tracking guitars?...

[155]

when you guys are tracking guitars for say a 2 guitar band would you double track or quad track each guitar? and would you do all different takes for each track or just copy and pan them? Im wondering if having 2 guitars tracked 4 times each with different takes would be too much or be good? Im planning on using different amps on the tracks , like 4 total just wondering what the best way to do this is...Im leaning toward quad tracking each guitar with 2 takes each? Its like a hard rock metal type band..thanks!

 

[kasperjensen]

It's different for each band and song, etc...

Usually double tracked on each side.

The rhythm guitar in the YouTube link in my signature is doubled tracked twice on each if I remember correctly. And each take is 5 mics or so (3 amps at once and some rooms). So what you actually have is 20 tracks in your DAW representing 4 takes of the same part.
Not everything gets equal attention in the final mix, but it's all there for a reason.

 

[Anonymous]

I would double track each guitarist first and see how that sounds with appropriate panning. If the guitarists are REALLY accurate and I think it needs more after hearing 4 panned tracks of guitar, then I'd consider quad tracking, but my bet is it would not be necessary most times - it is more likely to be necessary with one guitarist doing something heavy...

Copying tracks and panning them is bullshit - doesn't work. People try delaying them a few samples after copying and then panning, but that doesn't work either. What makes double (and more) tracking sound so thick is the tiny variations in the playing from one track to the next. And the variations SHOULD be tiny. You need to be accurate when double tracking and even more accurate with more tracks...

Steve

 

[JerEvil]

I would double track each guitarist first and see how that sounds with appropriate panning. If the guitarists are REALLY accurate and I think it needs more after hearing 4 panned tracks of guitar, then I'd consider quad tracking, but my bet is it would not be necessary most times - it is more likely to be necessary with one guitarist doing something heavy...

Copying tracks and panning them is bullshit - doesn't work. People try delaying them a few samples after copying and then panning, but that doesn't work either. What makes double (and more) tracking sound so thick is the tiny variations in the playing from one track to the next. And the variations SHOULD be tiny. You need to be accurate when double tracking and even more accurate with more tracks...

Steve

THIS!!!

Now, I usually do one guitar hard left, one hard right and one down the center. I use a slightly darker guitar on the hard pan tracks and one a little brighter down the middle. I read this in an article with Dave Mustaine and for some reason it seems to work for me. Of course, I am only recording my stuff and I like sound I like ...

 

[155]

hmm thanks for the help guys , do you think copying is still bs even if its another amp? either way I think im gonna double track both and see how that sounds after they are panned...

 

[JerEvil]

hmm thanks for the help guys , do you think copying is still bs even if its another amp? either way I think im gonna double track both and see how that sounds after they are panned...

Yeah, it isn't going to do what you want. Guitars might sound LOUDER but certainly not THICKER.

Like Steve said, it's those subtle variances in playing that make things just sound full.

 

[Anonymous]

hmm thanks for the help guys , do you think copying is still bs even if its another amp? either way I think im gonna double track both and see how that sounds after they are panned...

Yeah, it isn't going to do what you want. Guitars might sound LOUDER but certainly not THICKER.

Like Steve said, it's those subtle variances in playing that make things just sound full.

What he said...

Steve

 

[JTyson]

I run a track for each of 2 mikes on the same cab for one head, then switch heads and use the same (or very close) cab with a different head with 2 more tracks, slightly panned L/R for rhythm work, and whatever suits the song for leads. One track will be a Royer 121 into a UA LA610, then a 57 into a Avalon 737 for a bit of teeth to compliment the smoothness of the Royer. One head will have a bit more saturation and the other will be all teeth, but they sound great together.
Had really good results with this setup

 

[155]

thanks for the thoughts guys I like to hear peoples different ways of doing things..im also going to be reamping them as well..but that wont effect my track count or anything..

 

[wwstewart]

My band just throws 2 mics on the cab and catches a direct signal if possible, doubles all of the tracks and pans the crap out of them.

We may be doing it wrong. Haha.

 

[Fragglerick]

We like double tracking, panned hard left and hard right. We usually use different guitar/amp combos for texture.

 

[steelehead]

This is a trick we used to double track guitars in the studio.(we all can't be randy)

 

[tubortski]

It's different for each band and song, etc...

..production goal, ep, album, vibe, it goes on an on and there are no rules. You want to track guitars till your eyes bug out, go for it. Mixdown is not the time to track more guitars, unless you really want to piss off your bandmates.

 

[sytharnia1560]

It's different for each band and song, etc...

..production goal, ep, album, vibe, it goes on an on and there are no rules. You want to track guitars till your eyes bug out, go for it. Mixdown is not the time to track more guitars, unless you really want to piss off your bandmates.

+1

I usually will do 2 tracks and then "fake" double them (so move one side of a stereo track by milliseconds)...sure you don't get "nuances" of doing 4 takes but it is easier and still sounds a million times better than single tracks

 

[petejt]

Play in stereo with one amp slightly darker and the other slightly brighter, each recorded through a separate mic (or mic array if you are familiar with it and they are in phase). Keep the tracks separate, the dark amp hard panned to one side and the bright amp hard panned the opposite way.

Then repeat the process while recording along to the playback, so you double track it.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I actually play the tracks. When I record I like to layer tracks and use different guitars, amps and slightly different tone and gains. I used the Randy Rhoads method of building/layering where I actually record different tracks and not fake clone them. I like to do solo's the same way and triple track them and pan one slight left, one center and one slightly right in the mixdown, they really pop when you do that.

If you have the time and money record as many tracks as you can...its easier to shit can ones you don't need than to get to mixing phase and wanting more to play with.

 

[155]

a little OT here but what db level would you guys record a di signal into your daw at? -6 to -12??

 

[steelehead]

Anything we use to do go to red clipping, and then backed off until it wasn't clipping then on the mix down we fixed all levels.

We were recording on adats and xts.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

On the flipside, it is amazing how challenging just doubling one track can be let alone 4... Even simple rythm playing, you can totally both one chord and throw your timing. Keep it simple, two seperate tracks, left and right. Plenty thick as the nuances in playing fill out the spectrum as Steve and others mentioned. Another good idea was floated here, dark/bright sides. I found using a cascade fathead on a brighter sharper speaker (super v) and a brighter mic , sm57 on a "softer" speaker (weber legacy) combines for a thick yet cutting tone. Sort of like both sides get a bit of dark/bright in the tone. This is what i am going to be recording with. I was playing around with IRs as well and i just tried this out for comparison and it stuck. Digging it.

 

[petejt]

a little OT here but what db level would you guys record a di signal into your daw at? -6 to -12??

Perfectly reasonable question I reckon. I'm still trying to work out how to capture a really loud sound, and have it play back at high volume. When I listen to the playback it seems too quiet through the laptop. It's only decently loud through the mixing desk and powered monitor speakers.