A
click track is used for maintaining a
precise tempo or
timing. In
animation, the click track is used by the
musical conductor during a
recording session so the
music is timed perfectly with the
images. For musicians recording an
album or
song in a
studio, it is used (normally by the
drummer) to maintain proper timing during the song. Most drummers vary their timing slightly, and the click track is used to help alleviate tempo
shifting. An example of this can be heard on early
REM albums. The
drummer has timing problems, and later he learned to use a click track to keep the proper pace for later albums. The original drummer for
Marilyn Manson was replaced because he could not play to a click track.
The clicks are generated by an electronic device or a metronome. Some drummers use a flashing light-emitting diode (LED) instead of an audible click track.