Initial Tracking

Tracking is the the first step in the recording process, where we record the sounds we’re using. And the initial tracking phase is the beginning of that first step.

If I’m recording a band, I like to have the band record as many parts “live” as possible, while making sure that what we capture is rock-solid. My aim at this stage is to capture the real feel of individual people playing together, while simultaneously trying to create as solid a foundation as possible for later overdubs.

Some of the parts we record during initial tracking won’t be kept - those tracks that we know in advance will be replaced we refer to as scratch tracks or reference tracks.  For instance, the initial vocal is often just a scratch track, a guide for the band to follow while tracking. Saving the vocals for later gives the vocalist a chance to spend time on polishing that track, something he/she won’t have a chance to do in the initial tracking.

Tracking your music is a lot like building a house - you need to get a good foundation first on which everything else can rest. Without that solid footing, it’s a lot harder to get something that hangs together the right way. Anyone who’s done construction work knows what I’m talking about - it’s tough to get a square piece of drywall to hang on a wall that wasn’t framed square to begin with.

And while a lot can be done in mixing to correct errors made in laying down this foundation - missed beats or notes can be punched or pasted in, off-time hits can be nudged into place - it’s important to try to get this foundation right as you’re laying it down. Getting it right the first time, every step of the way, ends up saving time (and money).

So, a basic rock band will do the initial tracking with bass & drums, and whatever the primary instruments are, be they guitars, keyboards, zither, whatever. Whatever the band is solid with and feels confident playing is what we should track with initially.

Let’s say, for instance, that your bass player decides that he’d like to take a stab at singing a new backup vocal part, or blow an unrehearsed harmonica solo. It’s best to save these attempts for later. Initial tracking is for recording what you know well. There will be plenty of time to tap that creative reservoir when we do the overdubs. Let’s just get the basics down first.

One thing that can help a lot while tracking is a click track, which is basically a metronome beat banging away in your ear while you lay down your music. Obviously, there are plenty of situations where a metronome makes no sense, but if your music’s got a steady beat, and your drummer is used to working with a metronome, recording to a click is wonderful thing. It will set your music to a regular grid that makes editing a lot easier, for one thing.

A click track doesn’t have to simply be an annoying electronic beep, or even a click - it can be whatever sound we want. Maybe a wood block, or not-so-annoying cowbell, or even a kick/snare/hi-hat beat; we can use whatever you feel most comfortable with.

But, remember, if you’ve never worked with a metronome before, recording to a click is usually a waste of time. Playing to a regular beat is something that takes practice, and unless you’re willing to pay for studio time to get this practice in, I’d advise leaving the click off.

Overdubs

Once you’ve got that solid rhythm foundation down, it’s time to do the overdubs. First things first - if we’ve got any glitches or errors we want to correct from the initial tracking phase, now’s the time to do it. We try to take care of this stuff as we’re tracking, but often we’ll find there’s a little cleanup to do at this stage. This could mean punching in a missed note or chord here or there - nothing big.

Once we’ve dusted off the initial tracks a bit, we can lay down guitar solos, keyboard parts, horns, backing vocals - whatever goodies that we didn’t have time, space, and/or personnel for during the initial tracking. 

(more to come...)