Guitar layering

[Heabow]

Hey

I'll probably sound like a noob but since I always recorded guitars with only one amp & usually a single sm57 in front of the cab, I'd like to know more about 'layering' and how to deal with multiple guitar tracks...

Ok, many people use to record rhythm guitars with 2 different amps with 2 mics in front of each cab. 4 tracks/guitar, right? If so, we get 16 tracks in the case of a quadtracking. To me it sounds like something pretty delicate to mix 16 rhythm guitar tracks!

Or maybe I'm totally wrong & stupid and blending 2 different amps to shape a guitar tone consists actually to track 2 guitars (left-right) with an amp then the 2 other guitars with another. So 8 tracks if double-miked.

If someone can take 5 minutes to fill my ignorance...

 

[bryan_kilco]

I think you're talking about quadtracking, which is a total of 4 guitar tracks. 2 left/2 right. It's all about personal taste if you want to blend amps or not. Experiment. A lot of people will do, for example, 5150 and Recto, where the 5150 is 100% Left and the Recto is 75-80% Left, then 5150 100% Right and Recto 75-80% Right.

 

[Heabow]

In fact I was not really talking about quadtracking but yeah that's all about taste I agree and your comment helps
So most producers that blend amps usually do this for example:

Guitar left:
Mesa - 1 or 2 (or more) mics
5150 - 1 or 2 (or more) mics
Identical parts played

Guitar right:
same rig - same rules

Apart from that, there's a cool vid at Fredman where we can clearly see how Fredrik put his mics. Here if I'm not wrong he uses one amp (5150 III) and two cabs, both captured by two sm57. So 4 tracks for one passe. I guess they tracked only one guitar per side...?!

(at 00:57)
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmPR-SUVXkg&feature=related[/ame]

 

[Sonic75]

When I record 4 guitar tracks usually I use 2 different heads with the same cab/monitor/mic. The mics are at maximum 2 and the balance depends on the material. So I'll have max 8 tracks (many mix down to one track each take with multiple mics).
There is not a rule, you can change everything if needed or use two heads/cabs contemporary, the aim is to find two differet sounds that compliment each other and you can pan them as described before or also AA - BB.
The same concept is with the mics. Many prefer to use one mic because you don't have any phase problem and the signal is cleaner other can prefer to use two mics (or also more) that compliment each other...for example 57/421 or 57/Royer or 2 57 (one set to have a clearer sound).
The key is to experiment and find an own way.

 

[Fandus]

Henrik said he mixed down those 5 mics per guitar take into one track, on the confession album at least.

 

[ForHerDeadEyes]

Hey

I'll probably sound like a noob but since I always recorded guitars with only one amp & usually a single sm57 in front of the cab, I'd like to know more about 'layering' and how to deal with multiple guitar tracks...

Ok, many people use to record rhythm guitars with 2 different amps with 2 mics in front of each cab. 4 tracks/guitar, right? If so, we get 16 tracks in the case of a quadtracking. To me it sounds like something pretty delicate to mix 16 rhythm guitar tracks!

If I understand you correctly, my answer is that you treat it as 1 track..
Say you record 2 guitar tracks with 5 mics on each.. you still treat it as 2 tracks.. 1 left and 1 right (presumebley)..

If you record a guitar track with 1 mic, you sweep around at the speaker, with the mic and find the sound you want..
If you use 2 or more mics, you compliment the tone you have by adding them and then processing them as 1 track..
Capture a good sound from the start/the source, don't EQ etc. each and every mic you've recorded of the cab.. treat them as one.. one track..
One track to rule them all, One track to find them,
One track to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

But.. there are no rules..

 

[alex-sonic]

Hello!

I know this thread is really old but I have a question:
If I want to make 8 guitar tracks (4 on each side) how do you pan them? 100-80 is what I do for quad tracking but I do'nt really know where I have to put them for the other 2

Thanks