Favorite tracking sequence

[jjjtttggg]

New here. I'm sure there has been a thread about this already, but I can't find one. I'm coming back to home recording after many years. Last experience was with a Tascam portastudio 4 track to cassette. Now I'm set up to record to my computer (Xenyx Mixer - Soundcard - Reaper). I know the soundcard (SB-Live) is probably not the best way to go, but no $$ to spend right now.

Here is my question. Do any of you have a favorite sequence for tracking if you can only bring in one instrument at a time? My stuff is basic bass, drums, guitars, sometimes keyboard, occasional tenor sax or harmonica, usually vocals, sometimes not. I know it may be near impossible to capture a "live" feeling when tracking one instrument at a time, but I'm wondering whether anybody has ideas on how to get close.

Appreciate any thoughts,
J

 

[Dogbreath]

Welcome.

My usual way is to lay down a click and track some scratch guitars to get the main melody down.

Then I'll come in with my drums, and from here I'll toss out the scratch track and lay down my main rhythm guitar and then the bass.

When I've got the energy and feel tracked, I'll lay down vox and then the other tracks (lead guitar, keys etc)

Then there are other times I just jam on either the drums or guitar and let er rip from there with no game plan at all.

my 2 pesos man..........

 

[JustAboutReal]

drums

In my experience you can do pretty much any rhythm section track as a scratch, but the first track you record for keeps needs to be drums.

For the most part, everyone has to hear the final drum track when they're recording their parts in order to have everything sound tight. Even if everyone is just you over and over again.

so:

1. Any scratch track that will help get the drums down
2. The Drums
3. Bass (this is good to get a solid foundation down before everything else)
4. Everything else
5. Vocals (I try to do vocals last, it's not really NECESSARY... just convenient)

 

[NewAgeMuttLange]

I have almost always done the drums first with a scratch track(s) of guitar(s). But I've always just had the guitars recording aswell and have one or both of the guitarist in the room with the drummer to get more of a jammed out, energetic feel to the performance.

Then I go back and take out the rhythm scratch track (in the case that there are two scratch tracks) and have the rhythm guy do his miked track. Then the lead scratch goes and that dude'll come and do his.

Then I throw on the bass (I'd probably do the vice-versa of this sequence in a blues/jazz/rock/funk/pop band, but most of the time I'm doing metal/hardcore bands so the guitars tend to be the center of attention).

Then keys/horns?/vocals..

Then if the band is reeaally trippy I'll run the guitars out to some external fx stuffs and play with shit for like... days.... but that would be during the mix..

-Paul

 

[.guitar]

I usually do drums first. But it is easy for me since they are not real drums, but EZDrummer...

Then I record rhythm guitar, then bass (if there is one), then any other rhythm sections...then the lead stuff.

After that, I might add in any "filler" background stuff like strings or whatever.

 

[jjjtttggg]

Thanks for the replies

Thanks for the input.

Sounds like some version of scratch track is the way to go. I'll give it a try.

Thanks again,
J

 

[Daisy]

I think if you try to be too rigid about things ... then everything comes out sounding un-original.

This isn't a math equation. It's art. And it's not a live recording, so why on earth would you even bother trying to make it sound like a live recording? Do you want your dog to look and act like a cat? Do you want your Ravioli to taste like Pizza? There's a time and a place for everything ... so rather than trying to make a multitrack recording sound like a live recording instead, try to make it sound like ... like a really good multitrack recording.

Do what inspires you, and follow your inspiration. Generally, I would start with whatever I feel inspired by. And from there, I would wait for another inspiration to happen, and just go with that. Sometimes a cool beat will inspire a vocal ... and then that beat and vocal will inspire a guitar or bass line.

But then again ... sometimes it's just all bass-ackwards. And a guitar line will inspire a beat ... which will inspire a backing vocal, which will eventually inspire a lead vocal.

I guess what I'm getting at is to forget about sequence, and go with what feels right at the moment. And forget about trying to make something sound like something it's not. Trying to make a live recording sound like a studio recording is just a recipe for suckiness. Why would the reverse be any different? Did Yes try to make "Close to the Edge" sound like a Live recording? COULD they have even if they wanted to? No, and it wouldn't have been nearly as brilliant if they had.

 

[jjjtttggg]

Whatever . . .

I figured somebody would give "The Condescending Answer from the Learned Mind of a True Expert". Happens on every BB I've ever seen. Surprised it took so long. . .

All the previous answers were SO GOOD, too, and answered exactly the question I asked. Just the way it goes, I guess.

Anyway, I've been playing music for 30 years. I've recorded in studios, and I've recorded at home. I need no lecture from you to know that music is not a math equation.

I also know that most (yeah, I know, plenty of exceptions, but in general it's true) great multitrack recordings ever made involved simultaneous recording of the core group of instruments that make up the heart of the song, usually to separate tracks. Additional parts are added, also on separate tracks, and everything is processed, mixed and mastered.

The core parts are recorded simultaneosly not to make it sound like a "live record", but to capture that portion of the essence of the music that comes from the interaction between the musicians. That's the way I've recorded in the past, both in professional settings, and at home on my Tascam 4 track. It works very well. However, I can't do it that way now because I can only record one track at a time. My question was how others have gone about dealing with this limitation without sounding: dull and canned, with no apparent interaction in the music . . . without any "live" feel.

Thankfully, others understood the question and have answered what was asked.

Best regards,
J