Share Tips and Tricks to get a Clean Take Please

[RocknPop]

Hey guys, one the things that I struggle the most is timing (e.g., when the acoustic guitar defines the beat, or keeping the bass tight with the drums).

Do you guys have any tips or tricks on how to record cleaner takes that sound more professional?

 

[Unnecessary]

always record to a metronome if you're not already doing it.

something I do when I'm stuck on a section is that I will set that section to loop and just record my one little riff/measure over and over and over and over and over continuously. Sometimes I just "feel" one as being really good, sometimes I go back and audition each take and usually find one that has the feel/timing I'm after, or I have 20 takes to comp into one awesome take! I don't think there's anything wrong with a little digital manipulation to speed along the recording process.

 

[loudboy]

Hey guys, one the things that I struggle the most is timing (e.g., when the acoustic guitar defines the beat, or keeping the bass tight with the drums).

Do you guys have any tips or tricks on how to record cleaner takes that sound more professional?

Practice.

The reason that your favorite records sound so good is that the guys playing on them are great.

Take a listen to some of the isolated tracks for classic songs that are floating around Youtube.

There's not really a workaround for it. You can comp takes, grid edit, etc., and get something acceptable, but it's never going to sound as good as someone nailing it.

 

[eddie knuckles]

+1

Metronome wood block in your recording software is your friend.

 

[Endr_rpm]

Practice...

There's not really a workaround for it. You can comp takes, grid edit, etc., and get something acceptable, but it's never going to sound as good as someone nailing it.

Yup. There a reason a bands first album, made up of songs they have performed god only knows how many times live are usually done quickly, while subsequent releases take weeks or months.

 

[RustyAxe]

It has nothing to with recording, but rather, it's a performance issue. Practice, practice, practice ... with metronome or drum track. Before one goes to the studio. Time is money in the studio. Recording with a metronome in the studio won't help if one can't keep time with the recorded rhythm track.