HiRez Poll Guess Who, The - WHEATFIELD SOUL & CANNED WHEAT [SACD]

[lukpac]

If there needed additional tracks for vocal or instrumental parts, they would certainly need to bounce something. Could have just been a production decision based on the fact that strings and horns would have been recorded in a session separately from basic tracking, the rhythm section [typically the first parts recorded], band parts, vocals [which would typically come at the end].

If more things were to be recorded, yes, bouncing would have been necessary (or things recorded differently to begin with). But as it stands, it appears to be a straight 8-track recording, with no bouncing necessary.

 

[par4ken]

If more things were to be recorded, yes, bouncing would have been necessary (or things recorded differently to begin with). But as it stands, it appears to be a straight 8-track recording, with no bouncing necessary.

We can speculate forever about this but I suspect that the orchestra was just used as lets say backing vocals would be, added to compliment the mix but not really an integral part. In 1968 was anybody thinking about quad yet, Mono still dominated! Had surround been considered from the start perhaps the orchestra would have been stereo at least.

 

[Cassetto]

If more things were to be recorded, yes, bouncing would have been necessary (or things recorded differently to begin with). But as it stands, it appears to be a straight 8-track recording, with no bouncing necessary.

In my experience almost all 8 track recordings require some bouncing (and I’ve done a fair amount in an 8-track studio). You want to record the drums on several tracks so you can mix them down to a clean stereo mix, bass, a few guitars (probably at least 2 rhythm parts and a lead), backing vocals, lead vocals (sometimes on more than one track), horns & strings (mic’s separately, horns separate, strings separate and sent to multiple channels for definition and mixed down to 2 later in the session, percussion. Even if you just give the drums 2 tracks, you are 9 singles tracks with that, overdubs are usually plenty and I imagine more so when a quad recording is planned. Are their production details that suggest they only recorded 8 channels full stop? That seems wild!!

 

[lukpac]

In my experience almost all 8 track recordings require some bouncing (and I’ve done a fair amount in an 8-track studio). You want to record the drums on several tracks so you can mix them down to a clean stereo mix, bass, a few guitars (probably at least 2 rhythm parts and a lead), backing vocals, lead vocals (sometimes on more than one track), horns & strings (mic’s separately, horns separate, strings separate and sent to multiple channels for definition and mixed down to 2 later in the session, percussion. Even if you just give the drums 2 tracks, you are 9 singles tracks with that, overdubs are usually plenty and I imagine more so when a quad recording is planned. Are their production details that suggest they only recorded 8 channels full stop? That seems wild!!

I listed the elements in the song above. They all fit on 8 tracks, no bouncing needed:

electric piano (right)
electric guitar (left)
bass (center)
drums (left)
drums (right)
acoustic guitar (left)
vocal (center)
orchestra (center)

 

[Cassetto]

I listed the elements in the song above. They all fit on 8 tracks, no bouncing needed:

I can’t imagine an orchestra recorded on a single track, They couldn’t do that very masterfully when one track was all you had. And is there really just one single guitar, just rhythm, all the way, same tone? If they did it straight, live, maybe a few punch-ins, all instrument single mic’d, that would be impressive but also needless. Also, there is no middle in quad, so that orchestra is all around you. There was no middle before 5.1 except mixing a single track evenly to both or all tracks or recording in mono (and that’s still not a middle). I’ll drop out here and listen later, it just seems nuts to work that basically, that spartanly when submixing was most certainly an option and the norm at the time.

 

[lukpac]

I can’t imagine an orchestra recorded on a single track, They couldn’t do that very masterfully when one track was all you had. And is there really just one single guitar, just rhythm, all the way, same tone? If they did it straight, live, maybe a few punch-ins, all instrument single mic’d, that would be impressive but also needless. Also, there is no middle in quad, so that orchestra is all around you. There was no middle before 5.1 except mixing a single track evenly to both or all tracks or recording in mono (and that’s still not a middle). I’ll drop out here and listen later, it just seems nuts to work that basically, that spartanly when submixing was most certainly an option and the norm at the time.

Why can't you imagine an orchestra recorded on a single track? That's exactly what would have been done at the time.

The orchestra *is* in the middle in quad, in that it's right in the middle of all 4 speakers, because it's the same signal in all 4. Just as the same audio in two speakers is "centered", despite there not being a center speaker in stereo.

Of course bouncing was an option, but if there was no need to bounce, why would they have? Yes, bouncing was common at the time, but when there wasn't a need, it wasn't done. If the orchestra was all recorded at the same time, and I have no reason to think it wasn't, they would have simply gotten a good balance and recorded it. No need to record it to multiple tracks if it was just going to be bounced down to mono anyway. Especially when bouncing meant 1) more time, 2) more tape, and 3) another generation of noise for the bounced tracks.

 

[Q-Eight]

Most of the 8-track stuff I've played with even feature a single track of drums. Very few have stereo drums or if they do use two tracks, it's only to separate the kick drum from the rest of the kit. I could imagine an orchestral overdub session being put to a single track. Like Lukpac says.... it was 1968.... and Mono was King. It's a "Pop" record anyway. The overdub session was (obviously) multi-mic'd but balance levels set before hand and all mixed down "Live" to a single track. Lots of Motown stuff has strings on a single track.

 

[lukpac]

Most of the 8-track stuff I've played with even feature a single track of drums. Very few have stereo drums or if they do use two tracks, it's only to separate the kick drum from the rest of the kit. I could imagine an orchestral overdub session being put to a single track. Like Lukpac says.... it was 1968.... and Mono was King. It's a "Pop" record anyway. The overdub session was (obviously) multi-mic'd but balance levels set before hand and all mixed down "Live" to a single track. Lots of Motown stuff has strings on a single track.

Right. Although stereo drums (in various forms) did start to crop up with 8-track. Wheels of Fire, Get Back/Don't Let Me Down (and various tracks on the Get Back LP), The End on Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin (first album), Who's Next, etc.

Of course, there are likely many more 8-track recordings with mono drums. American Woman and No Time (both versions) come to mind.