Double tracking guitars

[bubbastain]

Just wondering about how you guys are double tracking your guitars. Do you use the exact same settings, guitar, mic position, mic ect when recording guitars. More specifically a hard left and right heavy rhythm tone. I have experimented with this a bit. If I do, I will usually just change one thing like a V30 on the right and a GK100 on the left with everything else being exactly the same. Or recently I used a boost on one side and not on the other. Just wondering what you guys(and Laura) are doing.

 

[Ventura]

Couple different ways. Sometimes I cheat and just use 2 or more mics in different positions and distances from the cab. Other times I'll lay one track, record, and then playback while laying another track with slightly altered parameters. The hard pan left and right is doable, but I've also found mixing the two up gets things nice and rich. By this I mean, first take - 2 mics - slightly different EQ for those 2 mics - record. Next take, 2 mics, slightly different EQ from first take, doesn't need to be though, record. Flip them over in the mix down:

First Take: 1L 1R
Second Take: 2L 2R
End Mix: 1L+2R 1R+2L

Whatever. I'm nuts.

 

[bubbastain]

Couple different ways. Sometimes I cheat and just use 2 or more mics in different positions and distances from the cab. Other times I'll lay one track, record, and then playback while laying another track with slightly altered parameters. The hard pan left and right is doable, but I've also found mixing the two up gets things nice and rich. By this I mean, first take - 2 mics - slightly different EQ for those 2 mics - record. Next take, 2 mics, slightly different EQ from first take, doesn't need to be though, record. Flip them over in the mix down:

First Take: 1L 1R
Second Take: 2L 2R
End Mix: 1L+2R 1R+2L

Whatever. I'm nuts.

Yes. I guess I should specify that I'm rocking one mic(SM57) and referring to just the raw tracks. No eq or anything after the sound leaves the speaker. Some nice info there anyways Mo.

 

[reverymike]

I recommend changing it up. Use a different guitar/pickup/amp, etc.

It fattens things up and gives you more frequencies and depth.

 

[benduncan]

you can double track?

though i just started this since i finally got my stupid pro tools latency issue figured out... tracking all my rhythm six times, 2 left, 2 right and 2 in the center. it sounds great to me, example:

thrash song im working on(slightly boxy tone from mic placment

https://soundcloud.com/benduncan/thrash- ... ssing-solo

i should try changing one side to see if that helps though, id also like to hear it mixed by someone who knows what theyre doing, lol

 

[koury73]

There is no right anwser to this. It's one of those things your gonna have to play with and find out what you like best. With one mic what I do is record both tracked a little differently. Listen to "Where you Come From" by Pantera. There is a part of the song where the hard panned lt and right guitars take turns playing and you can hear a big eq difference. One is thicker and sits back just a little bit in the mix and the other track is more trebely and in your face. When they come in together it mixes so well. Two mics I will record one on axis just off center of the cone and the other mic off axis at a 45 degree angle aimed at the center cone. That does bring in phase issues though. If you record with one mic and don't move it, you don't have to worry about that so much.

 

[bubbastain]

you can double track?

though i just started this since i finally got my stupid pro tools latency issue figured out... tracking all my rhythm six times, 2 left, 2 right and 2 in the center. it sounds great to me, example:

thrash song im working on(slightly boxy tone from mic placment

https://soundcloud.com/benduncan/thrash- ... ssing-solo

i should try changing one side to see if that helps though, id also like to hear it mixed by someone who knows what theyre doing, lol

Cool fucking tune man. I love the thrashy clips. I guess I hear what you mean by "boxy". Where was the mic positioned? Amp? I'd be curious to hear what your clip sounds like with just one track each on left and right. I like the rawness of fewer tracks usually.

 

[xzyryabx]

One thing to concider is ditching your mic and record w/ impulses with a direct signal from your FX-out or amp-out, this has been the go to way for me to record recently since I gave up on all the hassle and inconvenience of micing; now it's one cable running across the room, don't have to worry about positioning, cables all over the place, don't need to crank the amp, great tone (well, at least good enough for the cork-sniffers out there!)
What I do is take one rhythm channel on the pre-amp and record the song. Then I would apply b/w 1-4 impulses.
I then switch to my lead channel and record the second track. I then start playing around with impulse combinations until I find something that works b/w both tracks and stick to that combo! Takes a bit of time to find a good mix but worth it once you find a tone that you dig.

 

[bubbastain]

There is no right anwser to this. It's one of those things your gonna have to play with and find out what you like best. With one mic what I do is record both tracked a little differently. Listen to "Where you Come From" by Pantera. There is a part of the song where the hard panned lt and right guitars take turns playing and you can hear a big eq difference. One is thicker and sits back just a little bit in the mix and the other track is more trebely and in your face. When they come in together it mixes so well. Two mics I will record one on axis just off center of the cone and the other mic off axis at a 45 degree angle aimed at the center cone. That does bring in phase issues though. If you record with one mic and don't move it, you don't have to worry about that so much.

Certainly wasn't looking for a right or wrong way to do it. Doesn't exist. Like I said, I have experimented with several different ways(with tone ) and was just wondering what some of the others here do. I would imagine some guys just automatically change something between the two tracks, while others automatically keep everything the same between the two. One of my favorites was a V30 on one side and Splawn SB on the other. Everything else the same. Of course I'm basically just recording scratch tracks and song ideas using a single mic, presonus firebox and Garageband. I have a decent pair of headphones(Audio Technica ATH-M50) that I use just to hear the drum track while I record. I mute the first guitar track while I'm recording the second one. I'm using a Creative 3 piece computer speaker set that I bought new 5 years ago for $35 for everything else. I have learned where I like the mic on the speaker.

 

[bubbastain]

One thing to concider is ditching your mic and record w/ impulses with a direct signal from your FX-out or amp-out, this has been the go to way for me to record recently since I gave up on all the hassle and inconvenience of micing; now it's one cable running across the room, don't have to worry about positioning, cables all over the place, don't need to crank the amp, great tone (well, at least good enough for the cork-sniffers out there!)
What I do is take one rhythm channel on the pre-amp and record the song. Then I would apply b/w 1-4 impulses.
I then switch to my lead channel and record the second track. I then start playing around with impulse combinations until I find something that works b/w both tracks and stick to that combo! Takes a bit of time to find a good mix but worth it once you find a tone that you dig.

As much as I love playing my amp loud, this thing would be sweet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnxWVN9Tsfw&feature=plcp But I'm broke. I'm cool with the mic and cord for now.

 

[Audioholic]

If I double track with 2 different amps, I have to make sure they are gonna work together, meaning blend well and not phase out when in mono, this can happen. If the two amps compliment each other, then it sounds awesome. If I use the same amp, I do often change the eq slightly, and usually the gain as well, so its less gainy etc. this helps them stick out a bit I think.

I have quad tracked a few times, and sometimes that sounds good as well, but you have to nail the parts otherwise it can get mushy and messy fast, and the benifit sometimes is just slightly thicker rather then much thicker.

 

[garey77]

I have been doing a hard L & R, and a L80 & R80 (multiple takes). I usually just roll off the bottom end eq-wise on all the tracks. A lot of the time if you play with your 'verb a bit from track to track, you'll get a nice, full sound across the spread (in my humble experience). Lately, since I have a v30 clone and a g12h30, I mic both and place them together at each point in the spread. It makes for 8 tracks total, and you have to play with the balance of the two mics, but it usually is quite thick and distinct.

 

[_actual time_]

on my band's last EP (been a while), i used the same amp & settings and same speaker (my iso closet), but different guitars and/or mics.

i did three tracks for each--L, R, and center--and panned the side ones IIRC at 66%. or maybe it was more than that? i noticed a clear difference between three tracks and only two, but little difference between three and more than that. one of the tunes, Holes, is here: http://www.myspace.com/actualtime

if i only had one mic, i would use different guitars and maybe tweak the amp settings a little bit--a tiny touch more Presence or something.

 

[bubbastain]

on my band's last EP (been a while), i used the same amp & settings and same speaker (my iso closet), but different guitars and/or mics.

i did three tracks for each--L, R, and center--and panned the side ones IIRC at 66%. or maybe it was more than that? i noticed a clear difference between three tracks and only two, but little difference between three and more than that. one of the tunes, Holes, is here: http://www.myspace.com/actualtime

if i only had one mic, i would use different guitars and maybe tweak the amp settings a little bit--a tiny touch more Presence or something.

Cool ass tune man.

 

[benduncan]

you can double track?

though i just started this since i finally got my stupid pro tools latency issue figured out... tracking all my rhythm six times, 2 left, 2 right and 2 in the center. it sounds great to me, example:

thrash song im working on(slightly boxy tone from mic placment

https://soundcloud.com/benduncan/thrash- ... ssing-solo

i should try changing one side to see if that helps though, id also like to hear it mixed by someone who knows what theyre doing, lol

Cool fucking tune man. I love the thrashy clips. I guess I hear what you mean by "boxy". Where was the mic positioned? Amp? I'd be curious to hear what your clip sounds like with just one track each on left and right. I like the rawness of fewer tracks usually.

thanks.

as for the boxyness, its mainly caused by the room. though the mic position is bad also. i usually use a dynamic and a condenser. on this i just threw a dynamic up there without really thinking about it because my condenser is in the shop . i have an iso box thing that i built for recording vocals and guitar. im recording some vocals right now so i had to move my cab. its right up against an insulated wall in there. as it is my understanding, fully insulated walls only suck up certain frequencies but not others leaving you with a boxy sound. the wall that my cab usually faces has some non insulated spots

short answer, i moved my cab to a bad spot in the room

i have trouble getting a big sound with just two guitar tracks, though i dont know how to mix either, that could be the problem.

 

[fluff191]

There is no right answer for this question. Whatever sounds good!

I personally use the same setup, mic, everything. 2 takes, one panned 96% Left and the other 96% Right.

In the past I have used 2 mics as a blendable EQ and done the technique mentioned above and then doing the same thing with the mic placed for lots of highs. Then in the DAW I will slowly bring the level up to taste.

Whatever floats your boat.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

unless you are doing the two guitarist split thing (izzy/slash, glenn/K.K) I just always found one or two mics where they sounded good and blended well and then pan one right and one left about 90 or so and the big one, delaying one side by a fraction of a second to space it out. That sounds killer with leads and delay which gives it a stereo effect but also very cool for rythms and pretty sure it was a trick used by a lot of one guitarist bands from the 80's.

 

[wheelman]

For the lazy bastard could you just duplicate one take then alter one of the tracks eq's?

 

[Audioholic]

For the lazy bastard could you just duplicate one take then alter one of the tracks eq's?

I have never really had much luck with copying over the same take and panning that way, you would have to add a slight delay to give it some space which would thicken it up, but just sounds better to double track imo, its the slight variations in performance that gives it the width and thickness imo

 

[Ventura]

Recording and tracking is a definite nudge towards insanity. At least for me it has been...and continues to be