Recording click tracks in Logic 7...

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Level 1

125 points

Recording click tracks in Logic 7...

Does anyone have a tried and true, simple way of creating an audio click track file in Logic? I am preparing pre-records for a scoring session and need to create an audio click track to take with me as well.

I know I could route the metronome to an external midi box and buss back in the audio and record that, but that seems pretty ridiculous to introduce possible latency by going through midi, only to convert the analog click back to digital audio.

I've tried messing around with the Klopgeist, or whatever it's called, but can't seem to record the audio from it. I also have Stylus RMX and would love to use the Urei click in the utilities menu, but then I don't know how to send the metronome signal to it.

Anybody figure this out, or am I missing something really simple here? (probably the latter!)

Dual 2.3 Ghz G5, Mac OS X (10.4.2), Logic Pro 7.1.1, 4.5 GB RAM

Posted on Dec 8, 2005 9:06 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 8, 2005 9:13 AM in response to ryanguy

No, it's not as obvious to do this as it might sound, but I've done it before. You have to assign the output of Instrument 128 (Klopfgeist) to a bus, then have a track that has that bus as an input. I'm at work, so I can't tell you all the particulars, but have a look in the environment on whichever layer it is that has all objects in the channel strip form. The audio setup window might also let you make this routing change.

Logic is a bit behind with its click track stuff... if you are doing a scoring session prepare for @#%@% if you have to bring the orchestra in on any tempo changes. You'll notice that Logic's way of giving you 1 or 2 intro measures is simply backing up the SPL, so if you are trying to come in on a new tempo, you get 1 or 2 bars of count-off IN THE OLD TEMPO.

This is one of the biggest reasons why I have used DP for recording film cues -- it gives you the count-offs in the NEW tempo.

Of course, if you are printing the click to an audio track, you won't have the benefits using a MIDI click, but you won't have the headaches involved either (bum MIDI, latency, volume in the headphones, etc...)

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Answer 2

ryanguy Author

Level 1

125 points

Dec 8, 2005 9:44 AM in response to Everett Griffiths

Hi Everett,

Thank you for your help. Yes, I am aware of the tempo map difficulties, such as giving the orchestra a bar or two in the new tempo. I have created my maps as such for these sessions, so that's good.

I did try sending the Klop. output to a buss, and then coming back into an audio track via the same buss, but when I went to select the input for the audio track, I did not have busses as an input option. Maybe you could enlighten me on how I need to configure things to have busses available as inputs.

Once I do have things set, my plan was to back up the SPL a bar or two depending on how many free clicks I need at the top, and then set my record-dropin to begin at bar 0 (or -1, whichever it is). Does that sound like a plan to you?

Once I have my prerecords and click track, I'm going to be building Pro Tools sessions for the studio. That's the main reason I need an audio click track. My engineer is going to be using PTs to record.

It would be great for Logic to create a click utitlity that you could then use to export or create audio click tracks in the future. I was really suprised at how little (basically no) information exists as to how to create AUDIO click tracks.

Thanks again for your help Everett. If you could elaborate on the process when you get home from work it would be a big help to me.

Best,

JR

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Answer 3

Dec 8, 2005 10:46 AM in response to ryanguy

Just create a 1 bar click, either with quarter notes or 8th note subdivisions, whatever you need, using the Urei click sound from Stylus as your sound source. Make sure the MIDI events are quantized, loop as many bars as you need, and the export as an audio file.

I do this all the time, preparing for tracking sessions.

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Answer 4

ryanguy Author

Level 1

125 points

Dec 8, 2005 1:40 PM in response to Jim Frazier

Jim,

This isn't a song, it's a film score cue. Some them have 400 tempo changes over the course of 5 minutes, including compound meters, accelerandos, ritardondos, etc.

I need the click track to exactly reflect the tempo map. I think I'm on the right track now with Everett's suggestions.

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Answer 5

Dec 8, 2005 2:27 PM in response to ryanguy

ryanguy,

I understand that, but explain to me what the difference would be between using Logic's built in click, as opposed to creating a click out of MIDI events.

The MIDI events will follow the tempo map, just as the internal click would. Or am I missing something fundamentally different?

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Answer 6

Dec 8, 2005 8:03 PM in response to ryanguy

Put the Klopgeist track in the arrange window.

Mute everything else and then bounce to disk.

It works, I just did it.

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Answer 7

ryanguy Author

Level 1

125 points

Dec 8, 2005 10:55 PM in response to Marty Frasu

Marty,

I tried doing that, but it doesn't work. Tried dropping in with the record button and with cycle, tried bouncing offline and online, making sure outputs are correct.

Is there something else I could be doing wrong? I'm choosing an audio track, then in the parameter window on the left, choosing Instrument 128 (Klopgeist). When I press play and turn on the metronome, I see signal in that audio track. Don't know why I can't record it.

Any thoughts?

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Answer 8

ryanguy Author

Level 1

125 points

Dec 8, 2005 10:56 PM in response to Jim Frazier

My main concern was latency. Surely there must be a simple way to keep it in the digital domain. I've had problems before with doing it via midi. Sometimes it would drift in and out of sync--not something I want to encounter on the scoring stage.

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Answer 9

Justin C

Level 6

8,700 points

Dec 9, 2005 2:20 AM in response to ryanguy

You can use an EXS (more options than the ghost) and then create a short region all with quarter notes and enable loop-it will follow many of your changes but you may at times want another region to drop in...so create one-with eights-or if you want to hear it differently. Export track as audio file and drop it in the arrange, you can also strip silence (strictly) on it and it will move with the tempo (as you alter)-then you can reexport the track if you have any changes you'd like for your continuous click.

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Answer 10

Dec 9, 2005 4:44 AM in response to ryanguy

ryanguy,

FYI, yes, a MIDI click, in regards to using an external sound source is very inaccurate, but this isn't the case with AI's. Especially when something like the EXS is used, which is sample accurate. As long as the click sound(s) are trimmed up to where the sound starts (along with quantizing the MIDI events), it's very tight.

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Answer 11

Dec 9, 2005 5:52 AM in response to ryanguy

You need to use an AUX channel. This will give you the choice of any BUS as input. I've set-up all my Reason channels this way in order to process any Reason instrument in stereo (as opposed to two separate audio tracks). So If you send the Klop to a bus and create an AUX channel you should be able to select it from there. I've never noticed latency problems doing this, but then I've never noticed problems while bouncing either.
Hope this helps.

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

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Answer 12

Dec 9, 2005 6:20 AM in response to Jade Leary

no you don't need to use an aux channel, an esx instrument or anything else.

you bring the klopfgeist up in the arrange page, ensure the outputs are correct MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE METRONOME SWITCHED ON FOR PLAYBACK and then bounce down.

alternatively
you can use the klopfgiest as an esx instrument and put a midi track there. i sometimes to that when i want to switch to subdivisions for really tricky rubato passages.

for count ins it is as simple as cutting the first bar of the click and pasting it before bar 1. it is simple and quick enough to leave to the engineers in the studio.

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Answer 13

Dec 9, 2005 9:31 AM in response to ryanguy

ryanguy,

I've been following this posting away from my Logic system, but I believe what Marty said was 'bounce to disk', not 'record'.
So I haven't had a chance to try it his way yet but I can visualize that that way might work.

regards,
Jack

G5 Dual 2 Gig Mac OS X (10.4.2) Logic 7.1.1, PT 6.9.3, VSL

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Answer 14

Dec 9, 2005 9:43 AM in response to ryanguy

Yea, "Bounce to disk" is what you want.

But do you have "click in record" set in your Metronome preferences? Perhaps it's not, and that is why you get nothing when you go into "record"...

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Answer 15

iSchwartz

Level 5

4,321 points

Dec 9, 2005 12:28 PM in response to ryanguy

I posted this in another topic. Perhaps it's more germane to this conversation:

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1305084#1305084

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