recording band

Neo#

Ok I will be recording my band this weekened probably. Just using a portable digital multitrack recorder, a mixer and a bunch of mics. The mics are like standard shure sm58s and simlar. Not ideal for recording drums but i will give it a shot. What would the best way to do it? Im thinking of messing around with the mics and placements to get a decent drum sound. I will put a basic guitar track down on the recorder along to a metronome. Then record the drums, bass, guitar etc. What would be the best way to record vocals? Im thinking just record to two tracks, one left one right, and then put on effects.

TelePaul

Neo# wrote:

Ok I will be recording my band this weekened probably. Just using a portable digital multitrack recorder, a mixer and a bunch of mics. The mics are like standard shure sm58s and simlar. Not ideal for recording drums but i will give it a shot. What would the best way to do it? Im thinking of messing around with the mics and placements to get a decent drum sound. I will put a basic guitar track down on the recorder along to a metronome. Then record the drums, bass, guitar etc. What would be the best way to record vocals? Im thinking just record to two tracks, one left one right, and then put on effects.

Drums: Use the largest diaphragm you have on the kick, a 57 will be fine on the snare and the 58s on toms but you'll likey need some pencil condensors for overheads.

Metrnonome: Yeah you can put a guide track down but just make sure your drummer knows the song inside out.

Vocals: Double track (take two takes) and don't pan extreme.

Neo#

Yeah the drummer knows the songs inside out that will be fine. When you say double track the vocals do you mean record onto two tracks and then record onto two tracks again or do you just mean one track and then one track again? Ive never tried that before. Would the two tracks not be out of sync?

TelePaul

Neo# wrote:

Yeah the drummer knows the songs inside out that will be fine. When you say double track the vocals do you mean record onto two tracks and then record onto two tracks again or do you just mean one track and then one track again? Ive never tried that before. Would the two tracks not be out of sync?

As a matter of interest, why are you recording vocals to two tracks and panning? That kinda stereo recording is used mostly to present a stereo image of an instrument, usually one where the timbre is dependent on the micing position; for example, drums, a grand piano, an acoustic guitar. Vocals don't really have a stereo image. If you were experimenting with two mics then maybe, but I strongly recommend against extreme panning.

Double tracking is an age old technique, it's usually used to thicken up a part. You see it alot on electric guitar parts. Listen to some Beatles stuff, John Lennon was very fond of doubling his parts. It wont sound out of sync if your singer sings the same part twice....it'll sound out of sync like a chorus pedal makes a guitar sound out of sync. You could try pan the syncd track.

TelePaul

Niall - Dahlia wrote:

I don't understand why you'd want to record vocals down to 2 tracks.

Like TelePaul said for double tracking you do your vocal take as normal onto one mono track, and then do a second take trying to match the original vocal as close as possible. It gives a slight chorus effect that thicks up the vocals. Or guitars for that matter.

*edit* Whoops, got there before me

Great minds man.

Neo#

How are ya Niall! basically when I go to record anything through my 8 track though a mic it sets it to record to two tracks automatically. And when youve finished recording it pans each track completely to the left and right. I thought that might be the standard way of recording vocals. But ill give it a go the way you lads suggested when/if we get a chance to record.

TelePaul

Neo# wrote:

How are ya Niall! basically when I go to record anything through my 8 track though a mic it sets it to record to two tracks automatically. And when youve finished recording it pans each track completely to the left and right. I thought that might be the standard way of recording vocals.

You're using a stereo track to record.

Neo#

Oh yeah you can record to single tracks too. Ill try recording two takes and panning them a little.Its a Boss Br 864.

TelePaul

I really wouldn't go panning anything. Get a good vocal track straight up the centre and then go experimenting with backing vocals or a second track.

Neo#

Yeah thanks guys. Ill start of with the basic tracks and then ill start getting all rick rubin on its ass!

frobisher

Unless it's something you want fr an effect or unless you have a weak singer and you need to compenstae I'd strongly suggest not double tracking your lead, and if you do I'd be super careful about panning them. You could end up with consanants flamming all over the place. THe double tracking trick is used alot in pop and some rock but you have to be careful doing it. Have you ever heard thos songs that pop stars who aren't great singers release? Well they are often double tracked.

When you record to a stereo track and pan them out all you're actually doing is increasing volume on what is just two mono tracks, which is a very diferent thing to stereo.

Neo: If your drummer isn't used to playing alongside a metronome he might find it quite difficult, especially moving from fills to the choruses etc. It usually takes practise, even for seasoned drummers.
Exactly what mics do you have and what are you recording onto?

TelePaul

frobisher wrote:

Unless it's something you want fr an effect or unless you have a weak singer and you need to compenstae I'd strongly suggest not double tracking your lead, and if you do I'd be super careful about panning them. You could end up with consanants flamming all over the place.

I've seen guys do it one line at a time...sing a line, press stop and come back over it again. If it's done well, it's barely noticeable. If it's done badly, it degenerates a nice mix into a drunken sing song.

frobisher

TelePaul wrote:

I've seen guys do it one line at a time...sing a line, press stop and come back over it again. If it's done well, it's barely noticeable. If it's done badly, it degenerates a nice mix into a drunken sing song.

To be honest alot of singers I've dealt with in the studio have been done line by line even for a single vocal. If you want the doubled up sounding vocal then go for it. I was just letting you know how and where it is usuually used and why. Although I'd still avoid panning, but then again, there are no rules. I love the natural chorus you get from doubling, it just isn't my favourite thing on vocals. For whatever it's worth, some singers can nail it really easily for others it takes hours. Good luck!

squibs

It's hard to do right, and your vocalist needs to perform it to death before recording, and be able to give the exact same performance each time. I've done it right (before my voice gave out in the 1940s) and it transformed the song. Works better on softer material IMO.

Select your two best takes (and do some comping from other takes to get them right if necessary). Then take the second best take and duck it about 6db below the best take. If you're having trouble getting them to set well in the mix together play with verb/echo and delay - A bit of ambience will give the thing a more ethereal feel anyway. You could also look at using sidechaining to use the main vox dynamics to control the second vox. Tough to do in a hardware setup like yours though.

Neo#

Im just recording onto a digital 8 track. The microphones will just be whatever we can scrounge up and whatever the practice place gives us. I have a shure sm58 which is good vor vocals. Not ideal by any means. We planning on going into a proper studio at some point in the future so its really just a bit of experimentation. For vocals im thinking of just recording onto two tracks for one take. A stereo track as someone called it before. Do a couple of takes. select the best one and then add a few effects. reverb and chorus. Thats what ive done and its worked before and sounded alright.