Anyone have tips/tricks for multi-tracking to achieve section sound?

[Doc]

I've done some recording and gotten decent results but wonder if
anyone has any tips they'd care to share to achieve the truest
possible sectional sound (trumpet section) when multi-tracking the
parts to hard-drive?

Should the individual tracks be totally dry or use some initial
reverb? Panning ideas, etc., anything that you might have found works
well. I'm going on the premise that the acoustics aren't the same as
with several players being recorded at the same time.

Thanks!

[Rich]

I would recommend recording everything as dry as possible and using your
software to make changes. Adding reverb in advanced makes it hard to make
cuts... and of course once its added to the original recording, it can't be
taken away or changed.

Personally, I'd record dry with no EQ, then when everything is in the right
place work in the following order -

- Pan the parts - Panning would normally depend on what kind of music is
being played... musical groups tend to have a pretty standard setup (eg,
big bands have all winds on the right hand side, and parts in order - 2nd,
lead, 3rd, 4th, going centre to far right). You should try and maintain
what would be normal for the arrangement of instruments. Panning will
certainly add a spacial feeling to the mix.

- Add EQ - you might want to experiment with different settings for each
part so that the lead cuts through, and the rest blend nicely.

- Add other effects if required (chorus sometimes adds a nice effect,
depending on what kind of music you're doing).

- Make sure all parts sound well balanced together

- Mix down the section and add reverb to the mix down so that the resultant
reverb comes from the sum of all parts that were played (don't forget to
keep the original files so you can go back to them if necessary).

Don't overdo reverb or other effects. There's nothing worse than music made
so muddy by effects that its hard to define individual notes.

That's what I'd do...

Rich


--
Richie Bee
www.richiebee.ca
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Fireworks
www.macromedia.com/go/team



"Doc" > wrote in message
om...
> I've done some recording and gotten decent results but wonder if
> anyone has any tips they'd care to share to achieve the truest
> possible sectional sound (trumpet section) when multi-tracking the
> parts to hard-drive?
>
> Should the individual tracks be totally dry or use some initial
> reverb? Panning ideas, etc., anything that you might have found works
> well. I'm going on the premise that the acoustics aren't the same as
> with several players being recorded at the same time.
>
> Thanks!

[Joey Scones]

All good suggestions so far. I'd like to add that phasing is often a big
problem. I do EA Sports games and it's just me.
Using a different horn or even de-tuning doesn't solve the phasing. What we
do now to solve the problem is record another instrument
while I do the second pass. It's a weird work around but I've never had
phasing when I do section stuff that I'm doubling so I think
it makes sense.

Eb

--
Eric Bolvin
www.BolvinMusic.com
408.236.2009
"Doc" > wrote in message
om...
> I've done some recording and gotten decent results but wonder if
> anyone has any tips they'd care to share to achieve the truest
> possible sectional sound (trumpet section) when multi-tracking the
> parts to hard-drive?
>
> Should the individual tracks be totally dry or use some initial
> reverb? Panning ideas, etc., anything that you might have found works
> well. I'm going on the premise that the acoustics aren't the same as
> with several players being recorded at the same time.
>
> Thanks!

[John Washburn]

"Doc" wrote:
> I've done some recording and gotten decent results but wonder if
> anyone has any tips they'd care to share to achieve the truest
> possible sectional sound (trumpet section) when multi-tracking the
> parts to hard-drive?
>
> Should the individual tracks be totally dry or use some initial
> reverb? Panning ideas, etc., anything that you might have found works
> well. I'm going on the premise that the acoustics aren't the same as
> with several players being recorded at the same time.

No matter what, you need to start with an okay sounding room. In another
thread you discovered what happens when you let the sound of the room smooth
out the peaks your horn. Even if you try to minimize room effects and
compensate later, it isn't going to sound the same as in a good room,
because the early reflections are still going to be there.

If you're trying to make it sound like a group of players being picked up by
one mic, then try doing each pass in each player's position. Be sure to
avoid using the same instrument twice (or more than twice if it's a really
big "section").

If you are trying to make the section have it's own stereo "space", as
though it was picked up by a stereo pair, then figure out where in the final
stereo picture you want the "section" to live, and set up the mics
accordingly--for instance, if they're going to be more towards the right,
than cheat the stereo pickup so the center image is to the left of the
"section". Then do the same as above, with each pass in a slightly different
position with different instruments.

I don't think pan pot stereo is very convincing for this sort of thing, and
tends to be a give away that it's multi-tracked.

-jw

[knud]

>Using a different horn or even de-tuning doesn't solve the phasing.

Actually having everyone in the room at once doesn't solve phasing either,
but it sounds a hell of a lot better!


blahblah
ALL MUSIC IS ORIGINAL...
EVEN IF ONLY ONE NOTE IS CHANGED!
EVERYONE CREATES IN A VACUUM!

[CHEZ]

listen listen listen

CHEZ

Doc wrote:

> I've done some recording and gotten decent results but wonder if
> anyone has any tips they'd care to share to achieve the truest
> possible sectional sound (trumpet section) when multi-tracking the
> parts to hard-drive?
>
> Should the individual tracks be totally dry or use some initial
> reverb? Panning ideas, etc., anything that you might have found works
> well. I'm going on the premise that the acoustics aren't the same as
> with several players being recorded at the same time.
>
> Thanks!