Panning while tracking guitars

[mstone564]

I've been pondering about this for quite awhile and just wanted to see what other people are doing to see how it benefits the engineer and guitarist.

Let's say you're tracking guitars and these are the final takes that you commit to. Let's also say you're just double tracking and start by recording the first guitar in mono (which will then later be panned left for instance when mixing).

Whether you're going section by section or the full song straight through (it doesn't really matter), are you recording the next guitar take (which is essentially a double that will be panned right in the mix):

1. By itself with the first guitar take completely muted
2. Both playing at the same time panned mono (first take is possibly lowered in volume)
3. The first take panned left while you record a mono take of the second panned right so you're hearing the stereo spread as it's being recorded

Or some combination of those haha.

Hope that makes sense, and I'm curious as to what everyone does.

 

[Jormyn]

I use templates, so my guitar tracks are already panned as soon as I go to record the second one. My amp is in the room, though, so I don't need to monitor through the mix.

 

[newamerikangospel]

I always record in sections, so I can jam to a part 5-6 times to tighten it up. I will record the first take mono, then pan it hard right and track the second panned hard left (since I use a footrest, I am angled a little left, so I can hear out of that monitor more clearly). I like to track like this since I can hear both takes clearly but differently enough that I can be tight so I am not doing editing at mixing,

 

[Flow Of Time]

1.

I found that I get the tightest results that way

 

[ForHerDeadEyes]

3. I just got into the habit of doing that.

 

[jipchen]

Depending on the part and the guitarist either 3 (it's what I prefer) or 1. If you play to the other guitar it's usually a little bit tighter - provided the first guitar was in time - especially with palm mutes etc. You immediately hear if something's off or even good but different than in the take before and you can do the part again. With option 1 you'll have more editing work (in my experience at least).

 

[crillemannen]

I always felt that if you're really picky with the first guitar you track then the second one is allot faster IF you let the guitarist listen to the first take at the same time. I pan the guitars L/R.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I've the learned the hard way that tracking guitars in mono ensures better clarity while performing. Please allow me to be a bit more straightforward- if it sounds like shit and you get the urge pan it out to relieve yourself, something's not right. I've recently started leaving the panning business for later, once the tracking is done. And no doubt, any timing issues between the L/R channels can be either punched in again or edited later.

 

[crillemannen]

I've the learned the hard way that tracking guitars in mono ensures better clarity while performing. Please allow me to be a bit more straightforward- if it sounds like shit and you get the urge pan it out to relieve yourself, something's not right. I've recently started leaving the panning business for later, once the tracking is done. And no doubt, any timing issues between the L/R channels can be either punched in again or edited later.

Well i don't pan to disguise any bad playing. I track and edit the first track in mono and when im 100% satisfied I can simply use that one as a guide track. And when I start tracking the second guitar i rather hear them together then have to go back later to retrack cause they don't sound coherent together.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

I record all the guitars centered with everything except the drums muted, then pan later. Centering it lets me focus on my playing and any potential mistakes and it's just easier to hear. The only exception is if it's a weird rhythm and I need to hear the kick drum, in which case I might pan it so the kick isn't muffled by the centered guitar.

 

[mstone564]

Interesting opinions haha

I might start doing 3 the next time I track guitars. I've personally been doing 2 for as long as I can remember.

 

[B36arin]

I usually track one side(usually the right side since that's how the studio is setup), then move the finished take over to the other side and retrack the first side. The guitarist usually sits to my right, so he hears the right monitor better than the left monitor while I hear both. It helps having a control surface while doing this so you can easily adjust the levels of the guitars on the fly. It makes it easier to work when you know that gtr R is the one which is being tracked and gtr L is the one which has already been tracked. It's also less confusing for the guitarist.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I record all the guitars centered with everything except the drums muted, then pan later. Centering it lets me focus on my playing and any potential mistakes and it's just easier to hear. The only exception is if it's a weird rhythm and I need to hear the kick drum, in which case I might pan it so the kick isn't muffled by the centered guitar.

This.

 

[MultiM]

I tend to record the first take centered, then mute it, then record the second take in center too, this way you can hear any simple mistake in each track, but you should do what you comforts you.

 

[Plendakor]

I have a center track for tracking, then just drag-n-drop to the already-panned template tracks. My center track is the solo track, and it's fine cause I track the solos last.
I have absolutely no idea if it's a good thing. I sometimes like to track, mute the 1st too.

 

[mephetic_exhumation]

I used to do 3 but I think it's hit and miss with that method. I find it to work well when riffs aren't too busy, like long power chords in a chorus section. For technical riffs, I think that it's a distraction to listen to the 1st guitar as you track the other.

So now I pretty much stick to method # 1. As others said, it makes it easier to hear errors.

 

[Sloan]

I tend to find having one guitar track centered gives a false representation of what it sounds like versus sending the mono signal through one speaker, either left or right. with this said, i can see the benefit of panning both guitars to one speaker and tracking the second track that way.

 

[Sora01]

Always number 1. They're also already panned usually but it doesn't particularly matter.

The main thing is avoiding the distraction of an already tracked guitar part. If you track both parts extremely tight, they'll sit right. If you mess up the first time and follow that mistake because the track is still audible. It won't become as apparent.

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

A combination of 2 and 3 really, I tend to leave the first track hard left minus 8db or so (so it is barely audible) and the 2nd track recording centered. So that the guitar player has a bit of a guide from the previous track but can focus on the track he's recording

 

[C_F_H_13]

I pan both to whichever side the guitar player is sitting. I find for some reason both tracks coming out of one speaker makes it way easier to hear little fuck ups.