Recording

[misfits967]

On professional recordings for bands that change time signatures and tempos very often like Dream Theater and Tool, how does the band go about recording? I always wondered if they recorded the drums first, or the drums and the bass together first, or did they use a metronome and record the guitar first? Because in many songs, there might be an intro with just guitar, so did they record that guitar with a metronome? How do they create chaotic perfectly on tempo recordings?

[Moseph]

There are 4 basic methodologies for recording:

1) Program a metronome/click track and each musician can record to that (either independently, or multiple at a time: it doesn't matter).

2) Go without the click track and record a "base" take for the band to play their finalized parts along with.

3) Go without the click and record each part seperately, in order of most fundamentally rhythmic to the song (not necessarily will it always be drums/percussion, but often it is).

4) Go without click and have the entire band attempt to play a psuedo-final track at the same time in a sort of "live" style of recording. Overdub as necessary.

As for what methods each band uses, I have no idea. But it's defintely possible to make each methodology work to whatever needs to be done. It's mostly a matter of taste for the producer and the band, and also a matter of time/budget.

[OpIvyKills]

I've always had the easiest time by just taking a basic, rough recording (or base take, like Moseph said) and having each member record while playing along to that.

[Phototropic]

When my band went into the studio we used a variety of different ways

We did 2 songs where I did the drums to a click then everyone overdubbed

We did one song where we had 8 bars of a click for the guitar intro then it stopped and me and the bassist played the rhythm tracks live

and another where I played it on my own without a click, that was a tough one as it has loads of dynamic changes and it was hard not to speed up / slow down

Its definately worth looking at clicks / mixing click tempos before hand if you ever go into a studio

Hope this helped

[Moseph]

Its definately worth looking at clicks / mixing click tempos before hand if you ever go into a studio


Most professional DAW software will have a "Master Tempo Track" or something of that nature where you can specify the tempo and/or time signature for each explicit measure of a song.

It might take awhile to program in, but this can really help you out if you're working a song out one part at a time and are having trouble keeping the correct time.

[Phototropic]

Sounds pretty sweet man, looking forward to going in the studio again now

Gonna do it section by section this time probably

[Seafroggys]

i'm a fan of recording backing tracks (drum, rhythm guitar, and bass) 'live', then overdubbing the vocals, lead guitar, keys, etc. That's the style The Beatles used.

[Phototropic]

i'm a fan of recording backing tracks (drum, rhythm guitar, and bass) 'live', then overdubbing the vocals, lead guitar, keys, etc. That's the style The Beatles used.

A local studio by me has a huge live room so a lot of the bands do that kinda thing here

Funnily enough it always turns out absoloutely amazing :naughty: