Digital Recorder to Computer Recording

[forumuser828680]

I'm sure a lot of you have made the transition from Digital Multi-track Recording to Computer Recording.

How brutal was it?

How long until you were actually able to record a song?

I have monitors and mics, thats it.

Looking at these specs:
I9-10900K Processor
32GB RAM
1TB SSD – OS Drive
1TB SSD – Audio Drive
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Keyboard
Mouse
Liquid Cooled
1 Expansion slot available

Looks like I'm going to go with REAPER.

Any encouragement you can offer would be much appreciated.

[Drew Stephenson]

Dive in! It's far, far more flexible and with that spec you'll be booted up pretty much as fast as a standalone recorder. All you need is an interface.
It will take a bit of time to learn your way round Reaper and get your own workflow sorted, but really there's no reason not to get stuck in.

[The Elf]

I wish I'd have had that spec of computer when I started PC-based recording!

It's really not difficult. I'm not steeped in Reaper, but I can do the basics with it (which is all I use it for), so I know it's very simple to get started.

Just get going and come back when you hit something you can't do. The guys here will get you back on the road again.

[Kwackman]

Any encouragement you can offer would be much appreciated.

Dive in! It's far, far more flexible

Drew has it.
I've recorded on analog tape, then moved on to digital recorders and finally into computers.
Never going back!
As that ad says- Just do it!

[CS70]

I'm sure a lot of you have made the transition from Digital Multi-track Recording to Computer Recording.

How brutal was it?

How long until you were actually able to record a song?

I have monitors and mics, thats it.

No big deal. The major risk is that you move from making music to tinkering and buying inordinate amounts of plugins.

[Sam Spoons]

Same here, started on stereo tape, then multitrack tape then Cubase on a PC then back to hardware with Akai DR8/16 then Mackie SDR24 for a few years then an old Mac Pro with Reaper. Go for it, so many advantages and the only disadvantage is lack of portability compared to hardware (and I can use the MacBook for that).

No big deal. The major risk is that you move from making music to tinkering and buying inordinate amounts of plugins.

Not so much the plug-ins but the tinkering was why I went back to hardware for a few years, the move to Mac solved that problem and I gather more recent Windows versions seem similarly tinker-free. You still have to avoid the plug-ins rabbit hole which I do by only using Reaper's built in plugs (plenty to keep you learning there) and, more specifically, using my Behringer X32 Compact as my interface and doing most processing with that as I'm familiar with it from several years doing live sound.

[OneWorld]

I started by dubbing from one cassette recorder to the next, talk about hissy fits!

Then a Dokorder 4 track reel-to-reel

Then a Fostex 4 track cassette. Wonderful tool, with BASF Chrome Tape and care with level settings I was getting crisp punchy results.

Then my beloved Atari, with MIDI only Cubase of course, which somehow I got sync'd to the Cassette. Later sync'd with an AKAI DPS12, Fostex VF16 etc etc etc

Then a PC with a decent sound card and things just got better and better.

I still keep a multi-tracker though, for the immediacy

Whatever you do try not to get sucked into creating music in 'blocks' unless it were EDM I suppose, I must have written 1000's of 'killer' 4 bar phrases, then got distracted by yet another 'worlds best plugin'

Take sometime to make 'templates' so you can drop into song writing mode as soon as Reaper, or whatever other DAW fires up, instead of starting a song, getting a guide track down then scrolling up and down lists of a 1000 basses/drum kits/etc you lose momentum and inspiration - it is the lyric/melody/rhythm/passion/storytelling that make a good tune, not a 'killer bass/lead/percussion' line

[shufflebeat]

Take sometime to make 'templates' so you can drop into song writing mode as soon as Reaper, or whatever other DAW fires up, instead of starting a song, getting a guide track down then scrolling up and down lists of a 1000 basses/drum kits/etc you lose momentum and inspiration - it is the lyric/melody/rhythm/passion/storytelling that make a good tune, not a 'killer bass/lead/percussion' line

This is good.

I have templates for songs, instrumentals, within projects I have templates for all my various stringy things, midi, mic recording, etc.

[forumuser828680]

Thanks for all the interest and encouragement .

"Take sometime to make 'templates' so you can drop into song writing mode "

BTW How do the "templates" help songwriting? Does it lock you into say 8 bars for the verse, then 8 bars for the chorus, repeat?? then a middle??

I get the bit about "momentum and inspiration" and a long list of drum sounds ( Ill play my own bass part) and try some of the plugins but well aware of that trap...thanks

I have Total Drumming on CD wav. that I've used for many songs and I hope I can load into the computer.

"inordinate amounts of plugins" I use the basics sparingly.

Good idea to get 2 monitors? to help w workflow?

thanks

[CS70]

Thanks for all the interest and encouragement .

"Take sometime to make 'templates' so you can drop into song writing mode "

BTW How do the "templates" help songwriting? Does it lock you into say 8 bars for the verse, then 8 bars for the chorus, repeat?? then a middle??

Not that kind of template. More like, pre-prepared tracks where 1 to 8 are drums, 9 and 10 are guitars, 11 and 12 vocals etc.

A bit like you hardware recorder has 8 tracks and you tend to put the same instruments in the same tracks. Some find it useful. Most of this kind of stuff is very personal, everybody finds their own "workflow" and ways to do thing that they like.

I get the bit about "momentum and inspiration" and a long list of drum sounds ( Ill play my own bass part) and try some of the plugins but well aware of that trap...thanks

I have Total Drumming on CD wav. that I've used for many songs and I hope I can load into the computer.

"inordinate amounts of plugins" I use the basics sparingly.

Hehe it was tongue in cheek but be wary: most start doing exactly that!

Thing is, making good music is often difficult and frustrating, buying new plugin effects is easy and rewarding. Still better than drugs , but the temptation is strong to imagine that a new plugin can make the music better and easier. Strong the dark side is. Good to know you're prepared!

Good idea to get 2 monitors? to help w workflow?

Yes, good idea. More screen real estate can make things faster and less difficult.

[Sam Spoons]

I have templates for the different genres and line ups I'm interested in, for the last 12 months they have been "Chas band" (drums, bass, guitars x3, keys/EWI, vocals) and Gypsy Jazz (bass, rhythm guitar x 3 and lead guitar x3.

The templates are the same on the X32 and in Reaper and the channels all match up. What it means is I can switch on the computer and desk and be ready to record in a few seconds.... All I need to do now is record some reasonable stuff and move on to mixing

The main point is that you should have something that takes the minimum time between switching the light on in the studio and playing the first chord.

[uselessoldman]

My only comment with computer recording is find the plugins you like save them as favs and continue using them without wasting hours trying every plug in out there. Computer recording is a completely different world the amount of software apps out there is mind blowing and they can fast steal all your spare storage before you realise.

whether it be guitar modelling, audio samples (Kontakt) synths (Serum Avenger etc) the list is endless oh and Toontracks Superior Drummer EZ Bass, the only thing you will find is your time is precious, cos you will loose track of it very quickly if your not careful. Keep your buffer size low for recording and high for mixing and u will be good to go.

Who uses 1Tb for their main OS drive? I would release 200Gb and create a partition for your vst folders. Store only your fav data on the other SSD and use a hard drive for everything else. Says me with 1Tb M2 for boot (split 750/250) fav apps/etc on 2 SSDs and 15Tb of Data (Soundbanks and Kontakt).

[wdsteele]

Is not brutal at all , but it will rob your time unless you apply some discipline - try to have a clear idea of what you are actually planning to record or compose before you begin - easier said than done of course with so many possibilities - try not to allow the time with the PC reduce the time you spend actually playing your instrument.

Reaper seems to have a more focused approach ie not so many soft synth distractions built in and that's a good thing - I downloaded it just a few weeks ago and was recording in a matter of minutes ; I'm certainly no expert.

But do watch out , not unusual for example that a rock type produces a dance style track because suddenly they can... then many months or even years later realise that's not what they're actually about even if their tracks were "quite" good - that said it could be a gateway to something new.

For me it's the ease of editing , moving sections around , making them longer / shorter , duplicating a part - is just so much quicker and accurate , and you never run out of "outboard" even with a fairly modest set up.

Templates seem to work for many , for me I prefer to start with a blank project every time , record whatever I've written the piece on and then build from there - although I have wasted many hours creating templates I never use .

[The Elf]

Templates seem to work for many , for me I prefer to start with a blank project every time , record whatever I've written the piece on and then build from there - although I have wasted many hours creating templates I never use .

+1

[Drew Stephenson]

I tend to have instrument templates rather than project templates. For example, I use Abbey Road Drums and dear lord I do not want to be setting up Kontakt routing every time I want to put a rhythm down. So that's all set up with the instrument and individual track outputs ready to be loaded with two clicks. Likewise for vocals I have a standard set of tracks, and for reverbs and bass, and for my main bus tracks.
But they don't all get used all the time.

[forumuser828680]

I think I know what you all are saying but until I get my hands on it.

"Store only your fav data on the other SSD and use a hard drive for everything else"

So you are saying put DAW , samples, and OS on the SSD and the rest of it on HDD??

Thanks for all the information.

[RichardT]

Templates seem to work for many , for me I prefer to start with a blank project every time , record whatever I've written the piece on and then build from there - although I have wasted many hours creating templates I never use .

+1

Me too. With templates I end up deleting lots of things I don’t need...with an empty project I know exactly what I’ve got.

[RichardT]

I made the transition from a cassette-based 4 track to Logic back in the very late 90s. It was relatively easy. These days it’s probably easier to get going! Reaper is a good choice.

[OneWorld]

I tend to have instrument templates rather than project templates. For example, I use Abbey Road Drums and dear lord I do not want to be setting up Kontakt routing every time I want to put a rhythm down. So that's all set up with the instrument and individual track outputs ready to be loaded with two clicks. Likewise for vocals I have a standard set of tracks, and for reverbs and bass, and for my main bus tracks.
But they don't all get used all the time.

Kontakt routing, got to be one of the most perplexing, convoluted, unintuitive set-up in the known world. I have followed tutorials, the book, YouTube. And have had a measure of success, but sometimes need a change, and you need to restart Kontakt, and on restarting, if the altered routing doesn't do the trick, you've lost the working one that preceded it. Or setup a new output. assign it and then it simply doesn't appear in the DAW

Additionally I set routing up, rename busses etc, press OK and nothing changes!!!!!

I have all but given up with it - Note to Native Instruments, take a butchers at Halion - it just works, why over engineer something and come up with the VSTi equivalent of contortionism - it's daft

[OneWorld]

Templates seem to work for many , for me I prefer to start with a blank project every time , record whatever I've written the piece on and then build from there - although I have wasted many hours creating templates I never use .

+1

Me too. With templates I end up deleting lots of things I don’t need...with an empty project I know exactly what I’ve got.

Hours to create a template? Piano, Bass, Drums, Synth, Percussion, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Strings, one or two other bits and bobs, lead and harmony vocals, FX tracks - 10 mins of a job

Think of a real world analogy - your band assembles for a practice session, do you audition 50 basses before you get cracking?

[OneWorld]

I think I know what you all are saying but until I get my hands on it.

"Store only your fav data on the other SSD and use a hard drive for everything else"

So you are saying put DAW , samples, and OS on the SSD and the rest of it on HDD??

Thanks for all the information.

C:Drive SSD Apps/Programmes, User Settings etc

D:Drive SSD or HDD - all data, if the app will let you

E:Archive drive HDD - finished projects, backup, drive images etc

[OneWorld]

Take sometime to make 'templates' so you can drop into song writing mode as soon as Reaper, or whatever other DAW fires up, instead of starting a song, getting a guide track down then scrolling up and down lists of a 1000 basses/drum kits/etc you lose momentum and inspiration - it is the lyric/melody/rhythm/passion/storytelling that make a good tune, not a 'killer bass/lead/percussion' line

This is good.

I have templates for songs, instrumentals, within projects I have templates for all my various stringy things, midi, mic recording, etc.

Yes, if you are aspiring to replicate the hard disk recorder, a template emulates that scenario. I would imagine with your hard disk recorder you left whatever instruments plugged in whatever input on the HDD. You wouldn't turn the HDD on and start swapping the inputs about "Oh I think I'll put the bass on input 6 instead of 7"

The tracks lengths are arbitrary, they are determined by the length of the tune. And most importantly, there is of course an element of predictability. So if anything is not working as expected, there are less unknowns to factor into the problem solving.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but music has a predictability about it. Once you have some templates in place and got confident with how the whole thing hangs together. Then you can venture into other methods, changing the instrumentation of the instruments/arrangements of any given template or starting with a blank page.

Music isn't about binaries, either this or that, but a blend of a bit of this and a bit of that. But to make the transition from HDR to DAW, might as well start in familiar territory and replicate your hard disk recorder setup, get some tunes down get familiar with the terminology, using the mixer, the VSTs, saving, backing up, archiving, mastering etc etc etc

[The Elf]

Kontakt routing, got to be one of the most perplexing, convoluted, unintuitive set-up in the known world...

The trick is to set up a default set of outputs and reset to it each time. It's a couple of mouse-clicks, but once you have it sorted out all the problems go away. It took me a long time to find this solution and I share your frustration!

[The Elf]

Hours to create a template?

Well it wouldn't take me long, but I have absolutely no need for them. I add what I need as I need it - it takes seconds.

Both approaches will work - no right or wrong.