Originally Posted by: Jahan Honma
1. I hear that instead of actually recording a guitar twice, you can record a single guitar part onto two tracks and you won't have to worry about synchronization as much. Then you give each track different sounds and pan them both to one side then do it again for the other side to get a full sound. Do you agree with this method?[/QUOTE]

Much of recording is subjective, meaning what you might like may not be what someone else likes. In this digital era, you should be able to simply duplicate the track if you want to have two versions of it. You can then add effects and as you say pan them however you want. One thing to keep in mind though, is simply making an exact copy of a part may not make the sound as "full" as you think... when you play the part twice, its the fact that they are not exact copies of each other that actually makes the sound fuller.

Originally Posted by: Jahan Honma
2. When recording, I'll be making most of my sound with my effects pedal (BOSS GT-8). So when I record, does the size of the amp really matter? Cause even a small amp is freaking loud at level 8 or so.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like you might be better off trying to record directly from your effects unit. There are many good computer based amp simulators out there that will allow you to record "direct", in other words, without an amp. I'm a little older, and a little more old school. I've recorded with a 100watt Marshall head going into a 4x12 cab with the amp cranked up very loud in a professional recording studio. Its a different sound than an amp simulator, but I think the digital amp simulators do a really good job considering cost & convenience.

Originally Posted by: Jahan Honma
3. Is a regular dynamic mic OK for recording guitar through an amp?

Again, we are into personal preference territory, but thousands of engineers all over the world will swear by a Shure SM57 for recording guitar.

[QUOTE=Jahan Honma]
4. If you have two guitar distortions, is it better to combine them on both sides of the mix, or pan one to the left and the other to the right?

Again, this is entirely up to you. I'd suggest you listen to other songs that you really like with a set of headphones, and pay careful attention to the mix.

[QUOTE=Jahan Honma]
5. For rhythm guitars, you record several times and pan them to each side. For a lead guitar it usually is panned to the middle over the rhythm guitars. What if you have a two-guitar harmonized solo? Should I pan them both to the sides or the middle?

Same answer as #4... but just be careful you're not creating what's known as a "wall of sound", by just constantly creating stereo tracks and panning them left and right. Good mixes "place" the different instruments four separate ways:

Frequency range: simple example, bass & lead guitar. These two are usually in entirely different frequency ranges, so its easy to distinguish them from each other, regardless of volume. Keep this in mind as you create parts and mix... you've suggested multiple rhythm guitar tracks... make sure you're not getting muddy sound because too many instruments are competing for the same frequency space.

Volume: some instruments are louder than others.

Pan: Pan the instrument right, left, or keep it centered. Remember, too many "awesome stereo effects" tracks are going to create a wall of sound that will just blend everything together so nothing stands out... not what you're looking for.

Depth: Using reverb, delay, & echo instruments or vocals can be set "closer" or "further back" in the mix.

You'll probably find with a lot of good metal recordings its all about what isn't played, meaning the different parts come in and out at different times, allowing space for each other. Its not usually just 4 guitars, bass, & drums just all crankin all at the same time.

Hope this helps you a bit.

Good luck!