how do i edit/save a chorus of my song in n-track?

[jwgeetar]

dummy time, any help really appreciated. i have been messing with n-track a coupla days. i imported a wav file i recorded in goldwave software.it plays fine in n-track but i want to copy a chorus off of it and send in email to a friend.
So far:
i found the 30 second chorus. i set the markers.i highlighted the section(in blue).it plays the 30 second section fine but i am clueless on how to copy/save that section. i've looked in the editing section of help and to no avail-----read my lips----"i am a dummy"! this should not be that hard.
Any clues? thanks a whole lot!!geetar

[DaveO]

I'll have to try this when I get home from work tonight, but there are two features I can think of that might help, especially if you got to the point where you can play back just one section.

Try doing a mixdown of just that section. Go into "File" --> "Mixdown song", and then click on the "Mixdown while playing" button. Then Click on the start button to clear the mixdown window and start the song playing. If you're set up to just play that one section then this should record just that section. If for some reason that isn't working, just move your timeline to the start of the section you want to record and do a mixdown while playing. Just hit the stop button to stop playing and recording. You'll have a mixdown of just the part you just listened to.

If you want to make it sound even nicer you could even program a fade in and a fade out at the beginning and end of the section you want to record. There's a short one page description in the help function. Click on "Help" --> "Contents" and type "automation" into the top line to find that topic.

Like I said earlier, I'm at work and going from memory here so I hope I'm not too far off. If I get time when I get home tonight I'll make sure I didn't say anything too wrong.

[jwgeetar]

thanks daveo,good memory. mixdown did the trick. i was probably looking for the edit waveform function like goldwave. i guess i need to register and shell out some cash
cause it only lets me mixdown 10 seconds.
do you thinks n-track is worth it? how many tracks can i record? geetar

[DaveO]

For $35 it's definitely worth it. I also sprung for the compressor ($20) and parametric EQ ($18).

The software doesn't limit the number oftracks you can work with, so you're really only limited by how many tracks your PC will process. My PC is a 600 MHz Dell with 256 MB RAM and a 7200 RPM 20 GB disk. My heaviest load so far has been 14 "tracks" (combinations of mono and stereo tracks) with multiple effects on many of them and I had no problem. The only thing I've had to do is increase the buffering ("File --> Preferences --> Buffering"). The drawback with that is that fader moves don't respond as quickly. If I want to ease the load and use lighter buffering I mix down individual tracks, mute the "dry" tracks with the effects, and playback only the processed tracks.

When I first started recording on my PC I figured that for $35 I could get my feet wet and then see what I wanted to do in a few months. So far I haven't found a need to change. I am in the middle of two projects where the goal is to produce a CD, but it's really just for our own enjoyment. If you're trying to produce good quality demos or CDs to sell then you may want to do a lot more reserach than I did. For my needs n-Track is just fine.

[jwgeetar]

yea i was thinking cubase,for a year now. it would be an
investment, so to speak. but how much of an application do we really need? if it's quiet, has good effects, mix's down
like anything else, all you would have to do is master the mix later for a lil "extra punch".

are you recording drums? either live or from software?

[DaveO]

Jeez, what am I doing up this late?!?!?!? I have to be up in three hours!!

For drums I use a drum machine - a Boss DR-770. The only instrument I've taken lessons on is drums but I stopped well over 20 years ago and haven't touched a kit in the last 15. I'd love to have a kit in the basement but that won't happen in the foreseeable future. Actually, I really like how my drum machine sounds but programming it so the patterns sound as realistic as possible takes incredible patience (it's worth it though).

[jwgeetar]

daveo, i forgot another dummy question. can you see all 14 of your tracks on one large mixer? or is that another plug-in?geetar

[jwgeetar]

i jumped in there before i saw your last post.
(yes it is late and central time here in houston)

drum machine huh? do they come with manuals,online instruction? i can do everthing but drums.your right---
PATIENCE is a big word concerning rhythm parts!
geetar

[DaveO]

The n-Track mixer seems to stop adding channel strips sideways when I hit about 12 tracks or so. After that it splits the mixer panel into two rows of however many tracks (depending on the total number of tracks I have). So far I haven't forced it to a third row, but that might be an interesting experiment.

[Tom Hicks]

I started with Cakewalk back when it was a DOS midi program and kept investing in the upgrades through ver 8.N-track does more ,better,cheaper than the brand name big boys.As long as your other gear is pro quality,you can record, eq,master and burn to CD right at home using n-track alone. Not bad for the price of a reverb plugin.
Tom

[DaveO]

I'm not trying to make a living from music, so my needs are simple and I never really looked at higher end products. However, I haven't found *any* reason to bother looking at any others. n-Track is deninitely an amazing product for the price.

Long Live Flavio!!!!!!

[jwgeetar]

daveo and friends, i used to make a living in a band and as a singer/songwriter.(i actually played requests if i knew'em) i also recorded 45 singles(now thats old),a studio
album, and a couple of 4track home albums in the 80's.

i just want as high a standards as my recordings back then.
I KNOW I'M LIMITED BY MY GEAR,but if i can use n-track to
do what i need---thats fine.

Tell me, do you think i could make decent CD's with N-TRACK to sell over the internet and at my shows? I don't need that LA or New York sound. I am an avid alternative folk/country/rocker type.

What i hear on NPR and internet radio(Margaritaville radio)
tells me if you got the feel and heart down and it's in the groove, just a good mastering job after that.geetar

[DaveO]

JW,

It would probably be worth listening to examples of people's work. Then you can judge for yourself if there's anything lacking.

I'm working with another guitarist right now on a CD of originals but we're nowhere near finished. If you email with your email address, I'll point you to my page on Xdrive so you can listen to what we've done so far (just keep in mind that they're not yet finished).
I'd bet there are better examples (completed ones anyway) on these sites:

http://www.fasoft.com/users_sites.html
Links to n-Tracks users' sites

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/73/ntrax_vol_1.html
A compilation CD made by n-Track users