Making two tracks full enough

[A Midnight Requiem]

Hello there, I'm looking for some tips on using two tracks of guitars instead of four. I usually use four, and I'm happy with the sound, but I'd really like to be able to just use two tracks for the sake of time and clarity. However when I try only using two tracks, I can't get the guitars to sound as full as I'd like. Any tips on getting two tracks (one left, one right) to sound fuller?

In case it helps, I usually use a PODXT with impulses (either Guitarhack or Metaltastic)

Thanks!

 

[KeithTidd]

try paralell compressing the guitar tracks.

 

[AudioPhile777]

Any tips on getting two tracks (one left, one right) to sound fuller?

record two more just like them?

 

[crosstalk]

try paralell compressing the guitar tracks.

+1.65

 

[ahjteam]

record a bass (d'oh!)

 

[James-Doolan]

Yea a good bass tone will fill it out nicley. That and what i did recently was have two tracks of miced amp as main tone plus two tracks of waggner and impulses mixed lower plus panned more centre like 85 or something and some para comp running on the miced tones and mixed in to taste. I also had the d.is mixed in very low for some note attack. This is no substitute for quad tracking though but it did help fill out my guitar sound a little on that project.

 

[Fox Mulder]

use a little delay or just record 2 more.

 

[Obscura]

This may not be possible for you but try running 2 amps at once and just 2 passes at the song. You can send the different amps to different tracks so you can blend them. I did this while recording recently and sounded bigger and more defied than quad tracking. It's being mastered right now but as son as I get it back I'll post clips.

 

[006]

Yeah two amps/cabs always helps but I've never really had a problem using just two tracks and that's actually my preferred method, I hate quad-tracking.

~006

 

[Djabthrash]

Yeah two amps/cabs always helps but I've never really had a problem using just two tracks and that's actually my preferred method, I hate quad-tracking.

~006

AMEN to that

 

[Metaltastic]

Yup, another Amen here! Though I'm really wondering how to blend amps with just two tracks; would you guys prefer re-amping each of the two takes through 2 amps (and then attempting to phase align them in the DAW in case they were off) or doing one amp per side?

 

[006]

Personally if going the two amps per side, I'd reamp the one take through both amps+cabs using a splitter. Blend mics to taste in the box, eq and yadda yadda. I am quite fond of using two different amps, one on each side though

~006

 

[Fox Mulder]

If you're doing speed metal you wouldn't wanna quad-track.

Otherwise, record 4tracks just for the sake of it. You can always delete them when you feel that they don't fit in.

Personally if going the two amps per side, I'd reamp the one take through both amps+cabs using a splitter. Blend mics to taste in the box, eq and yadda yadda. I am quite fond of using two different amps, one on each side though

~006

Yeps, gives you much more flexibilty.

 

[Metaltastic]

Personally if going the two amps per side, I'd reamp the one take through both amps+cabs using a splitter. Blend mics to taste in the box, eq and yadda yadda. I am quite fond of using two different amps, one on each side though

~006

You imply I have two cabs worth mic'ing, Mike

 

[Melodeath]

just reamp one at a time.

I don't have 2 good amps though, let alone 2 cabs.

 

[A Midnight Requiem]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I'll definitely give some of these suggestions a try.
One downside is that I don't have one decent amp to record, let alone two, which is why I've been using the PODXT.
On a lighter note, a good friend of mine is getting a 6505+ soon

So far I'm definitely digging the parallel compression for the guitar tracks.

 

[Rez]

Not sure if I'm talking arse here but when I set up to quad track I've found that I roll off a lot of the gain or it sounds muddy. So if this was your starting point you would look to see if you needed to put a bit more gain back in to the guitar sound before tracking.

This thread does remind me to put time aside to understand parallel compression....

 

[Yhanthlei]

Actually parallel compression isn't that hard to understand
You just copy your track, compress the shit out of it and blend in...
Some compressors even have a dry/wet control

 

[006]

Kinda...if you do it the "traditional" way, then you are sending your tracks to an aux/fx track which has a compressor on it, set really extreme/aggressive, then it goes back to the original track. Using the aux/fx track's fader, you blend in how much you want to taste. But yes, I suppose simply copying it and compressing it and then blend it in that way...

Just wanted to explain the traditional method is all.

~006

 

[ParsonsMatt]

If you're doing speed metal you wouldn't wanna quad-track.

Otherwise, record 4tracks just for the sake of it. You can always delete them when you feel that they don't fit in.



Yeps, gives you much more flexibilty.

I quad track, and there's a song on my new CD that's at 253 bpm! Quad tracking is for all kinds of metal, speed or slow