Double Tracking, Anyone?

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BroKen_H

BroKen_H

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I have had lots of success "double tracking" vocals. It just works better than chorus for me. Does anyone do guitar/bass/drums the same way? I have not tried, but am interested in some feedback before trying it in studio.
 
Yes I agree that doubling vocals is so fun!! In fact I heard when John Lennon(Beatles)found out he could do that,that he did it on just about everything there after !! I found that singing to vocals exactly alike(while monitoring the first) and mix it down with one of the tracks about half the volumn sounds awesome.....
 
It's an effect that can get real old real quick if you overuse it. It sounds great in a big chorus, but only in contrast to a more minimal verse, for example. But all the way through the song? Nah.

Cheers :)
 
My brother and I record rock material and acoustic material with acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, and other instruments. Double-tracking the guitars gives it a very polished, professional sound. I've never tried double-tracking bass or drums since everything sounds the way wec want it with single runs on those instruments. Dpn't use much in the way of keyboards / synths.
As for vocals, neither of us is accurate enough a singer to successfuly double vocals - whenever we try, it sounds like there is a slight offset in time.
 
Doubletracking bass is likely to result in muddiness. Doubletracking drums? If any drummer can play exactly enough to make it work, give him big money to stick around. Otherwise its going to sound like crap.
I never doubletrack guitar, but will record two guitar parts (rhythm) played two different ways (open chords, barred chords, for example).
 
Guitars yes almost always then pan em wide, vocals sometimes but normally I use harmonies to fill out vocals but yes I can sound a little distracting when used the entire song on vocals.
 
I read some time ago Lennon Hated having to double everything, and that was why chorus was invented. Anyway, ti's pretty common practice. Double tracking a guitar part, each on each side, is a good device..
 
Well the whole idea is to "offset the time" as you put it well,thats what gives you the thick natural chorused effect. And remember,you can put one of the tracks as low as you need to ......experiment with the levels for sure ;)
 
walt8 said:
I read some time ago Lennon Hated having to double everything, and that was why chorus was invented.
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That's partly true. It's not so much that he hated having to double everything, just that he liked the effect but looked for ways to make it easier, hence, Ken Townsend in EMI's maintennance dept came up with artificial double tracking or ADT for short, during the "Revolver" sessions in 1966. It's all well documented.

mjbphotos said:
Doubletracking bass is likely to result in muddiness. Doubletracking drums? If any drummer can play exactly enough to make it work, give him big money to stick around. Otherwise its going to sound like crap.
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You'd think that logically, double tracking bass would result in muddiness.
But it doesn't.
I know on some Beatle songs like "Piggies", "While my guitar gently weeps" and "Glass onion", the 4 string bass was doubled with a 6 string bass. According to Ken Scott, it was never via overdubs ~ they were always played simultaneously.
Not only that, some record an ADT of sorts by miking the amp and going DI at the same time. Sometimes I record the miked amp, the amp line out and DI simultaneously and then combine all three signals to my taste. It's never muddy. Dependent of course on control settings on bass and amp and EQ.
It even works with drums. I've done it a few times over the years. Sometimes it's too obvious and adds nothing to the sound and is awful. Other times it sounds wicked.
 
QUOTE=mjbphotos;3920492]Doubletracking bass is likely to result in muddiness. Doubletracking drums? If any drummer can play exactly enough to make it work, give him big money to stick around. Otherwise its going to sound like crap.
I never doubletrack guitar, but will record two guitar parts (rhythm) played two different ways (open chords, barred chords, for example).[/QUOTE]
 
Mo Facta said:
It's an effect that can get real old real quick if you overuse it. It sounds great in a big chorus, but only in contrast to a more minimal verse, for example. But all the way through the song? Nah.
Cheers :)
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:thumbs up:
 
You have no earthly idea how often this tecnique has been used and still is, by countless singers for there signature sound.And like I already said, with the 2nd track half the volumn(most of the time)or less tha the other TK. And NOT in "big choruses" as you put it. And beleive me,I do know about "overuse" of effects specially reverbs and the such cause Ive been in the recording demos business for 4 decades. Double-tracking if done byb the right "EARS" always sonds good........OK now somebody please shoot me down haha!! ;)
 
grimtraveller said:
I know on some Beatle songs like "Piggies", "While my guitar gently weeps" and "Glass onion", the 4 string bass was doubled with a 6 string bass. According to Ken Scott, it was never via overdubs ~ they were always played simultaneously.
Not only that, some record an ADT of sorts by miking the amp and going DI at the same time. Sometimes I record the miked amp, the amp line out and DI simultaneously and then combine all three signals to my taste. It's never muddy. Dependent of course on control settings on bass and amp and EQ.
It even works with drums. I've done it a few times over the years. Sometimes it's too obvious and adds nothing to the sound and is awful. Other times it sounds wicked.
Click to expand...

There's one Beatles song with 3 bass parts over-tracked (can't remember which one off-hand). The Beatles (with Martin producing) are exceptions to most rules! For the average bass-playing homerecorder, the multiple bass notes are going to result in indistinct note definition due to the vagaries of timing.
Recording the 3 tracks of a single bass playing as you describe is not doubletracking, and will give a good variety of tones to mix together. I often DI the bass, then split it in PodFarm and put a different tone on each split.
 
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Oddly enough, I just got thru double tracking bass guitar this weekend.
It sounds pretty damned good.
In fact, it's got 4 bass guitar parts. 2 of em doubled for the meat of the song and the other two parts are accents and fluff.
:D

All I did different was take out some of the bottom EQ and more compression.
 
TASCAM MAN said:
You have no earthly idea how often this tecnique has been used and still is, by countless singers for there signature sound.And like I already said, with the 2nd track half the volumn(most of the time)or less tha the other TK. And NOT in "big choruses" as you put it. And beleive me,I do know about "overuse" of effects specially reverbs and the such cause Ive been in the recording demos business for 4 decades. Double-tracking if done byb the right "EARS" always sonds good........OK now somebody please shoot me down haha!! ;)
Click to expand...

bang.
:cool:
 
mjbphotos said:
Recording the 3 tracks of a single bass playing as you describe is not doubletracking, and will give a good variety of tones to mix together. I often DI the bass, then split it in PodFarm and put a different tone on each split.
Click to expand...
Granted, it's not double tracking but you are ending up with three or two sets of the same notes, not even higher octaves. Logically, you'd think that that in itself would produce mud.
mjbphotos said:
For the average bass-playing homerecorder, the multiple bass notes are going to result in indistinct note definition due to the vagaries of timing.
Click to expand...
Well they can do but that's dependent on the settings used for the bass, amp, DI, effects etc and also the EQ as well as the bass part itself.
A couple of weeks ago, I did a bass session where for this part of a, I suppose you'd call it the pre~chorus, I played the bass on a really trebly, almost distorted electric guitar setting. It sounded great but it was too distorted. So I doubled it on a clean bassy setting and then put the two together with some experimental EQ~ing. There's nothing indistinct about it, believe me !
I've also done that with bass guitar and double bass, again surprizingly clear {apparently, this is known as "Tic~toc" bass and used to be a well worn technique in country music}.
On a slightly off topic note of interest, there are 8 {2x4}, 10 {2x5}, 12 {2x6 and 3x4} and 15 {3x5} string basses. Again, especially the 3x4 12 string and 3x5 15 strings you'd think would be muddy with the low and octave notes flying around but they don't always work out muddy.
They probably would if you double tracked them though ! :D
 
People routinely double lead vocals.
Doubling a bass part with a bari guitar is the secret sauce of old country.
Tons of great doubled drum tracks, including hot stuff from members of our own forum.
doubled leads in metal, wha?

And then the definition of what doubling is keeps changing. most confusing.
 
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