Recording from a multi-track

[tomraffe]

I basically want to move whats on to my multi-track on to n-track on seperate tracks. Im just taking audio out of the multi-track into the input on my sound card (its only a 16-bit, but thats another story). You may be thinking why as I can mix down on my multi-track but it's so I can use the effects on my PC and for ease of burning on to CD.

As i'm recording each track individually over to my PC, I'm having to make sure I press the play button on my multi-track at exactly the same time as I press record on n-track. To make matters worse, I have to do it exact on every track, otherwise you get a delay, ie. vocals a few moments behing the guitars ect.

Is there an easier way of doing this? I'm sure im not the only one recording from multi-track to n-track, so how do people usually do it?

Many Thanks in Advance

[Teej]

hi Tom.

You're facing a challenge; not because of any limitation within n-Track, but because no tape player (that's what you mean by multi-track, yes?) will play at exactly that same speed throughout an entire song. They waiver. For this reason, getting tracks to line up can be a challenge.

I trust you're transferring 2 tracks at a time? Recording tracks 1 & 2, then recording tracks 3 & 4 and trying to line them up with tracks 1 & 2?

If so, there's an easy way to slide tracks left and right to get them to line up. Hold Ctrl while you click-n-drag a track. Zoom WAY in (Up Arrow) so you can line them up perfectly.

Getting the very beginnings of each track lined up is easy using the Ctrl key. KEEPING them lined up is another story. If you find they are losing synch as the song goes on, it's either a latency issue (sound card drivers take awhile to process the audio before passing on to N) or it's the tape waivering and playing back at diff speeds.

Transferring all the tracks at once solves both of these issues, but that requires a more expensive multi-track sound card.


tj

[tomraffe]

Thanks for that.

Although I am using a digital multitrack with an internal HD so the slowing down shouldnt be a problem.

It would be best for me to upgrade the sound card because as I say its only 16-bit anyway. Only problem is the multitrack doesnt have individual outputs for each track, only a main output.

[Teej]

Gotcha. I wasn't sure if you meant tape or digital. I assume you can mute tracks in that recorder?

Since it's digital and you won't experience waivering, you should be able to transfer 2 tracks at a time and have no difficulty lining them up later. Ctrl-Click-n-Drag works great. (Ctrl is simply a shortcut to selecting the Drag button in the toolbar).

As for 16-bit cards...
GENERALLY, 24-bit cards are better quality than 16-bit cards. But that's a bit like saying a 6-cylinder car is better than a 4-cylinder car. It's only true if the manufacturer puts in better components.

If you choose to upgrade to 24-bits, there are a number of good cards available. The thing to consider is how many distinct channels you need N to record at once. You can get into 4-channel, 24-bit pretty inexpensively (M-Audio Delta 410). An 8-channel gets a bit more expensive.


tj

[dave in toledo]

what do you have many recorders will hook up to the pc via the usb, or scsi transfer,

[tomraffe]

Fostex FD8

No USB, you cant go direct from SCSI to PC (if only) and you cant save to an external SCSI drive in audio format.

I'll give it a go with a new sound card, my current one is only a Sound Blaster.

[dave in toledo]

what about a zip drive, my library has them here for check out.....

[Raw-Tracks]

Record a short clap or some sort of transient across all of the tracks on your multitrack. You will need to record across all of them at the same time. Do this either at the beginning or end of your song. That way, when you transfer in your pairs of tracks, you can visually line them up very easily. Just line up the transient that you recorded on each track.

[dave in toledo]

i use a mr 8 and transfer my files, i have heard many people here talk about transfering thir audio files via scsi to a zip and then th the computer, why wont a scsi work for you?????

[Ravenwing]

Originally Posted by dave in toledo

i use a mr 8 and transfer my files, i have heard many people here talk about transfering thir audio files via scsi to a zip and then th the computer, why wont a scsi work for you?????

If I remember correctly, (I used to have an FD-4) the reason this won't work is that the old FD's didn't utilize the standard wav format. Some sort of a proprietary file system? You can transfer the files via an scsi zip drive, but then you can't do anything with them. I think the only way you can get a wave file out of them is to mixdown.

[dave in toledo]

i see, wow that is really inconvienient, hope it all goes well for you...

hang in there

[PeteHalo]

Easiest solution by far is to get a soundcard with ADAT interface and use the back up to ADAT functionality of the FD8 while n-Track is recording the incoming signal from FD8. Something like the new EMU 1212M would do nicely.