Redundant Software

[JeffRozak]

Alright. To be fair, I can only be considered a newbie when it comes to recording music at home. I've been "playing" at it for a few years now, but haven't mastered much - in that I'm not really good at much, not that I'm referring to mastering a track. (Which I've never done besides.)

I play guitar primarily, and like recording direct. I've got DigiTech's RP500 that I either go direct with via USB, or plug into a Line6 UX2 interface and PodFarm - which comes in handy when using the Rp500's guitar-->Bass sound (so I can use PodFarm's Bass presets) or when recording vocals. (PodFarm's vox presets)

Now I understand the CONCEPT of mixing individual tracks, subgroups, and then the entire track, but have never been good at it. I'd actually prefer 1000 knobs on a huge board than using a mouse, but since I'm a hobbyist I can't rationalize spending a huge sum of cash on a mixing board for my basement.

I like to record with Audacity. It's simple and straight forward, but EQing a track with Audacity is difficult on the brain. There is no immediate difference in the sound as you tweak here and there because you have to set EQ levels on a graph and then wait for the changes to be applied before listening. IE: A/B is pretty impossible with out duplicating the track first - and then to go back and change things means undoing your changes, and then staring at a graph again.

Software I currently have:

POD Farm Version 1
Audacity

Abelton Live Lite 7
Reason Adapted version 4
Cubase LE4

I've tried playing with both Cubase and Abelton, but Audacity is SO much simpler so I stuck with it to avoid a hassle and get back to recording. I've opened Reason once, looked at it, at said "Okay.... What am I supposed to do with this?" and went back to Audacity.

I guess my question is this:

With the software I currently have, what is the best setup for recording, and then mixing individual tracks after the fact? (Not mixing while playing.) I'm willing to learn, but there seems to be a redundancy in software here - especially when you consider I've also got RiffWorks T4 for creating drum tracks.

Like I said, I'm REALLY out of my element here. I'd like to be able to import or create a drum track, hit record and lay down a rhythm track, then hit record (from the beginning) and keep adding subsequent tracks to what was previously recorded - all while hearing everything - and then EQ and mix the tracks individually after-the-fact and still get a decent sounding recording.

Am I asking too much? LOL Do any of these programs have the ability to mix without staring at a line on a graph and moving certain points up or down like with Audacity? LOL

I feel completely overwhelmed sometimes, and it just sucks the inspiration and motivation right out of me.

Thanks for any help you can lend me.

P.S. I just started reading Killer Home Recording, and I'm sure that will help me out. I was hoping to get some suggestions with the specific programs I already have, I guess. I know I don't need 4 different recording programs, so what combination will work best?

[String7th]

Originally Posted by JeffRozak

There is no immediate difference in the sound as you tweak here and there because you have to set EQ levels on a graph and then wait for the changes to be applied before listening.

That's the trade-off with the easiest software. Cubase, Protools and probably even Reaper is real-time changes when adding plug ins for EQ and compression. If you are serious about going further with recording, may as well learn the hard stuff.

Originally Posted by JeffRozak

Like I said, I'm REALLY out of my element here. I'd like to be able to import or create a drum track, hit record and lay down a rhythm track, then hit record (from the beginning) and keep adding subsequent tracks to what was previously recorded - all while hearing everything - and then EQ and mix the tracks individually after-the-fact and still get a decent sounding recording.

Cubase does this. You take a stereo mixdown wave file of your drum track you created in the other software, and literaly drag and drop it in Cubase. then you create mono tracks in cubase and press record, one track at a time. EQ and compress in real time. You will probably have to use the Line6 interface but you already have that set up.

[bozmillar]

There's no reason to feel overwhelmed. Just take it one step at a time. Unfortunately, with audacity, it doesn't take long before the lack of features starts to get in the way of you recording, as you have seen.

I would suggest switching over to cubase from audacity. It will be a little awkward at first because you are not used to user interface, but it should only take a little exploring to get passed that.

[boo]

+1 for cubase, get a tutorial and learn it, you'll be happy you did.

[brandondrury]

Am I asking too much?

Nope! Not at all. This is exactly what I demand. (I don't ask! I just take what I need...viking style ).

Learning a new program is always an ass pain. However, that's why I recommend Cubase so much. It's nice to know that going down a route (no matter how rocky at first) it will get you exactly where you want to go.

Brandon

[shackman]

Originally Posted by bozmillar

There's no reason to feel overwhelmed. Just take it one step at a time..... It will be a little awkward at first because you are not used to user interface

For me, and possibly you, that's the core of the problem. I run Samplitude and love it. (I'm NOT recommending you get it).

I used to run Cubase. It took an age to get to know how to make the darned thing dowhat I wanted it to do. I couldn't find X, it didn't seem to have a Y and when I found them, they didn't work the way I thought thery should.

When I tried Samplitude, everything seemed ( TO ME) logical, worked the way I thought it should.

That's subjective - hence no recommendation.

My point is that with ANY new software, you have to read up the way it's meant to work and then get to learn it.

So - I recently tried the latest version of Samplitude. NO WAY - I'm back on my own version where, on Tuesday, I "discovered" a better way to use pitch shift. YEE HAW.

My advice is move up from Audacity and once you've chosen, PERSIST, ask folks here.

If this forum has nothing else (It does, but IF) it has dozens of expert Cubasers happy to guide, help and encourage.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[bobhri]

As an older musician/songwriter, learning recording software is a royal pain in the ass. I can lay down basic guitar, bass, synth, vocals tracks and mix them down to am mp3 file for the studio to get an idea of what I want. I then send all the individual .wav files to a studio to get mastered. Still I feel I am doing things backwards on Cubase le 4. I use the metronome to lay down guitar and proceed from there to record other tracks, but what I really should be doing in laying down a rhythm track at that point. Does anyone know any easy to use/not costly way to create a drum track to inport into cubase? I'm guessing le 4 does not have a drum kit, at least I can't find one. Also somehow the metronome gets embedded in a lot of my tracks and cannot be removed. This has caused me countless hours of re-recording tracks. Anyone know why or how this happens? Last question
: after editing and removing parts of a track how can I make it all look like one track again with out bringing back the parts I edited?? Thanks for the help, Bobhri

[Brell]

Audacity is pretty limiting, and Reaper in my opinion is very difficult to use. You might want to try Magix audio studio. That was the program I learned on before moving to Pro Tools; it is easy to use and has more capability than Audacity.