Multitrack Recording Order...?

[No X In Nixon]

Hello all,

I'm in the early stages of prepping a multitrack recording for my big end of year project; and I'm wondering what order of tracks I should record.

Now this would be simple enough normally (Drums first, then everything stacking up), however here's the fun part. For my project, I'm re-recording Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", of which there is no drums to be seen for the first 1:19 of the song, and after that it is sporadic. I was thinking about recording piano first, however would this be as effective???

The piano part is (as you're all no doubt aware) much more sustained throughout the song, however I'm not sure as to whether it would muck up with the timing of the other instruments (the attack of the drums would be much easier to keep in time with - rather than the slow notes of the piano).


I've made this a poll, so pick which one you'd record first; and post a reply with some reasoning.


Thanks as usual,

No X.

[avare]

It is a creative decision, not technical. I would do a scratch guide/click track first.

Andre

[JoeGriffin]

Bohemian Rhapsody, eh? Good thing you started out with a simple recording to reproduce!

If you track the piano part first and the pianist's time wavers, the drummer is going to have a rough time "underdubbing" his part. I'd suggest a click track as the previous poster did, if you choose to go this route.

But even if you do track drums and piano separately, it's a good idea to feed them a click because of the fact that the drummer sits out for so much of the song. Overall it'll make things much smoother when you go to overdub bass, guitar, 52 tracks of vocals...

Have fun!

[DaveySimps]

I agree with using a click track of some sort. It will make you life much easier in the long run.

~Dave

[howlingwolf487]

Of course, it should be noted that Brian May called Freddie a "human metronome" in the documentary (or maybe it was the extras on the Queen/Paul Rodgers DVD).