Click track
Encyclopedia
A click track is a series of audio cues used to synchronize sound recordings, sometimes for synchronization to a moving image. The click track originated in early sound movies
, where marks were made on the film
itself to indicate exact timings for musician
s to accompany the film. It can be thought of as something like a metronome
in that it serves a very similar purpose (and also in that, in the music industry, it is often used to serve exactly the same purpose[ as a metronome
] during recordings, and sometimes performances as well).
, although other sources have given it to Max Steiner
and Scott Bradley
. The click track was sufficiently useful as a synchronization
tool that it became part of standard recording technology, whether for films, radio or other sound recording and the click track took one of the tracks on a multi-track tape recorder. By the late 20th century, particularly in the realm of synthesizer
s and digital recording, the click track became computerized and synchronizing different instruments became more complex, at which point the click track was supported or replaced by SMPTE time code
.
The click track may also be used as a form of metronome
directly by musicians in the studio or on stage, particularly by drummer
s, who listen via headphones
to maintain a consistent beat. As said before, one can think of a click track as essentially being a kind of metronome (except that in musical recordings it is fed through headphones to one or more of the musicians during a recording or performance, but as previously mentioned, quite often to just the drummer). This is because drums (often along with the bass
, guitar
and/or piano
when present, together making up what is often called the rhythm section
) tend to provide the rhythmic fulcrum in small ensembles, not just because drums are loud, but also because drummers very often go through the most advanced rhythmic training compared to many other instrumentalists.
The practice of recording using an aiding click track is contrary (and bothersome to some) to the practice of using a metronome during practice and then turning it off come time for a performance or recording, which has traditionally been more common in the past. More information regarding criticisms of click tracks will be found in the relevant section of this article. The use of a click track allows for easier editing in a digital audio workstation
(DAW) or sequencer
, since various parts can be easily quantized and moved around or spliced together without worrying about minute differences in timing. This approach to recording is sometimes criticized for making the music sound "dead" and artificial, but in the right circumstances it can be useful. For instance, there exist modern "one-man bands" who may record all or many of the different parts of a recording separately themselves, and put them together in a multi-track audio editor. In this case, click tracks are usually essential.
This can be especially true[ regarding one-man acts] with regard to longer pieces of music. This is likely because the longer a human being tries to keep a metronomic rhythm without a reference, the more time there is to get significantly off-synch with the project's BPM. However, if they are able to maintain a very consistent tempo throughout, but fall slightly shy of having performed at the song's overall actual tempo, the resulting recording can often be time-stretched or condensed to fit the proper duration evenly so that it can be added to the mix of tracks, without the need for quantization).
Click tracks can also be essential for certain types of metal
, especially if the music is played at an extremely high tempo. In circumstances like these, where the margin of error is so minute, the performance may need to be aided by a click track, or it will completely fall apart, and it can become a blur in which the downbeats can't be clearly recognized, with the overall rhythm possibly in ruins. Furthermore, there is also the case of electronic music
artists, whose music is generally entirely (or mostly) based on multiple, individually created tracks, all set to rigid timing by the very nature of the medium used to produce the genre.
It is not uncommon for musicians or engineers to subdivide click tracks at slow tempos (for instance below 70 BPM) into smaller parts, with (for example) a click on the start of a bar and a beep on every individual 1/4 (or 1/8, or 1/16, etc.) note. Some musicians also use pre-recorded backing track
s with additional parts such as synthesizers, strings or layered background vocals to recreate parts that would be impractical to play live, in which case a click track synchronized with the backing track is played through headphones
or in-ear monitors to keep the musicians in sync with the backing track.
for an extreme example, especially if we are therefore also ignoring all instances of fermata
, accelerando, ritardando and any other musical indications instructing some change in tempo), while it conversely may not ruin recordings and performances of certain other genres ("Pop
," for example, especially if it involves synthesizers, or a previously recorded vocal backing track, which would make a click track necessary in most cases). Many believe that nothing beats a talented musical ensemble keeping time together; When done with expert skill, it can be, as perceived, better than a click track aided performance or recording.
When there is no need to post-process the music with it properly fitting up to a tempo grid in a DAW
, it can be reasoned that there is thus no need to record or perform to a click track, particularly if the band is good at keeping a steady rhythm between each other. And although it is possible to create "click maps" (pre-programmed click tracks designed specifically for a song or musical presentation that changes tempo
and/or meter
throughout), much live music can benefit from natural shifts of pace (tempo) between different sections of a song or piece of music. Genres like jazz
are especially said to have this type of character to it. If one listens to some jazz from the 30s or 40s, and then imagines those musicians having to record it to an unchanging click, one might be able to see how it could ruin the musicians' "grooves," so to speak. Similarly, if one loads an old jazz recording into a DAW
and tries to automatically calculate the average BPM, they may be surprised to see just how much the tempo naturally goes up and down, depending on the current mood of the piece.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, where marks were made on the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
itself to indicate exact timings for musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s to accompany the film. It can be thought of as something like a metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
in that it serves a very similar purpose (and also in that, in the music industry, it is often used to serve exactly the same purpose
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
On click tracks
The invention of the click track is sometimes credited to Carl StallingCarl Stalling
Carl W. Stalling was an American composer and arranger for music in animated films. He is most closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts produced by Warner Bros., where he averaged one complete score each week, for 22 years.-Biography:Stalling was born to Ernest and...
, although other sources have given it to Max Steiner
Max Steiner
Max Steiner was an Austrian composer of music for theatre productions and films. He later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Trained by the great classical music composers Brahms and Mahler, he was one of the first composers who primarily wrote music for motion pictures, and as...
and Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley was an American composer, pianist and conductor.Bradley is best remembered for scoring the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer theatrical cartoons, including those starring Tom and Jerry , Droopy , Barney Bear , and the many one-shot cartoons.Bradley was a...
. The click track was sufficiently useful as a synchronization
Synchronization
Synchronization is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time....
tool that it became part of standard recording technology, whether for films, radio or other sound recording and the click track took one of the tracks on a multi-track tape recorder. By the late 20th century, particularly in the realm of synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and digital recording, the click track became computerized and synchronizing different instruments became more complex, at which point the click track was supported or replaced by SMPTE time code
SMPTE time code
SMPTE timecode is a set of cooperating standards to label individual frames of video or film with a time code defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in the SMPTE 12M specification...
.
The click track may also be used as a form of metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
directly by musicians in the studio or on stage, particularly by drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
s, who listen via headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
to maintain a consistent beat. As said before, one can think of a click track as essentially being a kind of metronome (except that in musical recordings it is fed through headphones to one or more of the musicians during a recording or performance, but as previously mentioned, quite often to just the drummer). This is because drums (often along with the bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and/or piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
when present, together making up what is often called the rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
) tend to provide the rhythmic fulcrum in small ensembles, not just because drums are loud, but also because drummers very often go through the most advanced rhythmic training compared to many other instrumentalists.
The practice of recording using an aiding click track is contrary (and bothersome to some) to the practice of using a metronome during practice and then turning it off come time for a performance or recording, which has traditionally been more common in the past. More information regarding criticisms of click tracks will be found in the relevant section of this article. The use of a click track allows for easier editing in a digital audio workstation
Digital audio workstation
A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
(DAW) or sequencer
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
, since various parts can be easily quantized and moved around or spliced together without worrying about minute differences in timing. This approach to recording is sometimes criticized for making the music sound "dead" and artificial, but in the right circumstances it can be useful. For instance, there exist modern "one-man bands" who may record all or many of the different parts of a recording separately themselves, and put them together in a multi-track audio editor. In this case, click tracks are usually essential.
This can be especially true
Click tracks can also be essential for certain types of metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, especially if the music is played at an extremely high tempo. In circumstances like these, where the margin of error is so minute, the performance may need to be aided by a click track, or it will completely fall apart, and it can become a blur in which the downbeats can't be clearly recognized, with the overall rhythm possibly in ruins. Furthermore, there is also the case of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artists, whose music is generally entirely (or mostly) based on multiple, individually created tracks, all set to rigid timing by the very nature of the medium used to produce the genre.
It is not uncommon for musicians or engineers to subdivide click tracks at slow tempos (for instance below 70 BPM) into smaller parts, with (for example) a click on the start of a bar and a beep on every individual 1/4 (or 1/8, or 1/16, etc.) note. Some musicians also use pre-recorded backing track
Backing track
A backing track is an audio or MIDI recording that musicians play or sing along to in order to add parts to their music which would be impractical to perform live.-Uses:...
s with additional parts such as synthesizers, strings or layered background vocals to recreate parts that would be impractical to play live, in which case a click track synchronized with the backing track is played through headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
or in-ear monitors to keep the musicians in sync with the backing track.
Criticisms
Some people believe that click tracks may ruin the recordings and performances of certain types of music (such as Classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
for an extreme example, especially if we are therefore also ignoring all instances of fermata
Fermata
A fermata is an element of musical notation indicating that the note should be sustained for longer than its note value would indicate...
, accelerando, ritardando and any other musical indications instructing some change in tempo), while it conversely may not ruin recordings and performances of certain other genres ("Pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
," for example, especially if it involves synthesizers, or a previously recorded vocal backing track, which would make a click track necessary in most cases). Many believe that nothing beats a talented musical ensemble keeping time together; When done with expert skill, it can be, as perceived, better than a click track aided performance or recording.
When there is no need to post-process the music with it properly fitting up to a tempo grid in a DAW
Digital audio workstation
A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
, it can be reasoned that there is thus no need to record or perform to a click track, particularly if the band is good at keeping a steady rhythm between each other. And although it is possible to create "click maps" (pre-programmed click tracks designed specifically for a song or musical presentation that changes tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and/or meter
Meter (music)
Meter or metre is a term that music has inherited from the rhythmic element of poetry where it means the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in each line and the arrangement of those syllables as long or short, accented or unaccented...
throughout), much live music can benefit from natural shifts of pace (tempo) between different sections of a song or piece of music. Genres like jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
are especially said to have this type of character to it. If one listens to some jazz from the 30s or 40s, and then imagines those musicians having to record it to an unchanging click, one might be able to see how it could ruin the musicians' "grooves," so to speak. Similarly, if one loads an old jazz recording into a DAW
Digital audio workstation
A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
and tries to automatically calculate the average BPM, they may be surprised to see just how much the tempo naturally goes up and down, depending on the current mood of the piece.
External links
- aNTiDY Clickbook—An online available tool to calculate click-tracks to synchronize the music with the film.
- What is a click track?—a thorough explanation.
- In search of the click track