Approaches to recording the two guitar band

[zimbloth]

I will just agree with Mr. Crooks and DSS3. One guitarist, preferably one guitar. Then run the signal through multiple amps/cabs/settings to get variety.

 

[noodles]

...or you fire Dave

Always a sensible approach.

 

[eleven59]

I will just agree with Mr. Crooks and DSS3. One guitarist, preferably one guitar. Then run the signal through multiple amps/cabs/settings to get variety.

The way I usually track guitar is with either different amp settings or different guitar or both for each track, and I usually do at least 2 tracks left and 2 tracks right for heavy guitars.

 

[noodles]

We've actually been toying with the idea of only doing one rhythm track each. It actually sounds bigger with just two tracks. We want a rawer, more aggressive sound, and four tracks starts rounding the edges off of everything.

 

[eleven59]

We've actually been toying with the idea of only doing one rhythm track each. It actually sounds bigger with just two tracks. We want a rawer, more aggressive sound, and four tracks starts rounding the edges off of everything.

True enough, I have been known to get a massive sound out of just two, very different sounding guitar tracks. I've just been going for the sludgy wall of sound approach lately Wish I had a place to host MP3s to link to because I've got something I recorded years ago that sounds huge and I'm pretty sure I didn't use any EQ or compression because the one track was really bright and middy and the other was really bassy and scooped.

I've just been taking something Jack Richardson said about vocal harmonies and applying it to guitars (I'm paraphrasing from memory): Something magical happens when you layer things by 3s. Two can sound really sloppy and disconnected, but add the third track and it pulls it all together.

(he also mentioned that he loves to have at least one singer with a raspier, rougher voice because it makes everything sound smoother and bigger (incidentally, that's what makes Queen's vocal harmonies so great, all three singers sang every single part together on one mic, then doubled every single part))

 

[Matt Crooks]

We've actually been toying with the idea of only doing one rhythm track each. It actually sounds bigger with just two tracks. We want a rawer, more aggressive sound, and four tracks starts rounding the edges off of everything.

My project is Mesa L/R and 5150 Center. It's the best of both worlds IMO. Paradise Lost on the Division myspace is 3 tracks, and I think it sounds better than Hunt which is 4.

 

[eleven59]

My project is Mesa L/R and 5150 Center. It's the best of both worlds IMO. Paradise Lost on the Division myspace is 3 tracks, and I think it sounds better than Hunt which is 4.

I tend to avoid putting things in the center when there's vocals involved. I've been planning on trying the idea of a center channel that only comes in when there's no vocals or lead guitar to fill in the mix.

Using my Line6 Flextone II, the biggest sounding two-track mix (i.e. one track per side) was Rectified2 left and Insane right, I sometimes added a Brit High Gain track down the center and it didn't stand out on its own but fattened everything up nicely. Those three amp settings sounded incredible together.