what do you track on your 2488, vocals? instruments?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BMWerks
  • Start date Start date
Tracking on the 2488

how many tracks do you use typically?

the same article mentioned "alot of preplanning was required"...
i've seen you mention this too.

I was just jotting down notes for Tracking. I'm very happy recently on the Tracking methods. The performance. It really should be "ok" in Mono with No EQ. Your 100% right...if it sounds OK in Mono and No EQ....thats a pretty good sign it has the potential to become Very Nice during the Mixing Stage... like Black n White going to Color...
Stereophonic man...i can dig it! :) :p

Mastering Stage is waiting in the wings of course, but thats several chapters away.

Mixing and de-masking....
So you do work on studio-projects or your own original stuff these days?
Pop, Rock, Country, Blues, Mozart???
 
"how many tracks do you use typically?"

It really depends Cool. sometimes I'll only use one. (stereo piano) but when doing jazz or crossed-over jazz/rock, anywhere from 3 to 12, sometimes 16. However, I'm sequencing a lot of stuff too. That means, "pre-production" of drums, basses, horns and whatever can be sequenced and sound authentic. You know, like real cats playing. Then I'll lock up to sync maybe 8, 14 tracks down to two tracks on the 2487. In the end sometimes, counting all the sequenced tracks and 2488 tracks, I'll end up with maybe 32 to 40 tracks. I'm using a 16 track sequencer. That along with the Tascam proves to be very formatable. :eek:

So, though I have 24 tracks on the Tascam, I still have to do a lot of "pre-pro".

As a multi-gendre instrumentalist, I'm working with unlimited influences. Rock, jazz, world/ambient, classical, ska, regae, latin, Irish/celtic, oriental and whatever else gets me moved.

"like Black n White going to Color...
Stereophonic" Great annalogy Cool! Stereographic maybe?

I've been known to record demos for students from FAU (Florida Atlantic University) from time to time but lately i've been working mostly on my oun material trying to get some heads up in the film and video camp. The business is brutal but thats' another thread.
 
more questions, more answers

i've never thought of it as a business or seriously. read some books on shopping a song.
one has to be optimistic which is a chore at times.

so you didn't mention much vocals?
that would help, they're always the tuffest to "blend in".

anything on the web to hear? mp3?

40 tracks! damn. Midi? 16+24..40... down to 2! :eek:

so you've surely done several "garage guitar type bands"...

can you post any PAN recommendations...I'm thinking Pan will come before EQing on the mix?
 
"I'm thinking Pan will come before EQing on the mix?"

Yep. Good thinking. Unless of course, you need to tweak something. But generally, yes. Pan first. then if you need to tweak after, go ahead.

"can you post any PAN recommendations..."

Vocals. Main vocal (lead) 12:00. Harmony backups, usually two or more, 10:00 and 2:00. Synth, string or horn pads, 9:00 and 3:00. Normally this should act as a "stencil". It's up to your imagination as to what you want your stencil to say, how big, small, colorfull, etc.. It's not likely to put your kick and bass on either side. Or your main vocal way off to 9 or 3 o'clock. Common sense will guide you as to placement. It's your stereo field. Your "canvas".

"that would help, they're always the tuffest to "blend in".

Yeah but, the most fun. One important thing I learned about recording vocals, KEEP THEM UP FRONT AND BREATHY!.

Optimsm is only a chore when you're not bent on solving some sort of problem and working toward an important goal. Optimism is usually a chore for very very old people. " A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder" Benjeman Franklin. :cool:
 
hey, thanks. just generic stuff was what i was interested in, i understand the creativity is the fun part but there are certain guidelines that can help an HR sw like meself...like you've mentioned.
..some of the basic 101 sht that I think Engineers take for granted most people already know!

always apprciate the inputs/response.

still going over the longer thread..soloing/mute, deciding whats happenning & going on each measure...thats something i've never done much of, til recently.

How would you pan this if you get time (just for starting baseline):

Vocal-dry - 12'oclock
Vocal- comp- 12'oclock?
Snare
Kick
cymbals
shakers/percusssion extra
Acoustic Rythm 1
Acoustic Rythm 2
Bass
Toms- rolls - stereo
Piano 1
Piano 2
Piano filler notes
B-vocal 10-2oclock
Lead Acoustic
Background strings- stereo
 
Last edited:
"How would you pan this if you get time (just for starting baseline):"

Vocal-dry....................................Usually 12:00
Vocal- comp................................Don't know what "comp" is. but if you mean backgrounds, do as I described above to start; 2:00 and 10:00.

Snare.........................................Center or as you would hear it on stage maybe about 11:30/12:30

Kick...........................................Dead center, dry, slight compression.
cymbals.....................................rides and crashes anywhere between 11:00 and 1:00, hi-hat at 2:30 no compression, very little verb.

shakers/percussion extra.............2&3:00 and 9&10:00 (strategically placed)
Acoustic Rhythm 1........................Keep separate from vocal and away from A.R.2

Acoustic Rhythm 2........................refer to acoustic #1
Bass.........................................wee bit to the left or right of kick and with chorus (smooth & long) for up to 120 BPM.

Toms- rolls - stereo.....................Right handed drummer rolls from left to right as he/she is siting at the kit. But, you would pan from right to left as listening from the front of stage.

Piano 1.....................................If they are the same exact piano, then keep them in the same stereo space. If not, separate them or play them separately one after the other.

Piano 2.....................................Refer to piano 1.
Piano filler notes.........................Refer to piano 1.
B-vocal.....................................If this means "bass" vocal, keep it breathy and either off to one side or directly under the main vocal. (center) remember your frequency levels need to be distinctive enough not to mask with the bass guitar or other basses you might have going on like the low tones in your guitars and pianos etc. Here's where you might want to "dump" something that contributes to mud. Or re-perform.

Lead Acoustic ...........................Keep the upper mid and lower high frequency forward, up and in cooperation with your main vocals. Pan at different places at different measures if you want. Keeping this moving will give your mix some extra "life".


Background strings- stereo.......... Strings and pads should be stereoed out to hard left and hard right. 9:00 and 3:00. With some tastefully reverb, this will give your mix dimension.

These would be standard and traditional techniques and formula but by no means written in stone.

May the fader gods be with you. :o
 
Last edited:
BMWERKS Recording un-stoned

damn! your the man.. B...wow!
i'll print that one! too many thank yous...

Vocal "comp"ression was from some recent Motown trick i read this week.
that they have one Vocal dry-track, one V-track compressed....and said it will help make the vocal line really shine... never tried it yet. but the article made some sense.

Using a Y-splitter not Doubling the Main by singing twice.

so would you put a Main Vocal 1 and Main Vocal 2 both at 12 or offset?

no nothing is written in stone...but like song arrangements...not too many want to hear a 1 bar repeat for 12 minutes, like many beginners do (i did)... Songwriting there are the "formulas" A-B-A, or AA-B type sht...

kinda like tuning your guitars before you record...its common practice, but you don't have to do it. :)
 
Class is in

"that they have one Vocal dry-track, one V-track compressed...."

Right Cool, If the voc. is 2 trx sung once, I would keep it in the middle. (Or in the same stereo position) The comp. will "fatten' up the track enough. Same W/double tracking voc. W/out comp. Play with it, experiment etc.
Good idea though. I can see where the comp. on the other 1/2 voc. would bring "pressents" to the mix. Thats' a good thing. Right Martha?

"Songwriting there are the "formulas" A-B-A, or AA-B type sht..."

Yes. Formulas do act as templates. However, not all "templates" should be the same. Here again Cool, work with all kinds of formulas and templates. Eventually you'll find that two or three will work best for you any time you set out on a song writing project. Takes a lot of guess work out and expediates your craft so you can write lots and lots of COOL songs!

Looks like ur statin ta git some milage on yur 2488. :D

"kinda like tuning your guitars before you record...its common practice, but you don't have to do it."

I don't even have to tune my guitars! :eek: But I do de-tune them sometimes. :p
 
Last edited:
Tracking then Mixing on the 2488...

got some time in.
set the volumes in Mono.
did the pan thing.
released to stereo ..no cigars yet.

but hey B,
spoke to my brother...he's ecstatic and was doing the Tracking too!!
like you said, his band was recording past feww weeks..."best tracking everdone in his pad" he said. I know, i know...its like a damn brain enima of bad recording habits have been lifted or something!!!
no arguing it works. toocool.

it works man..everything, the mono, no eq...get the fkng song down,
just track it..keep it simple....and the song stays fresh, no burn out.
don't play Mixing Engineer while your tracking...

let the ME do the mixing later!!....
it was great to hear him in high spirits. and reinforced what i was digging.

Mixing lessons: thanks. good stuff.

so i panned. and would punch in my mono set volume,
then back to stereo.... i need more time.
but this is great.
 
MAY THE FADER GODS BE WITH YOU AND YOUR BROTHER TOO! :eek: ;) :rolleyes: :) :o

Thanks Cool. Glad to know I could be helpful.
 
the 2488 mixing gods and REEL

SIZE=5]THEY ARE WITH ME!!![/SIZE]

ok...well maybe close and least closer....
the TRACKING GODS are tho, thats for sure!
this mixing is like starting all over again...a new chapter.
at times it seems it'd be nice to just record and leave the rest for the ME's!

i was just chuckling ...wondering were the REEL was?

then i thought..

yep! B .. your right!
he bought a 2488 and is secretly recording, comparing, tracking, mixing...

can this be true?
 
I tell'ya what,...

if I converted to this 18" x 24" wunderbox, I'd free up about 300sf in the house, for actual bedrooms/living space, that's for sure!

Technically, though, I don't think that's gonna happen. If anything, I'd just stack the wunderbox on top of all my other stuff, & be as crowded as ever!;)
 
Back by popular demand!

Hey man! Where you been? We thought you were in jail! (just kidding). Cool will be freaked to see you back man!

Show :D us your wonder box!
 
Okay!

..............;)
 

Attachments

  • 98_1_b.webp
    98_1_b.webp
    17.3 KB · Views: 59
The wonder box that could.

Ahhhh,... The infamous 338. I once owned one. Made some very nice demos with it. The precursor to all the digital wonder boxes. Wouldn't you agree?

Still think you can get Federal funding for your museum though! ;)
 
Been so long, forgot the numbers.

Yeah. 388. Sorry. Kinda like remembering hydroglyphics from ancient Egyption times.

Funny, when you're here posting, Cool's not. When Cool's here, you're not. Makes me wonder..... :rolleyes: :confused:
 
IamYouare He was me and we are all together..heheh

i'm here...

Mixing not going to well...masking, mud whatever. Starting Over.

So I returned everything to MONO/Center...zero'd eq....

adjusted volumes...and the tune kinda came back to life, sounded tight in terms of tempo.

I have to play with my 388...er...i mean 2488....

REEL was the Walrus.
 
Clark Kent/ Sup. Man syndrome

The basic foundations are in place. You have the tools by which to program a fine "performance" .

"When your enthusiasm outweighs your patients, you get frustration.

When your patients outweighs your enthusiasm you get lazy.

Think; Yin Yang. Balance in everything. However, let not mediocrity take over balance."

I said that.
 

Attachments

  • Copy of digital play.webp
    Copy of digital play.webp
    9.1 KB · Views: 45
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top