Recording -step by step

[Krzyfn]

Hey, I want to get to know your way of recording. What I am asking for is to see each step of making the song. What should be first? Drums ? When guitars, when bass, and all these things. I know that every song is different and the way is different, but i just want to see the scheme.

We assume that there are: guitar, bass, vocals and drums.

Btw. have you ever seen a project with photos or samples of recording and mastering a song? If yes, show me too.

 

[Gandalf]

Sure I'd be more than happy to tell you all there is to know about home recording and save you having to use the search feature here or google or buying a book.........

 

[Robert D]

Wouldn't the vulcan mind meld be faster and easier?

 

[chessrock]

Yea, I don't really have anything to do for the next week. I'll just write a book, complete with illustrations and post it here, mkay?

 

[The Green Hornet]

Gad-Zooks and Gloriosky--Chessi you are cold to this poor wandering recording artist.

Simple directions to start:

1. Get your drums and chords down. That will make your overdubbing easier as you have established the beat.

2. Add bass.

3. Insert your solo sax or keys/synth sounds, whatever.

4. Add accents on drums, bells, zings, tings, jingles/jangles, etc. [These will be small inputs on other tracks to add pizzazz to your song.

5. Mix with small amounts of reverb where needed; today's patches on the newer synths come packed with reverb.

6. Compression--go easy here until you get some nice sounding songs. Then, go easier.

For vocals, well, I've said enough for now.

Cheers,
Green Hornet

 

[NTK88]

Might not be of any help but here is some stuff from a professional.
Cool to look at anyway.

From metallica.

http://www.sweetsilence.com/GearSlutzNotes.htm

 

[Dani Pace]

I don't have any set order for which track goes first, second, third, etc. I try to record the track which will provide the foundation for the rest of the song to be built on first. Most of the time I record a scratch track first to use as a referance while recording the other tracks of the song. Good solid drum and bass tracks recorded early seem to make the remaining tracks a lot easier. Other instruments can be recorded first when they provide the basics of the song. Lead or melody instruments can be recorded in any order, depending on your perference. Most of the time, vocals are recorded late in the process. There is no set order, you have to find what works best for you and whoever else you are recording. Set up, tune up, hit the record button, play, this part is the same for all tracks. For me, well tuned instruments are more important than the order they are recorded in.

 

[Krzyfn]

THE GREEN HORNET what do you mean in 4th point ? Aren`t accents recorded at once by a drummer ?

 

[NTK88]

THE GREEN HORNET what do you mean in 4th point ? Aren`t accents recorded at once by a drummer ?

He means things like shakers, tamborines, etc. Stuff other than a drumset.

 

[The Green Hornet]

YO NTK88 & Krzyfn:

NT has got part of what I meant right. There are so many "odd" patches on the Motif that one bar or two of any or "many" can really add pizzazz to a ballad or an upbeat song.

I like to put these "additives" on separate tracks. Since most of my tunes I do are not more than 4/5 tracks, I have PLENTY of open tracks to insert additives. It is a real trip for the creative side. Try it and enjoy it.

It's finally raining in Michigan and like most of the mid-west, we need it.

Green Hornet

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

It's finally raining in Michigan and like most of the mid-west, we need it.

We got plenty here already. It' be nice if it at least waited until atfer my gig tonight .

G.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Glen-Glen--You did it again!

Verily, I saw rain falling a couple of nights ago during a Cubs' game. Love those Cubs. Grew up and did gigs right there where you are. Love the Windy but hate the traffic.

Seems like the big rains missed most of Michigan; however, looks like no golf for several days now, "IF THE FOREcasters are right" due to water droplets.

I used to tend bar at the Como Inn before it closed, like way before.

Ever been there Glen?

Cheers and carry an umbrella.

Green Hornet

 

[Rokket]

I usually lay down a drum beat with my drum machine and then ask a real drummer to redo it for me.

Other than that, it's whatever I grab first gets tracked first.

 

[Ironklad Audio]

1)write the song

2)make everything sound the way it's supposed to

3)track the rythyms

4)track the leads

5)track the vocals

sometimes 3-5 get switched around...but in a nutshell, there it is

 

[Bulls Hit]

1)write the song

2)make everything sound the way it's supposed to

3)track the rythyms

4)track the leads

5)track the vocals

sometimes 3-5 get switched around...but in a nutshell, there it is

What works better for me is
3
4
1
2
5

 

[EddieRay]

1)write the song

2)make everything sound the way it's supposed to

3)track the rythyms

4)track the leads

5)track the vocals

sometimes 3-5 get switched around...but in a nutshell, there it is

Here's my so-called method:

1) Get a guitar idea.

2) Agonize over the midi drum track (aka "arranging the song").

3) Convert midi drums to audio track.

4) Track the guitars.

5) Track the bass (aka "I wonder if this bass line works").

6) Procastinate/ponder the lyrics for the next ten years.

7) Fuck the lyrics. It's an instrumental.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Yo Glen-Glen--You did it again!

Huh? What'd I do this time?? I'm still groggy after the late gig...at least it didn't rain on the setup or breakdown (whoopie)

Verily, I saw rain falling a couple of nights ago during a Cubs' game. Love those Cubs. Grew up and did gigs right there where you are. Love the Windy but hate the traffic.

I won't hold the Cubs fan part against you, GH; we all have our little faults .

:I used to tend bar at the Como Inn before it closed, like way before.

Ever been there Glen?

Man, if I ever was there, it would have been back in the early '80s, probably (was it still around then?). But much of the early-mid 80s bar scene is such a drug-hampered blur that I couldn't say for sure. If I had been there, It probably would have been once during a middle of the night pub crawl. Glad to have experienced those days, but even more glad those days are over.

I spent more time back then either at The Piano Man, The Maple Tree Inn, or Wise Fools Pub. The Piano Man on the north side and the Maple Tree in my hood on the south side were two of the last bastions of cozy jazz piano/acoustic jazz trio bar, used to love both of those joints. Then of course, Wise Fools was my favorite of the blues clubs in that Clark/Lincoln/Halsted blues triangle before the IRS shut them down (at least that what I heard happened.)

G.

 

[legionserial]

First method

1) Record primary scratch riff to click track
2) Put some MIDI drums under it
3) Record other scratch riffs/guitar parts for tune if I have any to a click track
3.5) If not, write rest of tune and record scratch tracks
4) Put MIDI drums underneath
5) Move stuff around to ascertain structure, and cut for timing (my tunes always stat very very long)
6) Tweak MIDI drums velocity
7) Track Bass Guitar
8) Add any other MIDI stuff if neccessary
9) Track Rhythm Guitars
10) Track 2 part Harmonys
11) Track Leads
12) Mix down each MIDI drum piece (ie snare, hihat, kick etc...) to individual audio files
13) Mix
14) Think about smashtering but write more tunes instead

 

[jamacian]

The most important thing for me is getting a song chart made up. Get every measure written down in a chart. I use a timeline type chart with room beneath for notes. Then I define the separate parts beginnings and make notes about chord specifics or what have you. So it will look like a line with measures marked off ad notes for say...intro, verse1, chorus, verse2, bridge, chorus2, verse3, extended bridge, solo section, chorus3, outtro. Then I will put vocal cues if needed in the timeline or details about say drums or bass fills. Then I start with a scratch guitar or pair of guitars, scratch bass, work on drums, redo strings as needed, put the vocals in and add any items of flair.

Then I put it in a folder and try to forget how horrible it turned out. Fuck mixing.

 

[moho]

Do a Neil Young 'Ragged Glory' type job:

Record everything live at the same time, fuck overdubs!