# How do you run clicks, and do any of you run your own sound?



## tmemike (Aug 4, 2014)

Hey guys, I was wondering how you guys run clicks live! My band has a mixer, and runs an ipod to it's left and right inputs. Then the left output (with the samples) goes to the PA and the right output (with the clicks) goes to our drummer. 

Also, we'd like to look into being more in control of our sound. Is there a way to do this without having to hire a sound guy and pester the venue's soundguy? 

Thanks!


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## Emperor Guillotine (Aug 4, 2014)

First part - I've just used a little interface with 2 outs and 2 ins. (Anything like a Scarlet 2i2 or a Mbox would work.) Upgrading to a rack interface for a more professional appearacne and more options soon though.

Second part - not really. You can either use the venue's sound guy (and be displeased and boss him around) or hire your own sound guy (which is something I'm seeing more and more bands do). Other than that, I think you're up a creek without a paddle.


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## callankirk (Aug 7, 2014)

I have been in the process of building a setup for my country project that I slap da bass in. Looked into midi controlled click, midi controlled backing tracks, and in ear mixes. The Behringer x32 producer (~$1500) seemed to be the best bet. Set it up with a rackmount 16x2 split snake and you've got more than enough inputs, a split to FOH (so the soundguy can do his thing), and click to whoever's ears want it. All in all it will be around $2k, which is pretty damn reasonable. 

Other bands that I run sound for have the drummer with a metronome on his HH stand or something and he has IEM's in - only he hears it. Seems to be the cheapest solution.


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## iamnoah262 (Aug 7, 2014)

I've done it the iPod way before, but towards the end of my band days we did it with a multi output interface running three tracks from Reaper on a laptop
Track 1. Clicks, in the mixer we set these to their own output channel (fun tip, you can also send any samples OR any recorded audio even to this channel)
Track 2. stereo output left
Track 3. Stereo output right
The stereo outs went into a dual DI box that ran to the front of house so we could use stereo samples.


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## GunpointMetal (Aug 12, 2014)

other than ping-pong type effects, what are the advantages to having stereo outs? I'm considering the interface route for our clicks/backing, but mostly so I can get some separation between some of the stacked keys on the backing track and have a separate channel for low frequency effects.....although it is a kick to see the sound guys face when a big crash or boom comes in and he's cranked the backing channel during a key part that is supposed to be quiet cause he wanted it louder.

I'd like to get one of the X32 boards (or something iPad/iPod controllable) and DI everything, send the sound guy a stereo out, and then stand back at the board and mix it myself. So sick of sound guys mixing us like we have a vocalist, or these old neckbeards that automatically set the mids on any guitar channel to zero.


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## chamelious (Aug 13, 2014)

Almost all bands running clicks use either a mp3 player with either L or R being the click for the drummer, or a laptop+interface with one of the outputs being the click. We use a laptop. 

In terms of running your own mixes, the cost goes way up, and you need something like the behringer x32 as mentioned. For low/mid level bands IMO the cost and hassle associated with this just isnt worth it.


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## eyeswide (Sep 12, 2014)

So here's what my band does:

Our laptop runs Cubase with our entire set in one project - it's a fixed length set with fixed breaks between songs (it can be paused if needed). The clicks automatically change tempos at specific times for song changes. Our light show is also run through midi and DMXIS from here.

The laptop feeds into an Audiobox 1818. The 1818 then separates the click tracks, back tracks and any other tracks - I like to put a bit of the recorded guitar during live shows. Also, when we're jamming and are missing a member, we just unmute that person's track in Cubase and we can listen to them and jam like we're a full band that day.

The 1818 feeds into an Allen and Heath Mixwizard 12m. The click/back/other tracks all have separate channels and can be mixed independently. Our guitar/bass/mics all feed into the 12m as well.

The 12m has a direct split, so we send a snake to the PA that contains all the tracks they need (they don't need the click, so they don't get any feeds with it). Anything the sound guy does, doesn't matter to us. Hopefully they don't .... up our sound (which they have, but will happen from time to time no matter what set up you run). But for us, it doesn't matter. 

The 12m feeds (separate from the split) into our IEMs. We individually set out mixes, with whatever we want to hear in whatever ears we want (such is the power of the 12m). The 12m can do six unique, stereo mixes. We have four members, so we each get one. We use another one to connect to a power amp in the rack. For that one, we can run our own sound if need be, by setting up a mix. Or, if I'm just jamming around the house, I'll use that channel fed into a speaker so I don't have to use IEMs when I'm just solo practicing.

I have found this setup to be amazing! If anyone has questions and I'm not responding to this thread, just send me a pm and I'll get back as soon as I can!


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## coldandhomeless (Sep 14, 2014)

my drummer is the clicktrack... he dont need a metronome


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Sep 15, 2014)

My band runs our clicks and backtracks through an iPod and a small/cheap mixer. 

We pan the backtracks 100% right and the click+the backtracks at a lower level 100% left. The iPod is run around 80% volume (to prevent any clipping from maxing it out) into a splitter that sends the left side into one channel of the mixer and the right side into another channel. The channel of the mixer that has the right side of the iPod is sent to the FOH and the channel with the left side is sent to our drummer, so he hears the click and some of the backtrack for reference in his earphones. 

In theory, you could take the mixer out of the equation and only use the splitter, but then you wouldn't have control of how loud the signal being sent to the FOH is since you'd have to set the iPod to however loud the drummer needs/wants it.


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## hairychris (Sep 17, 2014)

tmemike said:


> Also, we'd like to look into being more in control of our sound. Is there a way to do this without having to hire a sound guy and pester the venue's soundguy?
> 
> Thanks!



Impossible, basically, unless you bring own guy, own desk, and the venue is OK with you running your own desk into their power amps.

You have to consider a load of different variables for _each_ venue:

Setting up stage + miking: sound man/woman usually does this
Cable runs (from stage to desk)
Monitoring (desk to stage))
Sound is affected by: venue size, shape
Sound is affected by in real time: how full venue is, atmospheric conditions

You absolutely have to have someone out in FOH to monitor the situation, make adjustments if required, and to troubleshoot if there's a problem. You cannot do this from the stage.

Plus if the venue has it's own mics, DIs, etc, they will usually want their own person there to look after things. So you'll have to bring your own too.

If you think that you're going to be able to do this from on-stage, plus during a show, um.. no. The best that you can do is maybe use a mixer to control what you can (synths, etc) and then pass that out to the house desk but in most "guitar band" cases this is overkill.


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