How do do it?

You'll get as many answers as there are posters.

There is no set way, and there certainly is no right way - just do what you're comfortable doing.

I tend to work in sections because I can never fully envisage what a song will be like from beginning to end (one of the many drawbacks of working in Prog Rock)

I sometimes start with a guitar riff, sometimes just a chord sequence is enough to get the creative juices flowing, but more often than not, I'll record a Midi mockup of what I want and then start replacing the Midi with real instruments.

Vocal are nearly always last, so I've developed the ability to leave space for them in my arranging

I am write on guitar and play along with just guitar to get the groove, riff etc.

When I want to start recording to get ideas down I ALWAYS start by programming a basic drum loop that compliments the "groove" of the guitar part

I will then record the guitar part over this drum loop

I will then build the song from there - working in sections if that is all I have at that point or the whole song if it is complete in my head

When mixing I was given the following tip which I now use as my starting point when approaching a mix - I hope helps you as much as it did me...

To start with I get the BASS set-up - e.g. compression to remove spikes and levelled so it does not go above -6db

I then add the DRUMS - starting with the KICK to ensure it is in time with the BASS and EQ'd to fit together – and then adding the other drum elements

Then comes the LEAD VOCAL – I mix this to fit with the BASS and DRUMS both from an EQ perspective but most crucially the volume/level

With these 3 elements in place it is possible to get a feel for the mix and if it sounds full with just these 3 elements I know I am well on the way to a solid mix

All that is left is to carefully add the other elements without upsetting the solidity I have established using the usual suspects – EQ, levels, panning, effects etc.

It may be necessary to go back to the BASS, DRUMS and LEAD VOX to tweak slightly but this approach should help everything sit together


I am not stating any of this as “rules” but this is a workflow that has worked well for me and may be worth a try if you are looking for a "starting point"

As mentioned, there's no "right" workflow.

One thing I think is worth mentioning: Monitoring through a 5:1 system is not at all a good idea in my opinion.
I think you should stick to stereo. Otherwise you'll face BIG surprises when you listen to your projects in different sound systems, and may end up remixing everything from scratch.

Good info here once i have finished a mix i will put one up, this is the first time doing it myself, usually when with the band my guitar sidekick will take care of the recording duties but he knows nowt about sonar he's a fan of pro tools now. He has shown me some bits but living 30 miles apart puts restrictions on us for time as rehearsal time and writing time is important for us. With the bass I can keep in time just finding that sometimes it's either to quite or far to loud and I have to keep going back to correct it. This seems like it's going to be a huge learning curve for me I will persevere though.

Yeah I will try and get the specs up at some point not what you call computer savvy. Cheers for the advice.