Fattening up guitars

[smy1]

Hey guys,

I recently came up with an idea and it worked well for me, maybe it will work well for you, too!

Record 4 tracks of rhythmguitars, pan them L/R however you like. Record another track and pan it dead center.

Now, cut this center guitar up so it only plays in the arrangement when the vocals are not there. Put a ducker on it and sidechain it from your kick and snare (you might have to bus them to a channel to do this).

Bring up this center guitar channel at maybe 50% of the other guitar volumes.

This way you get a fatter, more direct/in-your-face sound when there are no vocals (remember, you only have it play when there are no vocals) and whenever a kick or snare is played it gets ducked a bit because they also occupy the middle of the stereo spectrum. That way it doesn't fuck with your drum sound.

Try it and tell me what you think.

 

[Ermz]

Sounds like a real good idea in theory man. I'll definitely consider it.

I normally do this in another sense. I tend to bring in a 5th guitar during choruses, underneath all the other ones just to add extra thickness.

 

[smy1]

I tend to bring in a 5th guitar during choruses, underneath all the other ones just to add extra thickness.

I have never done that, but I read about using a guitar in the middle 2 weeks ago. Since I like to keep my center channel clear for vocals, kick and snare, I was thinking about a way to get the middle guitar out of the way of those elements. It's subtle but it works.

 

[greyskull]

other chorus fattening tricks - Piano.
and Tamborine!! listen to killswitch, then listen again in the choruses. its there!!

 

[Ermz]

Acoustic guitars too...

 

[whitedamp]

Godsmack and deftones are known to record 2 tracks hardpanned and 1 center with another amp, but as I´ve read in interviews, they don´t use the center track everytime.

 

[Flat Fifth Fury]

There are lots of tricks to thicken things up and it's always a matter of bringing in texture. 2 tracks with one amp, 2 tracks with a different amp, 2 tracks with a much cleaner gtr, a track of totally clean gtr in one channel and an acoustic in the other .. blah blah.

Then there are the things you can do with vocals like adding a "whisper track" underneath the main vocal where the singer whispers the lyrics along with the main track. Then you put the whisper just a barely in and it sounds ver-a big.

Isn't the art of production fascinating?

 

[Aaron Smith]

Then there are the things you can do with vocals like adding a "whisper track" underneath the main vocal where the singer whispers the lyrics along with the main track.

I actually just tried this recently, and it does indeed make for a really cool sound!

 

[Ola Englund]

The best trick I have to fatten up guitars is to use a fat sounding bassguitar, fatten up every other instrument. My point is don't focus on only the guitars.

I've always been a spokesperson for using only 2 guitar tracks. I mean hell 5 guitar tracks for a rhythm guitar? Sounds a bit over the top for me.

 

[colonel kurtz]

another subtle one that i like is to mix a clean DI signal in under distorted guitar tracks to add some clarity/definition

or, if no DI, mic the strings while tracking, and mix that in

 

[AudioPhile777]

adding a "whisper track" underneath the main vocal where the singer whispers the lyrics along with the main track. Then you put the whisper just a barely in and it sounds ver-a big.

I've been doing that for a few years... the sibilance can be hard to control at time with inexperienced singers, so that trick isnt for everyone...

 

[pifos_2]

another subtle one that i like is to mix a clean DI signal in under distorted guitar tracks to add some clarity/definition

or, if no DI, mic the strings while tracking, and mix that in

chimaira - ressurection, seems to use that trick...

 

[JeffTD]

chimaira - ressurection, seems to use that trick...

No, Andy explained that that was a sample we were hearing.

 

[colonel kurtz]

yea dude...everybody drumagogs their rythym tracks nowadays

 

[Gaspard]

"Put a ducker on it and sidechain it from your kick and snare"

What is a ducker and what is sidechain ? I read these therms all the time, maybe i do it without knowing what it is.

Anyway, i do thetrick with compression on the master track, seems to boost things when loud vocals arent there.

 

[Wolfeman]

"Put a ducker on it and sidechain it from your kick and snare"

What is a ducker and what is sidechain ? I read these therms all the time, maybe i do it without knowing what it is.

Anyway, i do thetrick with compression on the master track, seems to boost things when loud vocals arent there.

A ducker functions kinda like a gate. In this application, when you get a snare hit, the ducker will 'duck' the guitar part (lowering its level or removing it completely depending on how you set it). When the snare hit is over, the ducker opens up, and the guitar comes through again....

 

[Gaspard]

A ducker functions kinda like a gate. In this application, when you get a snare hit, the ducker will 'duck' the guitar part (lowering its level or removing it completely depending on how you set it). When the snare hit is over, the ducker opens up, and the guitar comes through again....

Wouldnt that be possible to get on a compressor ? wouldnt this sound too weird ?

Can i do a "duck" on pro tools LE 7 ?

 

[Seizure.]

I just reamped some tracks from a band im working on through a brunetti 059 with a tubescreamer in front of it.. and the only thing i did was some low and high pass No need to fatten up an allready awesome amp!
http://www.upload.celtiaproductions.co.uk/uploads/ESCABrunetti.mp3

This aint no final mix yet though...

 

[the_man361]

Wouldnt that be possible to get on a compressor ? wouldnt this sound too weird ?

Can i do a "duck" on pro tools LE 7 ?

just use a sidechain compressor with the snare/kick as the key

 

[neverpurify]

Would anyone mind explaining how to set up a side chain compressor as mentioned? I would love to learn this trick.