Quad tracking: what's the point?

[axemeaquestion]

I generally double track my rhythm guitars.

But what's the point of quad tracking? Don't you run into the law of diminishing returns?

Also, when you double track, do you vary the 2nd tone in your amp, or use a different guitar? Or do you use the same sound for each pass?

 

[RockStarNick]

Quad tracking, to my ears, makes a big difference. It sounds bigger and more modern, with may or may not work depending on your application.

When you double track, each track (L and R) should be of equal volume. The slight irregularities in performance will create a great doubled effect. Makes it sound wide.

With quad tracking, what I do is run the Quad-tracked LR guitars about half the volume, with about half the gain, of the Double-tracked LR guitars.

The best way that I can describe it:
Mono guitar down the center sounds narrow and plain.
Double Tracked guitars create width.
Quad tracked guitars create depth and detail.

The kicker is that if you can't double-track SUPER tight, then don't even bother trying to quad track. It'll turn into a sloppy mess.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Doesn't really matter, a good guitarist will sound good no matter what mixing technique is used. Different though.

 

[axemeaquestion]

Quad tracking, to my ears, makes a big difference. It sounds bigger and more modern, with may or may not work depending on your application.

When you double track, each track (L and R) should be of equal volume. The slight irregularities in performance will create a great doubled effect. Makes it sound wide.

With quad tracking, what I do is run the Quad-tracked LR guitars about half the volume, with about half the gain, of the Double-tracked LR guitars.

The best way that I can describe it:
Mono guitar down the center sounds narrow and plain.
Double Tracked guitars create width.
Quad tracked guitars create depth and detail.

The kicker is that if you can't double-track SUPER tight, then don't even bother trying to quad track. It'll turn into a sloppy mess.

I'm going to have to try it. Just make sure it's edited nice and tight prior to reamping.

 

[guitarslinger]

I think it sounds better.

I'm sure it could become tedious and muddy if you have problems with precision or tone.

If you're worried about diminishing returns, then why do double tracking?

 

[axemeaquestion]

I think it sounds better.

I'm sure it could become tedious and muddy if you have problems with precision or tone.

If you're worried about diminishing returns, then why do double tracking?

Diminishing returns means that two might have a huge payoff, 4 may have some payoff but not as much as doubling. Eight may be a hair better than 4, but are you going to do it? That's diminishing returns.

 

[axemeaquestion]

I would love to hear a quad tracked clip.

Also, is quad tracking good for single note rhythms or would you also use it for chords?

 

[Anonymous]

I generally double track my rhythm guitars.

But what's the point of quad tracking? Don't you run into the law of diminishing returns?

Also, when you double track, do you vary the 2nd tone in your amp, or use a different guitar? Or do you use the same sound for each pass?

I prefer quintuple tracking.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I would love to hear a quad tracked clip.

Here's one:

Quad Tracked Clip

Steve

 

[Bob Savage]

You're really not even hearing the guitar until you have at least 4 tracks recorded. Doubling it increases the speed from 1.3 Ghz to 3.7 lbs.

 

[Anonymous]

You're really not even hearing the guitar until you have at least 4 tracks recorded. Doubling it increases the speed from 1.3 Ghz to 3.7 lbs.

Finally... someone quantifies it with real data!

Steve

 

[axemeaquestion]

I would love to hear a quad tracked clip.

Here's one:

Quad Tracked Clip

Steve

I liked it, but it was hard to discern 4 separate gits. How would that have sounded merely double tracked?

And, did you use different patches or was it the same sound for all 4 tracks?

 

[axemeaquestion]

You're really not even hearing the guitar until you have at least 4 tracks recorded. Doubling it increases the speed from 1.3 Ghz to 3.7 lbs.

Frequency, not speed. They are inverses of each other.

 

[Bob Savage]

Finally... someone quantifies it with real data!

Steve

Figured it was time to quit messing around. The OP is obviously interested in empirical data.

 

[Bob Savage]

You're really not even hearing the guitar until you have at least 4 tracks recorded. Doubling it increases the speed from 1.3 Ghz to 3.7 lbs.

Frequency, not speed. They are inverses of each other.

Anything above doubling introduces a negative and if we all don't know nothing about double negatives, it's that they combine frequency and speed to divide color.

 

[axemeaquestion]

You're really not even hearing the guitar until you have at least 4 tracks recorded. Doubling it increases the speed from 1.3 Ghz to 3.7 lbs.

Frequency, not speed. They are inverses of each other.

Anything above doubling introduces a negative and if we all don't know nothing about double negatives, it's that they combine frequency and speed to divide color.

Agreed, as long as color does not equal zero, since we know what happens when you divide something by zero.

 

[Bob Savage]

Agreed, as long as color does not equal zero, since we know what happens when you divide something by zero.

I divide by zero on guitar all the time.

 

[JakeAC5253]

One of these is quad tracked, one is double tracked, which is which?

https://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10025728

 

[Xabiche]

The kicker is that if you can't double-track SUPER tight, then don't even bother trying to quad track. It'll turn into a sloppy mess.

You can get around this by duplicating a single track and adding a barely detectable amount of chorus to it. Even better by reamping and using different amps/gains & minute chorus on each extra track.

 

[axemeaquestion]

One of these is quad tracked, one is double tracked, which is which?

https://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10025728

No idea. Couldn't tell.

That's good news for the double trackers.