How to record a band?

[sgt.pepper]

Hey...i want to know whats your prefered recording chain...


- first record the whole band and after that doing overdubs?

- first record the drums alone with click (then beat detective them?), after that guitars, bass, vox?

- first record drums with a guide guitar (then beat detectiving) after that the rest of the band?


And i realy want to know when you are beat detectiving the drums (in the recording session or are you waiting until the mixdown)?

And...do you already use plugins on the tracks while recording, to show the band: thats the sound we will get!?


Or do you have a completely other method?

Thanks a lot for your answers....and sorry for my english!

 

[::XeS::]

- First record drums (with click or click/guide guitar track) and after that, what you want, usually guitars, bass and vocals.
You can also record the whole band with the musicians that play all togheter....The Haunted record the last album in this way.
- Beat detective in the mixdown
- I don't use any plugin during the drums recording. Anyway you can use plugin, only to have an idea of how the drums will sound, but I think it's better to record the un-processed sound.

 

[James-Doolan]

Everyone has a different way of doing it and it realy depends on the specific project you are working on.

If the drummer can handle it I would track drums to a click first then id edit the drums then lay down the rest of the tracks guitar bass vox ect.

Sometimes the drummer cant handle a click so i go with either a pre-recorded guitar scratch track or tracking with the guitarist bass player live using a Amp/sim through headphones so there is no bleed from amps and then i edit this and lay down the rest of the tracks.

Some other bands might benifit from a live feel and it might be better to track the whole band playing together and overdub the vocals later + any guitar overdubs. when going this route id just take d.i's on the guitars and bass and use a amp sim for tracking so there is no bleed in the drum mics and re-amp the guitars and bass later.

Anyways dont stress about it man just do whatever you think is the best option for that band and that project and remember no two projects are the same. This kind of thing comes down to personal preference and judgement so just go with what you think will be best and learn from bits that work and the bits that dont for the next project.

 

[digitaldeath]

How do record band? ¯\(°_o)/¯

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

 

[Machinated]

it depends on the band and what they are comfortable with really....

normally ill do a guide guitar to a click, then track drums to that

then beat detective the drums

then track guitars (sometimes bass)

then bass (sometimes guitars)

then vocals

bang

 

[pifos_2]

How do record band? ¯(°_o)/¯

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

ahaha of course I was about to do it if you hadn't.

 

[PhilR]

1: Has the band recorded before?
2: Has the band recorded with a click before?
3: Has the band practiced, with a click, the songs that they actually want to record?
4: What gear has the band brought?
5: What is the minimum of musical accompaniment that the drummer is comfortable playing with?

Based on the answers from the above questions we can determine if drums will be tracked with or without a click, and how many members will be tracking guide parts to the drums. Drum takes are made until the player decides he has reached the limits of his musical capability. After this we will proceed to overdubbing bass/guitars. In the last couple of cases bass was tracked along with drums and simply re-amped afterwards.

#5 might sound strange to some of you habitual clickazoids but we have actually recorded one band on several occasions that would play the song entire bars too short unless the entire band, vocalists included, were performing ALL their parts to the drums. On one song they STILL got it wrong despite having bass, both guitars & two vocals on the guide track. I shit you not.

 

[Via Noctis]

I have tried several ways. and to me it entirely depends on the drummer. Poor drummers don't practice to a metronome, so the chances of them being able to record to a click track is slim.

 

[crazykarl]

I usually record a guitar along with the click to a scratch track. Then have the drummer work at it until it sounds good, beat detective only goes so far before you want to just redo the drums.

Recording the scratch first nullifies any click inexperience on the drummer's part. From there you can record whatever your heart desires.

If they decide to change the tempo you can always compress or expand the time of the scratch track through the audiosuite. ¯\(°_o)/¯

 

[Via Noctis]

Would anyone agree that certain type of metal recorded with a click losses dynamics? Just wondering. Cause sometimes when I jam (no click) with the band and we all get into it. It seems really powerful. But again I guess that would depend on the drummer. I can play to a metronome so can the bassist and vox, but some of the drummers I have played with just sound better when they are in "their own little world"

 

[crazykarl]

Would anyone agree that certain type of metal recorded with a click losses dynamics? Just wondering. Cause sometimes when I jam (no click) with the band and we all get into it. It seems really powerful. But again I guess that would depend on the drummer. I can play to a metronome so can the bassist and vox, but some of the drummers I have played with just sound better when they are in "their own little world"

Definitely. The band I'm working with right now uses a click, but loosely. It's all about the groove man! Just ask Pantera. Those grooves were so damn deep.

 

[Via Noctis]

This forum is like the bible to me.

Let me ask the question. When is too much in regards to quantization? Obviously, imo it is rare that anyone of us would come into contact with a drummer as solid as Arch Enemy or Job for a Cowboy (list goes on) But as an engineer and producer where is the line?

 

[xmortumx]

well what I do when i track bands is...
1. I track drums to a scratch guitar track( use Amplitube metal)
I monitor both the drums and DI guitar with headphones.
2. I record guitar... Mic up amp (solos, over dubs, over over dubs)
3. Then bass... DI with ampeg
4. Vocals
5. Any other effects if band wishes..
6. I start the Mixing process.


Good day.

 

[coldthrn]

1. Scratch tracks with the band. One or two mics will work for this. (Guitar / Drums)
2. Map out tempo tracks and time signature changes for the click.
3. Record DI guitars with an amp sim and Multi-track the Drums.
4. Edit drums so they allign to the grid (Beat detect) / if the drummer really sucks, program.
5. DI the guitars with amp sim double or quad.
6. Edit the DI tracks of the guitars for tightness.
7. Reamp the guitars.
8. DI the Bass
9. Edit the Bass for tightness and remap or set amp sim.
10. Vox
11. Edit Vox for tightness.
12. Mix / EQ / Automation / Drum Sample Replacement.
13. Mastering
14. Band listening session
15. CD Burning

 

[beyond dead]

How do record band? ¯(°_o)/¯

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

fuck that thread is truly epic as all fuck isnt it! I wonder who it was (the troll or whatever) pure fucking genius (or gay depending on whether you are a geek or not)

 

[006]

#5 might sound strange to some of you habitual clickazoids but we have actually recorded one band on several occasions that would play the song entire bars too short unless the entire band, vocalists included, were performing ALL their parts to the drums.

Hmm, this makes me think you kind of misunderstood some of the comments I made in the click thread. I don't make the drummer track to just the click. Ever. There is always a guitar mic'ed up or with a POD or something. Sometimes I'll even have the guitarist and bassist track their parts (the final takes) to a click with scratch tone. Then the drummer tracks to that+the click. Reamp guitars/bass and go from there.

There are tons of ways to go about doing it. The important thing is to find a workflow that you and the band are comfortable with and go for it.

~006

 

[PhilR]

Hmm, this makes me think you kind of misunderstood some of the comments I made in the click thread. I don't make the drummer track to just the click. Ever.

Oh no, not at all. We'd never insist on a drummer playing solo to a click unless he asked to! Fuck, we have enough problems with them as it is! No, the band in question were just clueless and never seemed to learn no matter how many times they came back. Every time we had to explain to them the point of using guide tracks but without the vocals to play along with they forgot how long their own songs were!

Seems totally ludicrous to me, but then my bands music is written entirely instrumentally and then the vocals are added afterwards. I think they always just wrote the music and then stretched it to fit the lyrics.

 

[xmortumx]

Im seeing a lot of you guys use beat detective for fixing drums timing.


Is there other vst for cubase that do the same job?

 

[coldthrn]

Look at this thread already discussed.