About Bouncing Tracks

If you like to build up a lot of layers in your record- ing, a quintuple-tracked guitar lead, for example, when using an 8-track recorder, you’ll have to do a lot of track bouncing. What this means is that you record several parts (which could be five passes of the guitar solo, a four-part background vocal, or the whole drum kit) on individual tracks, then, while you still have one or two unused tracks, mix those parts down to one or two tracks, and record that mix on the open tracks. Now, you can re-use the original tracks to record more parts. Using this technique, you can make your eight tracks seem like a lot more than eight parts.

Double Bussing

One thing that can make bouncing easier is having the flexibility to send any channel or mix of channels to any recorder track. Using direct outputs requires patching or moving cables, but as long as you don’t need to record on more than four tracks at a time, you can make the four SUB outputs do double duty by splitting each one out to two recorder tracks.

In the Double Bussing Hookup Diagram, each of the four SUB OUTs feed a pair of tracks. SUB 1 goes to Tracks 1 and 5, SUB 2 goes to Tracks 2 and 6, etc. The way to do this is to buy or build Y-adapters or Y-cables, which have one input and two outputs. (A Y-cable is NOT the same as an Insert cable) Once you’ve connected the recorder in this manner, you’ll be able to route any input to any track by using the ASSIGN buttons and PAN knobs.

Some recorders and some multitrack

recording software allows you to “double bus” right at the recorder’s input. The

Alesis ADAT® and Mackie SDR24/96 are examples. On these recorders, you need only connect the SUB OUTs to recorder inputs 1-4 and a button on the recorder takes care of the other four inputs. The 1642-VLZ PRO has a double set of jacks on the SUB outputs, so no adapters are required.

Recording The One-Person Band

Here’s an example of how you’d record using a double-bussed setup. Let’s say you’ll begin the project by playing rhythm guitar along with the drum machine, then add a bass track, a keyboard, sing the lead vocal, add lead guitar and keyboard solos, then finally put on some background vocals. That’s more than 8 tracks, isn’t it?

APPLICATIONS: CHAPTER 2

What we’ll do is record the rhythm section, then bounce that to two tracks, and record lead parts over the original rhythm tracks. Here’s how this works.

Pass 1

We’re still using Channels 9-16 for our recorder returns, so assign them to L-R. We’ll be using the SUB outputs, so bring the SUB faders up to Unity gain.

Now, let’s assign some inputs to tape tracks.
ChannelSourceAssignPanTrack

 

 

 

 

 

7

Drum L

1-2

L

1

 

 

 

 

 

8

Drum R

1-2

R

2

 

 

 

 

 

3

Guitar

3-4

L

3

 

 

 

 

 

4

Bass

3-4

R

4

 

 

 

 

 

Put tracks 1, 2 and 3 into Record, start the drum machine, and record the rhythm guitar along with the drums. Adjust the faders on Channels 9-10 (drums) and 11 (guitar) for a comfortable mix. It’s OK to turn the guitar up too loud at this point if it helps you to play well.

Oh, and don’t forget to program a count-off in the drum machine so you’ll know when to start. You can chop it off when you mix or edit the mixed song.

You might run through the song a few

times until you’re happy with the rhythm guitar recording. Once you have it down, don’t forget to take Tracks 1, 2, and 3 out of Record

Ready or you’ll erase ‘em quicker than you can say “Oops!”

Pass 2

Once the guitar part’s solid, rewind, put Track 4 into Record, and play the bass while listening to the guitar and drums. Since the bass channel is assigned to recorder track 4, it’ll show up for monitoring on Channel 12. Adjust the Channel 9-12 mix so that you can play comfortably and hear what you’re doing.

Pass 3

This is a good time to add a keyboard part to the rhythm section before buttoning it up. Let’s make it a mono track since we don’t want it to clutter up the mix.

Hey! We’ve just made a production deci-

sion and we’ve just started tracking! This is one of the things you’ll need to do when

bouncing. Might as well get used to it. There’s no reason why you couldn’t record the background keys

 

 

Compact Mixer Reference Guide

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