Googled without getting a clear answer: from context it appears that “soundbed” refers to the non-vocal parts of a recording, be they atmospherics, precussion, harmonics, etc . . .
Is this correct?
Actually the “bed tracks” are the bass and drums – the crucial rhythm tracks. You “lie” the other tracks on top of them, hence “bed.”
Adendum: The “backing tracks” would be the instrumentation of a song to which vocals and overdubs will be added.
One of our artist will be doing bed tracks tomorrow as a matter of fact…
Just to be crystal: soundbed = bed tracks?
I’m assuming it’s a regional variation (usually, I just hear “beds”) – but I’m in the process of doublechecking just to be sure.
Ah, more info (had to ask an engineer :rolleyes:) “sound bed” can also refer to an ambiant background track.
Say for example you film a movie on a beach, but the sound on location sucked because some stupid seagulls were fighting and squawking. You have to scrap all the audio and redub all the dialogue in a studio. So you use a “sound bed” of waves lapping on the beach as general background noise. Engineer Man said you tend to hear that more in the theatre and film industries, or when people are designing “soundscapes.”
Same idea though it’s the track everything else is built over top.
In music recording, it’s sometimes called the “basic track” or “rhythm track.” And in addition to the bass/drum combo, it can also inlcude rhythm guitar (or any other component that is essential – the parts that all the other musicians use as a guide to play along to).
cool - The film production definition explains why I thought "ambient sounds’ factored in, but it makes more sense that in the environment I’m working, soundbed is synonymous with bed/basic/rhythm track. . .
Thanks for your help!!
A term I’ve heard is “credit bed,” which is the audio and video that will be used under the credits at the end of a program. You build the bed first, then add the credit graphics afterward.