Guitar Tracks?

[Bloodsoaked]

Ok, we have two guitar players and one bass player we want to record. We are recording death metal if it matters.

How many guitar tracks should each guitar player record? Should all the first guitar be paned right and all the second guitar be paned left?

How many tracks of bass? Should bass be paned directly in the middle?


Thank you...

 

[Creamyapples1]

This is a matter of preference and opinion. Brace yourself for 234234 answers. There is no cookie cutter technique, do what sounds good imo.

 

[seismetr0n]

what creamyapples said ...

(but i'd at least double eachguitar, and only double the bass if it has a lot of mid/high to it -- i also pan each hard l/r)

gl

 

[Fletcher]

How many guitar tracks should each guitar player record?

If you do it right... one.

The other answer is "how long is a piece of string"... but I'd try to get it in one track each from each of the guitars... but they best be one track with feeling, and attitude, that scare young children at great distances.

Best of luck with it.

 

[legionserial]

I generally have 2 guitars panned left, and 2 panned right. Having at least 1 panned left and one panned right is obviously pretty much a must. Having 2 left and 2 right I find helps to thicken up the sound. However you may have to EQ the guitars a bit so they don't fight with each other around mid-low frquencies.

I found that say if we take the left channel with its 2 guitars, once I have finshed EQing, you will get one guitar if soloed which will sound as its supposed to. The other guitar has a whole bunch of frequencies cut out, and sounds like shit on its own, but serves well to compliment the sound where it needs it. This is all circumstantial however. It just worked at that particular time

I have always used just one bass guitar panned centre. I personally have not come across a reason for for me to use 2. Although I think you could probably do some intersting stuff with 2. In fact I might give it a go, see what happens. Although usually I have more than enough going on in the low end anyway...

 

[metalhead28]

I think it's best to record 1 track from each guitarist and pan them hard right and left. Then if they are really tight players, have them each double their performance but when you do that dial in a different sound from the amp. Maybe something with less gain and more definition. Something that compliments the original tracks.
If they are not super tight players, I think the best option is to re-amp the original performances with a different tone. In fact I usually prefer doing it this way because I can experiment all I want with the tone and the players don't even need to be there. I've just got to get one good take.

Sometimes people do 10 or more guitar tracks though so there is really no limit. Just don't keep piling up tracks for no reason, it may just add muddiness and destroy the sound. I'm usually happy with 2 or 3 tracks on each side.

 

[metalhead28]

Oh yeah, and for bass It's usually 2 tracks for me. A DI and an effected track (from my Sansamp RBI) And they are always panned in the center. I like for the clean DI track to carry alot of the low end and the other track will have a little grit and will define most of the midrange sound of the bass.