Do you guys double track guitars?

[OneDaySky]

I used to quad, but now just 1 rhythm left and 1 rhythm right. Mind you i havent recorded anything brutal in a while. If the muso's are good, Quad them!

 

[Paulie!]

And BTW.. when we said 2-4 rhythm tracks... we mean their playing the same thing, not just what each guitarist is playing hard left/right...

Examples!!

Not Double Tracked
GNR - Slash and Duff are both playing "rhythm", but they are each playing something slightly different.. panned 100% L/R

Not Quad Tracked
2 Guitarists each playing their individual rhythm parts twice (each playing something slightly different).. this would be "Double Tracking" two different parts

Triple Tracking: The Metallica Method
James records each rhythm guitar riff 3 times - Panned 100% L/R and one straight up the middle

Double Tracking
Same as the Metallica Method, but minus the "Centered Track"..

Quad Tracking
Killswitch Engage - Adam D or Joel record the same rhythm riff 4 different times.. panned 100% L/R and 60-80% L/R

Double and Quad tracking are the most popular ways to track heavy metal guitars, though I personally use Triple or Double most of the time..

-Paul

 

[P-E]

Am I the only one that already hates that new smiley?

Nah, me too.

I prefer dual tracking most of the time except if I'm really going for a wall of sound.

 

[alec16]

just out of curiosity, has anyone ever tried three guitars on each side?

 

[Paulie!]

I've heard of it being done in some techy stuff around the forum, but I don't have any examples..

-P

 

[The Unavoidable]

Pretty sure hetfield did 6 tracks on MoP and maybe Justice

 

[NeglectedField]

My stuff has two guitar parts and I double-track each. I had until recently panned each 100% L/R but might experiment bringing some of it closer to the center to fill up the sound space a bit more.

 

[Paulie!]

My stuff has two guitar parts and I double-track each. I had until recently panned each 100% L/R but might experiment bringing some of it closer to the center to fill up the sound space a bit more.

If I have two distinct rhythm guitar parts, I also double track both, but I have one around 100%L/60%R and the other about 100%R/60%L..

Though, if it's a single main rhythm riff I usually either double or triple track it... and for epic choruses I'll do some Quad(or anything else that needs just a hair more thickness).

EDIT: This would be for Metal Stuff... for me, blues/rock is almost always straight double tracking (if one guitarist) or single track 100% L/R (for two guitarists or guitar parts).. that just gives it a more old school vibe to my ears...
-P

 

[saturnus]

Usually even if there is one guitarist on group i imagine that there were two, that were playing in 2 different cabs . I play 2 separate parts paned 100L/80L and another 2 takes at the same opposite side. The result is a massive guitar sound. Like Arch Enemy ^^

 

[thefyn]

What about when you capture a single take with 2 mics, and quad track (4 takes)?

You end up with 8 guitar tracks. How do you pan them?

Crème fraiche

 

[crillemannen]

What about when you capture a single take with 2 mics, and quad track (4 takes)?

You end up with 8 guitar tracks. How do you pan them?

Crème fraiche

I would summon send the 2 mics to an AUX and then record to 1 track. So if quad tracked i end up with 4 tracks total.
My Crane Song spider can work as a mixer so i can set the levels/blend on the spider before i summon the tracks.

 

[peoriashows]

just out of curiosity, has anyone ever tried three guitars on each side?

Yes. David Prater did this on the first two Fireshouse albums back in the early 90s and they sound incredible. 6 rhythm guitars tracks and tripled solo tracks. He also orchestrated thickly layered drum samples for the first time (as far as I can tell) in rock & metal music. That guy has never gotten the credit he deserves for setting a new standard for modern metal recording. Many of you might laugh because you're not into that style of rock & metal, but do me a favor. Go back and listen to those albums (and Dream Theater's Images & Words) with an objective ear and listen to the insane layering that is on them!

 

[peoriashows]

What about when you capture a single take with 2 mics, and quad track (4 takes)?

You end up with 8 guitar tracks. How do you pan them?

Crème fraiche

One technique I've not heard mentioned yet is something I like to do:

Record two dirty tracks from two different amps (or amp settings if you don't have 2 amps.) Each amp is stereo running to two different mic'd cabs. Both sets panned hard left & hard right. Then record a crystal clear clean rhythm track in the center under the mix (either direct or with an ADA MP-1 on the clean setting, it's incredible.)

It's 5 tracks total. You get the thickness of the dirty guitars and the clarity of the clean guitar in the middle. If mixed properly, you get one killer sound from only three tracking sessions.

 

[RichS]

I did 12 guitars once, 6 per side. It got too washed out.

 

[B36arin]

Am I the only person here who mostly double tracks?

 

[Heabow]

Maybe I should quad track my basses!

 

[PD-Baraka]

i double track, quad track......NEVA!!!!

 

[006]

Missed this one originally, I always double track. Never really liked quad, plus most of my clients can just barely pull off doubles I'm not going to bother with quad for them.

As far as more than quad, I believe Opeth did 8 tracks for each side on Blackwater Park for distorted rhythm guitars. The key IIRC was to use less gain than normal on each take so that when they were all summed together it sounded properly saturated but really clear and tight.

 

[Fugdup]

I usually dual track, or quad track depending on the riff/song.
I do prefer dual tracking though, for the simplicity and how quick it is.
Quad tracking can also mess things up, if it isn't played 100 % perfect. 'Specially in metal where every single instrument is fighting for their life to dominate the sound.

 

[Morgan C]

Double track with a hugeass bass guitar