Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    
    "Ping-ponging", sometimes called "bouncing", is a term used to describe
    copying parts from one track to another.  An example:  track one is
    guitar, track two is bass, track three is drums.  You play back these
    three, mix them together in mono and rerecord them on track four.  Now
    you erase the first three tracks and can lay down more parts.  So we
    put a keyboard part and a guitar solo on tracks one and two, and mix
    them together onto track three.  You then sing a lead vocal on track
    one, and mix this with a (live) harmony part to track two.  Then sing a
    second harmony to track one.  The result is a total of eight parts laid
    down (you could have had two more if you had added live playing during
    the first two bounces). 
    
    

    Some more multi-track features that I consider important:
    
    I'm mainly focusing on 4-track units btw.
    
    1) Separate monitor mix.  You should have a separate mixing section
       for what goes to the headphones.  Basically, in order to get
       good performances, especially from singers, you really need to
       be able to provide them with the right balance of cues that
       they want.  Otherwise you tend to have pitching and/or timing
       problems.
    
    2) Effects sends.  Well, you should have at least one (for reverb
       mostly).  Frankly, I think you just can't have too many effects
       sends and/or inserts (effects sends devoted to one channel).
    
    3) NR and tape speed.  I am NOT a fan of dolby NR (B or C although
       C is "decent").  I've had several dolby B units and they all cut
       the highs way too much - to my ears, dolby B is just like turning
       the treble down.  People have told me that that happens if the unit
       isn't calibrated right.
    
       Well, in that case, I've never heard a dolby B unit that was
       calibrated right!
    
       Frankly, I wouldn't be interested in any unit that isn't dbx, but
       that's my  opinion and others might disagree.
    
       I think that double speed is also important but not essential.
    
    4) Zero-stop - this is a feature that causes a rewind operation to
       stop when the counter hits zero.  In multi-track recording, you
       find yourself rewinding to particular points CONSTANTLY.
    
       I consider this feature just short of ESSENTIAL.
    
    5) My unit has 6 outputs: separate direct outs for tracks 1-4, and
       L+R outputs from the mixing buss.  I also regard effects send and
       the headphones as outputs so technically, I have between 7 and 9
       outputs to play with.
    
       I have found these very useful since the addition of a separate
       mixing board.  But certainly separate outs are not essential.

    
    i will second dave's opinion of dolby-b.  I would rather hear the
    hiss than lose all the high frequencies.
    
    another thing i would mention about pin-ponging or bouncing or
    whatever you call it - You have to take care, either using an eq
    or by careful planning of what instruments to bounce together, so
    that they do not cancel each other out. I don't use an eq, but
    i do compensate by planning before i record. If there is a sound
    that i may feel will get lost in the mix by another, than i plan
    ahead so i can place it in the stereo field in a unique spot. I am
    never happy with all mono mixes that i do, yet i have a suspicion
    that i could cure most of the problems with a decent eq.
    
    All the other features Dave mention I never had, and mu 4 track went
    to the dump, but i would like to have at least all the features he
    mentioned.
    
    	bob
    

    One trick I learned from Steve Morse is that when recording with dolby
    NR, he pushes the high's up pretty much all the way during recording
    and then backs them off (if necessary!) during mixdown.
    
    Fortunately, I haven't had to deal at all with dolby 4-track recording,
    but I have found that with dolby NR pushing the highs WHILE you're
    recording is ABSOLUTELY preferential to pushing them on playback.
    
    	db

    pointer to topic 282, "LOW TECH PRODUCTIONS", which not only covers
    4-track recording and track bouncing, but covers effects and stereo
    mixdown techniques.
    
    Written by yours truly...
    
    karl

    
    	by all means read karls note. I keep it at home in a convenient
    location, along with my beatle recording sessions book. Seeing how
    everything they did was by todays standards very low-tech, there is
    a wealth of good ideas there also.
    
    	regards -2  Turning up the highs during recording is much
    preferable than playback, but realize you will have to experiment.
    Oh, and if you have not got the dollars, even a bottom line fostex
    like the x-15 or x-26(or something like that) is capable of producing
    pretty decent recordings. Provided the input has quality, and you
    have to work harder than some of these folks who have lot's of toys
    would do except under duress ;-)
    
    bob

    Re: Karl's paper
    
    Yes I just finished reading it and I must say I'll be printing it out
    and bringing it home also.
    
    Thanks for the pointer,
    Mike

    BTW - a coworker brought in "Home Recording for Musicians" by Craig
    Anderton for me to read.  If it contains any goodies, I'll post them.
    
    Mike