Multiple takes

T

thunderkyss

New member
If you're using a software DAW, how do you manage your takes?

Do you create a new track for each take? Do you just record each take over the previous?

If you do the latter, how do you make all the takes available for editing?
 
I guess it depends on what DAW you're using, but in Reaper you can record each take over the previous ones and they become layered within the same tracks. Editing is quite easy as you see all takes at once unless you press CTRL+.. err.. I forgot the hotkey.

So the question is: What DAW are you using?
 
In ProTools, a new playlist for every single take.

There's no reason not to be rolling every single time; ESPECIALLY when the artist says, "Let me just do a practice take. Don't record it." Record that one. Always record that one.
 
Yamaha AW4416. The screen is finally about to give up the ghost, so it's time to move on. On the AW, I would record each take to a virtual track, but then it was an ordeal to get them all into the project for comping. Then I was restricted to 16 virtual tracks per track, so after creatively using them all, I'd have to create a new project & import enough material to keep the sessions going.

I wasn't really planning on going software, but I recently bought an ElevenRack, that came with PT 10. But I've got an old G5 that won't run PT10. I do have an old MBox2pro that came with PT7.4, & I started messing with it a couple of months ago. I also bought a small presonus USB interface a year ago, that came with StudioOneArtist. Just installed that today. Pretty cool, but I haven't gotten to messing with takes just yet. A lot of "new" stuff in there & I'm just trying to figure out what's what. I bought an old copy of Cubase5LE off eBay, for 8 bucks. It'll be here shortly & I'll put it through its paces. Then my copy of PT7.4 came with a copy of AbletonLiveLite,which I've also been playing with for about a month. Doesn't really look like an application for mixing & editing, though you could get some good results. It feels more like an instrument & I'll probably use it like I use my MV-8800 now.

I downloaded & installed Reaper the other day. Haven't messed with it though.

But yeah, I've got literally hundreds of tracks now, which changes the way I look at multiple takes. So I was wondering (& thought I'd ask) how most people handle multiple takes in their DAW.
 
Well, if you decide to go with Cubase, I can help you get setup. LE5 has a good means for 'comping' multiple takes. Simple actually.

It is good to see someone serious enough to try multiple software, in order to find what works for themselves. Refreshing actually. Props to you for taking the time to figure it out for yourself TK! :)
 
jimmys69 said:
Well, if you decide to go with Cubase, I can help you get setup. LE5 has a good means for 'comping' multiple takes. Simple actually.

It is good to see someone serious enough to try multiple software, in order to find what works for themselves. Refreshing actually. Props to you for taking the time to figure it out for yourself TK! :)
Click to expand...

Well, thanks for the props.... but this is either software I already had for one reason or another, or I can acquire it very cheap. I'm sorta limiting myself to what will run on the G5 for now. Ultimately, my plan is for that old G5 to take the place of the AW4416.

I've got a laptop that will run PT10, but I really don't want to run a DAW off a laptop. I know that's commonplace nowadays.... but it's just not me.
 
I use Audition and, like Reaper, I can keep recording in the same track and have previous ones layered underneath.

However, a few versions back when Audition didn't have this feature, I'd create a new track for each take and keep everything except the occasional no-hoper. (You know...when the vocalist comes in at the wrong time and collapses in giggles or something.)

It seems like a waste of disk space but it's amazing how often I've picked the odd phrase out of a "bad" take--or used another take for some unplanned double tracking or something.

I guess I'm the recording equivalent of a hoarder.
 
I've generally always been in the dark ages.........
When I was in analog, I did try that "keeping a few takes and deciding which one" thing but I was limited for tracks and so that forced me to adopt, pretty early on in my recording life, the method I do now ~ get it all done in one go ! If mistakes are made, I'll just start the particular take over or, if it has been good up to the mistake, keep that and start from that point. Poor man's punching in.
When I was looking into 'going diji' back in the early 2000s, one of the big selling points of computers and digital recording was that "X amount of virtual tracks so you can compare takes". Even back then in my ignorance, I ignored all that because it meant and means nothing to me. I often record in sections so my SOP {that acronym is in honour of Miroslav} means that I'll end up with sections of, say, a vocal anyway {eg, verses, chorus} so then I just put them together {poor man's comping}. With my super long tracks, gone are the days when I would do the take in one go. When you have a 22 minute piece with different bits and time changes etc, sections is the way to go.

You know, when I used to read about all those bands that would do multiple takes and keep them then use take 2, I often wondered why. I tend to feel that if you know a take is good, go with it !
 
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