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OVERDUBBING INTOTHE PAST

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What happens when you treat your tracks like you have limited space

and have to bounce them down to fit the limit?

This used to be common practice. I’ve mentioned using a Tascam 4-

track before, and bouncing was a critical part of adding all the tracks I

wanted. Even before the 4-track, I remember some lo-fi experiments

with a boombox and two cassettes. You can easily do this in your DAW

without any signal degradation.

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A few things to note: aim for subtlety if you try this. Passing the same

track through the same effect several times adds up quicker than you

think. Do some tests and hold on to the original recording before you

settle on anything.

You’ll also want to make sure that you’re dithering along the way.

Without dithering, digital artifacts reproduce in the same spots over and

over, leading to the sort of transformation that you don’t want to hear.

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Most folks are going to file this under “fun

experiment” before they go back to

hundred plus track sessions. You can

operate in limits if you want. It’s far more

important to learn how to make the

sounds you want.

Image © Phil O’Keefe via Harmony Central

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And don’t worry too much about replicating that classic sound.

Overdubbing contributed to a very specific sound of an era.

If you are experimenting with these techniques, try not to think about

them as the sounds of the past, but more as a way of creating a special

sauce. It won’t sound like the real deal, but it could sound like

something wholly unique.

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OVERDUBBING INTOTHE PAST

http://homerecordinghome.com/overdubbing-into-the-past/