inputs/channels/tracks?

[Call-Of-Ktulu]

Hey everyone

I've been a member here since 2003 actually, but i've been very very busy in the last couple years and havn't really gotten a chance to keep up with my recording. I have sortof an embarassing question. I've done 3 separate home recording projects... each on slightly different yamaha work stations. They all brag about having 8 inputs, 22 channels and 16 tracks (the other one i'm looking into has 8 inputs, 44 channels and 16 tracks) and all along i've pluged into the inputs, assigned them to tracks, pressed record, added my eq and dynamic effects, mixed it down to the sterio track and had myself a CD. Here's my question *clears throat* ... what ARE channels and what do they do? I have a vague idea but since i've never really needed to make use of them I don't know. I know that the affects are always on the auxillary channels. The other thing is that on the machine there really isn't even any mension of channels anyways. OH, the other confusion I've had (but somehow managed to get by with being completely oblivious) is the busses. I understand that they're where all the individual tracks gather together and stuff before they hit the sterio track, but how do I make use of them?

Here's the Yamaha AW4416 that I'm planning on eventually investing in just so you can see for reference what I'm talking about. I feel like such a nob lol, any insight or tasteful laughter would be benificial

Yamaha AW4416 Digital Audio Work Station:

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA...l/0,6373,CNTID%3D2204%26CTID%3D228500,00.html

 

[mshilarious]

Each channel is a discrete input into a mixer. These can be external, like a mic or a keyboard or a return from an external effect; they can be internal, like a return from an internal effect, or from a previously recorded track.

Busses are a group of channels (or a single channel) mixed together. They can be routed to external outputs or to internal effects or an internal recorder. There are different kinds of busses, you've got the master bus, which is the main L-R mix; aux busses, which can be used for effects, external monitoring, or routed to a track to record a submix, and can be pre- or post-fader; and subgroups, which are conceptually the same as an aux send, but generally are switchable off of the channel fader, and don't have their own level control on each channel like an aux send does. Subgroups are normally used to create submixes that are routed to the recorder.

When you use your recorder in the fashion you describe, you are using direct outs from each channel into your recorder. You don't see this, but that's what is happening. Doing so bypasses the mix busses. However, in order to hear what you are recording, the input channels are still mixed on the master bus, which is routed to your headphones, monitor speakers, etc.

Another way to record is if you wanted to record several inputs on only a single track or maybe a stereo pair of tracks. In that case, you would route your mic inputs to a subgroup assigned to those tracks rather than assigning each channel to its own track. For example, if you only have 16 tracks to work with, you might want to record the drums using 7 mics but only 2 tracks, so you'd create a stereo mix on a subgroup and assign that sub to 2 tracks of the recorder.

When you overdub, your previously recorded tracks will be routed back to channels so you can monitor your recording while adding the new track. Again, this may be transparent to you, but that is what is happening.

Finally, when you mixdown, all of the tracks are routed to input channels, and you create your final stereo mix, which is routed to a bus (the master bus, main mix, L-R, whatever it's called) and thus the main output (or to the internal CD burner if the recorder does that) to record the stereo master CD.

The Yamaha recorders have a schematic in their manuals that shows you the mixer diagram. I recommend staring at that until it makes sense. It can take a while