I realize my post was unclear. I didn't mean have all the instruments overdub in seclusion, just the vocals. Also, I never intended for the vocals to be amplified, just sung into the vocal mic.

Bombpop wrote:I really appreciate all the replies, especially the offer to go to New Orleans.

Dylan wrote:I can't really tell you exactly why this is a bad idea (the layering of vocals like the way you described) - some more experienced engineers will have to weigh in - but, it is a bad idea.

i know your saying layering is a bad idea, but about live vocals-- a lot of records have live vocals on them. it's sometimes how the musician wants to do it. as engineers we're supposed to cater to their needs (i guess)...even if it makes our job more difficult.

ethan johns talks a lot about this phenomenon and recording bands live in the new tape op.

both times my band recorded, we were all live in the same room, vocals and everything. one thing we did that really helped with bleed was ran the bass direct from the amp head. that kept it from sounding "smeary." the first time we recorded we used PA monitors, and the second time, headphones. honestly, i hardly noticed the headphones. and having a personal mixer right in front of me made a ton of difference, simply because i could dial it up so i heard what i needed to hear. i suppose you could do this with a PA monitor, but say you needed a ton of bass, because the bass carries the rhythm in a certain spot of the song... then it sounds smeary again.

now, perhaps i'm drawing this next idea simply because i've been watching this dvd constantly for the past couple of days, the Burn To Shine (2: Chicago) shows everyone in one room (a teeny little room, at that), and the audio recording is beautiful. no one uses headphones, and it looks very congested in there, but everything is really well-defined and evenly-mixed (though there was some editing of vocal mics to cut out ambient noise that i noticed during shellac's performance). perhaps if those involved in that could shed some light?

...i'm also personally wondering how that went down, but it seems to apply to this thread pretty closely.

I record bands live and end up keeping most of the vocal takes. It really depends on the band, how well they are playing...i try to set up the room as if i where in the mix position: keeping gtr(s) placed as close to their mixed panned position, keeping constant with the overhead mics. baffling helps, and maintaining sitelines is a good idea. I also found out that less mics tend to impact a phasing artifact, and most bands that make this concious effort to record in this style, well, it is usually their bag. i will do my best to get the bass gtr as quiet as possible while keeping everyone happy. the bass and phase are the biggest obstacles in my situation. figure 8 mics are very useful and the bleed usually is of the 'good' or acceptable form.