Is 2 tracks enough?

[Rumble]

When recording rhythm guitars for death/metalcore/grind is 2 tracks considered enough for a mix? Personally I feel like my guitars start losing something if I track more than 2.

 

[muckypup1]

Of course it is, as long as you have a good bass tone behind them, it should have more than enough balls to tear peoples faces off!

 

[ahjteam]

well, I usually do 2-12 tracks depending on what the part needs. but for the "bread and butter" stuff, 2 or 4 is enough.

 

[muckypup1]

well, I usually do 2-12 tracks depending on what the part needs. but for the "bread and butter" stuff, 2 or 4 is enough.

I thought he meant just the rhythm guitars, for all my recent shit I've just double tracked the main rhythm guitars, but of course solos and just small bits like that will need extra layers

 

[ahjteam]

I thought he meant just the rhythm guitars, for all my recent shit I've just double tracked the main rhythm guitars, but of course solos and just small bits like that will need extra layers

no, I literally mean that I have one song that has 12 tracks of rhythm guitars in one spot

 

[onqel]

no, I literally mean that I have one song that has 12 tracks of rhythm guitars in one spot

why? I imagine it would sound like a out of control phaser

 

[ahjteam]

why? I imagine it would sound like a out of control phaser

I just wanted to try it out just for kicks after I heard (a rumor?) that Rammstein used 16 rhythm tracks on the main riff of "Sonne". And just to clarify, the riff I used it on was as massively hard as palm muted -0-0-0-0- :Smug: and no it doesn't sound like a phaser. I have 4 that are louder than the others and the rest just give them some body.

 

[muckypup1]

Its off topic but does anyone have any details on this guitar tone?! - Its massive

 

[ahjteam]

Its off topic but does anyone have any details on this guitar tone?! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0FeKSVJM5I Its massive

The hugeness in that comes 80% from bass and the rest 20% from guitar. Jocke might actually know the gear specifics as it most likely has been done in his studio (It's a Meshuggah remix, right?).

 

[Harry Hughes]

I once for the fun of it tracked 12 tracks of rhythm guitar.
It didn't yield any improvement over 4 tracks.

 

[Paulie!]

I'd double track rhythms, leads, and harmonies... With a good bass tone.. should be fine..

Though, with squeals.. I like to add a 3rd and 4th track, just to boost their presence in the mix a bit and make them sound bigger (I'm using a strat with passive single coils, so they just don't pop out as much as say a less paul w/ emg 81-85)

-P

 

[avrinder]

how often do you guys have 3 tracks (Left-middle-right)? Do you find the middle track takes away from the bass? just curious, as I have recorded the middle track quite a bit, but kept it at a very low volume.

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Last Lost Soul have 8 rythm tracks (4 per channels) according to Slawek Wieslawski. Massive as fuck

 

[Josh Burgess]

I usually prefer double tracking over quad tracking. Even with the tightest of players, I'm not a big fan of the way quad tracking smears the sound of most riffs. It's cool now and then, I guess, but really not needed... I think double tracking usually sounds more punchy/has more impact.

 

[UtopianCrux]

I once for the fun of it tracked 12 tracks of rhythm guitar.
It didn't yield any improvement over 4 tracks.

Indeed, as you layer up, it's a diminishing value of returns thing that falls off pretty much after three per side... unless, that is, you shelve the layers into different areas of the mix, Devin Townsend style... or like Dream Theater approached it on parts of Awake where John would do a track of with just low end dialed into one amp, then track just the mids on another, and highs on a third.

The main rule with quad tracking and above is prepare to get tight, do many takes, and probably slip edit the shit out your stuff to get it spot on. I generally find it best to get a really solid left and right track happening first (and depending on the how fast part, with a touch of slop going on for stereo width) then track/slip each additional layer to their respective "ground" layer. While I do fix obvious out of time notes, I don't slip the stack of rights to the stack of lefts.

Its off topic but does anyone have any details on this guitar tone?! -

Ramstein guitars removed, Meshuggah were inserted.

 

[Pxz]

Dont Forget the L-C-R guitar tracking way, its used a lot too.

 

[amarshism]

Paul Gilbert once tracked 100 gtrs

 

[Jevil]

2 tracks is enough, 4 is more than enough.

Paul Gilbert once tracked 100 gtrs

I guess Mr. Gilbert did most of the tracks layers of solos and lead guitars, not 100 of rythm guitars. It is a nonsense.

 

[OctoberRust]

In fact Paul Gilbert recorded not only 100 layers but with a 100 different guitars (including basses)! There's a funny video of this on Youtube:
I love this guy!

 

[Scottxx]

Dont Forget the L-C-R guitar tracking way, its used a lot too.

Dave Mustaine said he use this way a lot.