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Old 01-06-2012, 04:25 PM   #1
chiefthomson
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Default How many tracks you usually have?

heya reapers

I'm just wondering, how many tracks you usually have per song.

I usually have about 10-20... is it a lot or not?

I'm just curious ;o))

Cheers
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Old 01-06-2012, 05:00 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefthomson View Post
heya reapers

I'm just wondering, how many tracks you usually have per song.

I usually have about 10-20... is it a lot or not?

I'm just curious ;o))

Cheers
There are 2 or 3 threads on this topic. But 10-25 I believe
was pretty much the majority. A few run just 2 (record live
stereo shows) and a few run 100+

I run 6-20 depending

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Old 01-06-2012, 07:49 PM   #3
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I would say between 10 to 15 tracks for most songs, all of them audio.
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Old 01-07-2012, 03:32 PM   #4
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I expect, usually, around 15-25. It's a lot for a puck rock band, but not for progressive metal where there are 10 guitar tracks, keyboards, drums, 2 bass tracks... yeah.

Of course, with busses, FX sends, folders, et cetera, I have closer to 30.
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Old 01-08-2012, 02:39 AM   #5
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Average is about 50 tracks at the end of a project but I often render multiple tracks to one, a percussion loop for example so it might be between 50-75 (including buses) I would think.
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Old 01-08-2012, 02:49 AM   #6
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Normally i've only 4 track + fx buss x track as i do my main mix on my analog desk and from this send 4 submix to Motu.
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Old 01-08-2012, 03:48 AM   #7
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@faun2500 if you say 50-75, I'd really wonder what kind of music you produce...
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Old 01-12-2012, 11:26 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefthomson View Post
@faun2500 if you say 50-75, I'd really wonder what kind of music you produce...

Not sure how you mean this as there is a link in my sig!

And I do say 50-75 but average would be about 50 in my last 50 or so releases.
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Old 01-12-2012, 11:31 AM   #9
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Rarely more than 16,although if you were doing a full complex orchestration with "cinematic" sound you would of course need a lot more than this.

It really depends on the type of music.
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Old 01-13-2012, 07:37 AM   #10
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When I started ou..50 wouldnt have been unusual..now as few as possible.
More tracks less space shitter sound.So I keep it under 20
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Old 01-14-2012, 02:00 AM   #11
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@faun2500 ... didn't see your link. 50 tracks and more is somehow really a lot. just thought you might could do some classic stuff or movie stuff. but I'd say it depends on someone's creativity... don't want to attack somebody here! but I mean you can route only the delay to a new bus, to set an effect (eg. chorus) only on the delay and so on... so you quickly have a few tracks. if you use it as buses!
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Old 01-14-2012, 09:09 AM   #12
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Generally between 25-35 including busses/subgroups/what have you. Acoustic projects usually no more than 10.
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Old 01-14-2012, 09:40 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jedwards View Post
Generally between 25-35 including busses/subgroups/what have you. Acoustic projects usually no more than 10.
I usually have between 15-30... depending on minimal or techhouse mood ;o)

but you're right, if you do some acoustic stuff, it's probabely gonna be more than 10 ;o)
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Old 01-17-2012, 11:30 PM   #14
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Default How many...?

Depends on what I'm doing. One on-going project is to take all my old analogue 4tr recordings and digitze them. Generally, that's done one-for-one plus a master effects loop.

Folk or accoustic music- no more than 12-15.

Orchestrations: I learned I can overload my RAM at about 32 tracks, with effects, so I try and limit the number of recorded trax to around 20 to avoid issues with my computer's headroom.....
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Old 01-19-2012, 12:54 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefthomson View Post
@faun2500 ... didn't see your link. 50 tracks and more is somehow really a lot. just thought you might could do some classic stuff or movie stuff. but I'd say it depends on someone's creativity... don't want to attack somebody here! but I mean you can route only the delay to a new bus, to set an effect (eg. chorus) only on the delay and so on... so you quickly have a few tracks. if you use it as buses!
Yeah, its not a competition! I just answered the question.

If I knew my sound was shit because I use 50 tracks (not unusual) I would of lied and said I use only 2 tracks.

Oh, and I don't use send effects, only inserts and the buses are only for Drums, Synths, FX, Lead, percussion.
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Old 02-13-2012, 09:16 AM   #16
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About 80-90
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Old 02-20-2012, 07:56 PM   #17
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30 to 50
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Old 02-20-2012, 08:20 PM   #18
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8 to 16 or so.
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Old 04-09-2012, 10:54 AM   #19
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I have at least 20 buses/returns.
I can go up to 70 tracks on a full mix or more if you count the rendered/inactive ones.

Cheers!
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Old 04-09-2012, 10:55 AM   #20
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around 120
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Old 04-18-2012, 04:09 AM   #21
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Often 1 track / sample so 50+
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Old 05-07-2012, 08:33 AM   #22
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hm. How long is a piece of string?
Depends on what model of Mac you get, how much memory and how fast the cpu is. And then you have to factor in what you use in the way of plugins which will also munch up extra memory and cpu cycles.

There are a LOT of pros out there using MacBook Pro but be prepared to invest a fair bit of money to get a really apable mac.
On the other hand my daughter has a basic Macbook and she records three or four acoustic instrument and a couple of vocal tracks on it with no problems at all
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Old 05-07-2012, 09:35 AM   #23
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I focused on purposely trimming down my track numbers to go for a different sound than in the past.

So if you count the multi-out vsti's as one. Then, I usually hover around 10 - 12.
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Old 03-16-2013, 08:15 PM   #24
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Default How many tracks do I use?

It depends on the project. Orchestrated themes and the like can be upwards of 40, esp if there are vocals involved. Acoustic, folk type music seldom gets over 18 or so. When I do it for myself, the sky can be the limit, when someone else is paying me, the numbers are generally less.

However, I was once reasonably well-paid for recording a single, mono track, so you never can tell.
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Old 03-17-2013, 07:20 AM   #25
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I try to comp down to one stem per instrument before doing any final mixing.

Then again I started out on very low powered machines compared to what you can get today....
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Old 05-09-2013, 01:57 PM   #26
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typically between 20-80 depending on project complexity.
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Old 07-24-2013, 07:02 PM   #27
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Typical accoustic rock/blues song:

8 tracks for drums
Midi bass 2 synths 2 tracks
2 Strum rhythm doubled accoustic tracks (recorded with 2 different guitars, panned hard L and R)
12 string track straight up the middle (sometimes 2 or 3 of these with different guitars)
1 electric guitar track (rhythm)
1 electric or 12 string track (lead. Yeah 12 string lead. I know)
1 electric track (texture, swells, feedback, whatever)
2 lead vocal tracks (doubled and delayed)
3-5 backing vocal tracks depending on the song
1 reverb bus
1 NY bus
1 general compression bus
Sometimes more for piano, synths, mandolin, banjo, horns, whatever)

So, yeah 25-30
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Old 07-24-2013, 10:23 PM   #28
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50-100.

Biggest track was 145. Not fun to mix :/
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Old 07-25-2013, 01:57 PM   #29
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Usually no more than 20, but i will often put doubled things (BACK up vox for e.g.) on 1 track.
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Old 07-25-2013, 06:24 PM   #30
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Well I tend to max out at around 24 or so (incl folder tracks, buses, etc)....but I tend to think I shouldn't.
Although I'm running Nectar, a couple of Amplitubes, AD, some basic delays etc, it get's real glitchy and I have to start redering a bunch of stems.

I have a Phenomx4 965 and 8G with Reaper on the boot SSD and tracks, vst's on another hdd. Does this sound normal?
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Old 08-25-2013, 06:50 PM   #31
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As few as possible. Simple is better. IMO.
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Old 09-05-2013, 10:41 AM   #32
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I subscribe to the keep it simple method also.

Usually I try to layer as much as I can then consolidate to one channel.

This way I have less tracks to deal with and it's easier to mix and make room between them.

Also grouping can work really well. Making buses or groups of tracks is perfect for lots eq boost and cuts.

Another trick is to use sends for fx thus saving CPU, headroom and keeping everything manageable.
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Old 09-28-2013, 01:05 PM   #33
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I am a chaos-producer -> 100-300 :\

but that does not mean i don`t work super fast
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Old 09-28-2013, 02:59 PM   #34
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I uh uh... 65 is my minimum...


and that's for a metal band like lead/rhythm guitars, bass, drums.


instrumental stuff. basically check out my music here for an idea


http://vendettav.bandcamp.com/album/...of-anti-matter


goes bigger sometimes for classical music
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Old 12-10-2013, 10:54 AM   #35
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I once had more than 60.
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Old 12-29-2013, 02:20 AM   #36
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Typically 10-25 tracks.
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Old 12-29-2013, 03:24 AM   #37
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I remember when my answer would always be 8 (or less).
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Old 03-13-2014, 08:42 AM   #38
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Depends on the project and workphase. When composing I keep it as small as possible, usually one drumtrack one bassline one rhythm and one lead melody. When tracking a band where ideas are fixed it is around 60-60 tracks. When tracking a band where the actual project is flexible and needs some production move it can easily go above 120 (then goes back to 40-60 for the final version). When mixing an electro track it is somewhere between 20 and 40. When mixing a band track with live drums it is around 40-60.
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Old 03-13-2014, 09:01 AM   #39
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My general rule is max out at 25, not including grouping busses. Anymore than 30 tracks or so becomes too unruly for me.
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Old 03-13-2014, 01:44 PM   #40
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10 to 20 real* tracks usually. Run out of frequency pockets (and class) after that.


*I often put, e.g. vocals, guitars, synths, in a folder as an easier way to automate verse, chorus, breaks, intro, etc. I wouldn't count those as different tracks.
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