2014/05/21 05:19:06
dangars
Hey guys,
 
just want some advice on recording guitars at home, currently I record my guitars in bits and then put the bass and the drums in and build the song up like that, but find getting the time perfect even after editing or should i just go for a one take and then put the bass and drums in?
 
What techniques or methods do you use/recommend?
 
thanks for help in advance.
2014/05/21 07:48:49
Grem
I have several methods.

I find the tempo first. Then play to a click trk.

I sit with my guitar and listen through many midi beat files to see what comes close.

Both methods give me a good track to work with so i can flesh out the drums and bass. Then I record my guitar part.

For me I need a click track so that I can stay in time with Sonar and it makes it easier to edit things later.
2014/05/21 08:43:19
quantumeffect
Get your drum track and/or bass part down first and then "wood shed" your guitar part until your fingers bleed before recording.
 
Recording to a click is probably OK most of the time but if you are looking to do anything syncopated with the rhythm and you've practiced to the real syncopated rhythm  (in my experience) you end up with tighter playing that requires less "editing".
 
 
2014/05/21 08:57:38
dwardzala
Basically, I like to develop my drum and bass parts as the click track (using step sequencer for drums and writing a simple bass loop) and then play my guitar parts to that.  I will later on record an actual bass part (either midi or real DI'd) and play the drum parts on the keyboard.
2014/05/21 13:58:24
Starise
I think the most accepted answer to that question is to get the drums and bass down first, but that answer doesn't help much if you came up with the guitar part first and are trying to build the rest of the tune off of it. I have used an outboard looper to get tight parts and then import them into Sonar or sync the looper to midi in Sonar and get it even tighter.
 
If you can "hear" a bass and drum part in your head that matches your melody, you could then begin to build those parts first...this is why the looper is so cool because you can get a feel for a bass and guitar track before it ever gets into your DAW. I have a three channel looper which I can adjust the tempo on and it has some basic drums in it...a great way to develop parts or get ideas. You could probably do the same thing in Sonar, but in the creation stages the looper is faster as you can record and erase on the fly.
2014/05/22 01:02:30
AT
I've been using a three piece band (well, two piece and a singer) and record them all at once - bass, guitar and scratch vocals.  That gets the best performance.  Sometimes we start w/ just the guitarist, tho, to lay down a scratch track if they are working up a song.  I guess this would be most analogous, but only you can work out the best method since you do all (most?) of the instrumentation yourself.  But I think doing a scratch guitar recording to work out the tempo and main structure, then go back and fill in the rhythm section and then lay in the guitar might be the most efficient way to do things.
 
@
2014/05/22 07:45:18
Rimshot
I lay down a drum pattern - only to track by and will come back whenever to start building the drum track once the basic instruments are there.
I then either play a guitar part and/or keyboard part as a tracking part.  I might keep the take or come back later and redo if needed.
I will then record a scratch vocal so that I have a good idea of the basic tracks and melody. I don't worry about lyrics at this time.
All of the above might take 1 hour.
Then I start recording what I hope to be keeper bass, guitars, keys, etc.  parts.
 
I don't really come up with great individual parts until I see how all of them might fit together.  That was the beauty of being a studio drummer.  We all would work on the song while listening to eachother's parts and then start laying down tracks.  
 
If you try to lay down keeper guitar and bass tracks before drums and vocals, you may be limiting yourself in creativity later on.
 
 
 
 
2014/05/22 08:59:16
michaelhanson
I pretty much follow Rimshot's method.  My innitial drum track is my metronome.  Next I track the main instrument, which is intended to be a scratch rhythm guitar track.  Then scratch vocal.  Go back, lock in close to final drums and finished bass.  Then go back and replay the rhythm guitar and finished vocal.  The last part is lead guitar parts or added instruments.
 
Incidentally, I try not to do much piecing together of guitar parts or vocals.  The song sounds so much more natural if you can play all the way through and just punch in a couple of mistakes.  I don't comp vocals much either.  I usually try to choose full verse segments or chorus segments if I need to.  Never individual words.  To me, it always sounds pieced in, if I do individual words.  Lead guitar parts, the same thing, full complete takes until I get it right.  Of course, this means you may have to practice them!
2014/05/22 10:02:59
Guitarhacker
I get the structure of the song ready... bass, drums, etc...
 
guitars tend to go in last. I do sometimes record a quick guitar scratch track for the body it gives. I then go back later, and record the keeper guitar parts.
 
If it's the acoustic guitars, I can very often record them straight through in one take. Especially the strumming parts. No biggie.... and I often record 2 tracks for panning later.
 
When it comes to the leads, fills, etc, on either the acoustic or the electric, I will set the NOW marker to a measure or two before the part and then using the space bar to stop and restart playback I will run through the part many times. Two quick spacebar taps stops and restarts the playback.  I will experiment and try a number of things until I find something I like. Then I continue that process to learn it and when I think I'm ready for the take..... I turn on the punch in and attempt the take. 
 
Sometimes I end up with a bunch of clips to get one solo. Generally that is more the case when playing something with twin leads.  Usually the first lead part is played continuous as one complete clip. Getting the second part to match the exact note phrasing and harmony...well that is a lot of trial and error.
 
My 2 cents
2014/05/22 10:55:57
mmorgan
I will typically record a scratch guitar part that gives me the song's feel and structure. Then I start building the rhythm section. Then throw out the original scratch guitar and record another guitar scratch track in time with the rhythm section for the whole song. Then I start building up the song.
 
I think I do this because I typically will write the song on guitar so that is kind of the basis for everything that follows.
 
Regards,
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