pj recording guitars technique - multitracking

excellentbadger

my band went into a studio for the first time to do some recording. and the engineer/producer suggested that we do multiple tracks of the same rythm guitar parts but with slightly different tones, just to give a beefier and fuller sound.

we then got into a debate about whether this was really necessary, as we thought that we just wanted to just be a raw sounding band and only do what we could recreate live, and the engineer assured us that every band out there, even pj did this. I thought that this wasn't true..

i was just wondering if anyone knows if this is true? if we don't do it will we be missing out on a great technique that will really help our sound?

mccreadyisgod

When I record guitars, I usually do a similar thing. I either:

1) Plug the guitar into two different amps and mic up each amp, or;

2) Plug the guitar into one amp and mic the amp with two different mics.

Either way, I'll pan the two signals apart, and it gives a beefier, deeper sound. It's not necessarily a great idea if you have more than two guitars, but if you have just one guitar, or a rhythm and lead guitar, it's a helpful trick. And I can guarantee that PJ uses some form of this method, maybe not always but frequently. Even live, they combine the sounds of multiple amps.

My suggestion is to try it, and if you don't like it, don't use it. If people wanted to hear what you sounded like live, they'd go to your shows. Use the studio to flesh the songs out, even just a little.

harrisonmerwin

mccreadyisgod wrote:

My suggestion is to try it, and if you don't like it, don't use it. If people wanted to hear what you sounded like live, they'd go to your shows. Use the studio to flesh the songs out, even just a little.

you said it.....

enharmonic

This is not entirely true. while bands can and do double track their rhythms, I do not thing that PJ does this frequently. Hail Hail is probably the only example I can hear off the top of my head.

different tones won't matter much if you're playing the same chords when you double track. Try inversions of the same chord, or the same chord an octave up or down, or the same part on an acoustic. You should really have that stuff worked out before you hit the studio though. Don't let some guy milk you out of money with a lot of hoo-hah.

DriftingByTheStorm

if you are looking to get some understanding of the differences between recording a "raw" sound, and getting that sound live, you may want to check out the documentary for "Nevermind" about Nirvana and their studio work with it.

One scene specificaly goes over "Drain You", which on the surface seems like it really couldn't get any more simple ...

the intro vocal is actualy from another unused scrub take, and the "guitar" is really 4 or 5 seperate tracks playing the same chords through 2 or 3 different amp setups (1 or 2 fenders, and then a mesa boogie, i think) ...

also some good talk about convincing Kurt to double his vocals ... that and the other boys talking about "keeping it simple" regarding the bass and drums ...

its GREAT If you like nirvana, but evenif you didn't it's worth it to hear some pointers on how a 'good' band with a great spirit made their sound 'legendary' in the studio with good production techniques ... taught me a thing or two,

BinFrog

I multi track guitar parts, but not the same part. To each his own. I'd rather layer textures and sounds then try to thicken up one particular riff or progression.