Is there a rule on how much to double?

[Myriad_Rocker]

2 guitar parts....double both, making 4 tracks...send one to the left and then one to the right...on the chorus, quadruple the tracks....

is that over kill?

Should I think about reamping for laying additional amps on? Or will that just create phase issues?

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

bump

 

[scrubs]

There are no rules. Go with what sounds good. However, too many guitars will actually tend to make a mix sound smaller, rather than bigger, because you'll have to keep the volumes so low and deal with all the phasing/eq problems. Start with one part panned left and a doubled part panned right. If you are going to layer guitars, try playing the second part with different chord voicings so there is less overlap.

 

[Rokket]

There are no rules. Go with what sounds good. However, too many guitars will actually tend to make a mix sound smaller, rather than bigger, because you'll have to keep the volumes so low and deal with all the phasing/eq problems. Start with one part panned left and a doubled part panned right. If you are going to layer guitars, try playing the second part with different chord voicings so there is less overlap.

Plus try what I do: play the parts with different amps, different guitars if you can. That can fatten it up without too much of a phase issue along with playing the chords in different voicings...

 

[screws]

Add to that, different mics, different placement of mics, different tones on the amp, play the heavy part with a heavy sound, layered with same part played with a clean sound and a slightly crunchy sound. Same part played through same amp, but put in the bathtub and miked up with a condensor from 6 feet away, 2 feet away.

Mic the strings of the electric guitar being played in one room at the same time you mic the amp in a different room. Use a condensor on the strings to get a really brilliant sound. Use a few milliseconds of delay on the string track to time-align it with the amp track. Blend the two to give the amp track better definition.

Borrow as many amps as you have guitarist buddies. Record a part through a D.I. and get a reamp box. Then run the track through each amp with different mics and stuff.

Put a small amp in a cardboard box and mic it from inside and outside. Put it in a bass drum. These kinds of nutty experiments were why the Beatles discovered so many cool sounds - like a guitar through a leslie.

Experiment! Find YOUR cool thing, and then tell US!

 

[chessrock]

Yea, didn't you hear about that rule ?

You're getting in to dangerous territory, there. You don't wanna' know what happens if you break the rule. Believe me. Go back and reduce the track count immediately by one track.

Either that, or you could just add one more. You see, the rule states that there must be an odd number of layers when tracking guitar. It has to do with odd and even-order harmonics in phase relationships. If you go ahead and do one more and pan that one straight-up center, you should be fine.

 

[grn]

yes, when doubling, always make sure you have three. so says the rule. but personally I like everything of mine in doubly.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

I love how a lot of you guys are true to your asshole roots.

 

[scrubs]

...asshole roots.

Alright, that's totally my new band name! Scrubs and the Asshole Roots.

 

[chessrock]

Someone just started another thread about roots.