What are your pre-tracking and tracking processes?

[brand0nized]

I'm just starting out in home recording, and I'd like to learn more from people with more experience.
What steps do you take in preparing your band to record a song? What steps do you take in the actual tracking process? Which instruments go first and why do they before others?
If possible, could you give me each step you take, in as much detail as you could? Any tips would be gladly accepted! Thank you!

 

[benherron.rrr]

The process really depends all on the song. As a solo musician when I write a song it usually consits of a single instrument, a rifff, a chord progression. Pre session is an important time, before you start tracking you should have a 'vision' of what you want the final piece to sound like, having this vision, although a rough plan can really help you plan out what, when and how you want to track the parts. Usually I will start of by recordin a rough acoustic guitar/ piano backing track. Because I program all the drums in MIDI, having this rough track helps me to develop a beat. After I have finished the drums, i usually go back and re record the rough piano/ guitar, but this time I may just use simpl strummed chords, becuase it helps me keep in tune better when I sing. After doing the lead vocals, I will then begin to add other parts, which are usually written as I go along. I think its quite important to lay down a rhythm track first as it gives you clear timing for the other parts to be played to

 

[Greg_L]

Know what the hell you're playing before you press record. Practice, and know your parts. The rest will take care of itself.

 

[Captain Ego]

Hi. I am also new to this so it's just trial and error for me. I don't have enough inputs to record a whole band at a time even though we just have guitar/bass/drums/vocal, that would take a lot of channels for the drum set and I only have 2 simultaneous recording and a 8 channel mixer.

As far as the order of operations goes, I think that depends on the song. I have recorded 4 songs so far out of our 13 song set list and it's been a bit different with each one, but it has fallen into a sort of pattern which works for me:
I do a guide track of us all playing together (only 3 people so it's not hard to organize) then overdub each part separately to it, starting with the root, usually the bassline. Once the root part is recorded, which is whichever instrument is easiest for the others to follow, the vocal part comes next because it is important for dynamics. Vocal cues let us know where we are in a song, and none of us actually count measures, we just listen to how the song goes. Voice dynamics also lets my attention-deficit-drummer know when its quiet time or powerful lashing out time. Usually my guitar part occurs prominently when I'm not singing, and kind of mumbles along in the back when I am singing, so I call it the texture part. Call it countermelody to the vocal melody, call it a riff, call it what you want, it's the part that is less important for others to hear to follow along with the song so it comes last.

So that I guess that's the basic process:
1- guide track played as a group
2- root instrument (bassline) follows guide track
3- vocals follow listening in on bassline
4- drums
etcetera stuff added on

Because it's all played to a track of us all playing together, instead of playing to a metronome, it still sounds convincingly "live" instead of tracked. That's really important to me, I would rather have it feel dynamic than be precisely on tempo from start to finish, which seems transparently overproduced to me.

 

[mjbphotos]

My process is similar to benherron's - as a solo recorder, first I write the whole song - chords and lyrics. I have a real idea in my head of the finished sound I want.
Then I record a scratch chord track to a click track - this may be piano or guitar. I use this to get my measure count for the programmed drums (I may also add extra percussion sounds later, or not use any programmed drums, depending on the song).
Then I go back and record the same chord part, but a real take. A second chord instrument (another guitar track, strings, or organ), then bass. Vocals and lead parts come after that, but in no set order.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Know what the hell you're playing before you press record. Practice, and know your parts. The rest will take care of itself.

BINGO. Always remember that recording something meant to be kept should always be recording something worth keeping. Anything else is just jerking off, which doesn't need to be made public.

G.

 

[c7sus]

Smoke a bunch of weed.