How much do you do before and during tracking?

[illuminatingsun]

There are a number of things I'm wondering about with regards to tracking guitars (an in general) after finding a great drum sound.

After finding the best possible amp sim head and cabinet combination I always find myself reaching for the EQ to get rid of all the bad characteristics and then I track. I think it makes you feel more motivated if what you're hearing while tracking sounds good. Is this a good approach to tracking, to build everything around the drums and EQ while you go along and get everything to sound how you want it? Or is it best to just leave the EQ alone while tracking and wait until you've recorded everything?

What is your general approach?

 

[SkybluestudiosBEN]

I usually always keep this in mind "If it sounds good it is good" So if your happy with the way it sounds then dont be afraid to commit, imagine back 20 years ago where they ONLY had that option to commit to everything they recorded, sometimes its better to commit so you dont spend hours later going through shit loads of options of what you can tweak it with.

 

[illuminatingsun]

I usually always keep this in mind "If it sounds good it is good" So if your happy with the way it sounds then dont be afraid to commit, imagine back 20 years ago where they ONLY had that option to commit to everything they recorded, sometimes its better to commit so you dont spend hours later going through shit loads of options of what you can tweak it with.

What always worries me is committing and finding later on that I've made a bad mistake and have to track something all over again. I'll definitely have to commit more often when I record my band's album. During the last attempt I made at recording it I spent weeks trying to get a good guitar tone .

 

[nwright]

If you are using sims and an EQ plug, then you always have the option to change the amp, cab or EQ in the mixing stage, so I'm not sure there is much to worry about?

Unless you are getting all the sims from a piece of hardware, of course...

 

[zackpennington]

Just keep in mind the more plugins you use during tracking, the more latency.

 

[scorpio01169]

I always find the sound I am/ or the client is looking for, then I commit. I print to track with compression. and then on listen back i apply reverb if i need. I never mix a song the same day I track it, I usually wait a few days before mixing it down to two track.

 

[crillemannen]

If you got allot of experience and have access to allot of hardware, eq+comps then i dont see why you shouldn't use it when you track.

I work ITB so i only use a compressor and reverb when i track vox as an INSERT, drums/guitars are left untouched until the mix stage.

 

[-Loco-]

There are a number of things I'm wondering about with regards to tracking guitars (an in general) after finding a great drum sound.

After finding the best possible amp sim head and cabinet combination I always find myself reaching for the EQ to get rid of all the bad characteristics and then I track. I think it makes you feel more motivated if what you're hearing while tracking sounds good. Is this a good approach to tracking, to build everything around the drums and EQ while you go along and get everything to sound how you want it? Or is it best to just leave the EQ alone while tracking and wait until you've recorded everything?

What is your general approach?

I used to have this exact feeling until earlier today. I FINALLY, after 2 years managed to get a sound close to what i'm after. If you have to e.q it in tracking then you probabaly wont like it and you'll be struggling to get it to sound good unless you have a bass underneath the guitar to see where it's going. Don't be afraid of having bass on your guitar, most people will tell you to tone down and let the bass do it's work but i see the rumble from the guitar and the defined bass blending together well without the mix sounding cloudy. Dial in your tone along with some compressed bass and a drum track that you are reasonably happy with, and then think that during post processing, with the guitars you will probably only dip some low mids and maybe add a touch of presence at 4.5k. Then if it's shit, start again.

*Edit: Because of the way I work it took me so long because I wanted to build a 'template' for which to record all my songs because they were of a similar style, and to keep some consistency. You might find this is why it takes longer for you. Motivation is definitely high when you can hear things that sound like a final product during tracking! *

 

[Seth Munson]

I find the rough mix / master before I even start tracking so the band has an idea of what we are going for before we even start.
for me it saves lots of time in post and finishing the project.

 

[illuminatingsun]

I used to have this exact feeling until earlier today. I FINALLY, after 2 years managed to get a sound close to what i'm after. If you have to e.q it in tracking then you probabaly wont like it and you'll be struggling to get it to sound good unless you have a bass underneath the guitar to see where it's going. Don't be afraid of having bass on your guitar, most people will tell you to tone down and let the bass do it's work but i see the rumble from the guitar and the defined bass blending together well without the mix sounding cloudy. Dial in your tone along with some compressed bass and a drum track that you are reasonably happy with, and then think that during post processing, with the guitars you will probably only dip some low mids and maybe add a touch of presence at 4.5k. Then if it's shit, start again.

*Edit: Because of the way I work it took me so long because I wanted to build a 'template' for which to record all my songs because they were of a similar style, and to keep some consistency. You might find this is why it takes longer for you. Motivation is definitely high when you can hear things that sound like a final product during tracking! *

I am in the same situation currently. I am hoping to create a template for my band's album so that I don't have to worry about how it will sound until it comes to the mixing process.

The reason I mentioned EQing for tracking was because some of the default amp heads and cabinets in POD Farm are, for me, quite unusable without some equalisarion.

Though, I'd much rather mic up an amp or get an Axe FX, but money constraints are an issue.