Usage for CEP

[mastahnke]

I use CEP for lots of things.
Mostly I use it for Post-Production nowadays.
I track on my partner's Tascam DA-88 and then dump tracks into my computer to edit them. Although, if I need more than 8 tracks I finish tracking in the computer. I know the DA-88 is supposed to have great editing capabilities, but I have not been able to master them.
I started out using CEP just to record a friend's drumset and and my guitar through a cheap computer microphone. We did that for about a week before we decided the program could do way more for us.
I have also used CEP to write jingles for the radio, commercials etc...
Oh, yeah, I did a couple of interviews and edited them with it too.
I am currently working on a project that has 28 tracks and trying mix it. It has been very difficult, not to mention the song is 9 minutes long.

Anyway, what else do ya'll use CEP for?

MIKE

[dobro]

At this point, I'm using it just to record, experimenting with mic placement and mic technique, looking for sounds I like. I know that editing will change the sound, but I reckon performance and recorded sound are way more important than editing. Editing can make a good track better, but it can't make a poor track good.

Last weekend, I moved all my gear, computer and all, to a different part of the room, because I thought I would get a better sound there. It took hours. As an experiment, it worked great - the sound was way different with the different setup. As a new sound, it was a flop - far less tasty than the previous location, so the following day I moved everything back where it was. Walls and reflective surfaces really make a big difference to the sound. I've been thinking of putting together some kind of large, mobile panels - I've got the idea this might change the sound in interesting ways that CEP can't begin to imitate with its effects.

[mastahnke]

Hello, am I the only one who frequents this place?

Anyway, Dobro I was wondering what kind of board and soundcard you have. I have a Guillemot Maxistudio ISIS and I am wanting to get a new board soon. Are there any you can think of that would really work better with CEP than others? I can't see why one would and one wouldn't, but I thought maybe there is something I don't know about.

MIKE

[dobro]

The mixer's an Alesis Studio 12R, with at least 8 inputs, and the soundcard's a Wave 8/24 with 8 channels. I got this combination so I can play with others at one take - I figure 8 channels can cover drums, bass and me and my guitar nicely, with one more channel for a visitor. This is all just smoke right now, though, since two channels at once is the most I'm recording right now with CEP. I see no reason why CEP wouldn't record well with 8 channels, but I think it would be a pain come mixing down time, because of its lack of real-time processing - it'd take forever. So, like you, I see no reason why CEP wouldn't work with any board.

I think what's holding Version 1.2 back is the fact it doesn't process in real time. I mean, isn't that one of the reasons your 28-track opus is difficult to work with? My guess is Version 2 will either have real time processing, or lose out big time to other software.

[S8-N]

Just for the record, CEP records 8 tracks at a time through the WAVE 8*24 without a hitch. Now That I have the ART I am bypassing the 12R for everything except toms and cymbals (and I NEED another ART for the cymbals).
The background mixing is a bitch... but you can get high track counts on a slow computer which you cant with a normal setup... Theres just lots of waiting around involved...