I have some new home recording gear and I'm trying to improve my recorded sound. I was wondering if Doubletracking was a recording technique used by first generation Surf groups or any of their influences, for example the Ventures, Fireballs, Shadows etc. I dont have a very good (experienced) ear to tell for sure if I hear it on their recordings. I imagine that Les Paul used the technique.
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Recording Corner »
Doubletracking
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Joined: Sep 19, 2008 Posts: 206 Canada, eh? 
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Posted on Jul 28 2009 10:36 AM
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Joined: Nov 05, 2008 Posts: 745 Colorado, home of The Astronauts 
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Posted on Jul 28 2009 10:53 AM
I think Les Paul may have invented the technique (someone here will surely prove me wrong). I am guessing the more "studio" oriented groups like the Ventures and Shadows probably incorporated doubletracking. A band like the Astronauts most likely recorded all 'live'. —Plus! Other stuff not surf: https://soundcloud.com/jamesmileshq |
Joined: Sep 24, 2007 Posts: 2728
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Posted on Jul 28 2009 10:57 AM
This post has been removed by the author. Last edited: Sep 27, 2009 18:44:51 |
Joined: Oct 12, 2008 Posts: 580 San Antone, TX 
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Posted on Jul 28 2009 02:11 PM
I think it was multi-track recording that he used first. —The Phantomatics on Facebook |
Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 3158 Guildford England 
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Posted on Jul 28 2009 03:03 PM
Years ago we used to place a piece of tape over one of the tape heads to double track (the head that wipes off recordings). I expect that trick is almost as old as the tape recorder. |
Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle 
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Posted on Jul 28 2009 06:39 PM
For me double tracking guitar always induces a little bit of a kind of flanger type of sound. Hate that. However, I love doing songs in my band where the 1 and 2 guitars play unison parts. — |
Joined: Apr 21, 2006 Posts: 852 Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Jul 29 2009 07:27 PM
A very good example of double tracking can be heard with the bass line for The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations." Matt —Fast Cars & Loud Guitars! |
Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 3331 Huntington Beach, CA 
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Posted on Jul 29 2009 07:35 PM
Like on "The Boys Are Back In Town"? Or "Detroit Rock City"? —Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH. |
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Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle
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Posted on Jul 29 2009 08:36 PM
Hotel California...haha! — |
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Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 3331 Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted on Jul 30 2009 11:28 AM
I will be hollering out requests for those at my first Surfside IV show, fer sure. —Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH. |
Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom
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Posted on Jul 30 2009 12:17 PM
I'm not sure everyone's talking about the same thing here. Most are, but to clarify: Double-tracking: recording exactly the same part over the original to thicken it - and over-dubbing where you record a different part. The only thing that sounds doubletracked on Les Paul's recordings to me is Mary Ford's vocals and I'm not absolutely sure there because the close harmony overdub is possibly giving it some of that effect anyway - particularly as it's the same person's voice. I would imagine Les had to be pretty economical with his overdubs when he was building up tracks using cutting lathes - and just thickening a guitar thus would probably be too subtle to waste a layer on unless he did it simultaneously with a vocal part I guess. I'm not a huge fan of the effect myself for any lead tracks, instrumental or vocal as I think it has a way of removing the personality from a part. I do think it's very useful for backing vocals though, and you can get a monster natural chorus effect if you detune a guitar slightly or varispeed the tape very slightly before doubletracking it. BTW.. 'The Boys are Back in Town' etc. are harmony not unison. I think subtle harmony parts can sound really nice in Surf stuff and I have used them sometimes (not in a Thin Lizzy kind of way though ...lol) —http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. |
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Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 3331 Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted on Jul 30 2009 12:43 PM
Thanks for the clarification! I'm still fuzzy on "unison," then. —Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH. |
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Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom
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Posted on Jul 30 2009 01:11 PM
Unison (or doubling) is when two instruments/voices play/sing exactly the same part. There's that line in 'A Mighty Wind' Christopher Guest: 'You do it at the same time - that's why it's called doubling' http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. |
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Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 3331 Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted on Jul 30 2009 01:21 PM
Thanks! Was "A Mighty Wind" recorded in Dobly? —Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH. |
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Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom
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Posted on Jul 30 2009 02:13 PM
Haha - in a neat piece of Synchronicity - I'd forgotten about the 'Pipeline' quote in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH15bwH7n8s —http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california
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Posted on Jul 31 2009 06:00 PM
...I do double tracking on bass tracks, and on some pieces of drum tracks: ie: bass drum. I have begun double tracking guitars: stereo amplifiers or microphone setups on a single guitar line. as far as back in the day technique, I'd imagine that track bouncing was much more common, however; I have heard many old timers discuss "shadow leads" and "tic tack bass", both of which are track doubling techniques used to increase dynamic impact of a part... |
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Joined: Sep 19, 2008 Posts: 206 Canada, eh?
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Posted on Jul 31 2009 07:22 PM
"Tic-tac bass" is a method of playing, in which a muted baritone guitar doubles the part played by the bass guitar or double bass." |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california
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Posted on Jul 31 2009 07:40 PM
Yes...often back in the old Nashville days up until the early 1960s, bassists used an upright acoustic double bass, and would double the line using an electric baritone guitar or electric bass VI (either Danelectro VI or Fender VI)...many of the cool country and instrumental tunes of the AM radio days feature this double-track technique. The double bass would provide the well-rounded low fundamental frequency, the electric would provide a percussive upper frequency "twang" for definition within the mix... |
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