Click track/Drum machine into 388.

  • Thread starter Thread starter j.harv
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j.harv

j.harv

@#$%
Ok.I have usually been recording with a korg D1600 stand alone digital recorder.I usually track the guitar part first,playing along with one of the preset drum patterns that are built in.Then when it comes time to track drums I turn off the drum pattern and can usually play along in good time to the guitar track because timing is on.
What I was wondering is...can a metronome or drum machine somehow be routed into my 388 so I can play along to keep time,but not have the metro/Drum machine get printed to tape? Just going into a channel while tracking guitar.Or do I have to record it to tape and then just erase it afterwards????
I thought if I plug it into a channel and dont select record for that channel/track,I could just listen to it throught the monitor section of the board.
Hope this makes sense.Still kinda new to this and want to get to know what can be done with the almighty 388.
Thanks.

Jason.
 
I usually just record a click track to an open track and use that as a reference until I've got enough of a rythym bed to mute it or record over it if needed.

Certainly if you only need it for the first trak or set of tracks you are recording simultaneously then you can easily connect the output of whatever device is generating the click track to an available channel on the 388 mixer and route that channel to whatever you are using to monitor.
 
Hi there,
Do you still have the Korg recorder? Have you considered using one of the fill patterns from the Korg to record to a track on the 388?

Can your Korg slave to incoming Midi Time Code (MTC)? You could always pick up a sync box, like the JL Cooper PPS-1 that will stripe SMTPE time code onto track 8 of your 388 and convert the SMTPE to MTC so that your Korg can slave to it. The advantage to this would be you could bounce tracks back and forth from the Korg, still use the drum machine functions of the Korg, and you'll only lose one track on the 388, no matter how much you're using the Korg concurrently with the 388.

The JL Cooper's come up on eBay pretty often and aren't very expensive. The only other pieces of gear you would need would be a midi cable and cable to connect the 388 to the sync box (maybe an RCA-1/4" cable, I can't remember right now).

I'd much rather record on analog than digital, but I'm also a firm believer in making the most of all the equipment you have.

-MD
 
Yeah, the korg does have Midi features that I haven't delved into yet.
But there is also one more thing I would like to try if possible.I still like to use the korg to record songs,but Im having a hard time getting a good drum sound.I have heard amazing sounding drum tracks recorded on these things.
What I would like to try is to record my guitar,bass,vocal tracks ect on the korg and then track drums on the 388 and somehow get that sound on the korg.Not sure how to go about this though.
Would it be as simple as routing the stereo outs on the 388 into 2 channels on the korg and play along while recording??? Or would I just be getting the sound of the 388 mixer into the korg.I would like the actual drums to tape sound overdubbed into the digital recorder if possible.
Any easyway of doing this??
Thanks to all.
Jason.
 
If possible, much easier would be to track drums onto the 388 first, bounce it all to the korg then add your guitar... vox... etc. on the korg. Won't need to worry about syncing the machines then.
 
Are their any real musicians out their that go by the feel of the song instead of click tracks? I understand the reason for a click but it's nice to have a natural environment that takes the musicianship into consideration.
 
Ha ha. I would like to think of myself as a real musician....sometimes.;)
I dont always use a click,but alot of times I feel I need it.I record all my parts myself so it helps.I have in the past recorded a guitar track without a click, and when it came time to track drums I struggled with a certain part because I slightly lagged on the guitar part.And i just couldnt get it.
Hopefully I will get better at this.
 
I understand. I think it's easier to do the drum tracks first and then everything else. I say that being a drummer. I can't play anything else.
 
Yeah I would like to try and track the drums first.I can play drums fairly well,but I am not a drummer.Bass player first.
But if I were to record the drums first,I would probably get lost without the guitar or other melodic instruments.
 
I do every track to just the click and then listen to them all together at the end to see what sort of strange sonically robotic concoction I've just made...

JK

:D

Really though...jharv...were you being kind of sarcastic or what?

If I'm recording something alone one part at a time I often track the bass first and I'll do it to a click track...then I'll lay the drums in, sometimes with the click still going and sometimes not depending in the piece. Other times I'll track the drums first and if I'm just improvising then I'll forget the click and just go and then use the drum tracks as the timing basis for the other tracks...or sometimes I'll use the click while tracking drums...either way, once the drums are there that becomes the timing reference.

If you are going to sync two or more machines its a good idea to track everything to some reference, but at some point the previously printed tracks become the rythym bed.

If you use a track for an analog click track or as a SMPTE timecode track you are still using a track...as has been said, actually syncing the Korg to the 388 via a sync box and MTC and SMPTE just keeps your options open, and that way you could record analog tracks on the 388 to the loops on the Korg like you've always done and the two machines will stay together. You can fill up tracks on the 388 AND on the Korg and then mix them down to stereo on whatever you use for that in your setup.
 
just to chime in....

I would skip the syncing route if you are using the 388.

Why? it's certanly do-able.

I just think a DAW is perfect for time based compositions. You can stretch it or compress it or align, or snap to grid , or quantise, or have cascading echoes all in time.

I think the 388 has a different kind of charm.

Here's some techniques i've used;

sing and play the song all the way through using any instrument you can drive the song with.
It can even be recorded on your phone, standalone cassette player, whatever is handy. It can even be accapella in your car.
The idea is to capture an inspiring grove.

Dump it onto the 388 and start adding tracks. It's just going to be a template.

When you get enough tracks to carry the grove, you can erase the first doner track assuming you need the eight track.

Or, find the drum track you like on the korg 1600, and dump it down to the 388. Again, you can play or sing along with the drum track as you record it, if you like.
This can help with cues for the other tracks.
Finish as above.

sometimes i dont even add the drums till later in the process.
depends on the song.

I also like the songs to breath a little and have subtle variations in time.


it helps that i can play all the instruments, so i can match the pulse better.

of course if you are doing techno, that aint gonna work!
 
I'm looking for similar solutions, but I'm using a Tascam 38 and Logic Pro DAW.

My thoughts are to process a dummy sample drum or click track using drum software (BFD) (since I am not a drummer) and run a follow-along guitar track for the entire length of the song within Logic. I will dump those tracks to the 38 where I can add all or most of the other tracks I want as analog then bring those analog tracks back into Logic Pro for finishing off the drums and any other "digital" synths I need.

Or I could just sketch out a tune and add all tracks on the 38 first and when needed I could transfer then beat map or stretch in Logic.

Or of course, I could also buy a synchronizer and do the striping method and use both at the same time but I'm not sure it's necessary yet.

Many options.
 
388 can chase...38 can only be the master.

You guys do what you want to borrow zorf's signature if its stretching or crunching your digital audio then "I'm against it".

I hate the idea of letting software determine what parts of my digital audio get left out and what gets added...the facsimile becomes even more so.

Truly, if it was me I'd be slaving the 388 to the DAW but that's easy for me to say because I already have the gear to do that. Best of both worlds.
 
i guess what i meant to address is workflow. i was thinking the OP wanted to replicate the technique from the korg1600 with the built in drum patterns.


i assume the OP got the 388 because of the sound.

If you need more tracks or you need a lot of what a DAW has to offer, i would just go with the DAW in the first place.

Perhaps if you just want the drums to sound "tapey" you could just get most of the way there with harware compression and /or tube/transformer stuff on the way in?

I personally am not crazy about trying to sync stuff up and having it drift.


I think part of the charm of the 388 is the self limiting number of tracks, the funky vibe, and the simplicity.

Just preference of course. Whatever works. Do your thing.
 
Well, whatever it is, I'm against it.

JK...just love that signature...

I agree with what you are saying and yeah I get the whole workflow thing.

Drift with sync? Not if you slave the 388 and use a Micro Lynx...slickest stinkin' box for sync'ing...a sync multi tool that does EVERYTHING it does to the 9's.

I can shuttle all over the place slaving my BR-20T to Cubase and go through a whole reel never being more than +/- 1 subframe for just a flicker. LOCKED.

BUT...its not worth it unless that's what you need to do.

Zorf's right. OP has lots of options that totally avoid anything that starts with "sync" and ends with "box."
 
I have a small half-rack headphone amp by apex with 5 channels. I put the click in 1 channel and the monitor out from the 388 into the headphone amp box and Bob's yer uncle.

Anyone know how to sync a wavestation without it triggering notes? (just the clock)
 
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