Guitar frequency clashing

[Traumor]

Hey folks. I'm not the most experienced recording engineer in the world, and I have a question that may have a fairly simple answer; I read the "quad-tracking" forum and it seemed to hint at the answer, but since that forum hasn't been posted to in a month, I figured I'd start one with a more specific concern in mind.

Here's the problem: I want to quad-track my guitars, but if I pan them 100/80/80/100 (or even 100/40/40/100), the frequencies clash and ruin the overall tone. The tone that I get from double-tracking is great, but I'd like to layer certain parts in stereo (as opposed to live albums, where there is usually noticeable L/R panning of different rhythm parts...unless they did overdubs). An example is the beginning of Suffocation's "Reincremation," off Effigy of the Forgotten.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Melodeath]

Clashing? What do you mean? Maybe post a clip.

 

[Damian B]

Could it be a phase issue?

 

[outoftune]

Clashing? What do you mean? Maybe post a clip.

better post all four

 

[Sloan]

Every time your recording a guitar take, change something - either guitar, amp, cab, mic position, tone knob, whatever. Don't just track the same exact setup again and expect it to NOT get muddy real quick.

 

[SpewChunks]

Every time your recording a guitar take, change something - either guitar, amp, cab, mic position, tone knob, whatever. Don't just track the same exact setup again and expect it to NOT get muddy real quick.

If i understand correctly, are you saying every guitar track should have a subtle difference to the next. For instance, if you recorded two different guitar parts two takes each guitar, panned 100 80 80 100, then each of the four guitar takes in the stereo field should be slightly altered and will reduce the mud? Or is it better to just have the two left guitar 100 80 takes the same, and alter the right 80 100. Or something else. I'm just wondering because i've never been very clear on what the best way to do this is.

 

[cobhc]

Have the L100 and R100 tracks the same, and alter the L80 and R80, or vice versa. To me I like to have each stereo track sounding the same, not one tone one speaker and another tone on the other speaker. I also slightly disagree with Sloan, I think if you're tight enough then tracking 4 takes with the same setup will still sound ok. Whenever I've quad tracked, it never sounded muddy, just never seemed to give me enough extra to be worth the effort of tracking those extra tracks.

 

[Sloan]

If you have stereo tracks that sound too similar, your achieving what is known as "big mono".

 

[James-Doolan]

If you have stereo tracks that sound too similar, your achieving what is known as "big mono".

is big mono not when you pan multiple instruments to the same location (on top of each other) instead of spreading them out in the stereo field?? I could be wrong but that was my interpitation from reading the mixing handbook.

 

[cobhc]

They will not sound mono, because the subtle differences in your playing create enough depth to widen the stereo field.

 

[Traumor]

Hm. I wish I had the terminology to explain what occurs. I originally thought the mix was out of phase, but when I inverted the phase of the offending tracks, there was no noticeable difference.

Let me try to say it a different way. It's what happens when you have two of the exact same track sitting directly on top of each other in the mix. In this configuration, the sound is messed with a LOT. In the 100/80/80/100 or 100/40/40/100 panning I mentioned in the beginning, it is still very noticeable, but not as extreme.

I don't know how to post clips on here, or else I would .

 

[Keiffer]

post the four tracks !

 

[Jaymz]

Create an esnips account, bosh the songs on there then give us the link