How do you avoid using too many tracks in a song?

[@Producelikeapro]

Leave your FAQ Friday questions below!

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

Hey Warren, I am wondering how you would advise recording typical small, medium, and large orchestras. I have tried finding info on this, but opinions are so vast and I don't know what to believe. Some people use 30-40 mics, utilizing close mics on first chairs and a bunch of spot mics and a decca tree for the big picture. Others do each section individually and overdub the other sections so every instrument can be close mic'd. Some recommend as little as a decca tree and some room mics. What would you do and why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a given technique, and how would you choose when to apply a given technique(s)?

[@alanbagshaw7280]

Is important to know what you're final product is supposed to be?

[@joshdrewpic]

It seems that 80s early 90s music had more dynamic range than most rock music today (i.e. snare hits popped above the mix); now that streaming is the source of most music is it actually beneficial to go back to those levels of dynamic range? How is Spotify and others treating heavily compressed tracks vs dynamic tracks?

[@kevinbutler94]

How would you go about mixing a single mic recorded drum track? Where would u boost, cut etc? Thanks!

[@jessemazur]

Can you explain the pros/cons of producers' Right of First Refusal clauses? Do you use them? I've seen contracts that grant the producer the "next album" if the one they produced gets the band signed. What are your thoughts from the perspective of the band? What about as the producer?

[@hleet]

"Intention and commitment" ! 2 words that could rebuild the world

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes, indeed! Thanks ever so much!

[@Alterwill]

Absolutely! Or destroy it=)

[@navasaband]

Just for the record, Queen's "gang" vox were created as follows: (Note: 3 members sang) 4 tracks of 3 vox - summed to a "Hard Left" panned mono track 4 t of 3 - summed Center 4 t of 3 - summed Hard Right 4 t of 3 - summed halfway between L & C - OUT OF PHASE 4 t of 3 - summed halfway between C & R - OUT OF PHASE So that's 70 Vox!!!!!! recorded by combining previously recorded track(s) with the new take. The whole mess would take up 5 tracks before they were all summed to a stereo pair, leaving more room for overdubs. The "Out of Phase" tracks were used to cancel low end build up and create a 3D effect. (Genius) Voila! Thats the MASSIVE Queen gang vocal. Roy Thomas Baker also used this technique on the first two Cars albums. Talk about commitment! You had to make sure you were NAILING it along the way cuz there was no turning back. Your welcome.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow! Thanks ever so much for breaking it down!!

[@sandmansam920]

Epic

[@crunchyfrog555]

I've said it may times but my old studio teacher back in the early 90s said this when another student asked why we were learning on a crappy old 16 track mixer and 8 track tape? "Because if you learn on limited equipment, you will be able to do ANYTHING". This is so poignant not just for recording but many other of my hobbies in life.

[@crunchyfrog555]

And of course in the studio sense, if you are using too little tracks, bouncing down DOES make you more capable as Warren rightly points out. You are essentially making the firm decision when you bounce something that you CANNOT go back on. So I think it makes you a better engineer and it alos gives you FOCUS. Being thrown in the trenches can offer motivation.

[@rumginray]

Nothing wrong with learning to do the best what you can with the limitations you have.

[@crunchyfrog555]

@@rumginray Actually I'd go as far as to say it's a boon or a blessing. Who was it who said they preferto employ lazy people to work out a problem? I can't remember, but I'm definitely in that category. I always try to do stuff that ends up with the easiest, but with the proper result. It's a FANTASTIC approach for audio work especially when you're writing, becauise it cuts through that age old problem of having an idea and forgetting it before you've fired up everything and set it up. As someone who uses a lot of synthesizers, I'm all about it.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks for the great comment Daniel! When I first started 16 channels and 8 tracks would have been amazing! Less is definitely more when it comes too creativity, however, intention and commitment are definitely the most important things!

[@crunchyfrog555]

@@Producelikeapro Oh most definitely. As always I'm glad you like what I write, and although I'm not very good at the craft I know about the fundamentals and many people either overlook or forget the other points of engineering like man management and other little tricks of human nature basically. Thank you for publicisng these things.

[@LasseHuhtala]

I _NEED_ all of those 10 stereo bassdrum tracks, dammit!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Haha yes!! I hear you! Hahaha

[@SteveSchuffert]

You should be able to actually hear every track on your song. It’s all about clarity and parts actually doing something for the song. Generally if your song is just loaded with tracks you’re usually fighting to make it sound good later to no avail. Pull all those faders down again, start over and find out what you really need. Mute the remainder. The fewer tracks you can make your song sound good with will always work better in the end. You’ll have a cleaner, clearer more dynamic mix. My opinion 44 years and a couple thousand sessions down this road. Keep up the great work Warren 👍 even this old dog learns some new and excellent things from you today. That’s value.

[@PurpleMusicProductions]

I totally agree with you. I think people create a ton of tracks just because they can and often still create crappie music. I believe in the less is more approach.

[@MrSneakyPants]

Great video. I remember hearing Chris Lorde Alge complain that producers just don't make hard decisions anymore. He wanted tracks that had the decisions made already, so that he could enhance them as a mixer. Excellent point! Style is born from decisiveness.

[@tomblaze2]

Solid Tip - I like this 50s-60s-70-s approach to bouncing and group mixing - I love the old Motown-Beatles-Beach Boys Recordings and it helps to get their studio sound using this technique. I like to build group mixes of drums, bass, keyboards, guitars, vocals - Eq and Compress them as groups - maybe add saturation and other FX - Decisions are a bit final for mix layer levels - then you simply fix on leveling the groups. Feels natural and more musical in the end result. Lost art....

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes, indeed, luckily we can group and treat tracks the same way. Commitment is the secret!

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

When I started doing my own productions from scratch I always felt like my track count was too low with a full production/ mix averaging 30-50 tracks including all my reverb sends and busses lol. I have come to learn though that more often than not less is more. It really started for me by taking the advice of CLA and what you have said here before too. "Good productions and recordings are the ones that sound like a song before they're mixed, with the faders up". I often use one session to produce and record everything, getting the basic sounds I want. Any major distortion, high and low passes, filter sweeps, light compression to control levels during recording, etc. From there, I typically print busses of multiple instruments _if_ they make up a *cohesive sound*, like a Bass DI and Bass amp, and commit to those sounds. I can attest that it has made mixing so much easier. For me, the way in which it forces you to think at the production stage results in clearer, louder, and punchier mixes. This happens because it ensures I get the sounds like before I mix, I don't allow frequency masking in the production, and I only ever have what I need for the sounds I want. Mixing becomes just cleaning things up a bit, doing automation, getting a final tonal balance, and maybe some colour processing like console and tape emulation, master fader compression, monoing the bass, and other final stage stuff.

[@maxd6268]

Thanks for writing this. Good tip!

[@diamonddavemc]

I'm trying to remember the name of the famous producer who said (I'm working from memory here, so forgive me) that he doesn't like to use EQ, or rarely uses EQ because if the original tracking of insruments/voices is good enough, you shouldn't need to EQ. It's basically a dismissal of the idea of 'fixing it in the mix' and highlights that good tracking is at the heart of a good production.

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

@@diamonddavemc Thanks for sharing! I get the idea of what the quote is driving at but I would also say that you should never rule out a type of processing on principle. I learned how to EQ by restricting myself to just cuts for the first 6 months and learned how to hear what I _didn't_ want before I could understand when to boost up what I _did_. I think it is the knowing why, rather than the simply not doing that is truly important. For example, a kick just doesn't sound like a kick until you cut some of the muddy mids and boost up the low end to make it thump. I have never heard a kick that this wasn't true for no matter how well it was recorded. Could I just use balance to make the kick work without any EQ, yes. But I don't think it would be as fun or exciting to hear as a kick with some extra weight and punch.

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

@@maxd6268 Glad I could help!

[@danfelixmusic2536]

I am about to start a soul jazz recording and told the band no more than 8 tracks for any song. Cut live off the floor. Going to strip it back and gol old skull. Stay healthy over there Warren 👍✌️🙏

[@Intrinsic.Recording]

Brilliant video. Good reminders for us "old guys". Thanks. I gotta say one thing about the old bands and engineers you were mentioning though. Queen, Zep, etc. All of that bouncing on tape took SKILL. Those records still sound amazingly hi fi for the amount of round trips via the console and tape heads. This took planning, foresight, and skill. Nowadays, what you bounce, group, vca etc. digitally, is what you get. Lossless. Those cats back then would have killed for that capability I think. Instead, it was ...add a little top, roll back after print etc. Tougher. Definite badasses back then.

[@Intrinsic.Recording]

Oh, and thanks for the video. Kick ass as always.

[@SlightlyNasty]

Personally I like to think about "parts" rather than tracks - where each "part" is one seperate musical idea, regardless of how many tracks make it up. That way whenever you add another track the only thing you have to ask yourself is "is this building an existing part or am I adding another new part?". It makes far easier to avoid DAW layer-itis.

[@nostaticatall]

The thing is, what usually sounds best to my ears is not much more than a well rehearsed band, expertly recorded, pretty much live with a few really tasty overdubs... IF it's a cool song. I do believe that a great recording of a great performance can be almost ruined when it's overdone. I think that's what completely knocked me out about the Police's sound when I first heard them (since you mentioned them). The music was as much about the spaces in between as it was about the playing. It was so refreshing after hearing so many overproduced records before that time. When it's enough, it's enough. Nothing is improved by adding more stuff to it, no matter how many tracks are available.

[@songOmatic]

9:33 "Have intention and commit to ideas" I'm a graphic design teacher, and this advice works for ANY CREATIVE WORK. Thanks Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it

[@songOmatic]

@@Producelikeapro Take care, love the channel!

[@slimkickens]

When you don't have to commit to sounds, you have 100+ half-mixed tracks with barely any forethought or context. Making commitments helps keep things clean and well balanced as you put on more layers

[@Producelikeapro]

Exactly!! Very well said! Thanks ever so much

[@HitTheRoadMusicStudio]

Absolutely amazing message Warren, great to learn about the process in the 70's & 80's, makes me understand our job better 👌 To get the intention of the Band, I always go on call for 20 min. just to talk about the Song with the following questions: - What is the story behind the Track? - What did you liked in older mixes with other engineers? - What you didn't liked in older mixes? - What is your intention with the Song? (Just for fun, get more Fans, express yourself etc.) - What reference tracks you got and why? Makes the process easier, usually artists like to talk about the Song, it builds a great connection & makes the mixing process easier

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Ady! You Rock my friend!!

[@mlwsf]

was worried at first but the intention and commitment came up. love that

[@DJCroGs]

Honestly, this is probably THE best video you've ever created for any new musicians or mixers.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow! Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it

[@shonatarisa]

Previously you talked about intention. This video I feel is about COMMITMENT! :)

[@Producelikeapro]

Agreed 100%!! Thanks ever so much

[@LodvarDude]

On the few mixing jobs I've done for others, they did send me waaay too many tracks, that's for sure. Every other track in a session I got I asked myself "why the hell is that here? It does nothing for the song?" But, according to those that sent me the tracks, those things were essential. It's crazy.

[@OIP5150]

This is a big topic for sure. When you get a good sound for whatever you have on that channel, and when it fits the mix nicely, just render it and move on. It's a complete time waster when you have all those tracks and you are thinking " but what if ,what if.." Just few days ago, i spend about an hour to go thru like 20 tracks of cellos, violins etc. I had mono tracks for each instrument + the stereo room tracks for all of them too. I went thru each track+ room track, placed them inside the stereo image with panning, grouped them all, made tiny Eq:ing on that group bus and finally bounced them all as a stereo file. They came out great. After i got them to 1 stereo track, i deleted them all FROM THE ACTIVE PROJECT. Of course i keep them on the hard drive, but i don't really need them in foreseeable future. If you are mixing like you are holding onto ALL the lifelines, you will get stuck in that " no progress" land. If you like what you hear and it sounds like it cant get any better, then its time to render that damn thing. Hey at least you can still eq it later. Commit yourself into the mix 100%, and THEN you will see if you are learning or not. Its like holding a mirror to yourself. Take a chance, take a risk. No one will remember if you made a few mixing mistakes. Don't beat yourself down so much. Who cares, life is short, get on with it! Warren, great video! Sasu

[@trevornokesmusicltd5357]

Again, Superb Advice. Many thanks Warren.

[@patrickburyk9973]

I guess one could also look at it as: "How do you avoid using too many -performances- in a song?" That is - do you really need to track 12-20 vocal parts, or 3-6 guitar parts? Do you really need a Amp's Bass along with a DI Bass and parallel compressed Bass, etc. We've come to enjoy, and even expect, to have a ton of tracks (whether performances or processed) in our mixes due to the advent of unlimited track capacity DAWS. It costs us virtually nothing more to add these so we do them. So, it might not be a matter of commitment at all here. But where commitment -would- apply would be to the question: "When is my mix -completed-?" Great stuff, Warren! Keep the vids coming!

[@JunkyardSam]

Great advice. Andrew Scheps has said repeatedly one of the first things he does when working on a mix is grouping things together so the whole mix can be controlled with a handful of faders. But as you point out, control is still there in the subfolders. Great way to work -- I can't imagine not working that way.

[@alanbagshaw7280]

Love the vids, man. Your love of the subject just shines through in your presentation. Love it.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow! Thanks ever so much Alan!

[@bobbykanemusictube]

I always get nervous about the number of tracks I use for some of my music. Hearing this made me feel at ease with my method. I'm ok. I tend to group things anyway. So the intention (at least in the last couple years) is there. The execution... you tell me.The arguments about using too many tracks - and I've seen them between artist I know - have always left me stuck, silently, in the middle. Now I get it. Now I can toss this weighty bit of currency amongst their two cents. Thank you, Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much for sharing your experiences with us Bobby!

[@bobbykanemusictube]

@@Producelikeapro Thank you for giving all of us a forum to do so.

[@Cheesecake1559]

Warren, I've watched many many videos of you talking about mixing techniques and experiences and I learned so much, but I have to say this video was one of most valuable lessons I have had these days, "commitment". I think I understood now thank you.

[@mageprometheus]

I have only got 150 EQ plugins! That must be the reason my stuff sucks. Thanks, Warren, I just need to get 100 more to be a world-class plonker. I can't wait.

[@Producelikeapro]

Haha very well said!!

[@Tephomab]

Sometimes once I'm happy with how a mix bus is sounding, I will record the bus. This both reduces the number of tracks and finalizes my mix decisions in the process. I do this most frequently with the cymbal sub mix, and rack tom sub mix.

[@petesawchuk]

I’m so glad to have come up preplanning & bouncing in the era of limited track count. Sometimes it didn’t work too well; I remember recording a synth orchestration of a Debussy piano prelude I’d done in college...onto a Fostex 4-track cassette. That didn’t turn out to be very successful sonically, but with meticulous preplanning it did somehow get done! Maybe given today’s available tech it’s time to take another crack at that Debussy...

[@philfyphil]

The real skill though was dealing with tape when bouncing down several tracks to a stereo pair. In today’s lossless (pretty much) digital it’s so much easier and you have so many options.

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes, agreed! It was an Artform!! Thanks ever so much

[@merlynscave]

Good point. I always group things in Logic. It’s called a stack track and you can have all the drums and live percussion on a stereo pair of faders. It is like busing ing the old days and bouncing down. Noise is not an issue now as it was when I first started recording back in 1980

[@joelonsdale]

Tracks Stacks is great, but it seems to make a mess of the bus arrangements in a way that doing it manually doesn't! :(

[@ozwaltreacts4709]

Attention and commitment. I think that's a lot of what I'm lacking. Thanks for that.

[@richardmcarthur40]

Good to hear about the business side Warren, this is a really interesting topic and one where people with passion are probably being messed around daily. My most recent contract is a WhatsApp from a friend of a friend who owns a shoe company saying he’ll give me a pair of boots for using some tunes in his corporate videos. Last job was a full composition and production to a really detailed brief, and in return, 30 cans of Tennents lager (hope the boots last longer than they did). Got to start somewhere! Keep it up, great info as ever.

[@Jeremy_Kinsey]

That was the best explanation (and refresher) of the multi track bounce counts of the past and the difference between grouping and track count.... Bravo! I believe that will help people who have never worked with tape or in an all analog environment. In college, we were required to learn analog methodology first and then we discussed the digital environment. That was a long time ago hahaha Grouping helps to stay organized & I love what you said about commitment and intent. Capturing the moment and moving on with commitment assures that the train won't get stuck on the track, it'll keep chugging along to the destination (completion of the song). Cheers!

[@jacquescousteau217]

You’re talking analog in 60-70-80s . Each time you bounce you get more noise analog . I only listen to vinyl . If I put phones on I can hear noise on every song that had a lot of bounces from Beatles,Queen,and Yes . With that said a small price to pay. I totally agree committing to what you’re going to put on each track is paramount. I just listened to Roundabout , a ton of noise . Then I listened to I’ve Just Seen A Face which was dead quiet . I looked it up. Only one bounce. The Beatles premixed what was going on one track. Paul ,and Ringo on one track,then two acoustics on another,then a vocal leaving one track open at the end of the day for Paul’s own vocal harmony then mixed that to the other track with his live vocal . Can’t recall which went where. You are so spot on making dedicated tracks before you press the red right button …

[@DJCroGs]

You've made a great point there Warren! I vividly remember the topic about "Should I send my finished sound bounced or should i include plugin template to the mixing engineer". In essence, with the optionitis currently b(l)ooming (love the term!), the answer is a complicated one if you want to be complicated. The artists should know pre-mixing what is the sound they want and this is where it all starts to fall apart. Get the sound, commit it and send the finished tracks to the mixer bounced through the bus. Everything else confuses the mixer and totally mess up the production indeed! And yet, in "ancient" times of 50's, 60's, 70's, mixer and producer were the ones deciding what wil be bounced, knowing or making that choice. It's a catch 22 really for a young or new artists who are not aware of what can and should be done before the "printing". Seems like chicken and egg thing rather than the question of tracks. One has to just love our times with so much scrambled info out there and it's really great you are tackling this in public. Great video!

[@RC32Smiths01]

There is always something great and wise to learn here! Great FAQ as always!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much!!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@Producelikeapro You are very welcome as always!

[@gregsaltis1661]

10CC I'm Not In Love - A 13 note chromatic scale with 3 vocalists singing each note 16 times. The intent? A big lush controllable vocal sound. They 'played' the notes on faders. It took 3 weeks to do but the results are IMO fantastic.

[@Producelikeapro]

YES!! Absolutely AMAZING results!!

[@PANTECHNICONRecordings]

@@Producelikeapro Agreed - that is a fantastic-sounding record! Just listen to the way the BVs bounce across the stereo field, for instance.

[@rumginray]

Also didn't hurt that they had a pretty great song to start of with.

[@cyclesgoff9768]

Good call man. It’s a tragedy that they are not given the Kudos they deserve. Both in terms of song writing and production. I mean even looking at Gouldmans ‘Bus Stop’, Wow, We need to keep bigging them up.

[@OrangutanTradeSalesmen]

Faq is baaack !

[@Producelikeapro]

Haha yes it is! Thanks ever so much

[@darrenross9168]

Hi Warren, thank you for your advice, payment is the sticky subject but it's always good to know where you stand as soon as possible, have a great day, all the best.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Darren!!

[@stevemcnamara2584]

Great video as always, and re: whether a contract has come into being when the parties have started working together, there is a legal doctrine called Quantum Meruit, which essentially focuses on the value of the services -- it's frequently defined as a reasonable sum to be paid for services rendered/work done when the amount due is not stipulated in a legally enforceable contract. Should a battle come before a Judge, there is a strong chance he/she may well NOT conclude the producer/engineer/etc. has agreed to "just work with an artist" for free, as is suggested @13:35. The SCOPE of that contract would be the core of the dispute, and therein lies the real battle. To avoid all of this uncertainty (and yes, this message comes from an attorney but not one looking to solicit work!), get everything in writing (email included) before work commences.

[@TommyVarekai]

No idea how you keep uploading such amazing, informative, engaging and consistent content, extremely inspiring!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Tommy!

[@harlanvale1899]

I learned on an Ampex 8 track with a QuadEight console. Now I am completely in the box with a an 8 channel interface. I have explored unlimited tracks but now I have created a series of templates that reference some of these older studios. I’ve made some templates for an 4 track studio, 8 track studio and 16 track studio to keep me from getting lost in the weeds of too many choices. It makes it easier to resist the temptation to add more channels. Plus it helps me to focus on the writing and performance aspect of the music I think. I will load certain plugins that generally emulate the gear found in some of those historic recording studios too. Even import images from that era to pretend I’m working there. Try it yourself and see if it changes the way you work in your creative environment. HMV / Pillars of Light Music

[@MartinLuxen]

Great video, Warren! When I had a slower PC I actually was forced to commit sooner, and honestly I think it it led to better ideas and results. So today I also force myself to say: well this is it, render the track and move on! Especially in the writing/recording phase. It also goes for writing songs. Sometimes I record an idea and think: We'll i'm gonna record it again later using another amp/guitar and blablabla... in the end I keep using the first draft because it has a better feel to it.

[@paulEmotionalaudio]

Could not agree more. Just be up front about what you’re committing to at the beginning and get it in writing in some form then everyone has the same expectation and the focus becomes the music rather than worrying about how much you’re doing and how much you’re getting paid. True for all things in life. 🤩👍👍

[@Producelikeapro]

Absolutely Paul!!

[@hoborec]

Love this! Commitment is so important. That was my biggest lesson when going from ITB to 24 track tape machine a couple of years ago. A bit backward in the technical journey here 😂

[@squareoneaudio6874]

The basics and mindset and organising your session and mind is everything always coming with facts 👊🏽

[@MixYourWay]

Lovely stuff Warren. It's always a good thing to listen to these tips from time to time. Cheers!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@dannon2010]

It IS a wonderful thing....I’ve learned with drums with a few mics in it...bus it to one stereo track and see how it blends.

[@Producelikeapro]

Marvellous!

[@RiCHKiMMiNGS]

Thanks for the videos!! I agree 100%... the amount of projects I get in that are all over the place. Noncommittal mixes and you're left to work it all out... argh!

[@brettjockell6611]

Thanx so much..... Part one was so importsnt..made perfect sense....watching your videos has dialed me into a decision tree that has to be reconciled....we learn so much from you....

[@gregorybooker4913]

I too loved my 8 track reel, it made you think and YESSSSSS Commit to it, good or bad. Now I have a hard drive and it will let me know when, then mix downs and compromises and sadly track counts. My next machine will be SS, but now I'm limited by 7200 RPM, and that should be good enough, Praying, dear lord let it be enough!!!!!

[@AVAMO]

Wise Man, Thank you x

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@AVAMO]

@@Producelikeapro x

[@Zedhead17]

Great points about intention and focus. I'd also add that boucing blended submix parts to a single track/stem each (e.g., 70 mixed tracks now become 8 tracks) saves my CPU and lets me continue with ease. It also adds a really enjoyable stage to the mixing process where you deal purely with blending large sections.

[@GeoZero]

Great info as always Warren. Commiting to a sound and sending to a bus submix is one of the best ways to go. I normally send to a VCA sub. Great Great Stuff!!!

[@briankingart]

Incredibly useful advice, Sir Warren. Thanks, as always.

[@Producelikeapro]

My pleasure! Thanks ever so much Brian!

[@teslatravels4197]

Started on 2-track Cassette. Then 4-Track Cassette. Onto 8-Track Reel to Reel Fostex, that I still own. An Atari synced to the 8-Track by midi Timecode striped on one track. I used to bounce down a lot on that thing. 24-Track. 48 Track. Tape. Cubase. Protools. Now Reaper with as many tracks as my computer will run. The old 4-track stuff is fun to listen to, but not good quality. I didn't know what I was doing. The 8-Track stuff sounds a bit better. The recordings have got progressively more pro sounding over time. As you would expect. But it's not the lack of tracks that made some of the old recordings Mickey Mouse. Unless you got a job in a studio you had to guess how things were done back in those days. And read articles in Sound On Sound and learn from friends. It is so much easier now. I've learned more usable stuff from people like Warren in a few videos than I did in years at Uni. I still often mix down things like multiple vocals so my final mix is easier, and I'm not looking at 150 tracks. Creativity and getting the sound right at the source is number one. Sometimes you have to have the confidence to commit and move on. I've spent days chopping things up and making them "perfect." When you pull out and look at the big picture most of them would never be noticed, except by me. And after a few weeks when I've moved on to something else, even I wouldn't notice them.

[@colinm3130]

A memorable session for me was re-recording guitars for a punk/rock group in LA. There were dozens of rhythm guitar tracks in the song. We recorded two tracks of a Les Paul through the Marshall Jubilee used by Guns and Roses. Those two guitar tracks sounded 10x bigger than the previous rhythm guitar tracks that were previously made up of dozens of guitar tracks. And the mixing was so much easier.

[@DerekPower]

Yup. Intention 😁 I’ve done numerous channels/overdubs/tracks and I’m sure I will continue to do so. And yes, it’s all intentional. I don’t do it every time naturally. But when I do it, I know I want that many layers. Furthermore, these are layers where each one is carefully chosen. They are chosen because each of them will contribute to the overall sound in their particular way (i.e. a bright pad, a dark pad, a pad that’s somewhere in between).

[@mrcodhead67]

Loving your descriptions. Even I, with my very basic knowledge & experience, can grasp much of what you say.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow! Thanks ever so much

[@PoorDog69]

Beats are suppose to make noises but not too much. It has to put you in another dimension. By feeling the beat in every single rhythm and instrument. Creating a rhetorical move. Not imagining things, but obeying the rhythm and sound in every detail.

[@oig40203]

I started out with one ADAT and a Mackie 1604, along with a cheap single channel reverb unit. It was the best education I could have had. I was forced to make decisions early in the process.

[@jernejbguitar]

One of my favorite KZbin channels!! Thanx for doing this and thanx for all the knowledge 🙌🙌

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much!!

[@mcinen67]

this lesson was a bit confusing. I have some limitations in the actual recording because I use a 4 channel Audio Interface. The first recording is drums, Bass drum on channel 1, Snare drum on channel 2, other drum microphones go through mixer to channel 3 and 4. These 4 then go to a stereo bus. After that, the bass guitar is recorded through DI (channel 1) speakers (channel 2) piezo tweeter (channel 3) room microphone (channel 4) These then go to a stereo bus as well. Guitar recording DI (channel 1) straight speaker mic (channel 2) 50 ° mic (channel 3) room mic (channel 4) Then to a stereo bus. The song is recorded with 3 different microphones that are distributed between channels 1 - 3 and collected in a stereo bus. We do not have access to any special microphones, (apart from the drums) but use sm57 as a speaker microphone and vocal microphone for room sound. There will be 19 tracks in total and 5 stereo busses (drums = 4 tracks Bass = 4 tracks Lead guitar = 4 tracks Rhythm guitar = 4 tracks and Vocals = 3 tracks)

[@joejurneke9576]

Love Warrens videos. Always entertaining and informational

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Joe!!

[@crown00music]

I don't count tracks but I count Groups because each group is one Instrument! its always 15-18 Groups for the type of music I make

[@davidallenhammond2777]

Brilliant discussion, always gives me a lot to think about. THanks Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much David!!

[@crunchyfrog555]

Classic case of a good producer helping an artist make a great record is The Cult after their album "Love". They had new tracks and recorded them and were thoroughly dissatisfied with them. Couldn't find the thing that was missing with the production. Then they got Rick Rubin, and listened to Led Zep and "Electric" was born. I THROUGHLY recommend this as anyone can check this out - the original "Manor" seesions of the album are available on CD, so you compare and see the difference.

[@RickDrift]

I totally agree that optionitis is not a thing, Something I have actually been thinking about lately, I hear everybody talk about to many options but I never seem to have an issue with it.

[@wikkidperson]

Concrete question: what if you are doing all of the jobs? You are the songwriter, the arranger, the session player, the recording engineer, the guy who mixes the track, the producer and you master the track as well? Would you recommend mentally and chronologically dividing the thing up into the different jobs and doing them in sequence, or is there a mindset that allows you to do them more simultaneously?

[@diamonddavemc]

Great question, because that's me as well. I've always suspected the way to do it would be to do all the bass tracks, all the guitar tracks etc, if only to ensure production and performance consistency (my voice will change month to month). My problem is that I get lost in individual songs at a time. Plus, I'm the type of songwriter who gets an idea and has to get it down and completed. Often the arrangement and production defines the song and its themes. I'm tempted to complete my 10 song 'album' of songs individually, then go back in and re-record them all one instrument at a time.

[@sschmidtevalue]

Not sure how much this helps: When I was recording many years ago, I started with the rhythm tracks and layered up from there, saving the vocals for last. My limited track capability (4 analog) forced that approach. I would usually lay down some scratch/guide tracks to help keep things glued together. Those would get overlaid by better versions as I went.

[@michaeltablet8577]

I love FAQ Friday! Don't forget everyone, like, subscribe and share, share, share! Thanks Warren! I always learn something from each video!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Michael!

[@jasonsimmons7479]

Great video! Thanks for all you do!

[@jloiben12]

In terms of the second question, there is a huge portion contract law and related theories that cover this. To begin with, a contract has 3 things: an offer, acceptance, and consideration. That is it. In general, it does not have to be in writing. NOR does it have to be a formal written agreement. It can just be emails sent back and forth. It could be a napkin. Also, even if there isn’t a contract, you could still have an enforceable agreement under theories of unjust enrichment and quantum meruit. Basically, and this is at a super high level, if you engage in behaviors consistent with a contract, courts will treat it like there was a contract. Warren’s suggestions for less formal contracts (emailing the other side to confirm terms, etc) are very good practices even if you do have a formal contract

[@Deliquescentinsight]

I recall bouncing tracks on a Tascam back in the 90's - you can experience degradation of sound quality if you bounce too much! Especially true with the old tape. A track equals information, so it makes sense you are making a very dense picture with more tracks, I like to keep it as clean as possible.

[@leonardobarbatoramos]

I would ask this way... If I have a band that consists of 2 guitars, one bass and drums... When the band plays live it is what it is... Four instruments... Four tracks... (5 counting vocal) why do we need to make lots of tracks to make it sound properly?

[@spencergroup]

As an artist I started my first real recording project with someone who fancied himself a "producer/engineer" and worked out of his apartment. I signed a contract where he agreed to record, mix, master 14 songs for an agreed upon price with no extra costs. All rights of the CD with no limitations were to belong to me. Long story short, after several months of recording all these songs, he had me listen to a song he mixed. I was a bit critical of the mix and told him what I didn't like about it. He then had a hissy fit, refunded me what I had paid him and told me to never contact him again. He kept the tracks that I would have liked to have to taken to someone else. It probably would've cost me more than what I paid him to take him to court. Lesson learned.

[@JUD2784]

Could you do a mix breakdown, to show the difference and relevance of the track grouping. Drums, vocals, bass, guitar, keys, effect grouping especially???

[@AWSOMEPOSSUM16]

Great questions and answers. Thanks.

[@robertkerr8601]

I do this with vocals all the time. I record em, and I have a main vocal stereo bus (main vox and doubling ups) and a backing vocal bus. I may have an effects send for any special effects I may wish to add on the doubles or just an effect on the main vox. If I have ahhs and ohhs, I may put them on a bus for themselves because they might need different settings from lyrical backing vocals. In effect, out of maybe 12 tracks, I am mixing 2 or 3 at most because I am mixing on the group faders and not doing every single track.

[@adamfurnish8481]

It’s crazy how I haven’t thought about this! I’m pretty new to recording and just use free Audacity, and I never thought about grouping so many tracks into one!

[@davidkeller8084]

When I started playing around with this stuff in the long forgotten 70's and 80's I used 4 duel cassette decks, this in reality is 32 tracks. Yes it is bounce after bounce after bounce after bounce and each bounce becomes more and more and more and more saturated but, some how we made some pretty good recordings this way. I to this day set my DAW up in a very similar way and I get "GREAT RESULTS" . So in this method you can only record 2 tracks at a time, what matters is what you record on those 2 tracks ( this could be a stereo{2 track}recording of unlimited sources "depending on your mixing console") and what you over dub onto the bounce of those 2 tracks. You now have 4 tracks that you can "dub" 2 more tracks over, so on and so on, and then when you run out of tape decks you can bounce that 2 track down and start over. The great thing about todays tech is you have unlimited duel cassette decks "if you will". I call this the "GARAGE BAND STUDIO" Not to be confused with GARAGE BAND(tm) DAW.

[@MacReviewzOnline]

Brilliant video! Thank you.

[@Producelikeapro]

Marvelous!!

[@groovestochaos8138]

5:45 - I'm thinking How many times is he going to say this? 5:52 - "I know I'm repeating myself here...." Self awareness is a wonderful thing

[@splashesin8]

This is helpful with the contract thing. 😊 Thank you.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Audrey!

[@AllanGildea]

Top class, thanks Warren!

[@officialWWM]

Man, that's a good question. Just because you have access to millions of tracks, doesn't mean you should use them. I've started stripping back, less is more.

[@alguitarchristie]

When Nyles did Lets dance,he said that they had such great sounds from the get go, with great sounds from each player, that he could have mixed it without even any added EQ! I try to get the best guitar sound i can going in! Then group them as you said.

[@KellyDavidMusic]

Excellent !

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much!!

[@jurgenschuler8389]

Great video. Thanx!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Jürgen!

[@purenonsense7296]

Out of curiosity, how much of your time is focused on KZbin and how much on making albums? I feel like the newer KZbin vids take a lot of work and time.

[@Producelikeapro]

Fortunately my component is fairly small and I don't edit!

[@joewilliams5396]

@@Producelikeapro Do you mean your support team set it all up, you sit down say your bit , get back to work and your support team, tidy back up, edit and post it. A team effort is what makes life easy. A benefit for us all. I may be wrong.

[@Producelikeapro]

@@joewilliams5396 yes, I don't have to edit the videos! IF I had to do that and produce 5 videos a week, I agree that would be exhausting!

[@jessemazur]

In my early recording days my interface only had 2 inputs and I had a small 12 track mixer. To record drums I would get the drums sounding as good as I could and commit to that sound, then send the stereo output of my mixer to the 2 inputs of my interface. I did not have the option to go back and "bring up the snare a bit", I just EQed the drums the best I could and moved on. To this day they are still some of my fav mixes!

[@PANTECHNICONRecordings]

Basically the same here. I started out on an 8-track TEAC 80-8 and an Allen & Heath 16-4-2 console. Drums almost invariably straight to two tracks, sometimes even one if the artist knew in advance that there would be lots of overdubbing, or if I was recording a large band "live". Very, very occasionally we had the luxury of putting the snare separately on a third track.

[@andreasatlars4281]

"Intention and commitment." -Music production explained in two words

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Lars!!

[@motorbikeray]

Thanks for this Warren. I no longer see my 8-tracks limit in Ableton Live Lite 10 as a restriction to making music as a beginning hobbyist music maker.

[@Producelikeapro]

Amazing! Glad to be able to help

[@sschmidtevalue]

I have an 8-track pocket studio and have gotten around that limit by exporting tracks (thereby freeing up the internal track space) and then mixing everything in Audacity (which has a higher capacity and is a free product).

[@motorbikeray]

@@sschmidtevalue You wrote, "I have an 8-track pocket studio and have gotten around that limit by exporting tracks (thereby freeing up the internal track space) and then mixing everything in Audacity (which has a higher capacity and is a free product)." Thank you for that tip. Much appreciated! I've heard of Audacity and I'll install it and do what you described. Is your "8-track pocket studio" a hardware device or a software app for a smartphone or other?

[@sschmidtevalue]

@@motorbikeray It's hardware. Made by Tascam some years ago, but I still like it. I hope the technique works for you. Audacity can multitrack record, but it's fussy and I'm not yet happy with it. I also need a new computer for this stuff - mine is 12 years old and is probably a factor.

[@motorbikeray]

@@sschmidtevalue ​ Thanks for letting me know your 8-track Pocket Studio is a hardware device by Tascam. A Google search led me to the Tascam DP-008 and I didn't know such a thing existed. I know what you mean about needing a new computer. I'm using a 2008 MacBook Pro for this new music production hobby of mine. Thanks again for your tips. Much appreciated.

[@timbomba9478]

Thank you!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@PGalati]

Back in the early 90's our band rented a Tascam 688 8-track cassette recorder. We had to really think about how to record the tracks so that we could have enough tracks to bounce and commit. bouncing tracks on a cassette tape, wow! We made some really bad commits though. That blip is now there forever :-( Fortunately the 688 had midi so our stereo 16 note polyphony keyboards only needed one track for midi sync. The VS-1680 recorder got us to 16 tracks plus midi sync which helped but the preamps in that unit really suffered.

[@neuroxik]

You're Back in Black!

[@Producelikeapro]

YES! Back in Black for FAQ!

[@mladen777]

Awesome video! Love your videos Warren! Btw, can you do a video on some good amp sims that sound like the real but not just sound, also feel the same. I guess you played on a lot of awesome tube amps and some of us didn’t t have the same opportunity yet. I was wondering which one’s sound and feel the closest to the real one’s they’re simulating. There are a lot of amazing sounding stuff from STL Tones, Neural DSP and many more but I couldn’t compare them to the real ones yet. Also, no genre specific because I’ve seen a few ones on KZbin being amazing for metal rhythm for example, but not delivering the same quality sound on lead in some comparison videos. Thanks!

[@diamonddavemc]

I'm one of those rare people who don't use DAW software to record, preferring instead to record on a 16 track digital recorder. I prefer this for exactly the reasons stated in this video - it's fun and your mind IS focussed by the limitations of only having 16 tracks (I rarely if ever bounce). You find yourself planning your productions more because you don't have the freedom to just keep adding. The other reasons I do it are; because that's the way many of the classic albums I love were recorded, and it's very much recording 'ears only'. Don't get me wrong, there are many times when my recordings would clearly benefit from a DAW environment, and I envy the power available and the range of plugins to hand. But this is made up for by the pleasure of finishing a 16 track recording and being happy with the result.

[@sschmidtevalue]

I use an 8 track pocket studio and when I'm in a bind, free up space by exporting tracks for later mixing with a DAW (Audacity.)

[@ivanbatucada]

Warren, I love your videos and I learn a lot from them ... do you like the music produced in Brazil? Could you make a video talking about it? Forte abraço!