Please help! Need a solution

[Will25]

Ok this is the situation: I am recording on a Fostex 4 track cassette the following...

track 1: drums and bass
track 2: acoustic guitar
track 3: electric guitar
track 4: vocals

Because I need the drums and bass on one track, I’m recording them separately on a digital tascam 8 track and then recording them onto a single track on the fostex. The problem I have is, when I go to record the acoustic guitar over the bass/drums on the fostex, I have no indication of timing because the song starts with guitar – even if I have a count in my playing isn’t 100% accurate to the BPM of the song so it’s always SLIGHTLY out. A solution would be to ‘sync’ the two recorders so the metronomes started at the same time but it’s impossible to get them aligned! Please, if anyone has any solutions it would be much appreciated – I’ve been at this for hours...

This is what I’m doing so far
1. Find tempo
2. Record guide track of acoustic guitar onto tascam to metronome (with count in)
3. Record drums to tascam to metronome (with count in)
4. Record bass to tascam to metronome
5. Level drum and bass on tascam
6. Record drum and bass from tascam to fostex track 1
7. Record acoustic guitar to fostex track 2
8. Record electric guitar to fostex track 3
9. Record vocals to fostex track 4
10. Level all tracks on fostex

 

[arcadeko]

you need to start the drum track with stick hits or a ride cymbal - then just edit out in mixdown

 

[mjbphotos]

Or we could just ask WHY you are not doing everything on the TASCAM? What advantage is it having mono drums and bass combined on one track, etc?

By the way, this is what click tracks are for.

 

[rfahey86]

+1 to click tracks. I refuse to record anyone who won't play to a click. I think your real problem is going to be trying to mix the bass and kick drum.