Best way to record a track

[metal mike]

Which is the best way to record an instrument to a track,on a multitrack recorder?? 1) try to have the best sound on your gear(like guitar+sound processor+amp) and then record the sound on a track . 2) make your gear to sound best in accordance with the other tracks.Example:if you have the drums on a track ,you'll record the bass to sound best together with the drums ,or to sound best when you listen just the bass alone...The same example with the guitars...vocals...and other stuff...

 

[mocharock]

In my amature opinion...for what itr is worth. I feel that what ever you are most comfortable with. I personally to a rythem guitar track first then build from there. I am sure that other people do it differant

 

[drstawl]

>1) try to have the best sound on your gear(like guitar+sound processor+amp) and then record the sound on a track

Yes.

In a multitracking environment you don't worry about getting the tracks to blend with each other. You try to get the best sound you can for each track to disk or to tape. It's at MIXDOWN when you become concerned with how these tracks interact.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Eh, I don't know about that. If you find you have to cut 10db of 500 hz eq from one instrument to get it to interact well with the others, it's probably time to go back and re-record it differently. In the end it's the interaction that really matters, and if you know the sound you need right from the beginning, it might be best to record it that way. Try to avoid "fix it in the mix" whenever possible.

 

[chessrock]

1) try to have the best sound on your gear(like guitar+sound processor+amp) and then record the sound on a track .

Yes

2) make your gear to sound best in accordance with the other tracks.Example:if you have the drums on a track ,you'll record the bass to sound best together with the drums

Yes.

or to sound best when you listen just the bass alone...The same example with the guitars...vocals...and other stuff...

No. It's easy to get something to sound great on it's own . . . but that's only useful if the whole tune is just a solo instrumental track. Think of how it is going to interact with everything else. Don't create unnecessary problems / challenges for yourself during mixdown.

 

[drstawl]

I stand by my statement. If you don't know how an instrument will sound "best" in the context of the entire group playing at once, individual multi-tracking of the instruments is gonna be trial and error at best. Even in that case- get the best sound you can at the tracking stage. At least you have a way to figure out what to do differently when you re-record.

 

[Lopp]

Answer: Make it sound best on its own while taking into consideration how it will interact with the other instruments.


A classic example is the guitarist who employs at least one of two things:

1. Too much processing
2. Too much EQ

In the first example, the guitar sounds cool and full when played by itself, but gets lost in the mix.

The second example is even more classic. A guitarist wants a huge tone like the heavy guitars on records. The guitarist scoops the EQ in a "V" shape to get this tone. Unfortunately, the guitarist doesn't realize the huge tone comes from multiple tracks of guitars and the interaction of the other instruments with the guitar (especially the bass guitar). Thus, when the other instruments are added, the guitar either sounds thin because the other bass instruments are masking its low frequencies or it overpowers the rest of the mix.

Thus, get the best tone you can, but take interaction with the rest of the mix into account.

 

[Sennheiser]

When I am recording, I am also producing. You have to think how the instuments are going to sit in the mix with respect to one another.

I believe everyone here has said this, but it is important. You have to have an idea of what the finished mix is going to sound like. Sometimes this can be very difficult to do.

A painter doesn't stand in front of a canvas and ask himself, "Gee I wonder what this is gonna look like when I'm finished?" He already has a picture in his mind of what the finished product will look like. Not an exact picture, but a pretty good idea of how it will turn out.

It comes with practise, and trial and error sometimes.

 

[metal mike]

Best way to record

I understand everyones opinion but...:If you're gonna to record a band, how do you start? Record first the drums track ,then the bass track,then guitars ,and finally the vocals? But if you cannot do like this? How do you know what sound the guitars will have(maybe there are too much low frequencies) if you don't have the bass track...In "Metallica ...A year and a half..." (video tape about how they record the Black Album) they record the bass after the guitars.Def Leppard record the drums on Hysteria after the guitars,bass,and vocals.Where is the truth? Maybe if you have the best sound on every track, and if you have solid knowledge about mixing and equalisation ,your final mix will sound best... I don't know.

 

[chessrock]

The answers to the questions you are asking are very much dependent on the situation at hand, as well as personal preference.

There is no "right" way to do it. What ever it is that gives you the results you seek and sounds the best is the right way.

Perhaps the reason metallica record the bass later is because that's the way the bassist likes to do it. And there could be any number of reasons why Def Leppard do it the way they do it, but each band and each member, for that matter, might have their own preferences for god knows what reason.

In that case, you need to be flexible because your clients are going to have preferences, and they are paying you not only to get them a killer sound, but also to make their life easier.

If tracking a certain way helps the band to feel at ease and brings out a better performance or makes things run smoothly for them, than it is the right way.

But if you get lucky enough to have it your way, then 9 times out of 10, you should have them track the drums and bass first -- together if at all possible, because then they can play off of each other visually. Have the singer and guitar player play scratch tracks over the headdphones for them. Record those, too, if you'd like, just in case you get some keeper tracks. Then overdub everything else one at a time.

 

[christiaan]

But if you get lucky enough to have it your way, then 9 times out of 10, you should have them track the drums and bass first -- together if at all possible, because then they can play off of each other visually. Have the singer and guitar player play scratch tracks over the headdphones for them. Record those, too, if you'd like, just in case you get some keeper tracks. Then overdub everything else one at a time.

Like chessrock says, there is no "right" way.
My experience is very limited but as a bassplayer I did a couple of studio sessions just like chess described. first drums, bass, scratch tracks etc... And I guess it's how many people think it is supposed to. Works for me. I don't have problems with that.
However, when I record at home all by myself, I feel more comfortable to program the drums first, then play the rhythm guitar and THEN I lay the bass part down. Why? I don't really know. Maybe it's easier to get into that groove when the music already is taking its shape or something.

Having said all this... It doesn't really matter in which order you record the instruments. Do what's most convenient. But at least starting with the drums IS in most cases definately the best way to go.

 

[Cyrokk]

A real easy approach is to just set up and record a scratch take with everyone playing. Have them all play on separate tracks. That recording becomes your starting point. Listen to it and decide what sounds should be kept and what should be modified.

I may be totally wrong here, but I highly suspect that both Metallica and Def Leppard actually did the same thing before committing any final tracks to tape. They just don't mention that fact.

I also record the drums first, then the basic rhythm guitars, and then the bass guitar. I want the bass to capture the feel of the guitars in their heated moments while kissing up to the kick as much as possible.

Cy

 

[JuSumPilgrim]

A real easy approach is to just set up and record a scratch take with everyone playing. Have them all play on separate tracks. That recording becomes your starting point. Listen to it and decide what sounds should be kept and what should be modified.

I may be totally wrong here, but I highly suspect that both Metallica and Def Leppard actually did the same thing before committing any final tracks to tape. They just don't mention that fact.

I also record the drums first, then the basic rhythm guitars, and then the bass guitar. I want the bass to capture the feel of the guitars in their heated moments while kissing up to the kick as much as possible.

Cy

Absolutely.

I think committing to anything before you have a basic picture fleshed out is going to negatively impact the song. Unless the band has heavily rehearsed every nuance I find that a sgnificant amount of writing and fleshing out of ideas happens in the studio where the band can hear the basic outline of the song. After taking those preliminary mixes home they come back with dif ideas and then record those ideas, take the rough mix home and sometimes after successive generations of this process come to a final take. Also good drumming is dynamic and takes into account what the vocals are doing in terms of accents and phrasing, not just the bass and guitar which is why I always make sure there is a scratch vocal in the mix while tracking drums.

 

[Lopp]

I think committing to anything before you have a basic picture fleshed out is going to negatively impact the song. Unless the band has heavily rehearsed every nuance I find that a sgnificant amount of writing and fleshing out of ideas happens in the studio where the band can hear the basic outline of the song. After taking those preliminary mixes home they come back with dif ideas and then record those ideas, take the rough mix home and sometimes after successive generations of this process come to a final take. Also good drumming is dynamic and takes into account what the vocals are doing in terms of accents and phrasing, not just the bass and guitar which is why I always make sure there is a scratch vocal in the mix while tracking drums.

That does indeed sound like an optimal approach.

However, this approach can depend on cost and time constraints. Not having a good picture of a composition and not having extensively rehearsed before entering a studio is a very expensive practice.

Be that as it may, scratch tracks are good for setting the stage for the actual tracks.