What a great thread about this click track !!
I myself, is a drummer. I have been used click track with my band when we jamming and performing live, it's been over 2 years, and it very helpful for me, and us
Me and my band was some kind of tribute band to Dream Theater, we perform many many of Dream Theater song.
And we have no keyboard player here, so you know what happen, the DT song was not good at all without keyboard when you played it with your band, and that problem was started to worried me.
People, the audience, even us, can't enjoy DT song very much because no keyboard when we play it live
Because keyboard has been an very important aspect in Dream Theater
Since Mangini era, I start to configured that some how, Dream Theater playing their song in very correct tempo and time, I even try to sync their live video from YouTube with Original song, and it is match between video and the mp3, if you know what I am talking about here.
And then I revealed that Mike Mangini has using click track in his ear monitor and he give all the rest of members the tempo of the song.
It suddenly give me an idea to make my own click track too
But you know Dream Theater, their song was complex, with tempo and time signature changing almost all the song
And I start to learn every software that allows me to make various tempo and time signature. Until now, I used cubase to make my click track.
And since then, I start to searching all keyboard stem I can get on the Internet. Thanks so so very much to those of them who give me the keyboard stem and isolated keyboard track they have..
And so I start to make tempo and time signature, and then synchronize the click track with Isolated keyboard track I have for DT song
And I start to configure it, how can my ear monitor hear only the click track, mean while in the same time, in the output speaker, come out keyboard only. And I found the way for it, using my sound card device.
And there you go, me and my band until now, always play DT song, without keyboard player but somehow keyboard sound out of nowhere, and make our perform was getting better than ever..
Of course I, MUST REMEMBER exactly where the song start and end, I have no other but the click track only in my ear monitor. So I must be careful and try not to out of the click track. If I did any mistakes when we live, and the keyboard sound start out of sync, I immediately turning off the keyboard sound from monitor just behind my kit, and we gonna continue the whole song without any click track on me and keyboard sound on speaker anymore, but thanks God it never happen when we performing live
And of course my other friend did not hear any click track like I am, so when the song start with guitar first, I must in very focused communication with him, and I start counting the tempo as I hear in my ear monitor, so he can start playing his guitar with the tempo I give, I usually hit hihat slowly or hit my stick for him.
For how I know when the song start, yes I always give a click before start playing
8 click, double time 4/4, if the song start immediately, so I have a longer time to sync my self to click track and not shocked me. For example, The Enemy Inside, or Constant Motion with guitar first.
4 click, one time 4/4, if the song start with keyboard only. For example, A Nightmare to Remember.
Now we developed, not only use the keyboard track, but also we can backing track for backing vocals or guitar too.. Just like outcry song, before in drum electric part, my guitarist use his second melody sync with my click track and comes out from speaker, give him very great performance on stage..
We also use another sound and voice that make our performance cooler just like we use track "Hold it now, wait a minute, come on !!" In Take The Time song, or we use ambulance and car crash sound in A Nightmare to remember
Some month ago, we even try to use back screen video, for our next performance. And it goes very very well without any problem !!!
We try to play The Enemy Inside with keyboard track, and our back screen video, show The Enemy Inside Official Video Clip from Dream Theater
I have to tell you, it is a very great experience and very helpful to make our performance getting better and stay in good tempo.
As I drummer and the leader in my band, I must knowing very well what I am doing here, and I have practice to drumming and sync my self with the click track. I must remember all time signature and how the tempo is going, and I must be the TEMPO for all my band members, I am the click track for them, that's how everything works in last 2 years in my band
Soon I will try upload some videos of me and my band playing Dream Theater live with me using click track and you can hear the sound of keyboard comes out from speakers..
Umm, sorry for my bad english, I am from Indonesia, hehehe