General Recording Question

[thrash_freak87]

Im in a band and we need to record. I have a regular 8 track digital recorder.
We have a 10 min song with alot of tempo changes and feel that it would be a good idea to record in segments. How would we go about pasting each segment together perfectly on time and make it sound as if it were recorded as one track.. perfectly on time and everything using Cakewalk sonar 4 producer eddition. pls help. thnks

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Thrasher:

Personally, I don't believe there is a "huge" market for ten minute songs, unless for documentaries or some special type of film; however, that would be in/out music as the flick unfolds.

But, for a project as you describe, I'd go to a professional studio, or several of them and get a price for the recording time and mixing and CD master or CDs.

It's hard enough to get a band to show up on time to record and expect them to do undirected "parts" of a song....

If you can reduce your band to, say, THREE or TWO folks, you might record multiple parts and then sync them, IF YOU HAVE THE GEAR TO DO THAT.

Otherwise, call Blue Bear and pay his fee.

Green Hornet

[metalhead28]

I happen to like ten minute songs (Opeth )!

Anyways, I would say that a big determining factor would be whether or not your song had some kind of a breaking points where different segments could come together without overlapping.

I would say that just piecing a few parts together would be no problem, especially if you were all playing to some kind of click or scratch track from the beginning. Seems like it would just be a matter of finding good points to stop and start, and developing a good understanding with all the band members.

[dwillis45]

The click track sounds like the best way to keep things organized. In addition, today's sequencing software makes it very easy to space the individual parts with precision. The big question, for me at least, is how do you retain continuity between sections. It depends on the style of music, but I would link each piece with a vocal count off (1,2,3,4...), a percussive sound (multiple stick hits), or maybe something like feedback from an electric guitar. If you are doing dance tracks, a kick beat would work or even some type of sound effect or synth patch. Look around out there at what different groups are doing with similar songs. (I wish I could think of a good example. The only one that comes to mind is the old Buffalo Sprinfield tune "Broken Arrow.")

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by thrash_freak87

... How would we go about pasting each segment together perfectly on time and make it sound as if it were recorded as one track.. perfectly on time and everything using Cakewalk sonar 4 producer eddition. pls help. thnks

First, each section will want to transition well with the next..
Then perhaps record a bit past each of the end sections, and begin a bit before the next start section so you have some overlap to work with.
In the editing you could do end and start fades on all eight tracks (or bounce it down to a stereo mix down track if that's easier) with the sections in series, then slide them over, adjust cross fades until it plays well.
-Or, it helps me to see them on a second/third set (i.e.; 1-8, 9-16..) in approximate time below the first set, and you still get to see and access the fades and overlaps as your editing. Do the fades and slide as needed, then 'bounce mix' or drag them up without sliding.
Look to drum hits and zoom view for time alignment.