# So apparently, I can't play to a metronome...



## The Atomic Ass (Apr 17, 2010)

...to save my life. 

I recorded two tracks, (the same thing riff in different octaves), and I could swear I followed my click track perfectly through both, but they get de-synced within 15 seconds.

FUCK!


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## dantel666 (Apr 17, 2010)

how were you recording it?


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 17, 2010)

Try using a drum track instead. I've never been stellar at recording to simple click, but I'm very rarely off when using an actual drum part.


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## Fantomas (Apr 17, 2010)

maybe a silly question, but do you tap your foot while playing?
I've found that if you make a habit of it, it helps a lot,


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## Cheesebuiscut (Apr 17, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Try using a drum track instead. I've never been stellar at recording to simple click, but I'm very rarely off when using an actual drum part.



^ this

I can't play to a metronome to save my life but I can keep time with drums without any issues.


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## The Atomic Ass (Apr 17, 2010)

dantel666 said:


> how were you recording it?



Guitar Rig 3. Recorded the parts separately, popped them into Audacity and lined up the beginning of each part. It sounds great for the first 2 or 3 bars, then I lose it.


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## Dirtdog (Apr 18, 2010)

Its definitly hard to hear a click if the guitars are cranked but a good snare hit you will never miss or more cowbell perhaps Ha Ha


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## right_to_rage (Apr 18, 2010)

This almost sounds like a problem with the latency and/or the sample rate of your sound card. Are you sure that your playing is off? Cause I had this problem when I first started recording, one guitar slowed in tempo after about fifteen seconds in and the problem was that I changed the sample rate before I pressed record.

Other wise, just focus really hard on playing uber tight. Use your ears, and beware that it takes practice.


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## The Atomic Ass (Apr 18, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Try using a drum track instead. I've never been stellar at recording to simple click, but I'm very rarely off when using an actual drum part.


That actually seems to work better, surprisingly.

I only had to shave a few ms here and there to make the recording sound like not shit.


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## The Atomic Ass (Apr 18, 2010)

right_to_rage said:


> This almost sounds like a problem with the latency and/or the sample rate of your sound card. Are you sure that your playing is off? Cause I had this problem when I first started recording, one guitar slowed in tempo after about fifteen seconds in and the problem was that I changed the sample rate before I pressed record.
> 
> Other wise, just focus really hard on playing uber tight. Use your ears, and beware that it takes practice.


There's way more latency due to me than the card. I usually have to trim the first 4 seconds or so off the recording. And to change the sample rate, I have to go into the prefs pane, there isn't an adjustment on the recorder.

Besides, I'm a shitty player. I just didn't realize how shitty until now.


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## The Atomic Ass (Apr 18, 2010)

Fantomas said:


> maybe a silly question, but do you tap your foot while playing?
> I've found that if you make a habit of it, it helps a lot,


After a few seconds my foot follows my playing, and then I lose tempo. Traitorous foot.


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## right_to_rage (Apr 18, 2010)

lol recording tends to be humbling, imagine how a lead singer feels! ughh


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## Creech (Apr 18, 2010)

Always practice to a metronome. I'm talking everything, your setlist, scales, arpeggios, and jamming alone. It'll help your timing in rehearsals and gigs, not just recording. Use a drum loop if it gets too boring.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 18, 2010)

Creech said:


> Always practice to a metronome. I'm talking everything, your setlist, scales, arpeggios, and jamming alone. It'll help your timing in rehearsals and gigs, not just recording. Use a drum loop if it gets too boring.



Yeah, I tried the metronome thing for the first two years I was really playing, but as you said it got old REALLY fast. 

Then I just started using drum loops and it was so much better. I honestly think my timing in a workable sense got far better from that.


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## The Atomic Ass (Apr 18, 2010)

right_to_rage said:


> lol recording tends to be humbling, imagine how a lead singer feels! ughh


Imagine how I felt recording myself for the first time, all the while thinking I had a beautiful (if off-key) baritone, and come to find out I'm practically an alto. A nasally one at that.


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## Thep (Apr 18, 2010)

Funny thing...when I was more of a beginner guitarist and just bought my first audio interface that came packaged with Cubase LE, I was missing the the clicks completely on playback. It took me a long time to realize that I was too good to be messing up that badly and figured out that there was some latency in the recording. It probably hindered my playing for several weeks lol.


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## right_to_rage (Apr 18, 2010)

Creech said:


> Always practice to a metronome. I'm talking everything, your setlist, scales, arpeggios, and jamming alone. It'll help your timing in rehearsals and gigs, not just recording. Use a drum loop if it gets too boring.


+1  When I heard Petrucci say, "Always start slow, and practice with a metronome" I took it as *always practice with a metronome*. That does get boring so make sure you play along with songs, jam tracks, drum loops, and other musicians along with using a metronome. That click is good for improving your accuracy with rhythm and timing, especially a metronome with subdivisions.


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## The Atomic Ass (Apr 18, 2010)

Thep said:


> Funny thing...when I was more of a beginner guitarist and just bought my first audio interface that came packaged with Cubase LE, I was missing the the clicks completely on playback. It took me a long time to realize that I was too good to be messing up that badly and figured out that there was some latency in the recording. It probably hindered my playing for several weeks lol.


That's the thing, there's no clicks in my playback. I'm recording to WAV, and then dropping the tracks into Audacity, and syncing the beginning of the tracks. So as long as the latency doesn't change mid-track (and I'm fairly sure it doesn't), it's the result of my shitty playing. 

Anyway, I've attached the GP5 file for the first track on my second album. I've more or less successfully laid down the first 3 tracks, and I'm working on laying down the Shimmery and bass parts as we speak.

After this awesomeness I'm going to fill the album with complete shit, so that the thing is a massive letdown to the listener.


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