Click Track

A click track is a metronome built into a DAW or a playback system: usually a short tick or beep on every beat, often with a different sound on beat 1. Musicians hear it in headphones, and the microphones should not pick it up.

Why record to a click

• Everything lines up with the grid. The bars and beats in the DAW match the music, so you can copy sections, build loops, quantize and edit easily.
• Overdubs fit. Parts recorded on different days by different players sit together (overdub).
• The tempo stays steady, if that is what the music needs.
• Live shows with backing tracks use a click so the band stays in sync with the recorded parts.

Getting comfortable with a click

Playing to a click is a skill of its own:

1. Count in. Most DAWs offer a count-in, one or two bars of clicks before recording starts, so you can feel the tempo.
2. Choose the subdivision. At slow tempos, a click on every eighth note is easier to follow; at fast tempos, a click on half notes, or on beats 2 and 4, can feel more natural.
3. Lock in rather than chase. Treat the click as part of the band. When you are exactly together, it seems to disappear into your notes; when you hear it sticking out, you are probably slightly off.
4. Keep it at a moderate level in your headphones, and use closed-back headphones near a microphone so the click doesn't leak into the recording.

Keep the Pulse Through Silence and The Click Comes Back: Early, Together or Late? train exactly this steadiness: keep the beat going while the click drops out, then check whether you are still together when it returns.

When not to use one

Music with rubato, gradual tempo changes or a free, conversational feel can sound stiff when forced to a click. You can record without one, or build a tempo map in the DAW that follows the music's natural changes, so the grid still lines up with the bars. Either way, the tempo is set in beats per minute.