How much do you copy/paste?

Neon Heart · 5th January 2009

How much do you copy and paste inidvidual parts in a recording, mainly speaking about main/backing vocals and guitar in a rock/pop song.

obviously, this will vary from project to project depending on the time, quality of the artist and performance, attitude etc.

while I try to maintain different performances throughout the whole songs I've found it sometimes impossible with several recordings.

if you do it, where is your border/how far would you go and (how) would you try to hide it during mixing?

buddy · 5th January 2009

I try to not chop up the song as much as possible and track each part from beginning to end on rock/pop stuff. On R&B I don't feel nearly as guilty with copy/paste.

balaperdida · 5th January 2009

It really depends on what the project needs. Some people have a kind of kitsch or modern aesthetic and want perfectly matching choruses (for example), others are more attracted to an organic sound, for lack of a better phrase. Others are just broke and need to get in and out of the studio quickly!

So if the question is meant to ask Do I like copy/pasting? The answer is probably no. But I do it all the time.

decibike · 5th January 2009

three parts
three parts
three parts

not very often. I prefer good takes and unique parts. But sometimes it works just fine, especially with dense mixes. It also depends on the genre; with electronic stuff the copy paste-effect is less obvious.

Jonathan Starr · 5th January 2009

Mostly when I get to editing a track and find that one chorus or riff sounds worse than the others, I'll "borrow" it from later or earlier. I'll occasionally cut and paste a part of a "P" or "T" if I can't get the sibilance under control.

Also, sometimes I'll loop stuff.

Flying_Dutchman · 5th January 2009

How much time do you have?
how easy is it to do three different parts?
or is it even hard to make one good part and copy?

it´s a question of musical skills and time/money imao
somestime its hard to get one good take with doublings and back-vocals
sometimes it happens fast

Personally, i think its "ok" with "commercial" music to use one good chorus, but i would make every chorus bigger with backgrounds

warhead · 5th January 2009

I'll copy and paste anything anybody will pay me to copy and paste.

Usually it's just bad snare hits once in a while, the project I'm on right now for the entire record only a single tom hit got replaced...which is the way I prefer to work.

Backup vocals can be an issue, when the bass player or drummer actually gets ONE take that works well enough and of course they cannot reproduce it again but everybody is too embarrassed for the guy to replace it...so later after hours...chop chop....

War

PRDCR · 5th January 2009

There is no shame is copying and pasting.

I used to worry about maintaining a performance's integrity - then I realized that while I was spending all sorts of extra time bikini waxing individual choruses, the pros weren't thinking twice and were looping the shit out of everything. Everything.

It's a matter of choice and taste ultimately, but I think it's time that the stigma is removed from 'studio magic'. It's the aesthetic of so much modern production: auto-tuned, vocalign'd vocals, beat detective'd and sound replaced drums, etc.

Loop and let loop.

Joe Cole · 5th January 2009

copy and paste is for candyasses.....

Seriously, who cares how you get to where you wanna go. As long as you do not steal from anyone, no harm.

Stevil · 6th January 2009

i loop, copy/paste, whatever it takes to get a song together the way i want it, since i am apparently completely unskilled @ holding a band together long enough to write & record a set of tracks "properly".

Levi · 6th January 2009

Pop songs, a lot... vocals, main riffs, etc. Rock songs, not nearly as much. Singer/ Songwriter, not at all. Depends on the genre and how "commercial" it is.

Old Goat · 6th January 2009

Just enough to fix what I ass up and don't have time to redo...

Kenny Gioia · 6th January 2009

I do it very little.

Drummer plays the whole song. Lead singer sings the whole song.

I'll paste harmonies and occasionally a guitar melody if the guitar player only nailed it once.

I think the listener will get bored hearing the same EXACT chorus repeated.

slaves666 · 6th January 2009

It depends on how "bad" the band is.....

Poor musicians = plenty of copy/paste.

Musicianship is the key.....great musicians you try and capture a vibe, feeling, emotion through "takes" and by pushing them to new heights.

Poor musicians you use all the tricks just to try and make it sound listenable.

Stevil · 7th January 2009

time constraints are huge as well.
a songwriter who has forever to wrap up post production & only has access to various musicians for a few hours or days, his tactics are going to be very different than a well rehearsed band that just wants to lock down it's perfected set.

Never1 · 7th January 2009

I edit and "fix" things, but rarely copy and paste one part into another, unless it's something redundant like a big bg harmony section that is just gonna sit under the mix anyways. Every once in a while, I'll copy one chorus to another, depending on the complexity of it and how much energy I have to try and nail it 3 times.

Certain drum patterns will be repeated, if another similar section has issues.

I never even touch my guitars, or the bass for that matter. At least this past little while. hit record... get the full pass. Punch in any questionable parts and we're done, and never look back.

I tend to do a hell of alot of vocal comping, though.

Take 5-8 full takes and splice the best parts together for a master track.

Works well when the vocals are really "on", so you're basically just going for feel and taking the magic moments and putting them all in one.

Whatever gets you here, cuz the end listener doesn't know or care to know what goes on in the making of it; as long as they feel it.

5th January 2009	#1
Neon Heart Gear addict Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 350 Thread Starter	How much do you copy/paste? How much do you copy and paste inidvidual parts in a recording, mainly speaking about main/backing vocals and guitar in a rock/pop song. obviously, this will vary from project to project depending on the time, quality of the artist and performance, attitude etc. while I try to maintain different performances throughout the whole songs I've found it sometimes impossible with several recordings. if you do it, where is your border/how far would you go and (how) would you try to hide it during mixing? __________________ "OK. So I have owned the DL4 3 times. The first time it was stolen so I had to buy another. The second time I realized that it always sounded like plastic so I sold it on Ebay. The third time I thought I missed it so I bought it again and after two days again realized that it always sounds like plastic so I returned it." Scott Stone

5th January 2009	#5
Jonathan Starr Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wailuku, Maui, Hi Posts: 1,042	Mostly when I get to editing a track and find that one chorus or riff sounds worse than the others, I'll "borrow" it from later or earlier. I'll occasionally cut and paste a part of a "P" or "T" if I can't get the sibilance under control. Also, sometimes I'll loop stuff. __________________ Aloha, Jonathan Starr Big Gorilla Sound Twixt reef & jungle Wailuku, Maui

5th January 2009	#7
warhead Jai guru deva om Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 11,910	I'll copy and paste anything anybody will pay me to copy and paste. Usually it's just bad snare hits once in a while, the project I'm on right now for the entire record only a single tom hit got replaced...which is the way I prefer to work. Backup vocals can be an issue, when the bass player or drummer actually gets ONE take that works well enough and of course they cannot reproduce it again but everybody is too embarrassed for the guy to replace it...so later after hours...chop chop.... War __________________ Warren Dent - Owner of: www.ZenProAudio.com Where You Get Gear Now & Zen Email via Gearslutz

6th January 2009	#12
Old Goat Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eastern Ozarks Posts: 3,535	Just enough to fix what I ass up and don't have time to redo... __________________ singer/songwriter Soundclick Cdbaby Better a crust in peace than a banquet in a house of contention "Once they see you walk on water they'll never offer you a life preserver" gfm

6th January 2009	#13
Kenny Gioia Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 8,323	I do it very little. Drummer plays the whole song. Lead singer sings the whole song. I'll paste harmonies and occasionally a guitar melody if the guitar player only nailed it once. I think the listener will get bored hearing the same EXACT chorus repeated. __________________ It's a journey. Not a destination. Enjoy yours.

5th January 2009	#2
buddy Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 185	I try to not chop up the song as much as possible and track each part from beginning to end on rock/pop stuff. On R&B I don't feel nearly as guilty with copy/paste.

5th January 2009	#3
balaperdida Gear maniac Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: MXDF/SATX Posts: 280	It really depends on what the project needs. Some people have a kind of kitsch or modern aesthetic and want perfectly matching choruses (for example), others are more attracted to an organic sound, for lack of a better phrase. Others are just broke and need to get in and out of the studio quickly! So if the question is meant to ask Do I like copy/pasting? The answer is probably no. But I do it all the time.

5th January 2009	#4
decibike Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 256	three parts three parts three parts not very often. I prefer good takes and unique parts. But sometimes it works just fine, especially with dense mixes. It also depends on the genre; with electronic stuff the copy paste-effect is less obvious.

5th January 2009	#6
Flying_Dutchman Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3,049	How much time do you have? how easy is it to do three different parts? or is it even hard to make one good part and copy? it´s a question of musical skills and time/money imao somestime its hard to get one good take with doublings and back-vocals sometimes it happens fast Personally, i think its "ok" with "commercial" music to use one good chorus, but i would make every chorus bigger with backgrounds

5th January 2009	#8
PRDCR Gear interested Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 3	There is no shame is copying and pasting. I used to worry about maintaining a performance's integrity - then I realized that while I was spending all sorts of extra time bikini waxing individual choruses, the pros weren't thinking twice and were looping the shit out of everything. Everything. It's a matter of choice and taste ultimately, but I think it's time that the stigma is removed from 'studio magic'. It's the aesthetic of so much modern production: auto-tuned, vocalign'd vocals, beat detective'd and sound replaced drums, etc. Loop and let loop.

5th January 2009	#9
Joe Cole Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MTL Posts: 173	copy and paste is for candyasses..... Seriously, who cares how you get to where you wanna go. As long as you do not steal from anyone, no harm.

6th January 2009	#10
Stevil Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 2,169	i loop, copy/paste, whatever it takes to get a song together the way i want it, since i am apparently completely unskilled @ holding a band together long enough to write & record a set of tracks "properly".

6th January 2009	#11
Levi Gear addict Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 416	Pop songs, a lot... vocals, main riffs, etc. Rock songs, not nearly as much. Singer/ Songwriter, not at all. Depends on the genre and how "commercial" it is.

6th January 2009	#14
slaves666 Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montreal Posts: 2,155	It depends on how "bad" the band is..... Poor musicians = plenty of copy/paste. Musicianship is the key.....great musicians you try and capture a vibe, feeling, emotion through "takes" and by pushing them to new heights. Poor musicians you use all the tricks just to try and make it sound listenable. __________________ www.upliftproductions.com www.slavesondope.com www.facebook.com/slavesondopeofficial

7th January 2009	#15
Stevil Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 2,169	time constraints are huge as well. a songwriter who has forever to wrap up post production & only has access to various musicians for a few hours or days, his tactics are going to be very different than a well rehearsed band that just wants to lock down it's perfected set.

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7th January 2009	#16
Never1 Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 905	I edit and "fix" things, but rarely copy and paste one part into another, unless it's something redundant like a big bg harmony section that is just gonna sit under the mix anyways. Every once in a while, I'll copy one chorus to another, depending on the complexity of it and how much energy I have to try and nail it 3 times. Certain drum patterns will be repeated, if another similar section has issues. I never even touch my guitars, or the bass for that matter. At least this past little while. hit record... get the full pass. Punch in any questionable parts and we're done, and never look back. I tend to do a hell of alot of vocal comping, though. Take 5-8 full takes and splice the best parts together for a master track. Works well when the vocals are really "on", so you're basically just going for feel and taking the magic moments and putting them all in one. Whatever gets you here, cuz the end listener doesn't know or care to know what goes on in the making of it; as long as they feel it.