What's Best Approach for Multitrack...

Can someone suggest the best approach for recording classical musicians onto

four tracks? In this scenario, they play until they make a mistake on, say,

measure 24, stop, then (take 2) go back to measure 20 and play until the next

rough spot, and so on. Ultimately there may be 15 takes that all need to be

trimmed and stitched together.

In the old (tape) days, this was pretty basic editing. I would use a blade and block

to cut out all the bad stuff on the multitrack tape, then I could mix. But how do I

do this in Audition? (I use version 1.5.)

I can't do the cuts it in edit view because the tracks would get out of sync

Assuming all the takes are in one session, in multitrack view, this most basic of

functions seems to elude me. What am I missing?

What's Best Approach for Multitrack...

do it reversely from the olden days.?make your mix, mix it down to a single file, then make your edits.?this is assuming the band is playing together ''live'' (ie: all at once, all in the same studio at the same time) as is usually the case in classical music recording.?I do it all the time.?works like a charm...

What's Best Approach for Multitrack...

This can't be a serious post - classical musicians making mistakes? Come on LOL

I haven't used AA1.5 in like a million years but if I recall correctly...

I assume you recorded in multitrack and so you will have a heap of takes each consisting of 4 tracks

Just trim the front or back of each group of takes and line them up in MV where they need to go then mix

You can lock them in time or move them as a group there is a heap you can do and no doubt someone else will jump in and suggest something else.

I disagree with that approach.?By slicing your mixdown file, you kill

your ability to go back and change the mix after editing.

Do it all in multitrack.?I would recommend grouping (Ctrl-G) your 4 tracks

to simplify the cuts.

If you want to merge two takes A %26amp; B, I find it useful to set up marks (F8)

of the proposed merge point in both takes A and B.

You can then drag the end of take A back to marker A, and the

beginning of take B to marker B.?Then drag take B over to join

at marker A.?Make minor adjustments as necessary.

When you get a good fit for a transition from one take to the next,

you can refine it with an (automatic) cross fade.

I also recommend that once you establish a good splice, you should

Lock In Time both takes A and B, so you don't accidentally move things later.

This works for bluegrass, so classical should be no sweat

Hope this helps.

--

Alan

Al's fundamentally right in one sense - although doing it in AA3 will give you significantly superior results - simply because the crossfade options are so much better, and more flexible.

But I have to say that with any sort of classical music recording, or almost anything recorded acoustically, in fact, you don't need to worry about changing the mix once you've got it right - that just alters the ambience and as such is extremely noticeable. So even with a stereo pair from?an organ, a decca tree rigged over a choir, and a distant pair, I'll go for a mix of everything that sounds correct first, and edit that for the correct takes. It's what I'll be spending all of my spare time for the next week doing, in fact...

The reason for this is that if nothing except the performance changes, then you can do the crossfades completely inaudibly. If you start messing about with the mix as you do it, then between takes, all bets are off. I've tried it both ways, and believe me, if its a complex edit then you have enough problems getting the crossfades right on a single stereo track, never mind doing it with a multitrack mix.

So go for the sound first, and the edits afterwards.

I agree with Steve that you should not play with the mix across takes,

either while you are recording or before editing.

But I stick by my suggestion to edit first, in multitrack, then tweak the mix.

My experience is also that you can do this completely inaudibly.

If you follow Steve's advice, and after doing the edits you discover

that one instrument should come up 1db, you are screwed.

I could be wrong about this in the classical music environment,

where things are not close-mic'ed but if I am, I am confident Steve

will correct me.?Ha.

--

Alan

when recording classical music, any engineer worth anything has the mix down pat as it's being recorded.?much different than recording any other type of music.?the only adjustments necessary usually happen when there's a soloist present.?that's usually done at mix time as well.?the mix is almost always taken care of well before the actual recording, as there are numerous preliminary rehersals.?if it's a live performance, then there are dress rehersals as well.?a good classical engineer will have his mix in place and ready to go once the real performance starts.

Al the Drifter wrote:

If you follow Steve's advice, and after doing the edits you discover

that one instrument should come up 1db, you are screwed.

I could be wrong about this in the classical music environment,

where things are not close-mic'ed but if I am, I am confident Steve

will correct me.?Ha.

SteveG(AudioMasters) wrote:

But I only get paid to do all of this on a regular basis, so what would I know?