Click Sound / Metronome to use with Loops

A few months ago, I made a video and posted it on YouTube that explained how I setup Ableton Live for use with a worship band. I've gotten a lot of great feedback about the video but one of the most common questions I've gotten is this:
Where did you get that click sound? Can I get a copy of it?
I know this probably sounds ridiculous to people who aren't familiar with using click tracks but a good click sound can really make the difference in being able to lock in with the tempo or not. When I first started using loops, I literally spent days looking for the perfect click sound. Out of hundreds of examples, I landed on using just 2 sounds.

The first one from the video is ClicksBeep.wav. I can't remember where I found this and I can't find it on the net now - so, if you created it and want me to take it down, let me know and I will. This click is a great basic sound that's easy to make stand out in the ear monitor mix.

When I need something more elaborate, I use Foundations from Loops In Worship. This is an awesome tool for creating great click tracks in Ableton Live (there is also a separate version available for Garageband. It is a fully functioning metronome incorporated into Live - you can adjust the subdivisions and accents. You can even use it to send one click sound to the vocalists and another to the drummer. Best of all, you can use your own click sound with it so feel free to drop ClicksBeep.wav right into it!

I posted another video about setting a 1-bar count-in on your click tracks that you use with sequenced loops. Check it out here if you haven't seen it yet.

Hope this helps - let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to hear what click sounds other people are using!

Run For Change - World Vision's 30 Hour Famine

Run For Change from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

Every year the youth ministry that I work with participates in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. It is an incredible weekend event that raises awareness about the desperate needs of so many people around the world. Even better, we challenge the students to go out and raise money for people all over the world who are dying from preventable causes. Every year the number of kids dying from things like hunger, poverty and disease is going down...we can't help but think that's because of the work World Vision is doing through the 30-Hour Famine. With all the recent devastation in the world, you can imagine how great the need is right now.

This year, Stuart and Paige Atkins and I decided to do something a little crazy to raise awareness and money for the 30 Hour Famine. We signed up to run a half-marathon ! We are connecting our race to the Famine, and asking for support through donations. We've put together a video that explains everything in a more entertaining way - check it out for more info! We've dubbed ourselves Team "Run For Change." The money raised will go to providing food and care for people in need. The famine and race are only a few weeks away, so if you'd like to be part of making a difference in the world...act fast! Any amount you are able to give will be used to make an impact!

There are a couple of ways you can participate:

1. Be praying for the 30 Hour Famine Event at Sugarloaf UMC on March 19-20 and for the other 30 Hour Famine events that will be held at churches/youth groups all over the world.

2. Pray for Stuart, Paige and me as we finish our preparations for the the half-marathon.

3. Pass this message along to others via email, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace (is that still around?), US Postal Service, etc. We'd love as many people as possible to know about it! Here's an easy link to this post you can cut/paste: http://ow.ly/1gflP

4. You can donate online here. That will take you directly to our World Vision account.

5. You can also send your donations to:

Run for Change
c/o Student Life
1795 Old Peachtree Rd.
Duluth, GA 30097

Make checks payable to World Vision and put Run for Change in the memo.

Thanks in advance for your support! We really appreciate it.

Blessings,
Jake, Stuart & Paige
Team Run For Change!

BEST DAY EVER!!!!

Yesterday was the best day I've had in a really long time. I'm planning on uploading some video and stories soon but here's the twitter recap:

3/7/2010 10:38pm
Today=best day ever:SL Sunday,New Orleans team mtg, #passioncitychurch communion, listening to @passion268 Awakening! Heart=full,God=good!!!

140 characters don't do this day justice so just be on the lookout for a longer post.