Overdubbing Into the Past

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Overdubbing Intothe Past

• http//homerecordinghome.com/overdubbing-into-the-
  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. Ive 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. Youll
also want to make sure that youre dithering
along the way. Without dithering, digital
artifacts reproduce in the same spots over and
over, leading to the sort of transformation that
you dont 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. Its far more important to learn how to
make the sounds you want. 
Image Phil OKeefe via Harmony Central
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And dont 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
wont 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/