Guitar tracking

[ElektricEyez]

I know the popular thing to do around here is quad tracking, no doubt, and yes I've gotten some really good tones doing that.

I also know that micing an amp and also recording the dry tracks simultaneously and then re-recording the dry tracks later is NOT quad tracking, but I was curious as to see if anyone here actually does this method just to add a new character to the guitar tones, for a band that didn't have the time or the money to quad track. Ive personally never tried this, but I was thinking about this because it gives you the ability to really spend time tweaking the 2nd pair of guitar tones, and maybe even a tighter performance if the guitarist isn't accustomed to quad tracking.Have you done this and gotten good results? Do you ever prefer to record this way?

2nd question is does anyone here just set up a DI track and have the guitarist record through perhaps a amp sim or something of that nature, with the full intentions of just re-amping later so you don't have to fool with them whining about not enough gain or, you didn't dial in their tone correctly etc? And then just dial in a slamming tone later on when you go to mix it down? I've never done this myself but have considered it. Has anyone just recorded this way?

 

[P-E]

1st question, yeah it's done, it's called blending. Doesn't sound that much thicker, but yields a more complex tone.

2nd question, a lot of people do that with Pod Farm here, IIRC.

 

[ElektricEyez]

Okay why does it not sound as thick as quad tracking? Assuming your using a different amp? I would think it would sound less sloppy?

 

[paladin shredder]

because its the same signal combining with itself, just producing a slightly different set of frequencies. the thing with this method is you can get phasing issues really quickly.

best bet is to have one amp as your main tone, and then blend in a second amp really low in the mix just to add a slightly different color.

 

[AdamWathan]

2nd question is does anyone here just set up a DI track and have the guitarist record through perhaps a amp sim or something of that nature, with the full intentions of just re-amping later so you don't have to fool with them whining about not enough gain or, you didn't dial in their tone correctly etc? And then just dial in a slamming tone later on when you go to mix it down? I've never done this myself but have considered it. Has anyone just recorded this way?

I always do this. Usually not through an amp sim though, I will just take a DI and a half assed POD preset and record them onto two tracks, then reamp later. I mix and track all in the same room so having the amp blaring right in front of me while tracking is not an option, WAY too unpleasant!

Use an undergained guitar tone for the monitoring tone, guitarist will have to pick like a man to get the right amount of saturation and then we you reamp it properly it will sound great.

 

[Torniojaws]

Because it is still just one performance. If you copypaste a single performance, it will only increase 3 dB in volume - which you could do easier by just increasing the volume of the original track

 

[Torniojaws]

Use an undergained guitar tone for the monitoring tone, guitarist will have to pick like a man to get the right amount of saturation and then we you reamp it properly it will sound great.

And you have to re-tune the guitar after a minute Plus root powerchords will sound out of tune with the open string in comparison to the fretted notes. If you tune it so that the open string is in tune in relation to the fretted notes, then the chords where the open string is fretted higher up will sound out of tune That's my only beef about picking really hard.

 

[ElektricEyez]

Because it is still just one performance. If you copypaste a single performance, it will only increase 3 dB in volume - which you could do easier by just increasing the volume of the original track

But I was under the impression that with an entirely different amp you get a completely different soundwave, with different harmonics, and different recorded frequencies, maybe even use a different cab which is different from just a copy and past performance.

Has anyone here actually tried both quad tracking and dual-reamping in the same performance and can actually HEAR a difference?

 

[StefTD]

I tried it with ampsims and it didn't work, it sounded fatter than just one amp alone, but it was something totally different than 4 different tracks.

 

[plague_rider]

Personally, i've experienced both, quad tracking does add a good thickness to it

Recently I did one project where it was single tracked for two guitarists and each was ran through a stereo ampsim and impulse, came out sounding really good, it was interesting having a complex tone

Another project i'm currently mixing, the guitarists each double tracked the majority of their parts (all of the rhythms), using a line6Bogner head and a Line6Pod, these have been ran through a stereo impulse each an it sounds huge!!!

I'll try and get a sample uploaded of each, i'm at work atm and their on a seperate HD, so i'll try and get em bounced and uploaded for a comparison

 

[chdrummer]

I know the guy from chango uses a diezel and amp farm for some extra color