Click tracks

[kevinhh]

Hi all, I'm trying to generate synced click tracks to just normal MP3 songs (ex: John Lennon's Imagine, Keane, etc). It always seems that I can match the song perfect for a few measures, then it starts to deviate more and more. Is it because they're using fraction BPMs? Or are normal studio records just always faulty that way (not strictly a certain BPM from start to end)?

It's so painful to create a click track that matches a song fully If anyone can help, it'd be great. Also, is there a way to specify fraction BPMs for clicktracks? I think Imagine might be 151.5 or something.

On a side note, the reason I'm trying to do this is so that I can position markers/labels for specifc events. For example, I would like to have a program that would show a snare drum being hit when a snare drum hits in the song. So I'm thinking I could use a click track to find where all the beats are, and then add a label to the snare beats that the program would understand. Windows Media Control for VB.NET has this ability to play a song that contains markers, and raises markerHit events when they're reached in a song. Anyone know an easier way to acomplish this (aside from auto-instrument recognition)?

Thanks a lot!

[straightupwv]

The problem may be with the humans that played the drums on the songs you're trying to work with. There aren't many people in this world who can keep a continuously perfect tempo throughout an entire song. Two vivid examples are The Who's "See Me, Feel Me", which ends at almost double the tempo at which it starts, and Pink Floyds's "Time", which has much faster verses than refrains. Unless the drummer recorded the song with a click track in his/her ear, you may be fighting a losing battle.