This screenshot from a Pro Tools session shows a mono Tele track (top
waveform)
above a printed stereo delay track.
In the past few columns,
we’ve examined various uses
of compression with guitar—
both in pedal and plug-in form.
We’ve seen how sometimes
it’s best to capture your guitar
sound as clean as possible,
without the effects in-line. That
way, you can add processing
at the mix stage—rather than
while tracking—in the context
of the finished song. This is
especially relevant when tracking
with a delay unit or echo.
As a mixer, I receive many
different kinds of tracks in various
states of readiness. Some
sessions arrive with tracks that
are perfectly printed, trimmed,
and labeled. Others can be a
mess, with extra-hot levels and
track names like “Audio 1”
or “Extra track.” Though irksome,
many of these problems
can be fixed later on. But some
things—including guitar parts
printed with integral delay
effects—cannot. You simply
can’t peel off or alter the
delay or echo if it turns out it
doesn’t sound like what you’d
hoped for when you tracked it.
Of course, it’s understandable
that layers of echo may
be an essential part of your
sound. The Edge and Albert
Lee are two players who often
build parts around precisely
timed delay. But most of the
guitar tracks I receive do not
need to have delay applied
during the recording process.
However, if you must have
delay on the track to get the
right vibe, here are a few
things to consider when laying
down your initial parts.
To give yourself—and your
mix engineer—the greatest
flexibility in the final stages of
production, consider splitting
your signal before it hits the
delay and capturing two guitar
tracks, one clean and one
effected. This approach works
whether you’re recording direct
or mic’ing an amp, or doing
both simultaneously.
It’s true, splitting your signal
and recording dual tracks
takes more effort than simply
slapping a mic on your amp
and capturing the sound you
get playing through your
pedalboard. But without a
doubt, taking this dual-track
approach can help save a great
guitar performance that might
otherwise have to be redone if
your effects were not tweaked
correctly to begin with.
If you’re recording into a digital
audio workstation (DAW)
such as Pro Tools, Logic, or
Cubase and using a delay plugin,
simply route the delayed
guitar signal to a second, dedicated
track. This means your
dry guitar goes to one track and
your echo effects are captured
independently on another. In
other words, you’ll generate two
tracks for each pass.
For example, if you have
a mono guitar track and are
sending some of that signal
(via an aux bus) to a stereo
delay plug-in, you’ll want to
“print” or record the output of
that delay to its own track.
Sure, you could just run
the plug-in as a virtual, unrecorded
effect and wait to print
it in the mix, but what if your
plug-in authorization expires
in the middle of the session
(for example, if you’re using
one with a limited free-trial
period)? Or what if you hand
off the session files to a mix
engineer who doesn’t have that
particular plug-in? Or what if
the settings don’t come back
exactly as you last left them?
All of these are real scenarios
that have happened to me, and
they’re no fun. So it makes
sense that, once you’ve gotten
a great-sounding delay out of
a plug-in, you should print the
output to a new audio track.
There it is—done.
But don’t just stop there—
make sure you label the track
clearly. For example, “Guitar
1 Delay Print” reminds you
or informs the mix engineer
about what is lurking in that
waveform. Also, in the notes
section of the track, write
down what delay you used,
as well as the most important
parameters. I’ve even taken
screenshots of plug-in settings
to save with the relevant session.
Just remember to label
those, as well.
One advantage of using
software plug-in delays (and
there are many amazing versions
available from various
companies) as opposed to a
rackmount unit or stompbox,
is that you can go back after
the session to tweak the delay
by changing the settings. If
you do that, simply reprint
the new settings directly over
the old printed track or save
a new track called something
like “Guitar 1 Delay Print -
Version 2.”
While I’m on the subject of
printing tracks, many of us also
use guitar-amp simulator plugins.
As with delay, it’s a good
idea to print your amp-simulator
tracks. This ensures that
any mix engineer who receives
your session will have the exact
guitar sound you wanted.
I always ask my clients to
print any important effects or
emulations—particularly for
the guitar. This is especially
critical when doing cross-platform
mixing, such as tracking
in Logic and mixing in
Pro Tools. When working on
the same platform, I also ask
them not to delete the original
tracks so I can adjust the
sounds or alter the EQ if need
be. I will also ask for a basic
list of plug-ins that they use.
So, next time you’re tracking
a guitar part, think about
how those effects will translate
down the line. When using
hardware effects, try to split
your amp or guitar signal
before it’s processed. And if
you’re using a DAW with plugins,
print your effect tracks
separately. It will save time and
money, and make you happier
with the end results.
Rich Tozzoli is a
Grammy-nominated
engineer and mixer who
has worked with artists
ranging from Al Di
Meola to David Bowie.
A life-long guitarist, he’s
also the author of
Pro Tools Surround
Sound Mixing and composes for the
likes of Fox NFL, Discovery Channel,
Nickelodeon, and HBO.