How would buss a band to 8/4 tracks?

[Thenabi]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. GREAT magazine! Thanks TapeOP!
Please feel free to answer any small part of my question...



This summer I am looking for a Reel or cassette 8/4 track machine for fun. Also, in the future I may consider an 88.2kHz or higher sample on my Alesis io|26 which I think is limited to 8 tracks at that rate (unless you can chain them. Also spdif can only do up to 48kHz, right?)

So I will have a living room (maybe 16X20), and two small bedrooms and bathroom if needed. Acoustic treatment will be there and cheap. It's either a rock band with two guitars, drumset, bass, singer and backup singer, or a band with drums, washtub, banjo/trumpet, two guitars, singer and backup singer.

For a live recording to be edited on a computer, how would you do it? I am thinking live but still multitracked, with acoustic barriers but everyone in the same room (amps in iso room + headphones if you guys recommend), and bussing toms, overheads, vocals etc down to 8 or 4 tracks.

How would you:
-Buss a rock band to 8 or 4 tracks in general?
-if you'd like to comment on my setup in this situation, please do. Unfortunately I'm a college student with this only as a hobby. May buy a RNC but that's about it for gear. This may or may not be a 'final' recording. THANKS!


mics I will have:
-Apex 205
-Behringer B-2 Pro (LDC, actually not band on vox)
-Es-57 X 6 (pretty good 57 knockoff)
-ES-58 + lots of cheap dynamics
-MXL 990
-MXL 604 (SDC)
-kbm 412 (cheap boomy kick mic)
-Some other SDC (maybe a behr C-1)

other gear
-Old large and heavy Tascam mixer
-Behringer 12 channel mixer
-Alesis io|26 - 8 mic pres/line/DI/spdif
-ART dmpa tube preamp, 2 channels, spdif
-stuff to adequately treat a room (carpet, cement, wood, foam, etc).
-Compressor (RNC) - will buy if recommended for live recordings

[decocco]

For a rock band with 4 tracks, I'd do this:

Track 1) drums and bass
2) gtr 1
3) gtr 2
4) vocals

washtub band:

1) drums and washtub
2) banjo/trumpet
3) gtrs
4) vocals

be creative. you can do a lot with just 4 tracks!

[syrupcore]

with four tracks I'd base it mostly on the level of musician ship in the band. basically, whomever can't balance themselves properly gets a track. Like, if the band is really good you can plan the tracks with mixing in mind. If the band or certain members have trouble getting it all to gel, you have to plan the tracks with fixing in mind.

as far as iso amps/headphones or all in the same room, it again depends on the band. Some people just can't get it together with headphones on.

Bouncing+overdubs can go a long way. I usually recorded with the highs a little hot if I new I was going to be bouncing.

micing a drumset often has as much to do with the drummer as the sound of the end result you want. If the drummer is good at balancing themselves (ie, they don't play the hi-hat at 11 when they really want it at 5) you can get away with less mics. more mics are generally good for a) drier drum sounds b) fixing unbalanced drummers. live sounding drums with a well balanced drummer is pretty easy to mic. Stick a mic in one of the recommended spots you read about on the internet. Move it around till you're hearing everything you want to hear at the levels you want to hear it. add mics as needed. if you're submixing you have to be careful about the phase relationships of the mics - fewer is easier.

[Thenabi]

Yeah last time I just did the normal setup with 10 inputs - 6 on drums and 4 on bass and guitar, then overdubs. But I want to do a second release of an album (if we ever finish it...) that's a 'live studio recording' on tape. I'm on drums and I recently have improved my recording playing technique.

I think the washtub actually needs a compressor.

I'd love to hear recommendations for the tracks of a two guitar + banjo rock band bussed down to 8 tracks.

[permanent hearing damage]

maybe i'm a weirdo, but i would do rock band on 4 tracks like this:

1) drums
2) bass
3) guitar
4) vox

doesn't leave much for stereo, though. if i didn't have the ability to bounce i might just record on the rhythm as a stereo mix and give yourself two tracks for the rest.

eight tracks for the rock band i would do:

1) kick
2) snare
3+4) drums L and R
5) bass
6+7) guitars
vox

[Zygomorph]

A tape-specific recommendation:

Avoid recording prominent/delicate elements (like vox) onto tracks that are physically on the edge of the tape, as these are more prone to physical damage and other anomalies.

You might also avoid placing material between which you want maximum separation on adjacent tracks. So, per above: while you may put the vox on an inner track, you probably don't want to put them next to the drums, as the stronger transient signals are more likely to bleed over.

! jms

[Thenabi]

I did remember that, thanks for the reminder...

I think 4 tracks will be more obvious, but with 8 I'll do the
1. bass drum
2. snare
3. oh1
4. oh2
5. guitars
6. banjo/trumpet
7. vox
8. bass/ washtub

[Thenabi]

err and toms will be bussed into the overheads.