Recording

[bcullen]

I have been looking into recording the pipes and as a novice player I had the idea too: Play the chanter tune, dub a drone track and also dub the regulator track. SO if I a mere beginner had the idea IS it a common recording practice?. Also do any players in performance use sample tapes to play along with, which seems to be very common in live (yeah right) music, drum machines, bass guitar that plays along to chords, voice modulators and the list goes on. Or are we purists ?
Bryan

[Hans-Joerg]

bcullen - some people would call that recording-cheating - others would call it alternative recording reality.

[Peter Duggan]

Play the chanter tune, dub a drone track and also dub the regulator track.

Think you might need drone(s) running and/or record them first to keep the chanter accurately pitched to the drones?

[Hooleh]

I'm more novice than a novice could be, been holding pipes in my hands max three hours in my life thus far, but I would never let myself to record any other way than playing everything myself simultaneously according to my skill level. If I needed good piping recorded, I'd hire a good piper to play - the same way. Otherwise it's almost as if recording, say, a drum track with each drum separately and creating the beat that way. It's a result, but it's not actual playing. But that's just me.

[Calum]

IS it a common recording practice?.

Probably not, simply because I think most players would probably feel the resulting performances would be worse, not better, than recording as a single performance. Of course, for specific effects - say, if you had a notion for a particular regulator accompaniment that required right hand usage - then you might consider it.

Also do any players in performance use sample tapes to play along with, which seems to be very common in live (yeah right) music

I see it done from time to time, but in general these things are laden with pitfalls and generally not done for that reason. Difficult for your looper to know the crowd is really into it and up for one more time through the reel.

[PJ]

It all depends on what you're aiming for. Let's say that the world is divided into capital P "Piping" and lower-case p "piping".

For Piping purists, if you can't do it live, it shouldn't be on the recording. So chanter, drones and regs should all be recorded together and not overlaid. Those types of recordings tend to be solo Piping. Rarely are other musicians considered worthy. (OK maybe the occasional fiddler, but the exception proves the rule. Lets's be clear, though: NO HARPS!)

On the other hand, if your buddy wants to add some pipes to a guitar-fiddle-bodhran mix, then clearly you're no longer in the realm of Piping, and you can do what you want.

The most important thing to know is: Don't try to pass off piping as Piping.

[bcullen]

I agree with all that's been said and I was always of the opinion that if you cant do it live "forget it" But when recording it would be
so much easier to dub over the drones, pitch to them and add regs. Even live it would be an advantage to use a
mic-ed chorus where you could just have a smidge of unison to thicken the sound and maybe a touch of reverb. looping and editing and the miriad of aids used is quite valid for any recording. Listen in slowmo or look at the waves in audacity there,s a lot going on
in the editing.

Bryan