# Double tracking lead guitars?



## depths of europa (Jul 30, 2012)

Dumb question alert - brace yourself...

When you're recording say a solo, do you record it twice? My friend is trying to tell me that you are suppose to double track it and just play it note for note super tight. 

Problem is, I improvise a lot of my solos, so its not like a necessarily remember what I've played. Its different every time.


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## Raayl (Jul 30, 2012)

I double track leads. Do you HAVE to? No, not necessarily. But I do think it adds a certain element.

I wouldn't necessarily stop recording improvisations, but you should start actually composing solos. Improvise to get some good ideas, then practice and refine the ideas until you can play the solo in entirety. Then you can double track. It will give everything a more polished feel.


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## depths of europa (Jul 30, 2012)

Thanks man. 
So, is there a difference between recording a more technical metal solo and a more bluesy solo?
Like would Slash have double-tracked his solos?


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## Joshua (Jul 30, 2012)

It really depends on the solo. If you can get it sounding good just single tracked, then go for it. But double tracking just adds a better feel to it in certain situations. Really depends on what the song is calling for


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## georg_f (Jul 30, 2012)

no, Slash would not have double tracked solos
usually rhythm stuff gets double tracked, solos not so much, but you can ofc


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## Raayl (Jul 30, 2012)

depths of europa said:


> Thanks man.
> So, is there a difference between recording a more technical metal solo and a more bluesy solo?
> Like would Slash have double-tracked his solos?



I doubt slash would double track.

There's a time and place. In most solos, there are certain harmonies added to emphasize certain parts or "moments" in the solo. Like after an ascending run into a legato bend, it's pretty typical to add in a "harmony" note with the bend. It gives everything a really explosive feel and can be awesome.

Just like in most songs, certain parts of the chorus are harmonized and double tracked - but the lead vocal is typically dominant and single tracked. You can use that same philosophy composing leads on a guitar. Think of it lyrically.


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## Winspear (Jul 30, 2012)

The only double tracked solo I know of aside from harmonies and counterpoint lines is Wither by DT


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## Larcher (Jul 30, 2012)

I don't double track solos unless there's the major/minor third of the same thing I'm playing, otherwise getting solos tight is harder than rythm, and if not done right, you'll get some noticeable delay in the sequence or something of the sorts, I personally would'nt double track it, unless like mentioned, it was harmonized


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 30, 2012)

When you double track you actually play it twice? You can't just copy it to another track for the sake of saving time while recording? 

Also, like some others have said, I've never double tracked a solo. I've never seen the point aside from harmonies and counterpoint.


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## troyguitar (Jul 30, 2012)

Randy Rhoads was rumored to double and even triple track solos.


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## Winspear (Jul 30, 2012)

Yes double tracked is two takes. Duplicating simply raises the volume. 

I've produced an album where I later realised some of the riffs were unusable on one take. The band were gone back miles away. I rerecorded some myself (shh!) and was able to get SOME double tracking effect with a single take. I used some slight pitch shift and time movement and a completely different tone. Being careful to avoid phase problems. Didn't sound nearly as good but it's passable for small amounts of time when stuck for other options.


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## Larcher (Jul 17, 2013)

dat necro


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## morethan6 (Jul 17, 2013)

Konfyouzd said:


> When you double track you actually play it twice? You can't just copy it to another track for the sake of saving time while recording?
> 
> Also, like some others have said, I've never double tracked a solo. I've never seen the point aside from harmonies and counterpoint.



If you duplicate audio and play both together it simple increases the volume. If you pan the duplicates to opposing sides and 'slip' one track a little out of time (like, a few milliseconds) you get a doubled affect, but because it is a perfect replica it sounds like a phaser. You can also detune one slightly in pitch (say, 1 cent). This sounds like a chorus.

Difference with playing it twice is that the imperfections in any doubled take, however tiny, are both temporal and frequential, as well as random. This means it doesn't sound weird, just - PHAT.

Having said all that, I don't double solos, but definitely 'lead' parts like hooks or overlaid melodies etc. And all rhythm, always.


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## Idontpersonally (Jul 17, 2013)

edit


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## Larcher (Jul 17, 2013)

guys, the posts you're responding to are 1 year old, Audiofan didn't look at whent the topic was created

edit: I see he posted in this topic to promote his website


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## axxessdenied (Jul 17, 2013)

Tony Iommi is a good example of what could be done with overdubbing multiple takes.


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## morethan6 (Jul 17, 2013)

Larcher said:


> guys, the posts you're responding to are 1 year old, Audiofan didn't look at whent the topic was created
> 
> edit: I see he posted in this topic to promote his website



Doh! Sucked right in. Cheers Larcher


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## porchy (Jul 17, 2013)

I had a Bandhappy lesson with Nolly a few months ago, and he showed me something pretty interesting which made a sense.

The "solo" in the second verse of in Froggin' Bullfish is actually triple tracked and played extremely tightly. (AND there's something outstanding about watching him play it.)

I've always double tracked "secondary" solos (i.e., the more repetitive and/or melodic motifs in a song as opposed to a climactic moment). 

Other than that, single.


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## KristapsCoCoo (Sep 14, 2014)

Bumb - do you double track heavily delayed guitar tracks?
Like - with actuall delay and effects aplied in the moment of tracking not aded later with plugins...

Having a problem with this now and can't deside what to do? Or do you advice to track without effects and add those later?


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## wat (Sep 14, 2014)

Listen to some randy roads (sp) solos. Like over the mountain. 

A lot of times they were double tracked, often an octave higher. Zakk wylde, too. Listen and see if you like that sound. 

You can also double track only certain parts of the solo to add emphasis. And you can do straight doubles, octaves, harmony, whatever you want.


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## wat (Sep 14, 2014)

KristapsCoCoo said:


> Bumb - do you double track heavily delayed guitar tracks?
> Like - with actuall delay and effects aplied in the moment of tracking not aded later with plugins...
> 
> Having a problem with this now and can't deside what to do? Or do you advice to track without effects and add those later?



Track raw and add effects later. That way you can control the effect after the fact and you can make the delay effect stereo. 

Use the formula:

60,000 ÷ BPM = quarter note in milliseconds 

Setting the delay time to this value will make your delay match a quarter note in the song's tempo. Double this amount to get a half note and so on.


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## KristapsCoCoo (Sep 14, 2014)

wat said:


> Track raw and add effects later. That way you can control the effect after the fact and you can make the delay effect stereo.
> 
> Use the formula:
> 
> ...



Any good delay advice specifically for guitars?


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## Tyler (Sep 15, 2014)

Just record it in stereo instead of mono like you would for rhythms. Thats how Ive always done it, and it sounds perfectly fine and you wont have to double take


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## KingAenarion (Sep 15, 2014)

Holy Double Necro Batman...

But as the question was asked again... with solos it's really a thing of diminishing returns if you track the same part exactly the same twice.
The reason you double track rhythm parts (or quad if you have two different rhythm parts) is because it sounds like you've got 2 people playing, and it sounds fat. You pan them left and right and then bring them slowly inwards if you have more than 2 (as a general rule).

With solos, as with a vocal line. You want it front and centre. You want it clear and accurate with feeling.

So centre panning with a false stereo centre is best. If you need more signal, double tracking is obviously an option, because you can have left and right at an equal volume.... OR... you could, you know... turn it up.

Also track with effects if you like. If you're DI recording you can take both. Have two DIs, plug your guitar into one first, use the parallel out on one to go to pedals/FX racks/amps etc.


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## sage (Sep 19, 2014)

I've done both. I prefer to just single track nowadays, but I've done things "creatively" that I kind of regretted within days of the songs being released. I think I had the first one turn out really well and then pretty much was just chasing the dragon trying to better that one. 

The guitarists I like best don't double track leads. I don't love the sound that Rhoads, Wylde, or Iommi get when they double up their leads. Hell, the best one I ever heard (shudder to admit this) was on Slaughter's "Up All Night." And, although it was super impressive at the time that he pulled it off that well, it really didn't add much to the track and I think it would have stood up just fine with one pass. As for Slash, I don't think he ever doubled anything and his tone is fatter than Chris Farley.


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