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Dan I've done a fair amount of recording and I won't do punch ins. I'll re-due the whole track but of course I'm not getting paid so usually have the option.


There isn't a label footing your studio COSTS, so you have the luxury. Me too. I think it's fair to say 100% of us here have the luxury too. For the record, I've been a professional guitarist and vocalist for 30 years. I recorded tracks for other people and my own work back in the tape days- 8 and 24 track studios. I did my own material on four track cassettes too, where you'd better get it right because 'ping ponging' only degraded the sound more as you did it and punches always had a click sound when you dropped into record. That'll never do! On to Sony four track mini disc recorders- better but a compressed and lossy format. Then a Korg 16 track digital recorder- much better. Now an Akai 24 track recorder- heaven. Years of playing and recording, back when it wasn't easy to do so and now when it's a whole bunch easier to do so. Does that give me the right to use multi tracking and punching too now? I typically go for redo's when it's a guitar part. I consider it a punch-in, only longer ;>) Sometimes I'll drop in a phrase. Many times I'll fix a vocal with a punch or redo, or have multi tracks. Recordings are forever- they have to be as good as they can be.

That was my stance from the very first note I recorded- it has to be right. The better I became, the less I had to noodle about in the recording process. After so many years, I got tired of recording and programming EVERYTHING myself for my own material, so I got biab. That's another step in taking advantage of technology progress. We're all here on this board because we're willing and HAPPY to take advantage of the advancements made in software. PG has an absolute winner here, blending in the power of software with real performances. That's a technological LEAP! So just to be clear, we all pick and choose how far we'll go with all of this for ourselves.

This whole thread went off a bit because someone took issue with comping tracks- as though it makes you less competent. Something to be looked down on for doing. That's too global a rational I think. I think in some instances where someone can't sing well at all but a performance is pieced together with comps and auto tune then yes- that's nothing to be particularly proud of. Maybe be proud of the software that got you there, but not of yourself. We older guys who've been around the block a couple thousand times are always gonna say the youngins have it easy- about ANYTHING. I get that. We have the stories of the glories to back it all up too. But aside from how easy newbies have it these days and the obvious abuses because of how powerful recording, editing, and mixing tools have become, one thing is also true- talented people also punch-in, edit, and comp at times. Nothing to be ashamed about. During the thousands of gigs I've played and the thousands more to come, God willing, I lay it down as best I can with NO redos. But a recording is forever and I'm more than happy to do what it takes to make it perfect. If all that means is pushing record and sitting back and capturing perfect performances in one shot, myself included, then that's a damn fine day too!

But that's me ;>)

Dan