Anyone else dislike tracking?

[Ermz]

It seems whenever I open a new session to track guitars, bass, drums, whatever I get this feeling of dread, seeing this large blank session in front, knowing that the next several hours will be spent filling it up with take after take after mind-numbing take. The whole process is always so tedious - in particular guitar tracking, where you're so intently anal on not only timing, clarity and power, but also tuning.

The only time I enjoy tracking is when the performer is doing a long, great take, and our intention is to comp between 3 or 4 of them. That process is somewhat creative and interesting, unlike repeated punching in of the very same section over and over and over. Unfortunately the latter is how most of us have to track guitars. Not only because performers are prone to make mistakes, but also because certain riffs can only be made 'tight enough' by punching here and there. Not to mention guitars tend to go out of tune at the drop of a hat. I literally sit there spending more time tuning than I do having the performer go through takes.

There's just something soul-crushing about this process for me. The whole time I'll be thinking about how great it will be to move onto producing/layering lead guitars and vocals.

Anyone else feel the same?

 

[HandsOfDespair]

Haha, I had the idea of starting the same thread a couple of weeks back after tracking my last band.

As much as I love mixing, I hate tracking too...But, I think it's still a lot more fun than working in an office 9 to 5, monday to tuesday.

 

[muckypup1]

I do, but I'm recording everything myself, sometimes it will be weeks of re-tracking sections of riffs and guitar patterns, I hate recording my music because I get obsessive about things and like my shit to be perfect, I've only got 2 songs fully recorded of my own in the last 6 months

 

[JeffTD]

I agree to a certain extent - the ones I hate the most are bass and drums, because I know that the player is 90% likely to be super shitty, and will take hours of editing in addition to tracking. Hell, I often times let a sloppier part than I'd usually accept slide because I know I can edit it to sound perfect in far shorter time than I can take to retrack it and then edit the better performance to be perfect.

Vocals are always really fun for me, and guitars can go either way.


The absolute worst part, IMO, is the constant barrage of "I can play this stuff way tighter and the tone will be better than what we're getting now, why don't I just do it?" thoughts that pop into my head with bass and guitar tracking .

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Yeah man, that's exactly how I feel about tracking. Thank god I live 3000km away from where I get my clients, so they track in my friend's studio and I only get the sessions for mixing, but every single time I had to track I absolutely hated it...

The only time I've enjoyed tracking was this last project I did (still editing drums now) where the drummer was absolutely tight (I'm only gonna edit a couple of fast kick drums), the guitarrist and bassist amazed me as well (songs were simple, though), and the singer was the best screamer I've ever heard in my life.

We tracked a whole 11 songs album in 9 days, from 10am to 4pm every day... Awesome, and I really enjoyed tracking, but that's quite an exception!

 

[Mago]

I guess tracking can be boring for guys who are used to do it own theire own a lot (like me) + If you think that you could do it yourself better in half of the time...but you gotta live with it I guess^^
Tracking with people who got their shit together is awesome though.

 

[crillemannen]

Agree with you there 100% Ermz. But as you wrote when the band is really good and you track a song in a few takes (3-6) then it is really a joy and inspiring process. But i always enjoyed mixing the most. I hate editing drums, it is just borring, time consuming process. Hopefully we all get famous and can hire a poor bastard that takes care of most ofthe tracking and editing mohaha

 

[crillemannen]

We tracked a whole 11 songs album in 9 days, from 10am to 4pm every day... Awesome, and I really enjoyed tracking, but that's quite an exception!

Last project we tracked a whole album (not super advanced but anyway..) in 1 1/2 day man That was a joy

 

[nialldoran]

i havent done an aful lot of tracking other people, i woul kill for the work and experiance, any music scene where i lived has dried up like a nuns.... well, you know,

last piece of tracking i did that wasnt for me was in a church with a 50 piece brass band doing movie soundtracks, and micheal jackson and abba medleys, but its was a good day even though i was the gofor,

 

[jarenare]

I hate tracking ME

 

[Torniojaws]

Heh, I kind of like tracking (my own stuff) since I will finally get the final product, and I can start to concentrate more on writing the lyrics and making the album artwork Usually I track all guitars for 10 songs in about 2,5 days and all bass stuff in one day. So I don't spend too much time fiddling around, keeping the process interesting for me

 

[muckypup1]

I hate tracking ME

Same here

 

[Charles J]

i like tracking drums, guitars (depending on the type of music... and even then i can only handle it for a couple hours at a time. that's when having a studio partner really fuckin rocks!!!)

.... and of course my favorite, vox!

i do quite enjoy mic'ing drums and getting levels, making decisions about what chains to use for certain things...

to me, seeing all the work completed is awesome. because i know the bands record or ep or whatever was done from start to finish in our studio...

and maybe, just maybe, my vision will be reached! =D

 

[whoispetty]

I'm definitely with ya Ermz

Sometimes though, I get a band that actually has a clue of what they're doing and that's when it's fun for me.

But nearly everytime I open up a template/blank project I get that eerie feeling you're talking about.

 

[greyskull]

I prefer mixing.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

nope. The punching in stuff can be tedious but it's the easiest part of the job.
get paid by the hour that might change your outlook.

as for "soul crushing" track the performance at half speed. Everyone in the room will feel ashamed but at least you get to move on.

 

[ahjteam]

am I only one who actually enjoys tracking?

 

[James Murphy]

i enjoy tracking normally... as long as i enjoy the music and the people

 

[jangoux]

Hell, I often times let a sloppier part than I'd usually accept slide because I know I can edit it to sound perfect in far shorter time than I can take to retrack it and then edit the better performance to be perfect.

+1. I was tracking this guy today that is good but not-enough-good, so I accept a lot stuff that I wouldnt accept but I know I can edit. On the studio I work on, mostly non-rock stuff, most of the time, I am obligated to record stuff that I think isn't good enough because the 'pro' musicians here think they're so good they dont need to repeat takes.

Anyway, I hate track SOME stuff. Vocals are fun to me, because most of the time I help them creating harmonies and help with the interpretation, guitars are fun when the guitarists are good, love drums....but I hate recording brass stuff and percussion so deeply that I often come home depressed after tracking these things.

 

[HCL]

Nope, it's my favourite part.