Continuous Recording and track stacking/comping

How to use MultiTrack DAW
burnwell
Posts: 1
Joined: May 24th, 11:23 am

Continuous Recording and track stacking/comping

Post by burnwell »

Hi there, I'm wondering if Multitrack has a comping feature similar to Logic Pro's.

I want to be able to set a punch-in and out as well as a loop, then start recording several takes over and over, until I either get a perfect take, or get enough good ones to be able to comp out a track from pieces of the others.

I've tried setting my punch but when my loop brings it back to the punch start, it doesn't record over my track, it just keeps the old take. Ideally, it would record over and then create a brand new track for my new take. This is ideal when you're recording guitar solo's that vary and you want to keep bits and pieces. It also helps that you don't have to stop recording to "reset" your session.

Thanks!
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pwnified
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Joined: August 17th, 9:41 pm

Re: Continuous Recording and track stacking/comping

Post by pwnified »

I tried a bunch of different ways, and eventually settled on stopping the recording after the first take, mainly because if you had a very small loop section it would overflow the file manager by creating hundreds of tiny files. In retrospect, it would be nice if it did both, i.e if the loop section is above a certain threshold it should keep recording over and over until you stop. But then the question becomes what to do with the partially recorded region. Should it be plopped down if over a certain length, and then the user can 'Undo' if it overwrote a good take?
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makinworks
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Joined: April 17th, 1:49 am

Re: Continuous Recording and track stacking/comping

Post by makinworks »

yes i was reading this as I am trying to create regions. from a longer file, like picking samples to loops.
i do this in protools and collect regions into the bins.

then after i am done, i can just Consolidate regions, which is destructive, but like wise in ProTools it warns with a popup window to confirm so you do not mistake delete other regions or the master file itself.

i am not talking about guitar solo looping for perfection, but rather the process in post production mainly ADR, as this method above you wrote is infact exactly what protools by avid does.

however in my experience my first attempt of doing ADR for a feature, we need3d to rerecord everyone because of camera noise.so my point was my work around then was to just record wild track allowing the actor to repeat or parrot while listening to a loop that i created using protools. so again just to clear, i was recording talent on a DAT that was not syncing to anything. i had no control over tc on this machine but i could later by striping a tc signal onto one track of stereo and the other mono track would then be locked to this timecode when importing into Avid as an Auxiliary Track. you might ask why all this extra steps?
well most people record on the fly and syncing options later say from mutliple cameras all running on sep timecode...a serious mistake. but also from recording audio with a true tc signal embedded was not as easy to accomplish unless one owned the most expensive versions of the Avid and aproTools software.
i must explain with prerequisite data for thus to make since.

i was using a DAT to record the ADR recording from talent, just let record ....
then i used the loop clip or loop region function and piped it into thr headphones of the talent.
they did not yet have technology for indie low budget films to successfully ADR as protools was still very new.
my old v 3.2 PT could import OMF 1 files but not omf 2, i realized this only after the fact that only by exporting video from OMF Tool which was a third outside app.could i successfully open the audio tracks from Avid into ProTools as regions.

oh to be clear as it seeems i didnt finish a thought before starting another about omf tool.
the point back to the DAT workflow? i was able it needed to create a tc signal burn in window and also it matched the tc master ev n from a blackburst and a midi interface that chase locks to the main master editor.

all of this seems redundant and maybe obsolete so if it is please educate me, i am open to suggestions.
oh but this was a historical case study not one by todays standard that you can input tc signal and sync various ipads or cameras to one amaster Slate.

now it seems you can use AAF and be done with it....so no more issues with out of sync footage unless someone makes a mistake but even then one can rely upon the original master with the tc to be resynced.

i am saying all this so you might know the workflow of post production teams.

in my case i had to use a workaround because my version of ProTools was 3.2 and it was not until 5 or 6 that the very expensive icon consoles or digidesigns automated mix desk could the stacking of Overdub actually work .

so as you mentioned loop recording with all takes making a new track? that might not be the best way because each track would be separated, but like i had to do in the past i had too eyeball the long loop takes on protools, and then after import pf the ADR from the DAT masters, i then just synced 2pop from beginning...and then two tracks laid side by side one the original film camera noise cranking away, as well as planes flying over when the projects story was before planes were invented.

key point
the other tracks are not on multiple tracks but reside embedded into that TC and audio editors or dialog editors can have free reign just by pressing the region and a drop down menu appears allowing the engineer to audition each take as it is mixed with others. they showed on the video it was much easier process as the main editor could make selections based upon having quicker access to the different takes mainly beciase the software was written this way.

so i am begging you if you have not already done so for the new version.
could you please add this overdub collection into bins with a new organizer for the stacked comp regions can rely on the master one take, but then possibly become subtakes in the same region manager. unlocking one would be like opening a mac window or a stack path.

i will figure out how to make regions hopefully like Bias Peak? and protools?
even Bias peak allowed an editor to acutely edit and apply effects export etc, as regions.
in fact i reoeat
in fact, it even had a batch feature you could use to crank through large clips or regions of audio but do things like convert audio, copy and conform into other new regions .

i hope this is not too long, but i wanted to alert you in development to consider our needs and make upgrades even as an addon like i learned Avid did early in its days or we relied on Automatic Duck etc.

i think it should be imperative to create a file bin workflow that is in outline form so a user can touch to reveal the folder open and that enables you to also open up a bin to reveal its regions inside the bins they are located.

thanks again, i am grateful for the forum as well as my ability to ask for support like Walter Murch did with Adobe because he was ticked off at FCPX just ransacked the editing industry.

these features if added could make this a contender with Avid and they might feel compelled to create an app just out of competition....they might even buy yours outright, and then pay you, but if not atleast you will get compensated by the sales of your app becoming more like PrtTools even with Multitracks own special identity.
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makinworks
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Joined: April 17th, 1:49 am

Re: Continuous Recording and track stacking/comping

Post by makinworks »

again, please i beg your pardon id rhis is long, but i feel professionals would like to hear case studies of workflow workarounds as well as how to fix mistakes made either in studio, concert, or filmaking on a set.

I had forgotten to ask, please respond if i was not clear enough as i explained concepts that might be obsolete by todays standards, but i need to be taught these new skills if there are any tools that can replace what is still used in set and in postproduction. ut in the case of being able to audio track, edit , convert and export all on the iPad is tremendous,

i need to explain there is a professional Slate app used for clapboarding, and with two addons you may open up script supervisor mode which allows them to so their job taking notes and continuity so that editors will have even more data to deal with. but i wanted to say Movie Slate 8 is also a tool for set sound and if you unlock the sound module the sound engineer can in fact keep rigorous detailed notes to the same tc his DAT or DAW is recording, but i must tell you the slate does mot record amything no audio just data to be married onto editor and post production supervisor desks.

my point is this software i mention is expensive and must usually be rented, on a per project basis.
it has stopped me from using that app because i have a workaround i can share only i you ask as i have already written too many words, but i think they are important because i base my needs never fulfilled by that app that might possibly be fulfilled by this app.
like recording audio on set directly into MultiTrack, with tc signal import. so the audio recording will have its own but can also us the other camera audio tc as a guide if anything might go wrong, and usually there is a mistake needing to be mended quickly.

so yes the embedded loop takes or ADR takes in outline form, as well as the ability to create TC or read TC from imported material in order to easily sync other audio recorded on different machines. thank