YOUR way of double tracking guitars

[no-xplode]

I am curious about different methods of double tracking guitars. Guitar-amp-speaker-mic method.

Possible combinations I can think of:

One take, haas effect (not double tracking, but just an option)
Both takes same guitar, same pickups, same player, same amp, same settings (hard panned)
Both takes same guitar, same pickups, different player, same amp, same settings (hard panned)
Both takes different guitar, same player, same amp, same settings (hard panned)
Both takes same guitar, same player, different amp (hard panned)
...
...
...

So, what do you occasionaly do?

 

[matt youwin]

Both takes different guitar, different player, same amp, same settings (hard panned)

simplist way to keep everyone happy and get a uniform sound.

 

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

Two takes, same amp(s) and settings, different guitars according to taste

 

[ThomasT]

Two takes, same player, same guitar, same picks, same amp, different cabinet
Two takes, same player, same guitar, same picks, same amp, same cabinet, different mic

 

[siegfried]

Different players? Mine can´t repeat something what I just played tight enough ...and somebody else can? Hard to imagine BTW. do you think that tracking something twice with everything (guitar, amp, setting...) the same could be the source of my problem with phasey sound? May I change a setting of my PSA1 a little bit?

 

[Gaspard]

I do two takes, same guitar, amp and settings, but i let the guitar player who wrote the riff play these two tracks, so i do like riff per riff, and then i do a third track with a different guitar an amp with who ever didnt right the riff to play it to give it a live feel

 

[Meisterjäger]

Both takes, different person, different guitar, different pickups, different underwear, matching odd socks (swap both left feet), different head, same cab, same mic placement (hard panned)

 

[botus99]

Both takes same guitar, different pickups, same player, different amp (hard panned)

Thick sound, tight playing. If I have the DI's, I'll ampsim those so I have at least 2 amps per take

 

[coldthrn]

If Doubled
Both takes same guitar, same pickups, same player, same amp, same settings (hard panned) Track 1,2

If Quad
Both takes same guitar, same pickups, same player, same amp, same settings (hard panned) Track 1,2

Both takes different guitar, same player, diffrent amp, same cab as first (hard panned) Track 3,4

 

[Tommy Gun]

I never do lees than 4 Rhythm Tracks. Plus I usually have 2 to 4 more for little accents and nuances to help liven things up. I choose the guitarist on a song-by-song basis, normally.

Tracks 1/2: Guitar, Head, Cab, 2 Mics, Preamp. Panned 100% L/R.

Tracks 3/4: New Guitar, New Head, Cab may or may not change, Same 2 Mics as 1/2, Same Preamp as 1/2. Panned 80% L/R.

*Also, if one pair of tracks needed to be done using a boost pedal (TS-9, Maxon, or Boosta Grande), then I will do the other pair of tracks without.

Overdubs 5/6 will match up with 1/2.
Overdubs 7/8 will match up with 3/4.

Then, for Lead tracking, I'll usually change everything. I'll try a lot of guitars, and sometimes use a different head for each guitar player, if there's two of them doing solos. I also like to track leads using only 1 mic (SM57) on a Marshall 1960A cab (w/ 75w Celestions), or a Peavey Sheffield-loaded cabinet.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Then, for Lead tracking, ..... or a Peavey Sheffield-loaded cabinet.

RUN FORREST RUN!!!!!



Now go write "I will track my leads on a vintage 30 loaded Mesa cabinet" 100 times.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

FWIW, 4 rhythm tracks. Take a DI on each one & mix & match amps/mics if reamping is necessary.

 

[Tommy Gun]

RUN FORREST RUN!!!!!



Now go write "I will track my leads on a vintage 30 loaded Mesa cabinet" 100 times.

I happen to be a fan of the old-school Peavey Sheffield cabs. Not those 5150 or 6505 cabinets, either. I've got a rock-solid beast of a Peavey cab that I know is at least 20 years old, maybe more. And that bitch is nice. It's crisp, clean, and pristine, with plenty of punch, sealed up nicely, and has way more than enough power handling, being 400 watts.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I always prefer same guitar and same player different takes.

But everything else is subjective to me.

 

[colonel kurtz]

for rythym parts, i prefer to keep everything the same if double-tracked...same player, guitar, amp, cab, and mic. if you're going for quad-tracking, then you can change up the amp/settings, mic, or cab for takes 3 and 4, but i'd still keep the same player/guitar.

this issue arose awhile back on the lamb of god forum, and mark morton stated that him and wilie adler split rythym duties on their songs...basically, whichever guy wrote the song does all the rythyms on both sides, then the other will add the leads/accents/whatever. not only does this keep the rythyms nice and tight, but it also helps to give each track a little bit of a different feel from the other.

 

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

Both takes same guitar, different pickups, same player, different amp (hard panned)

Thick sound, tight playing. If I have the DI's, I'll ampsim those so I have at least 2 amps per take

So you actually solder in a different pickup in the guitar before doubletracking? Or do you do one with neck and one with bridge pickup?

 

[mauro_p]

Track 1: Guitar, eq, boost, head, cab, mic/s, pre. Panned 100% R. Amp eq with more bass and higher gain than track 2.
Track 2: Same everything, don't move the mic or I'll burn down your house. Amp eq with less bass and more mids. Less gain. Panned 80% R
Track 3: Same guitar. If you broke a string check intonation even if you're not using that string in this track. I mean it. Eq and boost. Other head/channel. Other [cab/mic(s)/placement]. Same pre. Same eq/gain rules than track 1. Panned 100% L
Track 4: Same changes made from track 1 to 2 but with track 3 as reference. Panned 80% L
One player simultaneously only.

Cheers
Mauro

 

[botus99]

So you actually solder in a different pickup in the guitar before doubletracking? Or do you do one with neck and one with bridge pickup?

Soldering of course! I thought everyone did that between takes!

Nah, just neck/bridge/middle

 

[Glenn Fricker]

I happen to be a fan of the old-school Peavey Sheffield cabs. Not those 5150 or 6505 cabinets, either. I've got a rock-solid beast of a Peavey cab that I know is at least 20 years old, maybe more. And that bitch is nice. It's crisp, clean, and pristine, with plenty of punch, sealed up nicely, and has way more than enough power handling, being 400 watts.

Had one back in the day.... metal grille & all. Sold it.

Ignore advice at your own risk.

 

[Ravenous Enemy]

Both takes same guitar, same pickups, same player, same amp, same settings, different inlays (hard panned)