Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Embrace the Bleed-Recording Marcus Scott

One of the big fears people have when recording a live band or rhythm section together in the same space is the bleed from one instrument into another instrument’s microphone(s). Now, it’s important to remember that, up until a couple of years ago, this method of recording was how the majority of all popular music had been recorded. The only time it’s an issue to have multiple musicians playing in a room together is when one of the musicians is playing louder than everybody else. For example, if you hear the bass guitar amp in the drum overheads louder than the drums, then the bass player needs to turn down. If the guitar amp is audible in everyone else’s mics, turn it around or put some baffles around it; don’t let the guitar player try and sell you on, “It’s my sound, man!” Mic placement, baffling, polar pattern choice—all of these subtle things can make or break a band in a room together.

At the surface, this all sounds like common sense. As I write this, and subsequently, as you read it, we’re both thinking, “Yeah, I know that!” So then, why do so many people end up replacing all the parts of a rhythm section as overdubs? It’s a waste of time that’s usually rooted in fear. If you have rehearsed musicians in the same space together and everyone uses the common sense mentioned here (while currently wearing a mask), then you shouldn’t have to go back and waste countless studio hours replacing these same parts with overdubs. Everyone can live and play together in sonic peace—it’s possible. For example…