How do YOU track metal guitars?

[Zozobra]

for each side, do you use the same tone/gear?

So far, for all right side guitars I stick with the same stuff. Then my left side is usually different. Diff axe, diff eq or amp settings, whatever....

Is this how you guys do it too? Or are some of you doing 4 different sounds for quad tracking?

Or all the same sound?

No.

I go out of my way to aviod the same sound left and right.

It sounds thicker, livelier and wider if you use a slightly different sound left and right, imo.

I usually do it with 2 guitars.

 

[jval]

two guitar tracks, one left and one right

unless there's a lead or a weaker part, that goes in the center and then a double of the rthm is recorded

hard pan

+1

 

[sentinel72]

unless there's a lead or a weaker part, that goes in the center and then a double of the rthm is recorded

hard pan

I'm not following that...

1 hard right
1 hard left
a solo/lead down the middle

then a what? A double of the rhythm again?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yup

 

[sentinel72]

is that 1 more guitar? Or 2 more then?

And where are those panned?



I have historically kept the R and L rhythm guitars in place for the whole song. Lowering 1 side or the other's Vol during solos. The solo guitar would be 5-7% off of center on the lowered rhythm side.

I consider that 3 guitar parts.. 5 if they are quad tracked rhythms.

Joey, are you saying that when the solo comes you add another rhythm guitar also?

 

[jval]

he's saying that there are two rhythm tracks, left and right. and if one guy is doing a lead-ish part or a riff that sounds thin compared to the other side, you put that up the middle and double the other track.

I think I would be a drug addict or suicidal if I had to quadruple guitar tracks, haha.

It's important to put any lead melody parts down the middle... listen to any CLA mix or other big ones, they are not panning lead guitar 13% left. a lot of the best mixes are surprisingly mono sounding.

 

[Forceps]

I usually double track, panned hard L-R.

Butttt, yesterday I did my first quad track experiment, and I was very pleased by the result! So I'll be re-recording an old song next 2 weeks with some new sounds and quad tracked

 

[sentinel72]

he's saying that there are two rhythm tracks, left and right. and if one guy is doing a lead-ish part or a riff that sounds thin compared to the other side, you put that up the middle and double the other track.

so if its player 1 left. and player 2 right.

when player 1 goes into a solo, his part is gone from the left and you double player 2 right side rhythm and put it where?


Is that what is meant?

Sorry, but some of these things can mean multiple things. Just want to understand what is really being said.

 

[Metaltastic]

I always put leads down the middle, unless there's an impending harmony that's gonna come in, cuz I honestly really don't like the sound of automated panning (e.g. keeping the lead center, then yanking it like 45L when the harmony comes in at 45R - if that doesn't bother you though, then there's another option) EDIT: I also do this for leads if they're gonna be trading, though in that case I keep it more at like 20L/20R

And no, there are always two rhythm guitars playing, one on each side (or 4, 2 on each side), regardless of solos, the most that's done is automating the overall volume of all the rhythm guitars down 1 or 2 dB's for the solo sections

 

[Forceps]

Solo centered and play the rhytm track L and R.

 

[muckypup1]

^ I don't understand, but I would have thought that there would be four tracks of rhythm guitar panned like 100%, 100% and 85%, 85% and then the lead guitar at 50%? At least this is what I like to do with my stuff.

 

[Metaltastic]

If it's a lead, why would you want it anywhere except right down the middle in the spotlight? (except for the aforementioned harmony thing, in my case anyway)

 

[sentinel72]

I like them a touch to one side or the other.

To simulate the realistic soundstage that would be happening if the band were set up in front of you.

Come solo time, nobody wheels the guitar players amp over to dead center.

I'll not go more than 7% off to one side though.

 

[Metaltastic]

Eh, I never bought into that mentality, cuz modern metal albums are supposed to sound larger than life, and you need the separation that hard-panning stuff provides to really hear everything clearly (e.g. if you really wanted to simulate a band playing in front of you, nothing would be hard-panned, the drums would all be bunched up around the center, and the bass off a bit to the left or right)

 

[sentinel72]

I agree with that.

Thats also why I move the solo just a touch to the side.

In the middle spot you've got the kick, bass, & snare. And while they are eq'd differently they are all still center loaded.

Just off to the side a touch (to me anyway) is a good spot to put a solo.

Again, just a bit. Nothing radical.

Also, I do stuff with usually 2 solo spots. A trade off lead of sorts. hearing the 2 leads coming from the exact same spot doesnt sound realistic to me.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I agree with that.

Thats also why I move the solo just a touch to the side.

In the middle spot you've got the kick, bass, & snare. And while they are eq'd differently they are all still center loaded.

Just off to the side a touch (to me anyway) is a good spot to put a solo.

Again, just a bit. Nothing radical.

Also, I do stuff with usually 2 solo spots. A trade off lead of sorts. hearing the 2 leads coming from the exact same spot doesnt sound realistic to me.

I do this too, actually. I like the way it sounds.. more real, natural, alive.

 

[Metaltastic]

Also, I do stuff with usually 2 solo spots. A trade off lead of sorts. hearing the 2 leads coming from the exact same spot doesnt sound realistic to me.

Oh yeah, I forgot about this, and I actually should have included it above when I was talking about having harmonies always panned - for me, the same goes for leads when they're gonna be trading (though it's usually more like 20L/20R in that case)

 

[Dexter_prog]

I've got a question for those using DIs. Do you normalize them or you leave them as they are? Because I remember the DIs from the tone competition and they where LOUD and mine are not even close to how loud those sounded :/

 

[joeymusicguy]

is that 1 more guitar? Or 2 more then?

And where are those panned?



I have historically kept the R and L rhythm guitars in place for the whole song. Lowering 1 side or the other's Vol during solos. The solo guitar would be 5-7% off of center on the lowered rhythm side.

I consider that 3 guitar parts.. 5 if they are quad tracked rhythms.

Joey, are you saying that when the solo comes you add another rhythm guitar also?

no
i hate explaining this every time, haha

if it were a picture it would always look like this:

[L] X [R]

or

[L] [R]

X being a lead, or a weaker part, whenever it exists...

but no matter what, there is always

[L] [R]

EXCEPT on transitions and stuff where there might just be one guitar hanging out by its self for a second (like an introduction to the riff coming up)

 

[joeymusicguy]

I like them a touch to one side or the other.

To simulate the realistic soundstage that would be happening if the band were set up in front of you.

Come solo time, nobody wheels the guitar players amp over to dead center.

I'll not go more than 7% off to one side though.

its a cd

not a rock concert

and if you're trying to recreate a rock concert, then you're doing a terrible job...