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#1
01-30-2013, 06:31 PM
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Recording order for multiple instruments?
Let's say you are planning on laying down a track that includes the following items:
1) voice 2) acoustic guitar rhythm (12 string) 3) acoustic or electric guitar lead 4) bass 5) banjo/mandolin lead Which one would you lay down first to start the mix? I would think you would put down the bass first, but I generally find it easier to lay down the acoustic rhythm first, then the bass, then the lead instruments, then voice. So, my order would be: 2, 4, 3, 5, 1. How do you guys who record on multiple instruments do it? This is assuming you record voice separate from rhythm or lead. Todd
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https://www.mcmakinmusic.com 
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#2
01-30-2013, 07:09 PM
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Rhythm guitar
bass lead guitar voice flush the banjo jk Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#3
01-30-2013, 07:30 PM
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Quote:
I have the best luck on projects like this doing a solid mono vocal/rhythm guitar version with a really good count in. Do it as many times as it takes to nail the feel for what you are trying to accomplish, but don't worry about polish, as this is a total scratch track. I then go back and overdub the "real" (1) rhythm guitar (2) bass (3) then add main vocal and any other instruments or backup vocals you want to add in and mix. If you have a good solid basis without the scratch tracks it becomes quite easy to really concentrate on the main vocal, which I usually find the hardest part. You can do it in a few passes and easily comp the best parts of your performance, the same with something like lead guitar. Keep your scratch track with the count-in until it's no longer needed. You can even copy / paste (or whatever else blends with your workflow) just the count-in to a separate track and mute your original. It requires mapping out what your finished mix will ultimately be beforehand, but if you're careful with locking in with the top of the tune after the count-in you can wind up with an excellent finished product after you dump the scratch tracks and mix.
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#4
01-30-2013, 07:50 PM
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Quote:
I always had the original artist show up and play/sing a scratch track on their instrument (guitar or piano) the way they intended the arrangement to be, with all their normal passion and tempo variances. I insisted they be happy with it at proper tempo and correct order of the arrangement. I told them if they forgot words to just la-la, but keep the arrangement accurate and the tempo steady. In 8 years, we were only asked to use a click track once...which we did. It was so horrible an experience for the artist that he/she redid it as a non-click scratch track which he/she liked better. I had the artists perform and record each song perfectly for me, passion and all, and we captured it. Then we went back and recorded the guitar track clean, and separately the lead vocal clean. We turned off the scratch track, and everyone else recorded to the artists clean tracks, and they sent me other musicians to play their parts as in whatever order we could schedule them. We got to know the artists in the community and if which percussionist or drummer played better after the bass track was done, instead of before. And the original singer was usually present to coach players/singers via headphones should that be necessary (via headphone monitors). In the case of bluegrass groups, I usually rigged up for mid/side and recorded them in a single pass. When mistakes were made we did a second 'clean' pass. I never really had any bluegrass groups who felt they'd done a single pass track perfectly, but the other players often didn't hear the mistakes that other players claimed...and bluegrass groups who play live were not open to throwing down individual tracks (too much choreography involved in their arrangements). My answer to your question is, once the scratch track was done (which could still be turned up to underlie the clean track if necessary), musicians could be added in pretty much any order. That was probably good because my house (where the studio was located) had a 10pm curfew, and most of the musicians had day jobs and kids. An interesting common occurance was to have the original artist - no matter how well they did their scratch and clean vocals - ask to re-record their vocal tracks...especially after hearing all the support tracks. In the case of artists who sing and play simultaneously better than separate tracking, we often redid the scratch recording at the end of the project as perfectly as possible (with them monitoring the support tracks). I have a friend with a small project studio locally, and he's got an order he likes (since the one who runs the studio also often becomes the informal producer of the project) and he won't vary from it even if it takes more days. Both of us used to turn out great project recordings. It's probably up to the person steering the project to make it all work. Hope this helps...
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#5
01-31-2013, 06:52 AM
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[QUOTE=BoneDigger;3337567
How do you guys who record on multiple instruments do it? This is assuming you record voice separate from rhythm or lead. Todd[/QUOTE] I would try to track bass, rhythm and scratch track vocal first. A few weeks back I recorded e. guitar (amp in a very specially treated bathroom), vocal, bass (direct) and cajon (and high hat) all in one pass. My room 's 25 x 35 and very controlled. The vocal mic was at one end of the room, the cajon at the other. Every one could see and hear everyone. All of it was done in one pass. I'm very good at editing multitrack takes, so i there's a clam somewhere, we start recording again before the clam and keep going. Regards, Ty Ford
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