feel the best way to get a drum track in time is for it to be in time from the start. I'd think that choping up, stretching, or condensing parts of the track to make it me in time will just force the quality and natural sound of the set to be diminished.

another thing you might be able to try is have one of the guitars record first, then have the drummer play to that. i'm a drummer and i've done that before, not because i can't play to a click track, but just because of how the songs my band wrote are, alot of them the guitars come in first.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:32 pm

If it's BAD, then record it again until it's close.

Why do you need him to record in time with the click? Is it so that you can sync up MIDI or sequencers or delays to the tempo or something like that...or is it just that you want him to be in time? I ask because it's common for songs to not be in perfect timing. If you aren't doing any sequencing or recording where you have to have something sync'd to a BPM, and the drumming isn't too far off, it may not be a problem.

That said, the best fix for this is to re-record. Try having the bass or guitar player play along with the drummer while you record the drums. That can help a drummer find the groove and stay in time. Plus it saves a lot of time. If the song is 3 minutes, a better track is 3 minutes away. If you want to fix the track with editing, you are looking at potentially spending a lot of time in front of the computer.

I don't use ProTools. I use cubase and it has a function to fix this sort of thing but it takes some practice to get it right. You could start by slicing up the track measure by measure and stretching each to fit. But if the drums within the measures are off, then you are looking at spending a lot of time.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:52 pm

Quote:

I don't use ProTools. I use cubase and it has a function to fix this sort of thing but it takes some practice to get it right. You could start by slicing up the track measure by measure and stretching each to fit. But if the drums within the measures are off, then you are looking at spending a lot of time.

I think you would much rather enjoy my electric shock theoropy method over ours of staring at the computer screen. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 2:47 am

The drummer for my band NEVER practiced to a click track but he is very good, better than your average drummer who has played for 5 years. He played and played till he got it right, and he didnt. There were a few parts where he was off timing, but it was okay because it worked out with the guitar.

With this new band im recording, I'm going to have the guitarist play to him. I told the drummer, dont slow or speed up for the guitar, HE needs to feel like he is in lead, he needs to feel confident with what he is playing. Do it until he gets it right, and yeah, he might get tired, but you really gotta make use of your time.

If he knows the song by memory, just have him play it, have the band pay close attention. Did that sound right? Too fast? too slow? Sometimes you need certain parts to have that extra bpm for it to sound good, sometimes it needs to slow down, you dont always NEED a click track unless like ^^^ said you are using MIDI or somehow timing different intstruments.

There is also the idea of having your GUITARIST/BASSIST listen to the click track, and the drummer follows them. I think its easier for a drummer to listen to a guitar/bass than a BEEP boop boop boop BEEP boop boop boop =)

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:21 am

Theres few things as boring as editing tracks . ESpecially BEFORE the major work is even done! Replay is the BEST way. If he cant cut it get another drummer who can. This may sound harsh but we're talking time and budget and frustration, Yes/No? Try the bass and the drums together.....BUT....if you are editing later and you are going to need everything in time for digital replacing, reamping, stuff like that, then having the beats on an even keel is the ONLY solution you're going to have.

If the time isnt right with either method, you can also put up a basic drumbeat with a machine. Have them play to that. OR GET A DRUMMER WHO CAN. This aint rocket surgery.

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 9:45 am

if you feel like recording the drums again try changing the tonality of the click on logic. Its under the metronome prefrences. And try recording a simple beat yourself to see what the drummer hears. Maby turn his drums down on the headphones so the click isnt clouded by the drums. Or try having the guitarist play along (preferably so that the drummer can hear the guitar). If the guitarist can hear the metronome and he is in the drummer's view, he will be like a visibal metronome. Then once the drums are recorded, just delete the guiter track.

Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 7:10 am

you may try to link triggers to record MIDI pattern and change them later, but the groove will be anyway compromised by the bad timing of the drummer (it is true that you can put each note into the right place, with MIDI, also modifying the "strenght" -velocity- of each hits, but you can't wisely modify the note duration, so the dynamic will go to hell...) so, concluding:
change the drummer Smile

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:33 pm

If ur using cubase, change the tracks to linear timebase and move the measures to line up with his hits. It is best to go through and put some markers, say on a midi track, that correspond to the beginnings of the measures (the drummer's measures), then go through and change the linear time-base position of the bars to match those midi markers. That is, if you like the performance and only want to sync up stuff. oh, and when done you switch back to musical time-base.

Peace,
Nate

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:31 am

wakeupbomb wrote:

I don't know if this is the right forum to post this in, but I need some help.

I have a problem with some drum tracks. We recorded this drummer (we're recording the rest of the band soon) that couldn't play to a click track. We tried and tried but he just ignored the click. Is there something on par with Beat Detective that's fairly cheap so I can get his stuff to line up, or is there a way, short of chopping everything up, and sliding it to a grid that I can use? We have a decent sound, and after we mix it I'm sure the drums will sound good, we just need them to be in time, and they aren't. Does anyone have any advice? Have you had this problem before? What did you do?

Thank you all very much in advance for any help you can give me.

Oh, we recorded the tracks on Pro Tools. I also have Logic that I can use, so if there's any suggestion in either one of those programs that would be GREAT!!!

Thanks again.

Yes,give your "drummer" a list of the better barber colleges in the nation.

Smile

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