BR Users, What Do You Record onto the Stereo Tracks?

[Wilbury]

As a new BR800 user, I'd like to find out what instruments are most commonly recorded onto the stereo tracks of the recorder. Please share your personal recording experience.

Thanks!

P.S. This question is only related to _recording_, not to the obvious bouncing/mastering function of the stereo tracks.

[64Guitars]

I don't have a BR-800 but I often record in stereo. In fact, I record in stereo more often than in mono.

One thing I record in stereo is my Yamaha keyboard. Like most modern keyboard instruments, it's stereo. So I always record it to a pair of tracks on my BR-864 to preserve the intended stereo panorama.

Another thing that I often record in stereo is my guitar. This is something that I suspect is often overlooked by BR users because they think of their guitar as a mono instrument and only record it to a single track. While it's true that the output of most electric guitars is mono, many of the BR-800's effects are stereo. That is, they take the mono signal from the guitar and process it with time-based effects that are output to two channels. Examples are delays, chorus, pan, etc. The best way to decide whether to record your guitar to a single track or a stereo pair is to start by arming a single track and playing your guitar through the desired insert effects while monitoring with headphones. Then arm a pair of tracks and play your guitar some more through the same effects. If it sounds exactly the same, then it's probably mono and you should just record to a single track. But if it sounds much better with two tracks armed, it's because one or more of the effects you're using are stereo and you need to record to a pair of tracks to preserve that sound.

I'm not a singer but if I was, I'd use the same technique with vocal effects. That is, sing through the effects with one track armed and with two, and compare the sound. If any of the effects you're using are stereo, it will sound better with two tracks armed, so you should record to a pair of tracks. If it sounds the same with two tracks armed as it does with one, then just record to a single track.

Another way you can tell if you should use stereo is by looking at the effect algorithm on the BR's display or in the manual. Any effect that is followed by a double line is stereo and should be recorded to a pair of tracks if the effect is enabled. For example, an effects patch using the E.GUITAR MULTI algorithm might look like this:

-[COMP/LM]-[wah]-[dist]-[AMP]-[eq]-[NS]-[mod]=[DLY]=

Effects in UPPERCASE are enabled, while those in lowercase are disabled. So this particular patch is using only the compressor/limiter, the preamp/speaker modelling, the noise suppressor, and the delay. Notice that there's a double line to the right of both the mod effect and the delay. That means they're both stereo. The mod effect is disabled so we don't have to worry about it. But the delay is on so we should record to a pair of tracks to preserve the stereo panorama from this effect. If both the mod effect and the delay were turned off, then you could record to a single track because there are no other stereo effects in this algorithm.

[Hook]

For me it depends on the effects I'm using. Just recently started to do a majority of stereo vocals because of the new mic but stereo tracks makes for so much bouncing on the mbr (that's the only reason I see upgrading to the br80). Also panning is a bit different, but I do dig the somewhat bigger/wider sound it gives. I just use my ears and if sounds right I do it.
Rock On!

[Oldrottenhead]

i have a micro br with four (i know 64guitars is gonna say it has 32) tracks. but i now record practically everything to two tracks. the obvious being drum machines, my juno keyboard, kaossilator etc, via the line in to two tracks. but also unplugged instruments, acoustic guitar, ukelele, rubber bands attached to various household objects, vocals. etc etc. my microbr has only one mic, but i record to two tracks then use some stereo effects, or make some mono effects become stereo by activating pan delay and suchlike.
i arm two tracks when i hit record and have them panned full left and right to get the full stereo spectrum.

[64Guitars]

i have a micro br with four (i know 64guitars is gonna say it has 32) tracks.

It has 32 tracks. 

[Oldrottenhead]

i am a prophet 

[KILLBEAR]

I have a br600 that I record instrumental metal music on...

I record main rhythm guitar on 1/2
Second rhythm and melody on 3/4
Lead Guitar on 5/6
Bass on 7/8

1/2 are panned 50/50
3/4 are panned 50/50
Lead and Bass are left at dead center 00

Since I don't do any vocals I can record it all in stereo...I've tried mono recording, but found it too teeny sounding.

-KILLBEAR

[Wilbury]

I now realise that the subject of the initial post should not have contained the restriction to just BR800, so I've changed it to a more general BR definition to embrace all other Boss recorders.))

[Greeny]

I use stereo tracks on my MBR for several different scenarios. The main one though is when I'm using panning and tremelo guitar patches that oscillate across the stereo field. Unless you arm 2 tracks, you won't even hear how wide and lush some of the guitar patches sound. I also use stereo for line-in inputs from Garageband and Thumbjam where I've already started panning those parts, or if the instruments (such as electric piano) have a bit of phaser or panning in their sound. Finally, when I record on a real piano, I find using two tracks adds a better thickness to the sound. I'll also do this for acoustic guitar sometimes.

I've never recorded vocals in stereo though. That's mainly because I like them clean and dead centre.

[KILLBEAR]

Unless you arm 2 tracks, you won't even hear how wide and lush some of the guitar patches sound.

I have to agree with this assessment...even when just practicing through my BR600 (CAUSE I DO EVERYTHING THROUGH IT) I find the sound twice as good with two armed tracks. It becomes lusciously lush 

-KILLBEAR ("KILLBAR" here in TN)