imposing limits on recording?

[JustinHedrick]

please forgive me, i couldn't think of a better title:

a 3 piece minimalist rock project I am working on right now is going to be recorded to analog 8 track, only using 8 tracks (mixing down to computer), all in mono.

has anyone else over imposed such restrictions on their recordings?

furthermore, has anyone recorded in all mono recently?

[JGriffin]

Occasionally, when working on a Donny Who Loved Bowling track, we will impose a "rule" for the song. The trick then is to know when to break it.


I also have seen about a dozen threads on TOMB where people say things like "I want to use an 8-track instead of a DAW so I can have limitations" and someone invariably asks "why don't you just open up a session on your DAW with only 8 tracks and discipline yourself to not add any more?"



Those threads are fun. But I figure, I'm not recording at The Record Plant or Abbey Road, and I'm not Frank Zappa or Paul McCartney--so I probably have enough limitations as it is.

[Corey Y]

I like doing things like that to inspire creativity in songwriting. Like coming up with the titles for an album first and writing lyrics based on them or only using one chord progression with different rhythms and melodies/harmonies. I've never tried applying it to recording, but it could be very fun. As far as limiting myself, I'm on the same page as dwlb in that I already pushing up against my own technical limitation now. So I wouldn't go too crazy with it.

[mscottweber]

Now when you say "all in mono", do you mean that the entire finished song will be in mono, or do you mean that every instrument will be recorded in mono?

[JustinHedrick]

Now when you say "all in mono", do you mean that the entire finished song will be in mono, or do you mean that every instrument will be recorded in mono?

the final product will be mono: everything panned center, no stereo sources.

that IS mono, right? i'm confused.

[curtiswyant]

Sure, it can be fun. I recording a full "rock" album, with me playing all the instruments one-by-one, on a Tascam 388. I agree it's silly to buy a tape machine specifically for this purpose when you could limit yourself in the same ways with a DAW.

[JustinHedrick]

oh, i already own the tape machine.

[chris harris]

But I figure, I'm not recording at The Record Plant or Abbey Road, and I'm not Frank Zappa or Paul McCartney--so I probably have enough limitations as it is.

This needed to be quoted. Great post!

[mscottweber]

I think this could be a lot of fun to do. With the final mix in mono, it will certainly be a giant experience in EQing, since you won't have any stereo separation.

[JGriffin]

But I figure, I'm not recording at The Record Plant or Abbey Road, and I'm not Frank Zappa or Paul McCartney--so I probably have enough limitations as it is.

This needed to be quoted. Great post!

Ah, thank you!

[drumsound]

I think EVERY record has limitations. Sometimes they are conscious and sometimes not.

I like the idea of a mono record done on an 8-track. It will add a specific focus that will hopefully make the record an artistic and personal success.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I've got a record coming up that will most likely be in mono.
We did a demo of 2 songs and the singer really like how the cue mixes sounded. The mixes were stereo but I always run a mono headphone mix. Once he commented on it I panned everything center and suddenly it all made sense. It sounded much better.
The band is a progressive/math-rock kind of thing. No-one is playing rhythm. When you pan everything out the parts feel dislocated. In mono they all gel and interlock.

Now that I know it's going to be mono I can simplify the hell out of my set-up. I might even track beds to 8 track tape.

[objektivone]

has anyone else over imposed such restrictions on their recordings?

I impose limitations like this in my recording and song writing because the challenge is what drives me as a musician not actually making the music. When the music is done and finished I usually could care less about it because it is a discarded challenge.

I produce instrumental music on my own.... I have imposed such limitations as sequencing and recording an EP on a palm pilot. LOL. It was fun, interesting, and was a challenge.

I believe the limitations forces creativity. This is just me. I just think that if you have a DAW with 10,000 plugins it is hard to force new things to happen, but if you have 10 knobs and 4 tracks or something it changes the game.

The limitations are a wonderful things. Try and embrace them. Not to mention everyone is saying "Why don't you just limit yourself to 8 tracks in a DAW", etc. You could do this, but every piece of hardware has a different workflow to make the best out of it. You can't do the same things to make the music come together.... you have to accept it as it is.

[;ivlunsdystf]

After about 2 years of continuous options-OD'ing with DAW and plugins galore I am using cassette 8-track with a mixer (mixer has spring reverb with a send knob for each channel) and the only insert I use is a memory man on vocals, and I am in HEAVEN because I am getting things done in 6 hours that used to take 6 weeks and the results actually sound better from not being tortured through a bunch of plugs and editing events.

So, yes, limit yourself. EDIT: that is, if the above scenario appeals to you and fits with your overall plan.

[RefD]

I am using cassette 8-track with a mixer (mixer has spring reverb with a send knob for each channel) and the only insert I use is a memory man on vocals, and I am in HEAVEN because I am getting things done in 6 hours that used to take 6 weeks...

you lucky bastard.