In Ear Click

[EliasxGuitar]

I didn’t know what topic to put this question under, so apologies if this is the wrong one...

What does my drummer need in order to get metronome clicks on his in-ears? And we don’t use backing tracks so we can’t add clicks to that.

Edited April 8, 2021 by EliasxGuitar
Had to rephrase my question

[Dad3353]

3 hours ago, EliasxGuitar said:

I didn’t know what topic to put this question under, so apologies if this is the wrong one...

how do I get the metronome click on my in ears along with my band?

Edit: my band doesn’t use a backing track

Are you the drummer..? Normally, if he/she requires it, the drummer would be the only one with a 'click'; everyone else plays off the drummer, so...
Explain a bit more about your band set-up and your need for a 'click', please..? 

[EliasxGuitar]

6 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Are you the drummer..? Normally, if he/she requires it, the drummer would be the only one with a 'click'; everyone else plays off the drummer, so...
Explain a bit more about your band set-up and your need for a 'click', please..? 

Hi, no I’m a guitarist.

My band set up? I’m not sure what you meant by that but ummm we’re like any other band I guess. Everyone has their instrument connected to their amp/speaker. And the pianist has a MacBook connected to his piano where he has effects stored for each song we are to play. If that makes sense.

We’re thinking of getting a click because the pianist has the songs BPM already set in his MacBook for the effects and sometimes the drummer goes slower than the BPM or faster.

[Dad3353]

Several solutions to this. The most effective, I'd say, is to have the drummer trigger the Fx, using a MIDI pad. That way, the Fx are triggered at the right spot in the song, whether the drummer is faster or slower.
If, on the other hand, the Fx themselves have a specific BPM, the only real recourse is to have the drummer playing to the 'click'. I wouldn't like to think of the train crash if all the band are in sync with the keys and Fx, but not the drummer. It makes no sense.
I'm assuming that these are simply 'one-shot' Fx, such as a bit of sampled sound, and not a constant tempo-linked delay or the like..? If the latter is the case, all the band has to have that tempo available to them, and that really means that the drummer plays that BPM, with a click track, end of story. You all play to the drummer, including the keys. The Fx have to be set to the drummer's tempo. If his tempo varies during the song, change the drummer.

(Disclaimer : I'm a drummer...)

Edited April 7, 2021 by Dad3353

[leftybassman392]

Excellent advice from Douglas as always.

Having the keys player effectively setting the tempo because of the way his Macbook works makes no sense whatsoever.

If there's a drummer in the band (which there almost always is) everybody works to the tempo (s)he sets. It's just the way it is, and seeking to rewrite the rules is asking for trouble.

If the drummer needs a click to maintain tempo then so be it, but it's the drummer that needs it. If the app on the Macbook won't let you do that, get an app that will.

If the keys player has any clue about working in a band with a drummer, he should know this.

 

ETA: I'm aware that this analysis might sound a little harsh, but there is a simple solution in this situation. Trying to reinvent the wheel is really not the way to go. As always though, just my opinion.

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by leftybassman392

[Skinnyman]

To answer the question though, if you know what BPM is needed for the track in question, there are lots of metronome-type apps available for smartphones. One of those and a set of earbuds would give the drummer the tempo and a click to play to.