In modern music production, the click track stands as both a helpful tool and a controversial figure. Originally designed to provide rhythmic stability and precision, click tracks have become a ubiquitous presence in studios worldwide. However, as technology advances and production methods evolve, there’s a growing concern among musicians and producers alike that click tracks might be stripping away the very essence that makes music human: its imperfections, nuances, and organic feel.

The Click Track: A Double-Edged Sword

A click track, for the uninitiated, is a metronomic guide used during recording sessions to ensure that musicians play in perfect time. It’s essentially a digital pulse that ticks away in the headphones of the performers, acting as a relentless guidepost for tempo and timing. While its benefits are undeniable — facilitating precise editing, tightening up performances, and enabling seamless overdubbing — its drawbacks are increasingly evident.

The Loss of Human Feel

One of the primary criticisms levelled against click tracks is their tendency to iron out the natural ebb and flow of music. Human musicians, by their very nature, don’t play with robotic precision. They speed up, they slow down, they emphasize certain beats, they add subtle nuances — all of which contribute to the unique character of a performance. Listen to songs like Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones. The beat is kept by Charlie Watts who was widely recognised as one of the best rock drummers ever and yet the tempo varies greatly throughout the song. There are thousands, probably millions of track recorded without a click track, does that mean they are inferior in some way? Click tracks, however, demand rigid adherence to a fixed tempo, often at the expense of musical expression.

Sterile Soundscapes

Moreover, click tracks can inadvertently foster a sterile sonic environment. When every instrument is locked to the same metronomic grid, there’s a risk of losing the dynamic interplay and spontaneity that make live recordings so captivating. The subtle fluctuations in timing and intensity that occur naturally during a performance are smoothed over, resulting in a homogenized sound that lacks the warmth and vitality of human interaction.

Creative Constraints

Beyond their impact on performance, click tracks can also impose creative constraints on musicians. The pressure to adhere to a predetermined tempo can stifle experimentation and improvisation, limiting the potential for serendipitous musical moments to emerge. In essence, click tracks prioritize technical precision over artistic exploration, relegating musicians to the role of mere automatons executing predetermined instructions.

Embracing Imperfection

In light of these concerns, many artists and producers are re-evaluating their reliance on click tracks and exploring alternative approaches to recording. Some advocate for “live off the floor” recording techniques, wherein musicians perform together in the same room without the aid of click tracks, capturing the spontaneity and energy of a live performance. Others champion the use of “tempo maps,” which allow for more flexible tempo changes within a song, mimicking the natural fluctuations of a human drummer. The ‘swing’ feature within most DAWs points to the probability that most artists recognise that rigid tempo isn’t a human trace and ‘feel’ is often more important.

Conclusion

While click tracks undoubtedly serve a valuable purpose in music production, their widespread adoption has sparked a contentious debate within the industry. As technology continues to reshape the landscape of music creation, it’s essential to strike a balance between technical precision and human expression. Ultimately, it’s the imperfections, nuances, and idiosyncrasies of human performance that imbue music with its soul — and it’s imperative that we don’t let the click erase them entirely.

Do I use a click track on my recordings? Yes. However, whilst I use a click track on the initial recording, when I’m recording draft or sample tracks, as soon as I’ve got the drums in place I switch off the click track and rely on percussion to keep time. This inevitably leads to instruments being slightly out of time and believe it or not I actually had some kind soul criticize one of my songs because it wasn’t exactly in time.