Collaboration Anyone?

[Speed Demon]

A point well taken. When you're the solo guy, any deviation from "perfect" is easily noticeable.

[64Guitars]

Speed Demon:

• Open up Audacity (new, empty project) and add an Audio Track.
• From the "Generate" menu, select the "C* Click - Metronome" plugin (I don't remember if it came with Audacity or if I downloaded it here).
• In the C* Click dialog window, set bpm to 105.0, Volume to 1.0, and Length to 230 seconds, then click OK. This will create a 105 bpm click track.
• Now import Mark's file, zoom-in to the first 2 seconds, and compare them.

What you'll find is that Mark's files have about 30 to 40 milliseconds of silence at the start. This is an artifact of the MP3 format. By design, it pads the start of the file. The amount of silence added varies with each MP3 file.

(Click image to view full size)

If you delete that silence from the start of Mark's file so that the first metronome click lines up with the click track, you'll find that all of the other metronome clicks in Mark's file line up precisely too. There is no drift. Mark's MP3 files are exactly 105.0 bpm. They just started slightly late due to the MP3 padding. When you play the un-trimmed MP3 file against the click track, it might sound like the tempo is off but it isn't. The tracks are just misaligned. Once you remove the leading space, they'll line up precisely at 105.0 bpm.

(Click image to view full size)

[Speed Demon]

Thank you for that information.

I'm not well-versed with Audacity. I am now using Audition CS6 but I find some of Audacity's features much easier to implement.

[bruno]

Wow - I like a little bit of drift, gives it a bit of swing :-)
NB when transferring/swapping files of late when collaborating, I have been using WAV files. Pain in the arse coz it takes time to xfer due to size and you have to use something like SkyDrive - but hey, solves these types of issues.

Mind you, this comes from the man who managed to completely mis-align a track by a whole beat, but that's a different story. I once read that Metallica used to analyse their playing on a computer, and adjust so everything completely line up - I think you can argue whether that's musical or not, but can't complain about the end results.

B.

[Speed Demon]

Newspapers are edited, photographs are edited, lies are edited to make them sound like the truth, then the truth is edited to the point of sounding like a lie.

No reason why music shouldn't be edited.

All politician's lies are true. 

[Hook]

OOOOO another topic I've been reading. I haven't started working with this but plan to, love the track launched! I stopped using a metronome when I started using live percussion and I don't think I'll go back unless I need to use a drum machine. I'm with bruno, I dig the inconsistency, it delivers a more honest, emotional edge to a performance. If I'm not mistaken alot of drum machines have a humanize type feature to take some of that perfectness out of the track if you like. It's all personal preference but I've never known a band to perform with a metronome so why record with one....drum machine seems like the only reason.
I do edit by means of punching in, copying tracks to double, fade outs, etc. and have adjusted tempo before but usually hear to much effect rather than any real truing. Just my 2 cents (current worth, 1/4 cent).
Collab On!

[Oldrottenhead]

i tend rarely to record to a beat, i spose the upside is quirky individuality haha the downside for collabing tho is folk trying to keep in time. okay if you are all in one room at the same time but not if spread halfway round the globe.

recording to a click track has many great benefits, primal scream never used them til screamadelica, now always use them as its easier for others to come in and do remixes etc.

ive lost count of the recordings i wish i used a click track instead of relying on my bodyclock lol.

[64Guitars]

Aside from drum machines, the advantage of recording to a metronome or drum pattern is that you can later edit your song by measures rather than trying to specify precise start and end times. I find that editing by measures is usually easier and more practical than editing by time.

[Speed Demon]

I generate a drum track first, at the preferred tempo, and match all other tracks to it.

However, it is much nicer to have a real drummer do the track. I'm fortunate in that aspect as the drummer
I've worked with for many years lives just two miles from me. He's also skilled on bass, keyboards and vocals.

[Rata-tat-tat]

As a drummer I hate playing to a click... but as a engineer I love the click (64 makes good sense). Hard to wear both hats!!!