Bouncing Down??

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BeezerB

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I'm not clear on what Bouncing Down is in modern recording/sequencing. I get that in the old days of limited track tape recording you would run out of space unless you mixed down the drums to stereo for example but I'm not sure when you would bounce down now when you have so many tracks available. Do you use Group tracks? I've not tried them yet. Just a bit confused about the whole thing.
Cheers all.
(Apologies, I'm using Cubase so have posted this in that forum but then thought it might be a more general issue really)
 
Bounce Selection in Cubase is used to free up resources. For instance, when you make edits (cuts, x-fades, etc.), Cubase uses processing power to perform these actions during playback. Bouncing the selection 'prints' these edits to the audio file thus less strain on your cpu. I really notice things starting to bog down with 40 or so edits on a drum or vocal track. Make sure any 'clicks' in your edits are gone before you save the bounced file. They are much more difficult to get rid of after bouncing.

I have also used the bounce feature to combine pieced together punches in a track, making them one single audio file. This helps for later group editing.

Bouncing is also something Tiggers do. It's a wonderful thing! :)
 
bounce is usually used to free up cpu, not track count.

streaming tracks is easy, but running a lot of plugins or vsti instruments will
quickly bring a pc to its knees. bouncing helps lots.
 
BeezerB said:
I'm not clear on what Bouncing Down is in modern recording/sequencing. I get that in the old days of limited track tape recording you would run out of space unless you mixed down the drums to stereo for example but I'm not sure when you would bounce down now when you have so many tracks available.
Click to expand...
Blimey, I still bounce down the old way ! But I sometimes call it 'submixing' because it sounds cute.
 
BeezerB said:
Do you use Group tracks? I've not tried them yet. Just a bit confused about the whole thing.
Cheers all.
(Apologies, I'm using Cubase so have posted this in that forum but then thought it might be a more general issue really)
Click to expand...

I use lots of groups on larger songs, very few on smaller songs. Most people group and treat their drum tracks but very few hobbyists (apparently) use and/or treat groups elsewhere. Much like with drum groups, grouping, compressing and/or EQ'ing a group of anything can bring more clarity to a mix.

Anyway, as an example of nested groups, for real drums my drum group usually has 3 groups inside of it for the snares (top/bottom), OH's and Toms. At the end of a large mix I'll probably only have 6 group faders visible in the mixer with everything in the song nested beneath them.
 
I group electric guitars, usually Left/Right rhythm, L/R leads etc. I like to keep all the different kinds of instruments separate (drums, electric guitars, acoustic guitar, bass, then other stuff as necessary).
 
Groups for me, are used to consolidate tracks needing the same treatment. Drums for example, most times, can benefit from parallel compression. Guitars in a mix can benefit from only one CPU eating EQ plug when grouped. Using a group can help to organize the mixdown of......

Group is good.

:)
 
Hmmm so it looks like i should work out how to Group things then (Prepares for a long session with the Manual) Jimmys69 - I haven't even found 'Bounce Selection' in Cubase yet, didn't know it existed! I am so behind the times its worrying!
 
Hey BeezerB,

Bounce Selection: Left click(hold) outside of the event(s) you wish to 'bounce'. Drag the box over the events to select them. Then Audio>Bounce Selection. 'Replace' events. Remember, after you save your project, you will not be able to 'Undo' this so make sure what you are bouncing doesn't have clicks and stuff from editing in it.

Group channel: Project>Add Track>Group Channel..>select mono or stereo Add Track. In the Inspector window (left side of arrange window) of channel(s) to group, left click the output (symbol looks kinda like [>) and select the group you created. --If you don't see that symbol, click on the channel name in Inspector to pull up the main window.

This is for Cubase 5 and 6. I believe this to be the same in LE4 and 5. I have LE 5 I can pull up if this doesn't work for ya.

Which version of Cubase do you have?

Happy bouncy groupin!
 
I am using Cubase Studio 4. Will go look and see if your advice works in this version! Thankyou for taking the time to write it down for me :D
 
I am not sure about Studio 4 really. I used LE4 a while back, but that was before I had even the slightest clue.

Good luck B!
 
Thanks - btw, are group channels essentially just for audio tracks or would you use them with instrument tracks too?
 
Oops I just answered that for myself by using half a brain cell. Idiot!
 
Instrument tracks create audio, so yes groups can be used with them as well. It would just depend on what you are looking to do with them.
 
When you talk about CPU usage are you checking this with the VST performance meter where it says Disc? I wasn't sure if thats what it what measuring. Can you visibly see a difference when you do bounce selection etc. (At the moment i don't have anything heavy using enough to even show up any metering at all on it).
 
Naw. It won't show up there I don't believe. I notice the speed of say menus popping up and cursor scrolling to slow and become jerky. I can only assume that this could introduce some funky stuff. Especially on a slower computer. Mine is not the quickest rabbit.
 
In the old days.... jeez... having a 16 track standalone, I just had to work out how to do it all over again... hadn't exceeded that track count in a while, but was recording something with about a million guitars in it... could I remember? Took me about 2 hours before I finally worked out that it wouldn't show that it was working until I hit the big red record button... the one thing I hadn't tried! Doh!!!!!!
 
Man - after reading this thread - I think I need to take a course in Cubase :X

Cuts and cross fades? I dunno what that crap is! Unless you just mean cutting up the wave file in the track? And cross fade - thats like fading one wave down in volume as another comes up in the same track right? I don;t think I have ever had any need for that... :o
 
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