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Gengar
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:00 am
Posts: 38
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:50 pm 
 

Hello! I am recording a pre-production for my band's upcoming full-length album and upon hearing my mix. I am satisfied with it, yet a bit paranoid about only having 2 rhythm tracks when I hear some bands have 4 rhythm tracks. It's pretty technical stuff so I wanted it to be tight. Nonetheless, what do you prefer? what are some pros and cons to both?

Thank you!!
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Goran
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:32 pm
Posts: 147
Location: Belgium
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:07 pm 
 

Doubling up will make the sound fatter.

You can try this free VST which uses the same track so the tightness will remain:
http://www.benvesco.com/blog/mixing/200 ... as-and-eq/
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Zodijackyl
63 Axe Handles High

Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:39 pm
Posts: 7601
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:21 pm 
 

If you have two different guitar parts, double both of them. Doubling guitar tracks always thickens them up nicely.

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Gengar
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:00 am
Posts: 38
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:47 pm 
 

Goran wrote:
Doubling up will make the sound fatter.

You can try this free VST which uses the same track so the tightness will remain:
http://www.benvesco.com/blog/mixing/200 ... as-and-eq/


this looks awesome thank you so much!
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Awblaster
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:07 pm
Posts: 617
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:34 pm 
 

If these are pre-production demos, it doesn't matter. If this is what's going on the album, then record as many as you can - it's a lot better to drop tracks out than wish you had tracked one more.
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Gorblethorp
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:19 pm
Posts: 263
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:43 pm 
 

Goran wrote:
Doubling up will make the sound fatter.

You can try this free VST which uses the same track so the tightness will remain:
http://www.benvesco.com/blog/mixing/200 ... as-and-eq/


Now this is neat!

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infinitenexus
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:35 am
Posts: 1895
PostPosted: Thu May 02, 2013 9:51 pm 
 

I've tried two, four, six, etc, and I haven't noticed a difference in thickness. Two tracks is fine. If you want more thickness, adjust your EQ. Plus, two tracks is clearer than four, simply put. That being said, record and rerecord your two tracks over and over again until they're as tight and clean as can be.
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TheUglySoldier
Metalhead

Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 3:44 am
Posts: 1687
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:27 am 
 

Some bands use lots of tracks, some bands don't. If you want it to sound fatter, doing more takes can get that effect, as can EQing.

But as Awblaster said, it is much better to get to the final day of mixing and go "Yeah, a few too many tracks, I'll drop a bunch out" than go "Oh shit, needed more". If you've got time (when doing the actual album, not so much the demos), I'd suggest do more just in case.
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Goran
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:32 pm
Posts: 147
Location: Belgium
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2013 1:59 am 
 

infinitenexus wrote:
I've tried two, four, six, etc, and I haven't noticed a difference in thickness. Two tracks is fine.

You do mean, two tracks for one guitar part?
And how does adjusting your EQ make a guitar sound fatter - just a question, I really don't know how that would help. :)
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somefella
Veteran

Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:57 pm
Posts: 3134
Location: Singapore
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2013 11:11 am 
 

Yes, 2 guitar tracks for one guitar part. This way, you can roll back on the gain/etc for more attack/dynamics/clarity and yet not lose any heaviness since you're layering it. It also adds to the overall harmonic richness.
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infinitenexus
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:35 am
Posts: 1895
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2013 6:50 pm 
 

Goran wrote:
infinitenexus wrote:
I've tried two, four, six, etc, and I haven't noticed a difference in thickness. Two tracks is fine.

You do mean, two tracks for one guitar part?
And how does adjusting your EQ make a guitar sound fatter - just a question, I really don't know how that would help. :)



Listen Metallica's album "And justice for all." James has like dozen rhythm guitar tracks on that album, and his tone is very thin and kinda shitty. And yeah, I meant two tracks for one part. Just basic rhythm guitars. With the EQ you want to avoid sucking out all the midrange, because that's where the body of the guitar tone is. Tame the high end a bit in case there's any fuzziness, and cut some lows to get rid of muddiness. The bass guitar will fill in the low frequencies and give you a huge, thick rhythm sound. Bloodbath's excellent album "Nightmares Made Flesh" is a great example of the bass guitar providing thickness. They're using 4 tracks for rhythm guitars on that album, but the guitar tone still isn't overly thick or bassy by itself - but when the bass guitar comes it, the resulting sound is HUGE. Just listen to Eaten for proof. Some of the best advice I ever got for recording rhythm guitars was "Do you want a big thick rhythm tone? Then buy a bass."
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ShaolinLambKiller
King Asshole

Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:10 pm
Posts: 13320
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2013 8:39 pm 
 

I personally use 2 guitar tracks total. One panned left and one panned right. that's just me. I get pretty good results that way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvvYa71-_u8

but everything Infinity said about the actual mixing portion of not sucking out the midrange and counting more on your bass to handle that low end instead of fighting against it.... spot fucking on.
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