poll: how does your band typically record?

[mambo4]

My band just spent 9 months or so tracking our first full length. We started with scratch tracks and a click. Over the course of the project we added one instrument at a time -an overdub fest.

But last weekend, for a benefit project we tried a 'live' tracking session: everybody at once, mostly in the same room. We knew the song pretty well, and We were able to crank out a polished mix in under 3 days -most of it tracked on day 1.

It made me curious, how does everybody else typically record for a polished product?

 

[Kinetic Monkey]

Whatever fits the song, my man. Overdubbing can sound good on the cheap - so that's what I usually go for. But for a great energetic sound I love to record the drums and bass together, even if overdubbing other parts.

 

[kaputsport]

All of the above.

Typically, we will all play together and record the idea live. After we work on our parts and listen to the "boxed recording" we get the drum down to a click. Then Bass, then Guitar, and then vocals/synths.

Then mix and master... And then do it all over again in a real studio. Preproduction is key.

 

[jimmyjames]

this is the only band i've done anything close to pro recording with, and we have recorded 9 tracks so far.

but we book a 10-11 hour day, bust out 3 songs, record a few takes of it, keep the best one, and then go back to fix any little thing here and there if need be. then the vocals get recorded on their own and what ever over dubs we want happen next.

then the mixing and editing, followed by mastering

we don't usually master the same day, we take the rough mixes home to listen to on our own time through different sound systems, take notes, meet up a week or so later and do the edits we want and THEN get them mastered.

i like this technique because its quick, 3 songs done in a day is awesome, although, a few days ago when we went in to record another 3 songs, the editing process took so long for 1 particularly detailed track that we didn't get to finish editing the other 2

what i DON'T like about the way this is done is that i am always DI'd and never mic'd... which kind of bothers me, but the engineer makes it work well enough.

 

[tangentmusic]

Capture drum tracks first, then start tracking all other instruments. Vocals last

 

[I<34080]

lay down the base track and then add guitar solos/leads and vocals

 

[mambo4]

Then mix and master... And then do it all over again in a real studio. Preproduction is key.

excellent point. We tracked DIY so our studio time was "free"
-but I think it can be detrimental to have that attitude :
if you think you have the leeway to change things,you usually will.

... If we ever book paid studio time, I think we'll probably do our own rough tracks first so we aren't scrutinizing and altering things on the clock.
It was great to have the parts nailed down going in.

 

[silky smoove]

I have 3 bands. The one that I refer to as "my" band, has everything recorded, by me, at my home studio. In this setting, I lay down a scratch track, to a click, of the primary instrument in the song. This could be the most prominent part, or simply the one that I used to write the music. After that I build tracks on top in the following order (not all songs get the same instruments, but this is the order regardless): Drums, bass, keys, hand percussion, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, extra instruments (fiddle, cello, horns, etc.), vocals, backing vocals. The scratch track gets deleted when the "real" take of that instrument gets done. If there's a sample being used on the track, which is rare, I'll simply add it in when it seems appropriate. Typically this comes after the keys have gone down. Mix, listen on many different systems, mix again, listen again, master, listen, master again, listen again... This goes on and on until I'm happy.

My rock band features a high-level audio engineer/exec for Nintendo on guitar, so we do everything at his "home" studio. I put home in quotes because it rivals, and surpasses a lot of the pro studios in Seattle, it just happens to exist in his home.

My pop band recorded at my rock band guitar player's studio, but has yet to finish the album due to switching singers.

 

[Jonyak]

We record every rehearsal, and jam for ideas and demos. But we just started recording an album, so we are doing drums and direct in bass track first, and then redo the bass track and then add everything else piece by piece.

will see how it turns out.

 

[theory028]

When I've recorded with my buddies, we've always done it one instrument at a time. The order usually goes: drums, rhythm guitar, bass, lead guitar, main vocals, backup vocals, and then redoing whatever needs fixed.

We have been slowly figuring out ways to improve the quality and efficiency of recording. Unfortunately, we have also been slow to write new material to actually record so we don't get to put those techniques into practice very often.

My brother has an electric drum kit and we took the easy route of recording the line out from the module. The results were never that impressive, to be honest; they never stood out and sounded too flat and dull. The new plan is to hook the kit up to my interface via MIDI and use the pads to trigger better drum samples. That is probably how it should have been done from the beginning but we were amateurs. I'm hoping that getting everything configured will be moderately straightforward. I expect the sound quality to be a huge improvement. A lot of those drum sample packs sound great.

I'm also looking at the Sansamp BDDI to use on my bass and acoustic guitar tracks. I could then run two tracks (wet/dry) into my interface (Presonus Audiobox) and toy around with those in the overall mix.

My interface only has two inputs so I'm limited in that regard. I could record bass and drums simultaneously but everything else would need to be done in a layered fashion. I'm fine with that, though. It takes some more time but it makes the guys' schedules easier to accommodate.

 

[Jonyak]

I recorded my 74 SVT today with a bass drum mic on the second speaker from the bottom right of my 810E, and also through a Radial JDI which goes between the amp and the cabinet.

I then mixed the 2 together and slighty panned each.

it was the first time I have done it this way and I have to admit it sounds pretty good.

 

[ZachM]

My best experiences personally have been the times where there is a pre-production session with the producer before the actual session, and then the session is tracked live, as a band, with minimal overdubs. For me, that's always seemed to produce the most natural results.

 

[sonic assassin]

this post directly relates to how MY band operates while recording the songs that i wrote every note of while in MY home studio. so its all very specific to my situation, but...

we do pieces at a time. i demo track everything with DI guitars and programmed drums. the band learns the songs from these bedroom workprints. we hammer out details later.

when it comes time to record, ill record a scratch guitar with the drummer around to make sure that all tempos are agreed upon. he will work off of that. from there ill track my mountain of guitars, then onto my bassist, and then keys. vocals are dead last.

we can get away with this because we are a post hardcore band, and everything is very hard 4/4 with not a lot of swing or feel. any bit of groove we have can be done to a click because my drummer is amazing.

 

[silky smoove]

The new plan is to hook the kit up to my interface via MIDI and use the pads to trigger better drum samples. That is probably how it should have been done from the beginning but we were amateurs. I'm hoping that getting everything configured will be moderately straightforward. I expect the sound quality to be a huge improvement. A lot of those drum sample packs sound great.

If you're going to go this route, I highly suggest Toontrack's Superior Drummer 2.0. It's what I'm currently using, and I really dig it. I auditioned a handful of drum sampling programs, and this one really stood out for ease of use, and quality of samples. The algorithm used to "randomize" the samples helps keep things sounding like a real kit rather than an electronic one.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I've almost always done it live. I hate playing to a click track. It's not that I can't do it; I just find my playing starts sounding too robotic and sterile.

 

[theory028]

If you're going to go this route, I highly suggest Toontrack's Superior Drummer 2.0. It's what I'm currently using, and I really dig it. I auditioned a handful of drum sampling programs, and this one really stood out for ease of use, and quality of samples. The algorithm used to "randomize" the samples helps keep things sounding like a real kit rather than an electronic one.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look into that as an option. I was considering Toontrack's EZ Drummer because of the lower price but it may be worth it to suck it up and go with the better version. I'll have to look up comparisons and see if the guys would be willing to chip in a bit extra.

 

[DuraMorte]

Thanks for the tip! I'll look into that as an option. I was considering Toontrack's EZ Drummer because of the lower price but it may be worth it to suck it up and go with the better version. I'll have to look up comparisons and see if the guys would be willing to chip in a bit extra.

The extra money is well spent; SD2 is excellent. The amount of control you have over bleed and the randomization algo almost make them easier to mix than real drums, especially if you're recording the MIDI off an edrum kit. Not to mention way cheaper. Overall, an excellent investment.

 

[bassboysam]

My band just spent 9 months or so tracking our first full length. We started with scratch tracks and a click. Over the course of the project we added one instrument at a time -an overdub fest.

But last weekend, for a benefit project we tried a 'live' tracking session: everybody at once, mostly in the same room. We knew the song pretty well, and We were able to crank out a polished mix in under 3 days -most of it tracked on day 1.

It made me curious, how does everybody else typically record for a polished product?

9 months, that's a long time. We spent two weekends, 20 hours total to record 8 tracks, all live off the floor. Then a few hours for some guitar overdubs and mixing. Of course not having vocals makes thing easier too.