Boss Br8 user has some recording questions

[Shana]

OK (I posted this is the Roland forum as well, i hope thats ok..)

Few questions

1) With the br8 i have the option of recording dry and trying different effects once ive recorded. So i recorded all my guitar parts dry , figuring i'd add the effects at the end. Problem is, you can only change one effect at a time. In other words say i recorded a picking part on the 1st track and a strumming part on the second. I want to use the jazz guitar effect on track one and say an clear sky effect on track 2. I cant figure out how to go about this. I would record with the effect but the distortion is much lower when i add the effect afterwards. Anyone?
2) I'm monitoring my music on both headphones and Roland speakers (nothing fancy-100$) The thing is i dont know how to actually judge the volume of the music considering the headphones have a volume control, the speakers have a volumue control (bass, treble) and theres still the master volume (on the br8) . Anyone?

3)I recorded 5 tracks- 1 & 2-Guitar strumming. 3-Guitar picking 4-Backround guitar 5-Guitar solo .
Im using the br8's drum machine which doesnt need a track of its own. I need a lot of tracks for the vocals now. How should i bounce these tracks together? I know i have the option of undo but that will only apply until i record something else no? I mean, can i undo a bounce at ANY time? I'm scared to try it.

4)Should all the music eventually end up on one track ? When im recording vocals dont i want to be listening to ALL the music at one volume? Sometimes when the music is too loud when im singing i have to lower ALL the faders. I cant imagine thats what they do in a proper studio right?

5)Whats the best way to record thick thick backround vocals-think def leppard. Can i record on one track and then copy it to a 2nd track and then bounce it back to the first track? Will that have any effect? If so im thinking i can do that 20 times over right?


If you can help me on any of the above questions id be thrilled.

Thanx so much
Shana

 

[Ears]

Hi Shana......
You shouldn't have distortion unless it is an effect your after.What is your patch set up for effects and real cords?

1)You have 3 choices. You can record effects onto the track with the dry signal.That is sending the dry and wet signal to another 3rd track say virtual 7-8 and 8-8 for stereo. Then play it back and free up the effects for something new. You can record just the effects on different tracks and play or record the guitar dry over it afterwards. You can get another verb unit and route it to an output and return the signal of it to the BR8.
2) If you have meters on the unit, use an steady note say on a synth or a full drum beat, and let your meters run to about a hair under 0db. Remember it has to be steady. Kepp your monitoring system such as phones and speakers to a fairly good level. Not too loud, not too soft. So you can here what everything is doing on a CD. It also helps if you play a CD that you are very familiar with. That way you can tell if your system is true or not so true sounding. To get a good signal to disk you want to get a hot signal. If you are not using compression at all before the recording side, on the inputs, then you may want to tame it to about -12db because any peaks that shoot over 0db will sound like instant crap.Digital crashes when too much volume creates too much bits.Not like analog that hangs in there.
3)yes you should be able to undo a bounce. I can in my VS1680. Second, you can bounce to different layers. Different virtual tracks. Just always watch your levels and you won't have distortion you never asked for.
4)All the music should end up on 2 tracks for stereo. Not until you mix them. You shouldn't be singing and mixing at the same time. So you adjust "monitoring" not "mixing" when you are recording. Noone cares because all the tracks haven't been "mixed" together yet.
When you mix, you listen to the music and your final vocals together. Not as you sing.
Therefore the volumes will be set for you as well as others to get the full spectrum of the stereo audio sound.
5) For bg's you can record the sub mix or bounce of music to two tracks ...then all your harmonies on remaining tracks say on 1-8 to 4-8 (bottom of virtual tracks), bounce them with effect like chorus, or a Roland preset, to 2 other virtual tracks say 5-8 and 6-8, then go back to the orignal scene with separate instruments you had with a stereo 4 part harmony playing on 2 tracks lead vocal on a separate track and guitars on other tracks. You can continue with these steps indefinitely for a while. Hope his makes sense.

 

[Shana]

Ok in response to your oh so long and oh so thorough post i wish to add the following comments- First of all, screw the effects. I need an electric guitar if i want a perfect sound to fit in my mix, simulators wont do the trick.
2nd-I left my master fader in the shaded area and put my headphones into my speakers and monitored the music from there (watching the levels of course)
3rd- I figured out how to bounce- i didnt realize the original tracks (that were bounced) are saved on v-tracks.
4th- I dont need such huge harmonies- It sounds good without it. Ok thanx so much,, Any other comments would be much appreciated.

 

[Ears]

I tried to be short but it isn't easy to relay that in a paragraph. I picked up a brochure on the unit the other day to check it out for a friend. It is a great unit for the buck. With a buck comes some limitations.
It can make a great demo. You were right to monitor through your headphone jack....I think that's what you meant. The phones give you a monitor level separate from the mix.
That's a limitation. The larger units have an extra monitor out. but.........that's ok.
You mentioned an electric guitar will fit more in the mix. How do you mean? Effects aren't a bad thing. What kind of music do you play? Even punk has distortion.