Quad Tracking tones/distortion.

[Deebo]

Hey everyone, I've recently started meeting up with a local AE who is been at it for 15 years. I had him listen to a few of my most current mixes and we had a discussion on quad tracking guitars. I told him I tried it before but forgot to use a different tone for the 2nd takes. Well he started talking about using a second tone with almost no distortion like on the verge of becoming a clean track; he said it brings out a lot of string clarity without killing the distortion "crunch". I just wanted to see if this was common practice here or was something new to everyone or if it even worked. I won’t be around my recording gear for this week so I thought I’d ask you guys. Thanks.

 

[BrettT]

It is not uncommon to blend in a cleanish tone when quadtracking. Definitely helps bring out note definition.

 

[Zack Uidl]

For me, it is somewhat similar.

I tend to prefer darker tones. When quad tracking, I get the first two tracks to sound really thick and full. Then, I use a different amp for the other two tracks that have less gain and is brighter sounding.

They less gain tracks are still far from clean though

 

[TheWinterSnow]

I noticed when quad tracking with the same tone that you loose a lot of definition in the attack and the tone itself looses its crunch and just becomes fizzy and chorus-like. If you track darker with more mids and bring down the gain on the extra tracks, you keep the thickness of the quad but help being in the attack int he string clarity.

 

[Uros]

What you could try is to close mic body/strings of electric guitar with an SM57 in control room, as the player play his takes (like you would mic an acoustic performance->so, you actually mic unplugged electric guitar), to get the note attack and definition. You need good insulation between the control room and room where cabinet is blasting tho. Then, blend it really low in the mix. Also, you can compress it to taste.

 

[DanLights]

What you could try is to close mic body/strings of electric guitar with an SM57 in control room, as the player play his takes (like you would mic an acoustic performance->so, you actually mic unplugged electric guitar), to get the note attack and definition. You need good insulation between the control room and room where cabinet is blasting tho. Then, blend it really low in the mix. Also, you can compress it to taste.

I've done this before with a bass guitar and it was pretty good, but if you don't have brand new strings it won't sound to good and even be hard to not get buried in the mix due to the lack of brightness. Never done it with a guitar though, but doesn't sound too crazy

 

[Uros]

Yeah, new strings are a must, no question about it

 

[jimwilbourne]

for this kind of practice,

where do you guys recommend placing the less distorted takes if you're using a 100/80 or something similar?

 

[Star Ark]

I mix semi clean with heavy guitars all the time. My aim is always to get the tone from just double tracking, but sometimes I listen back and hear that the track needs more clarity or sounds really squashed and then I try more open cleaner sounds.

As for panning, try both options and listen for yourself. Nobody can tell you if you like the clean ones panned 100 and the heavy ones 80 or vice versa, only you know that. And if you can't make up your mind about which one sounds better dont worry about it. It really isn't that important and I doubt 1% of the people on this forum could clearly tell you one sounds better than the other. You can over think while mixing and forget to just listen to what sound good, and I was guilty of that for years

 

[AHZ]

for this kind of practice,

where do you guys recommend placing the less distorted takes if you're using a 100/80 or something similar?

My suggestion (not a rule!) is to pan them closer to the center (ex. L&R 80), because that way they are less noticeable, being that the idea is to add definition to your more distorted tracks, not vice versa.

 

[The Unavoidable]

I like doing the basic takes with a "normal" setup, like a TS -> 5150 and use that as the main sound then do two tracks of something crazy like two distortion pedals into the clean channel or something to get an fat and insanely distorted sound and bring it out in the back to thicken things up. It's fun and it helps add some character to the tone. Works great for death metal and similar shit but I guess it might be a bit abbrasive for normal high-gain stuff.

 

[SimonTaddio_Qc]

What you could try is to close mic body/strings of electric guitar with an SM57 in control room, as the player play his takes (like you would mic an acoustic performance->so, you actually mic unplugged electric guitar), to get the note attack and definition. You need good insulation between the control room and room where cabinet is blasting tho. Then, blend it really low in the mix. Also, you can compress it to taste.

I guess I have to give it a shot!
My EC-II sounds fucking beautiful even when she's not plugged