Stereo recording for me on all current stuff, and most of my past released electronic music.
I generally jam with all the ‘vibe’ that comes with that to a stereo file, then chop that up in Ableton with any corrective EQ, compression etc, then feed it into my OT to re-fry it, possibly with some added FX, percussion, vocals etc. A lot more fun for me than the options a DAW offers me.
Saying that, when I was working with a band, the absolute best solution was to multitrack and then edit / mix in ableton. Often with a ton of ‘warming’ effects to glue everything together again
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I like Beau Wanzer. I do it 95% of the time. Sometimes leave out some elements and add later. Its a tremendous satisfaction when you nail it and feel: This is done next one.
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Does anyone find that they “hear differently” when they are performing than listening back?
I have found that when jamming the mix sounds good, but afterwards listening back the levels of a certain track (for example gig at or snare) is too loud, but because it is just a stereo mix I can’t adjust it. Considering a bluebox so I can record the performance into multiple tracks and then tweak the levels after when listening back.
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Exactly how I work also. I also find the mixing stage is creative with a good reverb and delay on aux sends. If I have a section that works well but has a nasty transient I often dip the main mix and keep the reverb going and play like I meant it. Don’t tell anyone.
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really interested about this specific part 
Would you mind developing this concept a bit further?
are you midi sequencing other synths and recording as tracks? are you usign it as a sample base synth and drum machine? do you do different passes, such first using 8 tracks to record it, then another 8 for synths, then another 8 for fx and processin? really curious about it, actually
Pick a couple pieces of gear and plug them into the OT.
Sequence with OT (Nord for example), or use internal sequencer when available (opsix, pro 2).
Plug those into OT, use thru track if EQ/fx are needed. Use OT flex and static for drums and other samples.
OT out to Heat and Blackhole. Record it all stereo. 1 pass. At the end of recording, solo some of the more interesting parts for later layering, pitching, breakdowns, etc in Ableton. Arrangement changes made there (OT clock super solid for audio cut/paste operations in Ableton)
Good monitors and ears are the most important components, the rest is superfluous.
See also:
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This.
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I am personally a big fun of multitracking. Basically using a DAW to record all different tracks needed for the final track, those being synths, drums machines, send fx, etc… and then processed, mix, and export from it.
For the ones using only stereo recording I wonder if this is a practice somehow to “hide” stuff such phase issues, problems with frequencies, and other problem usually fixed on mixing stage, or do you get this done before exporting the stereo? How do you approach the “cleaning” and shaping of the tracks if your hardware doesnt have proper eq or compression, for example?
Do you use spectrum analyzers and other analysing tools or you just “believe” on your good ears?
I deffinetly would love to know more about it too actually
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No. I trust my ears.
I used to do the whole DAW thing, paying attention to the graphics, numbers, displays etc.
Then some years later I started playing with hardware, recording jams for fun straight from the mixer. Sketches to work out properly later.
One day I went to visit an acquaintance that was offering one to one tuition (he taught sound engineering, and worked for Dolby for a while) just before the session was over, he asked what the next file was on my list. It was just some raw jams, A synth, a drum machine and the octatrack. He listened to the whole 8 minute track. " Tell you what," he said, " aside from the obvious structural issues, there’s nothing wrong with that mix at all, it sounds great".
No post eq, no mix compression, no ‘mastering’ plugins. Just a stereo mix.
And that was the moment I decided to drop ITB, and go hardware. It was just more fun, and someone I respected validated my mixing capabilities.
Bit of a long story, but basically if it sounds right, it is.
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Yeah pretty much, speaking as a hobbyist and total nonprofessional audio engineer.
Also, I don’t care to “clean and shape” my recordings to any established standards. That’s totally boring for me. I approach it still from an artistic perspective. If it sounds shit, then yeah I’ll mess around with eq or other mastering tricks, but that’s just intuition or common sense driving those decisions based on what I hear and my perception of what needs to be “fixed”.
I think many do record from stereo out, here’s an interview with Thomas P Heckmann, I found it an interesting one. It’s in German, pls. use translator 
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this is exactly the topic that has been on my mind lately, because whenever i have produced a decent loop, i have problems with the arrangement. as soon as the building marvels are put together in ableoton, to an arrangement, it stops being fun and the actual moment of energy goes away.
I personally think the best thing of all is to learn to jam properly so that it’s an arrangement and then record that on multiple tracks and then edit it again when it came in a little early and mix for low cuts and technical stuff. elektron devices are made for it.
here is a video of someone who has been successful for many years and produces with exactly this philosophy:
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there’s basically just one single reason not to multitrack, esp. when you just only begin — and that same reason would most probably keep ‘an elektronaut’ from becoming a ‘famous producer’. the reason is lack of time, ie laziness, because multitrack recordings allow further work, thought and work again.
but jams, ie live one-take performances, esp. by several players, need multitrack recording even more so than pre-calculated compositions. this allows for an always-needed post work, cosmetic and structural. and that allows one to grow as both performer and producer, and even to save some time when you understand how postproduction gives you ways around your personal limitations (or the same laziness) at a performance/composition stage.
at performance-recording stage, multitrack recording doesn’t require a DAW, but the latter doesn’t commit one to a PC/screen-staring nowadays. it’s needed afterwards though, but one can outsource a part of it (esp. later when knowing what is needed for one’s sound).
there’s no such thing as a ‘daw sound’, of course, it’s mad people still bring this up. the sound is what you make it, and to be able to ‘make it’ what you need at any stage of its development, you need to multitrack.
finally, the ‘workflow killer’ is also a myth: the truth is in setup/studio organisation, and that takes (again) time to learn, and money. sometimes a lot.
sure, we all have fun with music in different ways, but then people rarely asking ‘how do I better have fun? anyone else, esp. successful cool rich pals have fun just like me?’
and I’ve never heard a writer asking if anyone don’t use word processor, a video-artist wondering if others not using NLEs, etc
raising such questions, popular music scene sometimes comes about as obscenely conservative, reminiscent of ‘film photographers’ in early days of the digital
no wonder the instrument industry develops so slowly, taking two steps back per every crawl forward. so much for the analogue synths revival! ))
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He sure does, check his studio tour on youtube !
Not famous , but i do work this way , for some years now … it’s just the most fun i think … with a DAW you can capture great detail … with live 2-track you capture raw power . I did live record a multitrack a couple of times but even that is not exactly the same … There is just something about all these tracks being squeezed together in a stereo track at once that feel right to me … soundwise , groovewise , energy wise …
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I don’t know where my mixes would be without my multitracked VST plugin browser midi chord pack piano roll aggregated virtual reality compatible M1 ready mastering software suite.
You simply can’t do anything without buying all of it.
Click on the affiliate link below or you’ll sound like shit forever, it’s up to you.
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yeah - when I fuck up, I tend to keep going. Then I’ll go for another whole take. Possibly even another. Then I have the option of making a ‘comp’ final version with the best sections of each jam… it can be tricky to edit the stereo files, but it’s generally possible. Overall all though, I’m happiest when I’ve nailed it in one continuous take.
The only changes ever ever had to do for a label are to do with fitting onto a side of vinyl, so that’s generally just a fade, or maybe a cut & a fade !
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You may have missed the fact that you have people in this thread with commercial releases and 10, 20 or 30 years experience under their belt.
By all means though, if you need 32 tracks of hihats to sound good, go for it.
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Yeah, look at these lazy bastards…
Fucking Luddites.
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