Double tracking - Do you have the other track running?

[Flow Of Time]

Hey guys, I recently noticed, that I'm always getting kinda lazy with the second guitar track, which usually ends up in a medisloppy mess. So I figured, muting the already recorded track could help - and it does, at least for me. How do you proceed when dualtracking?

 

[cobhc]

The other track always puts me off, I prefer to track with the click and drums only.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

I never do that. I do quadtracking all the time and I record only with metronome, no bass, drums. Only metronome. That´s the best way to avoid sloppy performance. Only time I could record with bass and drums it´s for leads or solos. Besides that as I said before, only hearing the click and my guitar.

 

[Flow Of Time]

Never tried blending out the drums, although I could imagine it getting a bit stiff without them..

 

[Nuno Filipe]

Well it depends on the style also. For groovy stuff, with drums might be better. For technical shit, I think only metronome does the work but I understand that for some people isnt enough. But I am a bit nuts with noises, that simple noise of changing chords it´s enough to not want drums masking them.

 

[greyskull]

For me you need to play to the other take.

 

[crillemannen]

Im always very anal about the first guitar, the next guitar always is way faster to record. And i always felt that its much easier to record with the first super tight guitar playing.

 

[smy1]

I never tried without the first guitar. It seems counterintuitive to me ...

 

[mva801]

I always have the other track running. Maybe a tad lower sometimes so i can pick out the details of the one we're working on, but I like to hear how they're working together.

 

[rispsira]

As you can say no standard here try and see what suits you. I personally mute the other track. Most of the times no drums either but some exceptions here. Leads with the whole bacground playing.

One thing to consider though, if your drums is humanized or played by a real drummer and no technical part but rather one where the feel is important why not?
But if you choose to play behind or after the beat i prefer an exact metronome. Again nothing written in stone here goodluck!

 

[JeffTD]

Im always very anal about the first guitar, the next guitar always is way faster to record. And i always felt that its much easier to record with the first super tight guitar playing.

Yup. Editing one track to another is always way faster than editing the first track from scratch.

For me you need to play to the other take.

And this, especially with strummy parts where dudes are likely to try to switch up accent patterns on you. Dicks.

 

[Skinny Viking]

I always have the other tracks muted and play only to the drums but then again I'm not likely to try to switch up accent patterns on myself since, well, I know what I'm supposed to be playing

 

[crillemannen]

I always have the other tracks muted and play only to the drums but then again I'm not likely to try to switch up accent patterns on myself since, well, I know what I'm supposed to be playing

Yeah man but your an exceptionally good player

 

[bryan_kilco]

It depends on the part/player for me.

When I track myself, I usually track to just click and drums and take a song piece by piece from start to finish. Once I get a first guitar take down, I go to the second guitar and track the same piece right away. Keeps the riff fresh and is much easier than working through an entire song and coming back to do a whole other take.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

I always have the other tracks muted and play only to the drums but then again I'm not likely to try to switch up accent patterns on myself since, well, I know what I'm supposed to be playing

If we are talking about recording ourselves. I also dont see the point of having a guitar track playing, since I will gonna do exactly what I did before in the first track.

 

[Skinny Viking]

well, I'm just going by what I'm assuming the OP was talking about, which would be what everyone does when recording themselves. Unless I misunderstood.

Even still, if I was recording another guitarist I would make him try it strictly to drums 1st and if it just wasn't cutting it then maybe bring in the other guitar track at a lower level

 

[Skinny Viking]

Yeah man but your an exceptionally good player

I don't think someone has to be exceptionally good to be exceptionally well prepared for their own material though ... a lot of you guys are technically way more proficient than I am

 

[cfh11]

tracking with just a metronome sounds crazy to me...i would think you would lose a lot in terms of feel/energy if you cant hear the drum track. of course if they are midi drums this is kind of a moot point i guess.

 

[bryan_kilco]

tracking with just a metronome sounds crazy to me...i would think you would lose a lot in terms of feel/energy if you cant hear the drum track. of course if they are midi drums this is kind of a moot point i guess.

I like to have the drums in there usually, but sometimes for a certain part, having just a click helps.

 

[Flow Of Time]

Just to clarify: I was indeed talking about recording yourself

Im always very anal about the first guitar, the next guitar always is way faster to record. And i always felt that its much easier to record with the first super tight guitar playing.

That's how I used to do it aswell.. But lately I think I'm just not playing the second track as tight as I could play then (which is not all too tight...)