how do you GUYS record?

[OnTheBlackRock]

I record bands by them all playing at the same time like them playing live but have each instrument run into it's own track... do you guys record one instrument at a time?

[RSM1000]

Originally posted by OnTheBlackRock
I record bands by them all playing at the same time like them playing live but have each instrument run into it's own track... do you guys record one instrument at a time?

The ideal way is to do each on it's own.

If I was recording a band (which I will be soon as a business) I will be doing every track by itself. It's just totally ideal.

[A Reel Person]

If the band can't play together live, or if you're working by yourself, you're obliged to record one track at a time.

[RSM1000]

Also - alot of groups don't come into the studio with the album in their heads.

So it's good to lay down what you know, listen to it and try different things.

Also - this way you can have in the studio just who needs to be there, like the vocalist alone with no bandmates around.

Of course there's the sound issue as well, which is enough for most pros to NOT record together.

Secondly usually there isn't enough space.

For instance when kirk hammet records his black album solos - they used about 8 to 10 identical amps lined up and miced all together, to get a wonderful and STRONG sound.

And lars (the drummer) did many different fills for the drums and later listened to them and pieced together what he liked the most.

[jake-owa]

When I record a band I always start with a ful session of the band playing all the songs together. Then I usually go one at a time replacing the parts.I use the first recording as a scratch track and just must the parts as we record the new parts. Drums first then bass and guitars with the vocals taking the longest and last. I HATE to comp junk together so I always push for good whole takes.

[jake-owa]

Waitaminnit...what is this thread doing here?

[echomancer]

Originally posted by RSM1000
The ideal way is to do each on it's own.

If I was recording a band (which I will be soon as a business) I will be doing every track by itself. It's just totally ideal.

Phil Specter sure didn't think so...

There is no such thing as an "ideal" way. There is no "magic formula" to have every album coming out rosie. It completely depends on what sound you want. Some people really like the "live sound" because of the way the band will interact with one another, others want the ability to meticulously tweak each instrument.

The key is do what sounds best for the application. I do a combination of live tracking (with good isolation when I can muster it) as well as overdubbing depending on what I'm going for.

[Michael Jones]

If it were me, I'd have lead and rhythm guitars playing together in the "live room". I'd have the drummer in the drum room iso, and the bass player in the control room going DI.

Everybody plays at once, and has a headphone mix of all the instruments.

The main idea here is to get a good drum track, all other instruments are basically "scratch tracks".
Once you have the drums laid down and tweeked, I'd re-record the lead guitar in iso. Then re-record the rhythm in iso. Since the bass was in iso to begin with, you may not have to re-record that.

Get a good instrument mix and record vocals in iso.

Process only where absolutely necessary. Mix to taste.

But hey, that's just me.

[Roel]

Depending on the location where I record, I prefer the same as Michael just explained. Except for the bass going DI. Yikes. I don't like that sound.

Since with my own gear I can only record 8 tracks at once, I ussually record drum and bass on the first take. Guitars DI in an external mixer to help the bass and drum remember where they are. Then I do overdubs for guitars and vocals. And bass if necessary.

There is no ideal way. It all depends of what kindof music you're recording, how experienced the players are,... For example; there's no way you are gonna record a complete symphonic orchestra instrument by instrument. And still, I have seen it happen, a string quartet doing multiple takes, some wood and brass and percussion added, and there was the orchestra.

[Michael Jones]

Originally posted by Roel
For example; there's no way you are gonna record a complete symphonic orchestra instrument by instrument. And still, I have seen it happen, a string quartet doing multiple takes, some wood and brass and percussion added, and there was the orchestra.

Yeah, but those are REAL musicians, and they know how to play together (providing there's a conductor)

If I were doing a small symphony or quartet, I'd set 'em all up in one room, mic each instrument, set up a few overheads, and hit record!

[OnTheBlackRock]

i was trying to record my freinds band and they had the hardest time laying down track by track. I tried recording just the guitarist and bassist into two separate tracks first... they did ALRIGHT not great so after about 2304932 times we just decided to deal with it. then the drummer put on head phones and tryed laying down a drum track (he needed to hear the guitars in order to play) and he did TERRIBLE!!!! bascially the whole thing sucked and they asked if they could record live so I miked every amp, every drum, and they played all on one track... then i tryed over dubbing new guitar tracks and the vocals and it didn't turn out that great... at all. arhgggasdgasg! is it just the band that isn't coordinated or is it my recording techniques?

[TexRoadkill]

You did that a little screwed up. Usually the first thing to put down is the drums because a drummer playing to prerecorded guitars is pretty tough unless there is a click track (metrenome).

You can have the guitarists or bassist play live with the drummer but you definately don't record it all to one track or that defeats the whole purpose of multitrack recording. You should record them all to discreet tracks so you can go back in and replace the scratch/guide tracks. It's handy to have some DIs and a POD to use for the scratch tracks so you don't have to worry about the amps bleeding into the drum mics.

[Roel]

Originally posted by Michael Jones
Yeah, but those are REAL musicians, and they know how to play together (providing there's a conductor)

If I were doing a small symphony or quartet, I'd set 'em all up in one room, mic each instrument, set up a few overheads, and hit record!

True... That session I witnessed was when they were recording new jingles for the national radio. They had these little 10 to 20 bar pieces in a variety of different instrumentations. So they had a clarinet player, a horn player, a string quartet, a pianoplayer and a marimba player coming in at different times, playing along with clicktracks. Or without if they weren't needed.

The stringquartet was recorded with a stereomicing technique. For the orchestra they took 3 takes, and doubled them using a Eventide Harmonizer with a special program that the engeneer didn't want to explain to me.

[MemoGtr]

this is what i do.
i get the guitarist behind the drummer with his guitar a an effects pedal. in the line out of the pedal i plug a pair of headphones so the drummer hears to the guitar. the drummer does an 8 times count down (1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4) then they begin playing while i record the drums.

then the bassists listens to the drum tracks and plays its part, etc etc

[OnTheBlackRock]

you guys gave me some great ideas thanx... I've put head phones behind the drummer and this morning I had a guitarist in the makeshift "control room" and had him plugged into a POD straight into a different channel into the mixer but muted the POD from being recorded ...so the drummer had something to go along with and it helped him A TON. the track is sounding pretty dope now... after the come back from lunch and digest we are gonna lay down vocals and some more guitar tracks in there... It should sound pretty rad. it is already thanx for you guys' comments and posts they gave me alot of ideas for the future

[MemoGtr]

pretty cool huh?