Hi Spike,

Starting with a blank canvas.

I think it depends on whether you're doing a cover song, or an original.

I find the best way to start with a cover song is drums, (from an onboard style) and then bass. I find the bass the track is the one that needs nailing first, before moving on to the others. However, if you prefer to record other tracks first, then at least these can be muted when putting the bass down. I find with cover songs, (I did some pro midis back in the late 80's early 90's, Abba stuff and similar), that you need to work in a more methodical, disciplined way and have to try and completely finish each track, before moving onto another instrument. Of course, if you're doing your own interpretation of a cover song, then you can relax and be more flexible in your approach.

With an original, which is why I love doing them, you can just please yourself. I still start with one of the onboard drum styles, which are first class, and then usually hit the record button, and tinkle along with piano or el. piano until something happens. Then I usually always get the bass down.

This is just the way I work, but I'd like to hear how others approach their recordings.

Willie Joe for instance, is an experienced multi-tracker so would be nice to hear his working process. He doesn't own an arranger k/b, so I presume he has to record directly to an external PC sequencer.

One immediate advantage I can think of when recording directly into an external sequencer is that you only need to record a bar or two of drums, which can then be easily replicated across as many bars as you wish. If you're writing a composition from scratch using the onboard sequencer however, then you either have to try and play the whole piece, along with the drum backing, or record loads of blank bars with just drum beats.

All the best

Paul

Thanks for that informaion Paul - if it's read with your first post you have provided enough for even a musical duffer like me to do it
Cheers
Spike