14. 8-TRACK MIDI SUITE/DANCE PRODUCTION STUDIO

13.2.2 Multitrack initialization

Set up the multitrack so that any track in “record ready” condition has its input monitored when the tape is stationary. Place all tracks to be recorded into “record ready” status (once a recording has been made, these tracks should automatically switch to tape playback). Check that the input levels to each TRACK are optimized before recording commences.

13.2.3Recording levels

When recording to digital, it’s a good idea to keep the recorder’s PEAK READING meters below 0 dB. Engage “peak hold” on your recorder if you want to confirm that you haven’t inadvertently overstepped the mark during a take or mix. Most digital recorders (though not SAMPLERS) read 0 dB with some headroom left. This is because, unlike with analog, the onset of digital distortion is as sudden as it is horrible, and the manufacturers of digital recorders don’t want you to hear this! If you really want to take your recording level to the limit (and fully exploit digital’s 96 dB dynamic range), you’ll have some calibrating to do. You could run a tone at 0 dB from the mixer, and use that as your DAT or digital multitrack recorder reference. But your DAT or digital multitrack recorder may still be 10 to 20 dB off it’s headroom limit. Probably a better way to work out just how hard you can drive your recorder is to incrementally increase the record level until it well distorts, subtract, say 6 dB, and never ever exceed that level.

When recording to analog, the tape machine’s VU meters should show around +3dB on BASS, but only around -10 dB for HI HAT. Although analog distortion is more like compression at modest overload levels (often desirable on bottom end), higher frequencies cause saturation even at modest levels (an unpleasant “crunchiness”). Also, VU meters tend to progressively under-read above 1 kHz, due to their sluggish response time.

13.2.4Auditioning a mix

In order to be heard other than when PFL/SOLO-ed, channels must be routed to the main mix bus. This can be either from the channel routing matrix directly, via one of the subgroups, or from the MIX-B bus (S48 DOWN).

Channels going to tape are usually monitored via the tape return channel, whether A or B. In this case the main mix button of the channel going to tape should be UP, while that coming back should be DOWN (if on an A-channel). Tape tracks returning on B-channels will always be heard so long as the MIX-B/MAIN MIX switch (S48) is depressed.

Some to-tape channels will have no routing other than a direct out patch into the recorder, others may be routed through subgroups. When a subgroup is sending to tape, the subgroup L/R assignment buttons (S37, 38) should be UP. I.e. that subgroup should not feed into the main mix bus directly.

13.2.5Mixer mapping

When laying out channels for recording or mixing, try to be sensible. Keep tom-toms together, etc. Work out a scheme that suits you and stick to it, e.g. I always started with kick drum, snare, hi-hat, tom-toms (as the audience sees them), cymbals (ditto), bass, guitars, keyboards, other instruments, vocals. From session to session I knew what was where without hardly ever having to look at a tracksheet.