Porta Studio02

[cjx]

Hi. This is my first post on these boards... I own a cheap PortaStudio02 and I play every track when I record. I have heard others say that they record guitar as the first track and then record drums, but whenever I do it that way, I have trouble keeping a stready beat during the first track and that messes up the entire song. I have done recordings where I record drums first, but that just doesn't work for all songs (where there is pauses in the drums at times during the song). Does anybody have any solid technique that works for most applications?

[regebro]

I agree with you that the drums need to be there for tracking. I have solved your problems by having a drum-machine, and instead of recording it, I sync it to the porta. That way, when I want to mix, I reprogram the drum machine so that it is silent in the right places.

If you are using live drums, you could record a "click track", ie, you first record drums, either live or with a drum machine, for the whole song, just a straight beat, even when there isn't supposed to be any drums. Then you record the guitar (and maybe one more thing). Then you re-record the drums to the last track while listening to the first drum track, but this time with the breaks. Then you can scratch the first drum-track.

Makes sense?

[rats]

Those little portastudios are great.

...always drums first has worked for me. The click track thingy is good if you have something that will do that. If not, just keep time on the hi-hat during the guitar breaks and edit it out later. You've got to have that beat to build on.