What Is An Isolated Master Track ?

TYPE 1 - Audio Clip Required for Tone Matching

There is some confusion about what type of audio track is required in order to CORRECTLY perform a Tone Match of a recording...

The hands down best type of audio track to work with to build a Tone Matched Preset is an Isolated Master Track of the particular instrument you are interested in coping.

An Isolated Master Track will provide the best isolation for the given instrument with many available sections you can work from through out the song.

While this sounds simple enough, there are still a few things that can mess up a Tone Match even if you have the isolated track available

Please read on to Learn More...

1. Example of a MERGED Isolated Master Guitar Track

In this example, all guitar tracks including;

Rhythm / Lead / Cleans / Overdubbs / FX etc...

have been merged into a single Stereo Master Guitar Track...

2. Example of a TYPICAL Isolated Guitar Master Track

In this example BOTH Rhythm and Lead guitars are played, but never at the same time. Generally it will be all clean and rhythm parts, except for when solos are played, at which point the rhythm guitars will drop out. Typically overdubs and FX are completely left out.

3. Example of a Rhythm Guitar ONLY Isolated Master Guitar Track

In this example ONLY the Clean and Rhythm Guitars can be heard

Things to watch out for...

Even though you may have found the isolated track of the song you are wanting to copy, there are a few things that will make or break your ability to correctly perform a tone match of the isolated track. Below are the main issues to look out for.

1. Different Left / Right Guitar Tones...

You need to be aware that if a recording has been made with drastically different tones for the Left and Right channels, it may sum down from stereo in an unpleasing way OR may just not sound like the origin due to the combined EQs being summed.

If you want to EXACTLY copy the stereo spread of a recording that has different tones for the Left and Right channels, you will need to purchase 2 Tone Match services, and load each cab into a STEREO cabinet IR block.

EXAMPLES

Original Tracks

Original Stereo Guitar

(Double Track Recording)

Original Stereo Guitar (Double Track Rec

00:00 / 00:15

Original Stereo Guitar Summed To Mono

Original Stereo Guitar Summed To Mono.mp

00:00 / 00:15

Tone Matched Tracks

Mono Tone Match of Summed Channels

(Single Track Recording)

Mono Tone Match of Summed Channels (Sing

00:00 / 00:15

Stereo Tone Match

(Single Track Recording)

Stereo_Tone_Match (Single_Track_Recordin

00:00 / 00:15

Left Channel Only Tone Match

(Single Track Recording)

Left_Channel_Only_Tone_Match (Single_Tra

00:00 / 00:15

Right Channel Only Tone Match

(Single Track Recording)

Right_Channel_Only_Tone_Match (Single_Tr

00:00 / 00:15

Mono Tone Match

(Double Track Recording)

Mono_Tone_Match_(Double Track_Recording)

00:00 / 00:15

Stereo Tone Match

(Double Track Recording)

Stereo_Tone_Match_(Double Track_Recordin

00:00 / 00:15

2. Overlaid Sections

Be aware that you need TOTAL isolation during the section you want to perform a Tone Match to.

This means, you can not Tone Match a guitar solo IF a rhythm guitar is also playing at the same time.

Likewise, you can not Tone Match a rhythm guitar IF a bass guitar is also playing etc...

EXAMPLES

CAN be Tone Matched

Clean Guitar

Isolated stereo clean guitar

Clean - CAN.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

Overdrive Solo

Isolated overdriven solo guitar

OD Solo - CAN.mp3

00:00 / 00:13

Rhythm Guitar

Isolated rhythm guitar

Rhythm - CAN.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

Solo Guitar

Isolated solo guitar

Solo - CAN.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

CAN NOT be Tone Matched

Clean + Slap FX

Slap FX with reverb covers clean tone

Clean + FX - CAN NOT.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

Clean + Rhythm + Slap FX

Slap FX + rhythm guitar covers clean tone

Clean + Rhythm + FX - CAN NOT.mp3

00:00 / 00:07

Clean + Rhythm + Melody Lead

Clean + rhythm guitar covers lead melody tone

Clean + Rhythm + Lead - CAN NOT.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

Clean + OD Solo

OD solo guitar covers clean tone

Clean + Solo - CAN NOT.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

Rhythm + Slap FX

Slap FX with reverb covers rhythm tone

Rhythm + FX - CAN NOT.mp3

00:00 / 00:15

Rhythm + Solo

Rhythm guitar covers solo tone

Rhythm + Solo - CAN NOT.mp3

00:00 / 00:17

NOTE

The above samples have been taken directly from the 3 videos at the top of this page, that depict the various "versions" of isolated audio tracks you are likely to find.

If you listened to the full "Merged Isolated Guitar Track" video, you will see that there are a few parts left out from the CAN be tone Matched list.

The small accent solo in the end clean section, and the melodic solo after the clean section.

This is to highlight that even if you have found multiple version of isolated audio for the song you want to tone Match, you may still not be able to find all the parts of the song in isolation !

What Is An Isolated Master Track ?

TYPE 1 - Audio Clip Required for Tone Matching

There is some confusion about what type of audio track is required in order to CORRECTLY perform a Tone Match of a recording...

​

​

The hands down best type of audio track to work with to build a Tone Matched Preset is an Isolated Master Track of the particular instrument you are interested in coping.

An Isolated Master Track will provide the best isolation for the given instrument with many available sections you can work from through out the song.

​

While this sounds simple enough, there are still a few things that can mess up a Tone Match even if you have the isolated track available

​

Please read on to Learn More...

​

​

1. Example of a MERGED Isolated Master Guitar Track

​

​

In this example, all guitar tracks including;

Rhythm / Lead / Cleans / Overdubbs / FX etc...

have been merged into a single Stereo Master Guitar Track...

​

​

2. Example of a TYPICAL Isolated Guitar Master Track

​

​

In this example BOTH Rhythm and Lead guitars are played, but never at the same time. Generally it will be all clean and rhythm parts, except for when solos are played, at which point the rhythm guitars will drop out. Typically overdubs and FX are completely left out.

​

​

3. Example of a Rhythm Guitar ONLY Isolated Master Guitar Track

​

​

In this example ONLY the Clean and Rhythm Guitars can be heard

​

​

Things to watch out for...

​

Even though you may have found the isolated track of the song you are wanting to copy, there are a few things that will make or break your ability to correctly perform a tone match of the isolated track. Below are the main issues to look out for.

​

​

1. Different Left / Right Guitar Tones...

You need to be aware that if a recording has been made with drastically different tones for the Left and Right channels, it may sum down from stereo in an unpleasing way OR may just not sound like the origin due to the combined EQs being summed.

​

If you want to EXACTLY copy the stereo spread of a recording that has different tones for the Left and Right channels, you will need to purchase 2 Tone Match services, and load each cab into a STEREO cabinet IR block.

​

​

EXAMPLES

​

Original Tracks

​

Original Stereo Guitar

(Double Track Recording)

Original Stereo Guitar Summed To Mono

Tone Matched Tracks

Mono Tone Match of Summed Channels

(Single Track Recording)

Stereo Tone Match

(Single Track Recording)

Left Channel Only Tone Match

(Single Track Recording)

Right Channel Only Tone Match

(Single Track Recording)

​

Mono Tone Match

(Double Track Recording)

Stereo Tone Match

(Double Track Recording)

2. Overlaid Sections

Be aware that you need TOTAL isolation during the section you want to perform a Tone Match to.

​

This means, you can not Tone Match a guitar solo IF a rhythm guitar is also playing at the same time.

​

Likewise, you can not Tone Match a rhythm guitar IF a bass guitar is also playing etc...

​

​

EXAMPLES

​

CAN be Tone Matched

​

Clean Guitar

Isolated stereo clean guitar

​