Recording drums and click track

[Shadowdog]

I am a newby to Cubase 4 and have a question about setting up for recording. I am getting ready to record the drummer for my band. Do I need to "record" a click track with him playing, or do you just turn on the click. I remember on my 4 track I used to record an actual track as a click. Is that not neccessary now?

Also, say I get the kit set up and mic everything, set levels and record. We do more takes and adjust a few things and get a good drum recording of a song. How can I save off these setting to be used in the next song. Would I just do a Save As for the project and then just delete the audio, but still have the track setup?

Hope this made sense.

[allaroundmoose]

in answer to your first question: just turn on the click track, no need to record one. Also, you may want to turn on the pre-count as well.
(not sure about your second question)

[Farview]

The second question has two possible answers
1. Do as you suggested and just delete the audio you don't want
2. Save as template. With the template, you can open future sessions with these settings.

[Shadowdog]

As a template though I cannot have recorded audio already correct. So I would have to "work out the sound", possibly while recording track 1, save as a new project, delete the audio, then save as a template to be used for future tracks?

[Farview]

If you have audio on the tracks already, the easiest way to do it is to 'save all mixer settings' (right click on mixer). Then, set up another identical session (same number of channels and busses) and 'load all mixer settings'. Then save that as a template.

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by Shadowdog

As a template though I cannot have recorded audio already correct. So I would have to "work out the sound", possibly while recording track 1, save as a new project, delete the audio, then save as a template to be used for future tracks?

Would it matter if you saved 'as template' with the audio in it, then delete the audio and save' again?

[Farview]

Originally Posted by mixsit

Would it matter if you saved 'as template' with the audio in it, then delete the audio and save' again?

The problem is, if you save the template with audio in it, the session still points to those files. If you 'remove unused media' and 'empty trash', it will delete the tracks from the original session. That really sucks when those files are the drum tracks to a song...

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by Farview

The problem is, if you save the template with audio in it, the session still points to those files. If you 'remove unused media' and 'empty trash', it will delete the tracks from the original session. That really sucks when those files are the drum tracks to a song...

Yikes! Ok, I asked 'cause in Sonar you can assign the relevant data (folder) for the program in the 'global properties to steer and connect it to the the project you're running. This would apply when you're switching between projects -or setting up a new one from a template. And in other words, it would never delete track data while a 'normal type version of the project file that reffrenced the data existed on any of the drives. ..Making a template shouldn't kill the other normal ('source) file should it?

(Sonar guys' complain about how long it takes having to 'scan all the drives for any trace of the 'CWP proj. files on a 'clean audio' command- -but a samll price to pay it looks.

[Farview]

Originally Posted by mixsit

Making a template shouldn't kill the other normal ('source) file should it?

Making the template doesn't kill anything. But, the template includes all the audio that was active in the session that the template was made from. (handy for doing remixes)

The problem comes when you try to clean up the unused audio files. The cleanup thing only knows what files are being used in the session that is open. So when it gets rid of anything not being used in this session, that would include the audio files from the session that the template was made from.

I do a couple things to keep that from happening. The easiest thing is to call the original session "song 1" then, after I make the template, change the folder to the name of the song. That way, the path in the template is invalid.

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by Farview

Making the template doesn't kill anything. But, the template includes all the audio that was active in the session that the template was made from. (handy for doing remixes)

The problem comes when you try to clean up the unused audio files. The cleanup thing only knows what files are being used in the session that is open. So when it gets rid of anything not being used in this session, that would include the audio files from the session that the template was made from.

I do a couple things to keep that from happening. The easiest thing is to call the original session "song 1" then, after I make the template, change the folder to the name of the song. That way, the path in the template is invalid.

Gotcha.

.. guys' complain about how long it takes having to 'scan all the drives for any trace of the 'CWP proj. files on a 'clean audio' command- -but a samll price to pay it looks.

That's srt of what this was about. -That and Sonar would just dump the tracks out of that version not toss the data off the drives.

[Shadowdog]

OK, back to my question and building on it a bit. I plan on doing drum tracks first for each song. SO I get one done and am able to create a template, so my drums are the same for each song. Now how can I get the rythm guitar set up and have all of my settings carry over to the next song. Isn't there a way to copy a track setting from one song to another?? THen to bass then to vocals and on and on. I can't imagine I would have to do one whole song and then create a "template" from it. I am confused.

[Farview]

Crack open the manual, there are 3 or 4 different ways to do that. The easiest ones are hitting the copy and paste buttons on the mixer, and right clicking the mixer and use one of the 'save mixer settings' commands.

However, what i normally do is set up the first song with all the tracks I need for the drums, and scratch tracks and all the group channels I will probably need for the song, and save that to a template.

[Shadowdog]

yeah I suppose I could read a bit I just like people to tell me what to do, then I can spend more time playing my guitar than reading

But I will sit down with a cup of coffee here in a bit and get learned.