Recording + Drum Programming

[cobhc]

Right, well I was trying to say, that if those guys can tightly track 4 rhythm's of their stuff, then you should be able to do it with your stuff. Don't play such complicated stuff, if you're not tight enough to record it 4 times.

 

[006]

Usually what I do is mic rhythms with a traditional dynamic (SM57, MD421mkII, e609, whatever...) and then for leads, I mic with a condensor. Especially when it's a demo or something and they only have so much time to track the stuff. Why you ask? Oh, let me elaborate...

If you're tracking everything at once, and you make the rhythm sound huge with the way you have everything set, then once the guy goes to solo there's like this...huge dropout. All the power that was behind the rhythm doesn't apply to the higher strings and the wanking. So if you have a condensor set up as well and you just enable it for the leads, then you just edit out the solo from the rhythm track. Also, a condensor for leads will be much smoother in comparison. Not to mention that you have the EQ and such setup for heavy rhythm guitars, so the leads may end up being too brittle/muffled, etc when using the same settings. I find it also helps to sit the leads in the mix a little better.

As far as you not thinking it's 4 tracks on modern recordings...I think you just need to understand that they are done, as someone has said already, very tightly. If it takes 100 tries, then thats what it takes. If you have stuff that's "not tame enough" then I think what you aren't realizing is that you can't play it very clean. Practice everything until it's clean as hell. Then you can do 4 tracks of it and it will sound like one big guitar track. All the technical albums that are around have been 4 tracks, Cannibal, Nile, Decapitated, etc.

~e.a

 

[BrandonS]

Ah I understand what you mean. I guess I'm not quite the CLEANEST guitarist, as my fingers are kinda crooked... that's what happens when you crack your knuckles all the time though, I guess. But anyway yes, a certain amount of practice can get me playing the stuff perfectly clean. I understand what you mean, but now I have another question.

So the two rhythms split 100 L/R... they're supposed to be the normal tone, right? With the bite, punch, strength, yaknow.... But the two split 80 L/R are supposed to be a bit more quiet and with less treble or what? Sort of like a ghost track you can barely hear because the treble is turned way down and maybe the mids turned down a bit? Please explain this concept to me a bit more, about the secondary guitar tone.

And about leads... If there are no vocals, I just put the lead at 0 Pan. If there's a lead amongst vocals, maybe 25 or 30 pan, or more depending on how it sounds. I usually used the same tone as I did for the rhythms, but are you saying I should perhaps use a less distorted tone, maybe with less or more treble and some delay(echo)? I'd love to get a great rhythm tone and leads too, at the same time! Thanks for helping me out, guys!

Also I was going to start a new thread with "the epic question", the question to end all questions, but I forgot what it was unfortunately. I did think of another one though. When it comes to keyboards, you guys said to record them with one track at a zero pan... well is it the same for Strings? I always thought keyboard strings should be recorded and spread out wide. Are strings supposed to be Pan 0 or is there some special method to things like that? You know, symphonic musics?

 

[cobhc]

I'd say do two tracks kinda scooped mids, that provide the presence and the balls panned 80%, then two with more mids that provide the crunch, panned 100%. As far as leads, unless you're going for a certain effect, or it's harmonized, pan them dead centre. Lead amongst vocals I've never come across. Lead tones generally have more mids, too much low end and it masks the rhythm, and too much treble can mask things as well, the mids is where is a good lead tone is. As far as the amount of dist on a lead tone, I'd say use the lowest gain you can get away with, so it sounds cleaner, and more defined. Keyboards, I've always panned centre and had no problems with, usually gotta boost them when there is heavily dist guitars in there as well.

By the way, I am pissed yet again, and apparently I talk some good shit when I'm drunk. So take this as gospel hehe.

 

[BrandonS]

Hmm so no mids in the tones 100 L/R and the 80 L/R tone should only have mids?

 

[cobhc]

2 tracks with scooped mids, ie less than half panned 80%
2 tracks with more mids, ie more than half, panned 100%

 

[BrandonS]

These 2 tracks at 100% with the stronger mids, are they supposed to have a scooped high and low? Or is it just the mids that matter?