Document

Page 155
Eight-track recording is an ideal compromise in terms of the opportunities it offers. Initially you may feel you have
to pile on the instruments, fill all the tracks and even sub-mix to load on even more. Remember, though, that the
more instruments you use, the harder it is to mix so they do not get in each other's way. Instruments with similar
timbres can be difficult to separate in the final mix.
It is surprising how full a sound can be generated with just a few well-chosen parts. This is not to say that sparse
arrangements are any better than full ones. It is partly a matter of taste; arranging styles go in and out of fashion.
During the 1960s and 1970s, as recording technology went from two to four to eight tracks, and then to 16, 24, 32
and 48 tracks, songwriters and musicians responded accordingly, to make the most of such capabilities. Think of the
production on a record such as The Police's 'Walking On The Moon' and compare it with The Beatles' 'Hey Jude' or a
Phil Spector wall-of-sound single such as 'River Deep Mountain High'. They are very different approaches – but
who would want to be without any of them?
Let's look at some typical arrangements that are possible on an 8-track without any "bouncing". In these examples,
the keyboard part could be piano, organ, strings or any other sound from an electronic keyboard. Solid lines indicate
a stereo part recorded in one go on two tracks.