How many takes you do in a recording session?

[Think_Bass]

I record from home mostly. Sometimes I feel that when I'm in the studio the workflow is more fluid than working at home, because sometimes the producers ask me if I can make like 2 or three takes for a song so they can make a comp choosing what they like from each take.

I personally feel a little burnt out when they ask to send take after take when I already recorded one that I feel is good for the song.

What are your thoughts on this matter? What do you fellow session players normally do? Do you come to an agreement about the number of takes before you start recording? Or Of course this is more from a Home Studio situation. Do you have certain rules or clauses you apply for recording?

Thank you!

 

[Killing Floor]

At home it is sometimes too many but that’s OK. On a dime I always try to be ready. When I did some call work as a handsome lad the expectation was mail your part, know it cold but of course a producer or occasionally a client might chime in. That’s fine because at that point you’re doing something for them instead of costing them money. I wouldn’t consider that a second take but a different one.

If you’re going in as a member of a band it’s normal to be nervous but the more you know your line the more it’s automatic. Never try to “fix” a mistake by catching up, IMO.

 

[Joe Nerve]

In the studio with a band I don't think I've ever done more than 4 or 5 takes with a few punch ins. At home, I'll go as many as I have to. I'd say I average 10 takes, leaving the 4 I like best and then getting the digital scissors out to make one perfect take. If working with a producer, I'd give them whatever they wanted, so long as I trusted them. I don't think I ever posted this song before (its not one of my favs), but I'll always remember having to do a little break part, many, many times - on both guitar and bass. It was a simple part, but I was more concerned with the accents and feel than the actual notes, and it challenged me for some reason. I will now humbly present something that took about 20 takes ... the section that starts at 1:22.

 

[Pacman]

For remote sessions (and if the budget allows), I'll deliver a very simple one, a more dressed up one, and maybe one that's a little over the top. I'll try to get those with the same tone, so they can chop anything they liked from the "fancier" takes into the basic one.

 

[mrcbass]

It really depends, but typically it's one full pass with a couple of punch ins to fix a clam or two.

 

[pepj]

If they aren't sure what they want, then for the run through track I just throw all sort of ideas and sounds out and they can let me know if they like anything.
If they know what they want, I just try and get the best sound up because chances are I'm playing someone else's part so it needs to go down right.

But if they are paying by the hours/day commercially, time generally trumps everything and its not about the bass part.

 

[Low End Scum]

If I have 2-3 that are mostly there (hiccups in different spots just due to chance) then I'm more than happy to leave it at that. Truthfully though whatever Mr Recording Engineer wants.

 

[Wasnex]

As many as it takes.


Usually my first or second take is the best. Seems like many others peak later, which I find frustrating.

After the first take I find it increasingly challenging to keep my place in the song form.

 

[Dominic D]

If I’m being paid for my time, I’ll record as many as they want.

 

[ZachM]

In a solo recording situation I like to do two full takes, and then quickly punch any mistakes. First take will be simple, nothing too grabby. Second will take some more chances - maybe an alternate part on the second verse, and probably a few (slightly) fancier fills. Producer gets to go through and decide what they like where. I generally feel like anything after three takes is probably not really progressing, and may even be regressing.

Band recordings, especially Nashville style demo sessions, the expectation in my mind is that everyone is gonna get a good usable take the first time, absolutely nail it the second time, and very quickly overdub anything that needs fixing. Time is money so mistakes are costly! Depending on how tight the timelines are, you might only get one take, too.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I record from home mostly. Sometimes I feel that when I'm in the studio the workflow is more fluid than working at home, because sometimes the producers ask me if I can make like 2 or three takes for a song so they can make a comp choosing what they like from each take.

I personally feel a little burnt out when they ask to send take after take when I already recorded one that I feel is good for the song.

What are your thoughts on this matter? What do you fellow session players normally do? Do you come to an agreement about the number of takes before you start recording? Or Of course this is more from a Home Studio situation. Do you have certain rules or clauses you apply for recording?

Thank you!

At home, who knows? A lot of times at home it's to see what really sounds best with the song.

At a pro recording studio, it should only be two. First time through to get the instrumentals and then record the vocals over those instrumentals for the second pass. We sang along with the instrumentals on the first pass, but emphasis was on getting the instrumental part right. Last time I was in a pro studio was 2019 and there was a part on the first time through that was better than the second pass for vocals. Since we were singing over the first pass instrumentals, they just took the vocal track from the first pass, copy and pasted it into the right place in the second pass. So maybe 2 and a tenth on that one song.

In any case, if you are paying money for time in a recording studio and you don't have a contract for free studio time no matter how much you use (like the Beatles did), you get the song down BEFORE you come into the studio and you don't change your strings the day of the recording either. Had a lead guitarist at a session in LA in the 80's who hadn't changed his strings in a year and a half. He decided to change them on the day the studio recording session was scheduled. Sound engineer stopped us 5-times to tell the guitarist to tune up before he got a take he could use.

If you and all your band-mates do their part, it should only require 2 takes.

 

[REV]

I'll play until the producer is satisfied.

 

[Pings Bass]

As many as it takes. I love the idea of being so prepared the first take is a keeper. That's been me experience in a paid studio.

But the reality of home recording is I'm writing/rehearsing/recording all at once, and it's frequently dozens before I get the part nailed.

 

[mikewalker]

I think three is the number.

"shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out."

That reminds me of a gig in the 90s where we went into a Vancouver studio and laid down ten tracks for a keyboard player's record. We had the Leafs playoff game on the big screen live, and laid down the songs ( one take of each, they were simple and well rehearsed) during breaks in the action.

Fun day! Not so much fun a couple weeks later when I got called in to a post place in Delta to dub all of the bass lines again. (This was in the ADAT days, and somehow my tracks had all gotten damaged.) No hockey game to watch there! I did get to play straight into the board thru a very nice TubeTech, so that was something...

 

[five7]

Once many years ago I did 30 takes as they wanted me and the drummer done together. I thought my part was good after my normal 3 takes. I said one more and I if I get a blister on my index finger we will be done for the day. Still had several songs left to do, so we moved on.

 

[kerryg]

For remote sessions (and if the budget allows), I'll deliver a very simple one, a more dressed up one, and maybe one that's a little over the top. I'll try to get those with the same tone, so they can chop anything they liked from the "fancier" takes into the basic one.

This is about right. I did 60 or 70 albums for a rap/reggae producer buddy and we dropped into a rhythm – one pass just to “react” musically; select the parts we liked and assign them to sections of the tune (“that’ll make a good verse pattern; that should be good for the chorus”), then a pass “chunking” those into their appropriate sections; finally a fully over-the-top “fills and licks” track.

Then on a different day, playing with up to a dozen musicians live in the room, or more – I’ve had sessions where there was a lot of pressure to nail it the first time through. One memorable day it was 13 tunes in 2.5 hours; just a couple of weeks ago the request was 27 songs over 48 hours (this was dialed back to 15 shortly before the session, possibly when they learned they were paying by the tune ). All of those, you’re lucky if you manage a second take.

 

[STRMan]

Depends on what instrument I'm recording.

I program the core of the drums - 1 take

Ancillary percussion - 1 to 2 takes

Bass - 1 take

Rhythm guitar - 1 take

Lead guitar - 1 to 3 takes

Synth sounds from my guitar through my Roland GR-20 - 1 to 5 takes

Vocals - at least 273 takes, with editing in individual lines from each take to get something somewhat presentable.

 

[kerryg]

Tell you what, though, the home studio will teach you bad habits. It will teach you to keep everything, because you can, and just ignore the fact that it might cause you ages of searching through dozens of takes. Unless you play perfectly consistently and keep your levels exactly the same, your first and last probably won’t match very well anyway. It’ll teach you to edit rather than play correctly.

IMO, with 40 years of doing this, losing count of how many albums I’d played on 25+ years ago, and 30+ years of teaching the topic, I’d say I find the most effective use of the home studio is to treat your own sessions as if they were paid recording sessions; to the extent possible, pretend you are recording on analog tape that costs money in a studio whose rental costs more money. Practice economy, limit your takes, try to play in as large chunks as you can. Delete old takes rather than muting. Aim for maximum focus and groove. Remember your Beethoven: to make a mistake is trivial; to play without passion, inexcusable. That way every minute of home recording reinforces every minute of live performance.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I do whatever it takes. We just uploaded our first professional single on Spotify. This studio, they produced us. They listened for things that could be better and actually REBUILT my basslines from the ground up.
Did the same for the guitarist.
Since they were using apple logic, the whole thing was punches. After the live scratch track I did my part in sections...verse, chorus, solo. Made a few blunders, but maybe 3 retakes in the difficult sections and my job was done.

 

[Dincrest]

I voted 3.

When I've recorded with bands and such, I always like to come prepared. I'll do everything in my power to make my first take as good as possible. When the band and engineer say my first take is pretty good/usable, then I feel better about doing a second take (so they have something to choose from) which I may play with more relaxed confidence. Then I'll do a third take maybe with a different bass or something.

Three good takes, pick which one is best, everyone's happy because I came prepared, delivered the goods (and more), and didn't waste anyone's time.

(I still remember this one recording session with an old band... I came to the studio early since I lived closer to it than my eternally tardy bandmates (drummer and singer were the worst). So, in that time, I nailed three takes of the two songs I was to record bass on that day and did additional takes of songs I'd done last session since I had a different bass. Those all sounded better. Our guitarist showed up just as I was doing my last round and I had him fib to the drummer and singer, who showed up much later, that I'd done all my work and some extra before he even showed up). This is why I joke that the reason I get gigs and callbacks is not because of my meager skills, but because I'm responsible, accountable, dependable, reliable, dedicated, and punctual.