Early Multitrack: c.1964 - 1969

Music Tech || MT CA1 - Introduction to Music Technology and the Music Business

What did the increase in the number of tracks available mean?

• Allowed multitrack recording.

• Meant that each track be edited and mixed individually, allowing for a higher quality recording.

• More than two tracks could be recorded at the same time.

• Instruments could now be recorded in complete isolation, known as overdubbing. Meant greater separation of instruments.

What is overdubbing?

Recording a new track over a previously recorded one.

multiple microphones

Close mic techniques meaning better capture.

How did engineers find a way to provide “unlimited” tracks?

reduction mixing.

Explain the process of reduction mixing.

• Required 2 tape machines to work.

• Record all 4 tracks on your tape machine.

• Balance and mix these record tracks.

• Bounce down to an empty track on the other tape machine.

• You now have three spare tracks to overdub parts onto, thus creating an 8-track machine.

What does it mean to “bounce down”?

Extorting multiple tracks to one single track.

What did the process of reduction mixing require to be wary of?

• The two tape machines had to be synchronized so they ran at the same speed.

• Otherwise, there would be changes in tempo and pitch when bouncing down.

• However, some producers played around with it for artistic effect.

What things did recording using reduction mixing introduce?

• Bands began to include multiple guitar parts, keyboard parts, and orchestral instruments into pop music recording.

• This allowed for the creation of new genres.

• One issue with recording in this way was that when it came to performing live, often bands were unable to physically play all of the parts.

• This paved way for the studio album.

stereo recording

Left, center, and right panning to separate instruments.

What is the benefit of 4-8 track recording?

• Unlike with 2 tracks, if a mistake was made in one part, it could be re-recorded individually without replacing other parts.

• This led to the terms “dropping in” and “dropping out”. Although this was still a destructive process, this meant that the previous take could not be restored.

What does it mean to “drop in” or “out”?

Recording a musician re-playing just one part of the recording.