Multi-track Recording

The most important device to understand when making a home recording is the multi-track recorder. A multi-track recorder is a recording device that can record individual things concurrently and separately so that they can be played, recorded over, or otherwise manipulated individually without disturbing other parts of the mix. For example, you can record the guitar separately from the other instruments thus enabling you to change the guitar’s volume, its effects, or any number of other characteristics without changing anything in the other instruments. In fact, you could even erase the guitar completely and the rest of the recording would remain unchanged.

To illustrate this, let’s look at how an analog 4-track recorder works. The diagram below is a representation of the surface of the tape used to record your instruments. In most 4-track recorders, it will be nothing more than a standard cassette tape like the ones you use in your home stereo system.

Figure 1

Each “track” in the illustration is an area that can be recorded onto separately. For instance, the guitar mentioned above could be recorded onto track number 1, the drums could be on track number 2, the bass could be on track number 3, and the vocals could be on track number 4. With such a system of separation, the guitar could be erased from track number 1 without affecting the instruments and vocals recorded on the other three tracks. Also, using this system, the tracks 2, 3, and 4 could be played while track number 1 is recording. This makes it possible for the guitar to be recorded while the musician jams along with the other three tracks on the tape.

A 4-track recorder has four parallel divisions or sections called tracks where individual and separate sources can be played or recorded. In analog equipment containing more than four tracks, this system is mechanically the same, except the tape is usually larger so that it can physically contain more tracks. On the other hand, digital equipment requires a little imagination to understand. The principle of separation of the concurrent tracks is the same, but the tracks are created digitally inside the machine. You can’t (at least I can’t) draw them out on paper, but for conceptual purposes, they are the same as those in any analog multi-track recorder.

Ping-Pong

Once you understand how a multi-track system works, you’re ready to tackle the subject of ping-ponging. In the tabletop sport of ping-pong, a little plastic ball is bounced back and forth across a table. In multi-tracking, a recorded piece of audio is bounced (via recording) from one track to another. Consider the illustration below.

Figure 2

Let’s say we wanted to move the guitar recording from its current position in track 1 into a new position on track 4. We would (through some controls on the multi-track machine) record what is on track 1 onto track 4 by playing the tape and using the appropriate knobs and switches to set track 4 in “record mode.” Once that was done, the tape’s tracks would now be configured like this.

Figure 3

As you can see, the guitar has been recorded onto track 4. It didn’t, however, erase the guitar that was already on track 1. It simply copied it. On a digital machine, this can be done electronically without having to physically record (and listen through the whole song) like we would using analog equipment. It would be a similar internal process to the one that occurs when you copy and paste text on you computer.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Why would you want to move the guitar to another track in the first place? The truth is you probably wouldn’t, but if you wanted to move both the bass and the guitar onto track 4 you would gain a major advantage. In Figure 2, you only had one empty track, but if you moved the guitar and the bass onto track 4, you would leave two tracks available to be recorded over by other instruments.

Figure 4

As in figure 3, the guitar and bass haven’t been erased from their original tracks, they’ve just been copied as a set onto track 4. The good news is that you have two tracks available to use now instead of only one, but the bad news is that now whatever changes you make to the bass will also affect the guitar. They are now tied together inseparably onto a single track. You have in effect just “ping-ponged” them from their original tracks. The technique of ping-ponging can be used over and over again as a means of turning four tracks into as many tracks as you need. The only drawback is that each time you record and erase a track on an analog tape, it will suffer some wear and tear, and each time you move it from one track to another the quality of sound for that instrument (or voice) will be reduced. This loss of sound quality (called generation loss) is something you should keep an eye (or ear) on. In theory, ping-ponging can be done an unlimited number of times. However, on tape there is a practical limit. On the other hand, if you’re recording digitally, there is virtually no generation loss at all, so ping-pong to your heart’s content.

Punch in/out

Sometime during the recording process, someone is bound to make a mistake. A guitar player may hit a sour note, a bad cord might make an electrical hum shoot through a recorded track, or a phone might ring in the background of an otherwise good vocal recording. Any number of things might go wrong. In fact, any number of things will go wrong. Don’t let it stress you too much; it’s all just part of the recording experience. Besides, thanks to a process of punching in and punching out, those little recording faux pas can usually be reduced to nothing more than easily remedied inconveniences.

Basically, punching in and punching out is a process for editing out mistakes on individual tracks. It works something like this: Let’s say the guitar is to be recorded onto track two. Your guitar player is on a really good day and gets it perfect on his first attempt except for one wrong chord in the middle of the second verse. Using the technique of punching in and punching out, you won’t have to make him do the whole thing over again. He’ll only have to play through the part of the song where the mistake took place. All you have to do as the recording guy is rewind the tape to a few seconds ahead of the mistake (far enough ahead for the guitar player to get in the groove), and play it back while he jams along. Once the playback gets near the spot where the mistake was, you start recording his guitar onto the same track (punch in) and when the playback gets past the mistake, you stop recording (punch out). Planning the punches on places in the music where there is a pause in the guitar part will ensure a nearly seamless fix even on inexpensive equipment.

In addition to fixing mistakes, the process is very good for doing parts over and over until you get them just the way you want. It’s especially good for insertion of backup vocals and special effects. We’ll talk more about this in Part 3 when we discuss the step-by-step process of home multi-track recording.

Mixdown

Once you’ve recorded everything you want and you’ve ping-ponged and edited your recording to your satisfaction, you’ll be ready to mix it all together, add effects, equalize the complete mix, and record the whole thing onto a single master tape or onto any number of digital media. This is called mixdown. No matter what kind of multi-track recorder you’re using, some kind of mixdown is always necessary.

If the multi-track unit is analog, the mixdown is done by playing all the tracks back and adjusting them so that they sound good together. Once that is done, the finished mix can be recorded onto a cassette or can be digitized as a finished product. If the multi-track is digital, its final mix can be recorded in the same way, or it can be converted directly to a digital format that can be read by a CD, DVD, or MP3 player. The resulting recording from either a digital or an analog 4-track can then be used as a master for making copies.

A Word on Detail

Detail, or attention to detail, is the most important concept in all recording. Even though you’re on a budget and your equipment is a little lacking, if you pay close attention to the details, your finished product can still turn out to be something you can be proud of. Bad recordings aren’t usually the result of one giant mistake. Instead, they often result from the cumulative effect of a huge amount of seemingly insignificant oversights. For instance, if you have one bad mic cord that causes a nearly inaudible hum on a single take, it probably won’t hurt the overall mix too much, but if you use that same cord every time you record any take on any track, the hum will multiply to where it becomes real problem. It will ultimately ruin your whole recording. Don’t let one anything ruin your hard work. Always use the best equipment available to you, never say, “that’s good enough,” and never be afraid to do a second take. Later in the process, you may not be able to. It’s the little things – the details – that make all the difference in the world.

In Part 3 of “Recording on a Budget,” we’ll begin a step-by-step examination of those details as we walk through making a home multi-track recording.

Also check out… Recording on a Budget Part 1: The Equipment

Step 1: Decisions, Decisions…

The first thing you need to do when you’re ready to record is to decide why. Seems simple, doesn’t it? On the surface, it is; but you need to remember that your reasons for recording in the first place will greatly influence nearly every aspect of the recording process, including the money. If you want a recording intended for sale to the public, you will most likely need to go to a studio and shell out some cash. However, for other purposes requiring a little less perfection such as making a demo tape or making a keepsake for yourself and your closest friends, a home recording can be just as satisfying and a whole lot less expensive. Simply put, you can save a ton of money by doing it yourself. In fact, buying the equipment needed to make a home recording can easily cost less than paying for studio time to do only a couple of songs. And best of all, you can use your equipment over and over again until you’ve recorded and re-recorded everything and anything you ever wanted.

Step 2: Take Inventory

Once you’ve bravely decided that you want to record your material on your own, you need to do a realistic assessment of what equipment you already have. Just walk into the practice room or (like in my case) all over the house and look around. If you’ve been playing long enough to get to the point where you’re ready to record, chances are you’ll already have a variety of miscellaneous equipment lying around that can be useful. Many of the things you’ll need won’t necessarily even be part of your band’s gigging equipment. Just look to your home entertainment system, and you should see a few helpful items. Don’t forget you’re doing this on a budget, so you don’t want to overlook anything. For a basic idea of some things you’re likely to need, check out the photo and list below:

Recording device for mixdown

• Cassette Deck
• Home Computer (DVD/CD Burner)
• Reel to Reel Tape Machine
• Mini Disc Recorder
• Multi-track recorder
• PA Equipment
• Effects Unit(s)
• Equalizer
• Mic stands
• Mixer
• Speakers
• Mics
• Cables (all kinds)
• Headphones
• Paper and Pencil
• Pillows, mattresses, sheets of plywood or Plexiglas
• Duct Tape (you always need duct tape)

The setup in the photo is about as basic as a recording setup should ever get unless you’re planning to record something live directly to tape. Most of the equipment is inexpensive, and most of it is really old (ever see a Roland Space-Echo?), but I once used it to make a demo good enough to burn onto a CD and distribute at shows. And the only cost (since I already owned a Yamaha MT100 4-track recorder and a fair amount of PA equipment) was the cost of a few blank cassette tapes.

After reading through the list of things needed to record, you may be wondering why you need so many different recording devices. The truth is, you don’t. You’ll only need one multi-track recorder and at least one other recording device to complete the recording process, so use the best thing you have. A DVD recorder would be great, but a cassette tape deck will do the job if that’s all you’ve got. Again, you’re on a budget, so making do with what you have is the name of the game. “Making do” is an art unto itself, so don’t be afraid to be creative when coming up with the necessities. For instance, for recording purposes anything can double as a mic stand. You can use lamps, music stands, old drum stands, or even weird broom handle contraptions held together with duct tape. Also, for budget purposes, a home stereo EQ can be used to do the final mixdown. Don’t overlook those cheaper mics either. They may have some usefulness when you’re trying to track down enough mics to record the drums.

Step 3: Open the Wallet (Just a little)

Chances are you’ve discovered you already have most of the equipment you need in order to make your own recording. Your PA has provided most of it, but you’re probably short one key piece of equipment, a multi-track recorder. At this point, you have several choices you could make. Your least expensive choice would be to find a friend who has one, and convince him/her to let you borrow it or to help you make the recording. The main advantage here is that either way, it ends up being free. The downside is that you may have to deal with another voice in the decision making process. Another choice is to find a music store that will rent you a good recorder. The upside in this option is that you can probably get a much larger more powerful unit than you would if you had to buy one. The down side is that the longer it takes you to record, the more it will cost. The final option is to buy the multi-track recorder yourself. The advantage here is that you will be able to use it over and over at your leisure, and you will be able to spend enough time with it to become an expert in its use. The major disadvantage, as no doubt you’ve already guessed, is that it will cost considerably more than the other options will. Of course, when you consider that you may use it to record a whole lot of songs, in the long haul the choice to buy your own multi-track machine can end up being the most cost effective decision of all.

If you decide to buy, you will be faced with a very wide range of choices and potential costs. At the time this article is being written, the American Music Supply catalog lists analog 4-track recorders at around $300.00. On up the scale, low-end digital 8-track recorders start at $400.00. Of course, the prices go up and up from there. As usual, the more you pay, the more you get, but even with a really inexpensive 4-track (combined with the equipment listed above), you should be able to make a recording you’d be proud to play for your family, friends, and even club owners. You need only add one element – you.

Step 4: The Learning Curve

The real key to recording on a budget is to learn as much as you can about how the recording process works. Read everything you can about it, talk to people who’ve recorded, and experiment a lot with your equipment. Some of the digital stuff is fairly complicated to use, but the basic principles are the same whether you’re using a huge and complex Roland VMBASIC72 digital recording system (over $6000.00) or a cassette tape Tascam 414mkll 4-track recorder (around $300.00). Keep at it, and don’t get discouraged. Just like learning your instrument, you’ll get better at it the more you do it. The best most expensive equipment in the world won’t make good recordings if the person using it doesn’t know what he’s doing, but lucky for you, a guy armed with the proper knowledge (and a little ingenuity) can make great mixes on even the lowliest equipment. In part 2 two of this article, we’ll discuss some recording methods and techniques that can help you do just that.

Also check out… Recording on a Budget Part 2: Recording Concepts

And when we got there, we discovered one thing – one necessary evil – one fear that we still needed to conquer. I know what you’re thinking, but the fear that someone will request the live version of Freebird only falls in at number two. The big fear was the fear of the soundcheck.

The simple truth is; the soundcheck can be the scariest part of any stage experience. Okay, maybe scary is a little strong, but nearly everyone is uncomfortable when they have to step up on the stage and be the guy to say “check. . .check” over and over again while someone else adjusts the knobs. And at no time does a musician ever feel more exposed than when he has to play something (anything) so that the soundguy can adjust the levels on his instrument in the PA. In truth, doing a full soundcheck on the PA before a show is an uncomfortable, annoying, inconvenient pain in the butt, but it is absolutely necessary.

In other words, if you want the band to sound good, you have to do it, and unless you really enjoy pain, you won’t enjoy it. It is possible, however to speed up the process and make it a little less painful by making a few simple adjustments to the way you (as the musician) perform your soundcheck.

Use “Check” Licks

To avoid embarrassment and help the soundguy, have some special licks ready that you can use during soundchecks. You can use snippets of cool songs you know, or you can make up something of your own. Or you can just play scales or even play randomly as long as you include a few key elements. For guitar, you should have parts that are big open chords and parts that are screeching solo licks. This way, the EQ and effects on your channel can be adjusted at both ends of the spectrum by the soundguy. For bass, make sure you play a lot of low E’s and a little high stuff too. That way, the soundguy gets a full dose of what you might play on stage.

Listen!

As with most things that require good communication, the best thing you, as the musician, can do to keep the process moving along is to listen to what the soundman is saying. He may want you to move the mic or check to see if it’s plugged in. He may even request that you change some settings on your guitar amp or tilt it a certain direction on the stage. Many times, you may not agree with some of his suggestions, but remember that he is trying to make you sound best out front where your audience will be. The sound on the stage is very different than the sound in the rest of the room. The question you need to ask yourself is, “Where would I prefer my guitar to sound best?” The obvious answer is that the best sound in the room should be located in the area where your audience will be listening. So listen to the soundman. You pay him to make things sound great out front, so trust him when he tells you what he needs you to do. You will seldom be disappointed.

Wait Your Turn

When the soundguy is checking another instrument or another mic, don’t make any noise. Don’t talk into your mic. Don’t play your instrument. Just wait patiently until it’s your turn, and when the he says your turn is over, walk off the stage and let everyone else finish. If you keep making noise, the soundman can’t hear what he’s supposed to be checking. If you’re lucky, he’ll notice, but if you’re not, he might hear you and think he’s hearing the instrument or mic he’s working on. That could cause all kinds of problems when you start into your first song at the beginning of the show.

Pay Attention

When you are doing your part of the soundcheck, the soundman needs to have your full attention. Don’t frustrate him by talking to other people on the stage while he’s trying to get you sounding right. Also, if you’re doing your soundcheck right before the show, try not to be distracted by the early birds in the audience. Their mere presence makes a lot of people nervous, and as often as not, they will want to talk to you during soundcheck. Don’t be rude. You don’t want to run them off, but you should try to avoid talking to them as much as possible. Even a polite reminder that you need to finish up before you can talk is fine. They will usually understand. Just keep in mind that it is important to stay focused. You don’t want the soundguy getting annoyed. If he gets aggravated, everything will take longer and the end result will be a worse sound at the start of your show.

Check it Like You Sing it

When you check a microphone, check it at a volume comparable to your normal singing volume. If you don’t want to look silly checking your mic, don’t check it like a wimp. Check it big. Use your gut. Don’t whisper. You don’t sing that quiet, so don’t check that quiet.

Two Simple Words

Use the words “Two” and “Check” when you check a microphone. Believe it or not, there are practical soundguy reasons why these words are so common in soundchecks. The “Ch” part of “check” checks how the highs and mids sound, the hard stop made at the “ck” sound helps check how the effects are working, and the word “two” (or “four” if two gets boring) really helps to see how the lows on the mic are sounding. Don’t have a conversation on the mic, just say “check – Two” and repeat. . . and repeat. . . and repeat. . .

All Together Now

Finally, after each band member has done his/her duties as an individual, the whole band should take the stage long enough to play a soundcheck song. It should be one of the easier songs on the list since you want to be able to concentrate on the sound more than on the performance, but it should be a song that utilizes as many instruments and vocal mics as possible. In other words, choose a song where everyone sings (at the same time preferably) and everyone plays. It isn’t usually necessary to play the whole song. Only play as much of it as the sound engineer needs to get things adjusted. When the crowd claps, as they sometimes do after a soundcheck, thank them and tell them when your show will begin, and then sit down and take a rest before the real fun starts.

If you follow those simple guidelines, you’re likely to impress every soundman you are likely to encounter, and your own soundcheck experience should be at least a little more enjoyable and, at the very least, a lot faster. With any luck, it won’t even be uncomfortable or scary anymore. Now, if we could just figure out how to deal with that live Freebird request.