One man band....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Slackmaster2K
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Slackmaster2K

Slackmaster2K

Gone
So let's see if I have this right....

I know this highly dependant upon personal preference, but I'd like to know what others do compared to my own technique when trying to create a "full band" sound on your own.

First I record a drum track, nothing too fancy necessarily. Then I lay down the rhythm guitar and then the bass. Then I lay down lead guitars and what not. THEN, I re-record the rhythm guitar and the I re-record the Bass and repeat this process until I have something that sounds somewhat natural. Then finally I re-record the lead parts.

Does anyone have tips for mimicking that feeling you get when you're playing with a full band? Besides getting a full band, that is.

Slackmaster 2000
 
I have posted raves on this dandy little board to a few different folks, but it is very cool for some of what you are asking. the carvin studiomate 162. rewason I bring it up with your post Slack is because you can route each channel out seperately. Plug in a heap of tracks (1-8 mono..9-16 are stereo) and play the mess back, BUT via 1/4 jack you can send one channel back out to tape (or whatever) in other words play the whole gig..whole band feel... and record the one track with excitement.
 
This isn't really a technical suggestion but there is one thing that I do to make things sound more like a band. I record my tracks in exactly the same order that you do, it just seems to make sense. But, I noticed that when I was playing a part on to tape, I played it very differently than I did when playing with a full band. I finally figured out that when I played with other people I was always fighting to be heard, and therefore played with a lot more zest.
So when I record now, I turn the monitor level of the instrument that I'm currently playing down a bit so that I have work a little to hear it. The end result sounds less dull and controlled.
 
It's kind of hard to play drums in a vacuum, so I generally do the rhythm guitar first while singing to a scratch track, then add the drums. After that, basically the same idea.
 
I recently did some recording with just one other person. I think the same "live" thing happens whether it's a whole band or just two people! We also doubled vocal harmonies and it sounded great!

Find a friend, and do two guitars at once! or Bass and drums! I think you will find the effect is the same as playing with a whole band. This also has the advantage of doubling the available tracks, if you record both of you at once onto one track.

Dom Franco
 
Thanks for all your suggestions!

Since I am playing alone and want to keep it that way for a while, I'm just going to keep doing what I do. Eventually with practice and the advice I get from this board I'll get something down good!

It's just a time consuming process to continually rethink and re-record each track over and over until I stop sounding like one guy playing several instruments over several days :) Kind of cool how it works though.

Slackmaster 2000
 
spontaneity ;)

[This message has been edited by nero (edited 10-16-1999).]
 
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