Recording Instruments Seperately

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Nalencer

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Can someone give me a rundown, the more detailed the better, on recording the instruments in a song seperately? I'd like specifically to know about synching it all up, but general info is important too. Thank a lot for any help.
 
try this

There are many ways of recording instruments in a song separately, so no doubt others will add their ideas.

Are you playing all the instruments yourself or do you intend others to play?

One way is this . . .

1 Work out the structure of the song beforehand. Set up a click track at the right tempo. Perhaps you can create a basic drum loop to do this.

2 Record a guide track with, say, a rough vocal and guitar in time to the click track

3 Arm another track, play back the guide tracks, and play the next instrument along to these and record this

4 Repeat until all required instruments have been recorded, each on their separate tracks.
 
I record all my instruments separately....I don't have a choice seeing as there is only me.

Obviously I start with the drums. They would be to a click track, but being that I don't have a drum kit, nor a place to play one, all my drums are placed onto the the sequencer as .wav samples. Like, a sample of each drum sound placed in the right place. This isn't ideal, but its a product of the limitations that I am subject to. It also takes a long time. Don't do it if you don't have to. The advantage I have with this however is that I can work on the structure while I am putting the drums together. Also I can change them afterwards. Meaning I can just put a basic beat down and elaborate on it later. Anyway...

Plan out the structure beforehand if your actually playing the drums. Again if your programming them you can work on the structure at the same time and fiddle around to see what sounds good.

Once you have the structure and timing in the form of drums, you can start sticking the other things in over the top. Obviously if you are using a computer to do it you want duplex mode enabled so you can listen to what you've done while you are recording at the same time. Therefore no need to synch up later. I guess what order you record the different instruments in depends on the tune. If you have a tune that revolves around the bass guitar, then track the bass on first etc etc.

If you actually want to record things completely separately and then tack them onto the tune later, without hearing the tune while you record, I guess you could do it, as long as you use a click track at the same tempo as the tune. You should just be able to paste it all into a sequencer. However you may lose a "certain something" by recording, say, the guitars to a click track without being able to hear or feel the drums or bass...

I offer my usual apologies in advance if it transpires that my post is completely useless....
 
as a classical musician I have beef with using a click track. Click tracks take away the human aspect of music. Sure, I practice with a metronome but I don't perform with one!
 
I never use a click track to play to, cos I program my drums. I don't like playing to them, I like to have the feel of as much of the rhythm section behind me as I can. Again, as you say, a click track takes away the human aspect of the music. Plus I find myself getting lost with a click track. Its easier to define where you are with the drums. I think even if I was actually recording my drums I would prefer to create a basic beat to play them to.
 
ibleedburgundy said:
as a classical musician I have beef with using a click track. Click tracks take away the human aspect of music. Sure, I practice with a metronome but I don't perform with one!
Click to expand...
You're missing the point. Click tracks are used in recording to:

A) Keep everyone in time and in sync with each other (even if it's just you, playing the different instruments).

B) Give all instruments/musicians the same starting point in the song, thereby making it easier to sync up everything during the mixdown.

For certain styles of music, of course the looser the better, but in most instances, I've found it much easier to use either a click track, or my drum machine set on a simple pattern to record to.
 
ibleedburgundy said:
as a classical musician I have beef with using a click track. Click tracks take away the human aspect of music. Sure, I practice with a metronome but I don't perform with one!
Click to expand...
As a classical musician, you don't play to a drummer either. It is really two different worlds. I found this out the hard way back in the 80's when I was putting together a neo-classical metal band. Almost every classically trained pianist had a very hard time playing to the drums, much less a click track.

A click track doesn't have to take the human feel out of everything. It is a skill, just like anything else. Once you have mastered 'grooving' to a click, all the feeling is right there for everyone to experience,
 
gecko zzed said:
There are many ways of recording instruments in a song separately, so no doubt others will add their ideas.

Are you playing all the instruments yourself or do you intend others to play?

One way is this . . .

1 Work out the structure of the song beforehand. Set up a click track at the right tempo. Perhaps you can create a basic drum loop to do this.

2 Record a guide track with, say, a rough vocal and guitar in time to the click track

3 Arm another track, play back the guide tracks, and play the next instrument along to these and record this

4 Repeat until all required instruments have been recorded, each on their separate tracks.
Click to expand...

Your post was very helpful. Thanks!
 
what about using groove patterns (if you have that capability in your software) it helps keep the feel alive instead of monotonous.

also, if you're programming your drums and you have the ability to zoom down to sample value in your sequencer, try scooting your snares and kicks around a little bit to help with the feel.

I had to do this for 2 years until recently; it sucked, but it makes you a better songwriter and programmer, because you actually have to think in depth about every nuance of your programming.
 
If he can play to a click, great. If he can't, just record him (with someone playing along for feel) and then just record all the other parts to the drum track. Make sure the drummer counts in to the song and, if there are any parts where the drums stop, he will need to count those on the hat ore something.
 
ibleedburgundy said:
as a classical musician I have beef with using a click track. Click tracks take away the human aspect of music. Sure, I practice with a metronome but I don't perform with one!
Click to expand...

Well a really good drummer who can keep proper time is in charge of the song flow anyway so playing with a click track is almost the same as far as I'm concerned.
 
My drummer's pretty good at keeping the beat. If she starts right, she'll stay right 99% of the time.
 
However, there's no way I can play to a click track. I'll try setting up a basic drum beat to play to instead.
 
the point is not so much . . .

. . . whether you use a click, a drum track or a live drummer, nor is the point whether you can or can't play along to one of these.

the point is that if you are recording tracks separately, you need a way to keep them together.

so long as you record something that holds the song's structure and tempo (even if it varies) together, you will be in a good spot to lay down the other tracks. it could be a rythmic guide, but it could just as easily be a guitar and vocal track that you throw away and rerecord later.

the question is not about the merits or otherwise of synchronising yourself, it is about how you most easily keep your tracks under control
 
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