PRC studios Mic Tracking plans

Tracking plans

How we record a session depend on what kinds and number of instruments you bring, and what you want to do. We can currently record ten tracks at once, and have unlimited tracks for overdubs.

Here are some track plans that have worked in the past. New ones can be invented, lets talk. The plans are:

Four piece rock: Drum, Guitar, Bass and Singer tracks
Five piece rock: Drum, lead rhythm and bass guitar, singer
Five piece rock: Drum, lead and bass guitar, keyboard, singer
Five piece rock: stereo keyboard, drum, lead and bass guitar, singer.
Five piece bluegrass: Bass, guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo.

Sample Drum, Guitar, Bass and Singer tracks

The live session captures the drums, lead and bass guitars and a guide vocal track. The overdub sessions would record the real lead vocal, any background vocals, and any extra guitars. This will let us do track schedules such as:

Track	Instrument	(notes)
1/1	Guide Vocal
2/2	Bass Guitar (DI)
3/3	Lead Guitar (DI or mic'd)
4/4	Kick Drum	RNC -1 (fast release)
5/5	Floor Tom
6/6	Snare	RNC-2 (fast release)
7/7	Cymbals/spare
8/8-9	rack toms	S1, c 8 & 9
9/10	Left Drum Overhead	c10
10/11	Right Drum Overhead	c11

This allows for a stereo pair of mics for the overall drumset, which can capture the true stereo image of the kit, and the overall dymanics of the session. This setup would have the same overdub sessions, for the real lead vocal, any background vocals, and any extra guitars.

Five piece rock: Drum kit, two Guitars, Bass and Singer tracks

The live session captures the drums, all three guitars and a guide vocal track. This same track layout works if the rhythm guitar is replaced by a mono keyboard. The overdub sessions would record the real lead vocal, any background vocals, and any extra guitars. This will let us do track schedules such as:

Track	Instrument	(notes)
1/1	Guide Vocal
2/2	Bass Guitar (DI)
3/3	Lead Guitar (DI or mic'd)
4/4	Rhythm Guitar
5/5	Kick Drum	RNC -1 (fast release)
6/6	Floor Tom
7/7	Snare	RNC-2 (fast release)
8/8-9	rack toms	S1, c 8 & 9
9/10	Left Drum Overhead	c10
10/11	Right Drum Overhead	c11

As above, this allows for a stereo pair of mics for the overall drumset. This setup would have the same overdub sessions, for the real lead vocal, any background vocals, and any extra guitars.

Five piece rock: Drum kit, Guitars, Bass, Singer and stereo keyboard tracks

Many keyboard players use stereo effects. This adds to our required track count, and makes me wish I had 12 or more tracks. But since we don't, we squeeze it either of two ways. The live session captures the drums, both guitars and a guide vocal track. As before, the overdub sessions would record the real lead vocal, any background vocals, and any extra guitars. This will let us do track schedules such as:

stereo keyboard plan A

Plan A replaces the drum overheads with a dedicated hi-hat cymbal track.

Track	Instrument	(notes)
1/1	Guide Vocal
2/2	Bass Guitar (DI)
3/3	Lead Guitar (DI or mic'd)
4/4	left keyboard
5/5	right keyboard
6/6	Kick Drum	RNC -1 (fast release)
7/7	Floor Tom
8/8	Snare	RNC-2 (fast release)
9/9-10	rack toms	Subgroup 1, c9 & 10
10/11	Cymbals	c11

stereo keyboard plan B

Plan B keeps the drum overheads, and puts all the toms (rack and floor) on a single channel.

Track	Instrument	(notes)
1/1	Guide Vocal
2/2	Bass Guitar (DI)
3/3	Lead Guitar (DI or mic'd)
4/4	left keyboard
5/5	right keyboard
6/6	Kick Drum	RNC -1 (fast release)
7/7	Snare	RNC-2 (fast release)
8/8-9-10	Toms (floor and rack)	Subgroup1 => c8-9-10
9/11	Left Drum Overhead	c11
10/12	Right Drum Overhead	c12

Both plans, A and B, allow for a stereo pair of mics for the overall drumset. This setup would have the same overdub sessions, for the real lead vocal, any background vocals, and any extra guitars.

Mixerman's six drum track plan

Mixerman and Fletcher suggest the following six tracks for drums.

Track	Instrument	(notes)
1/1	Kick
2/2	Snare
3/3	Submix, Toms, OH left
4/4	Submix; Toms, OH right
5/5	Room left
6/6	Room right

Five musician Bluegrass

This is only a working plan it. The bluegrass band seems to use more mics each week.:

Track	Instrument	(notes)
1/1	Bass DI
2/2	Bass amp	D112 or S421
4/4 & 5/5	Guitar	xy pair M201
6/6	Banjo	MD421
7/7	Dobro	M201
8/8	Mandolin	EV 468
9/9	bass vocal	SM7
10/10	bari vocal	RE-20
11/11	Main Vocal	M500 ribbon, RNP
12/12	tenor Vocal	Beta 57
13/13	overhead left	184
14/14	overhead right	184

The main problem with the bluegrass band's tracking is that they want five part vocal harmony, and four or five instruments. Then add room mics, and you have a lot.

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