HOW TO An Introduction to Multitrack Recording from Capturing your art: How to develop your music by recording it. It comes down to one simple, unavoidable fact: Every note you play that's not recorded is lost forever. Whether it's a new song idea, a hot riff or just a phrase that you need to practice over and over, record it and it's yours. To hear again. To share. To develop. To improve on. All it takes to capture your art is a multitrack recorder from TASCAM. Getting started in the world of multitrack recording. can help you write better songs and make better music. Even if you're not aiming for stardom, multitrack recording can be a lot of fun. But for a lot of us it just seems too complicated. There are so many different choices available, you can't figure out what's right for you. When you ask questions, all you get are buzzwords. If the world of multitrack recording makes you feel like you've just walked into a private club where everyone else speaks Geek, this guide is for you. It explains, in plain English, the basics of multitrack recording and what you can expect from the different kinds of gear available. It assumes you have no prior experience with recording. We know what it's like because TASCAM has introduced hundreds of thousands of people to the world of multitrack recording over the last thirty years. And you could be next. First of all, don't feel like you're the only one who has questions. Even for people with recording experience, the field has grown so huge so fast that no one can keep up with every new development. But like learning how to use a new cell phone, what seems baffling at first will become second nature after a little bit of reading and trying it out. Develop your skills by recording your own music. Forget all the jargon and technology for a minute and remember why this technology was invented in the first place. Music is made up of many parts. Multitrack technology simply allows you to separate the parts and develop each one, making a good recording better. This technology can help you grow as a musician and/or writer--and you don't have to be a tech-head to do it. With your own multitrack recording equipment, you can hear how you sound without the pressure of anyone else listening. By experimenting with different styles and sounds in the privacy of your own studio, you'll become your own best critic. You can push yourself to the limits of your ability, keeping what works and erasing the parts that, umm, aren't so hot. If you're a writer, you can record an interesting but Have you seen all the great recording equipment available today? Maybe you've read about it in music magazines, heard about it on the Internet, or have a friend who's gotten some equipment. No matter what kind of music you make, this gear 2 MF-P01 incomplete song element, and play around with it until you come up with the magical combination of the other parts or lyrics that make a great song. That's what it's all about. Let's say you're playing guitar when an idea for a new pattern of chords comes up. You simply plug your guitar into Track 1, hit record, and play the pattern for a few minutes (represented by the notes in track 1 of the drawing below). This is called laying the basic track. Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Need help putting your lyrics to music? If you're a singer or lyric writer without a band, take heart. Today's tools have become so advanced and easy to use that they're practically like having a songwriting partner. You can start simply, and work your way up in technical and musical skill, as far as your dedication will take you. A lot of great musicians and songwriters have been using these tools since they were introduced, and agree that recording helped them to become better artists without getting mired down in technology. So, don't be afraid. You have nothing to lose. OK, now down to the nuts and bolts. Simple 4-track cassette recorder One W" jack mic / line input for vocals and instruments Four track level, four pan and one master level control Master fader with 4-LED level display Headphone output PORTA02 mkII Because the TASCAM recorders we're talking about here are multitracks, not just stereo recorders, you can now rewind to the beginning, plug a microphone into Track 2, and sing along with the guitar you just recorded. Ô Ô Tracking, overdubbing, and mixdown. Multitrack recording is a great tool for any musician or songwriter because it lets you build up a musical piece one part at a time, without having to organize a band or having to play and sing parts simultaneously. Let's start with a 4-track example. We're going to represent the four tracks like this: Ô Ô Ô 4-track cassette recorder with 2-track simultaneous recording Two W" jack mic / line inputs for vocals and instruments; Hi-Z guitar input (assignable to both mic/line inputs) Easy-to-use 4-channel mixer section with pan and level controls for mixing down Headphone output with separate level control Dual faders with four-LED level meters Rewind again, and you can record a lead guitar part on Track 3. This overdubbing capability lets you change or add any track at any time, without affecting the others. You can't just give a multitrack tape or disk to someone to play back, however; you must first perform the last stage of the multitrack process, a mixdown. You use a mixer to adjust 3 how many effect sends, what kind of inputs, and whether the mixer can be automated) ó What other equipment is included with the workstation such as effect processors that add reverb or special effects, synthesizers and drum machines, or even microphones ó Whether a stereo mixdown machine is included in the workstation (for example, some can make standard CDs or MP3s to be posted on a web site) ó Whether the system can be expanded for more tracks or channels or recording time, without switching to an entirely new system ó Whether it includes a MIDI sequencer which can play synthesizers and drum machines in sync to the audio (these are called virtual tracks). Don't worry if you don't completely understand these differences yet...it will become clear when we explain each product. multitrack recording, depending on your needs: ó Portastudios: a 4-track analog cassette multitrack combined with a mixer (the features of TASCAM's various models are described in the colored boxes on page 3 and at right.) ó Pocketstudio 5: a self-contained recorder/arranger/mixer/effects device that records into digital memory (see page 7) ó 788: a high-quality 8-track digital Portastudio with a digital mixer and effects (see page 9) ó Computer interfaces such as our US-122, US-224, US-428 and software that turn your personal computer into a complete multitrack music production system (see pages 9 and 11). We'll explain the advantages of each of these products, but the "right one" depends on your musical goals and how you like to work. In addition to finding out about the gear, you need to answer a few questions about yourself: the volume, EQ, effects, and stereo position of each track, producing a standard CD , DVD, or cassette for other people to listen to. Differences in multitrack equipment. No matter what equipment you buy, the basic process of tracking/ overdubbing/mixdown is the same. The differences between equipment consist of: ó The number of tracks (4, 8, 16, or more) ó The medium that the tracks are recorded on (tape, hard disk, RAM, etc.) ó How flexible the mixer is (how many channels, what kind of EQ, What route should you take? TASCAM pioneered the concept of the personal project studio when it introduced the first affordable 4-track recorders in the 1970s. It now offers many different products designed to help you get started in ? How musically advanced are you? What kind of music will you be producing? Do you need a lot of tracks for overdubbing vocal and instrumental parts? Will you play the tracks yourself, or are you a vocalist singing over someone else's tracks? 4 414 mkII ? ? What is the end product you want to make? Rehearsal tapes? Demo CDs? Trading MP3s with friends on the Internet? A fully-produced CD for sale at gigs? What's your attitude towards computers, and what computer skills do you have? Do you have a computer or are you planning on getting one? What kind is it? What operating system does it use? Does it have USB ports or PCI slots? Are you comfortable with computer operations, such as connecting hard disks and optimizing them? Is the world of cassette tape more your style, or are you somewhere in the middle? As we noted, each of the TASCAM products mentioned is covered in the colored boxes on the right-hand pages of this booklet. For more information visit www.tascam.com or ask the dealer from whom you got this booklet. text continues on next page Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô The six components of a complete multitrack studio Recording starts with the sources you want to record, for example, microphones and electronic instruments. These are plugged into a mixer, which sends the signals to the multitrack. The multitrack plays the signals back through the mixer, which is usually connected to effects processors that add reverb, distortion, echo, etc. In order to hear everything, you need speakers and an amp (which can be your home stereo to start out with). Finally, you need to mix down to a INSTRUMENTS 2-track CD or cassette, to share your work with other people. These six components are often combined. TASCAM Portastudios combine the mixer and multitrack in a single unit. A Pocketstudio adds MIDI instruments and a microphone, plus effects processors. Computer systems may add a built-in CD recorder. Even though elements are combined, it helps to understand them as separate blocks. EFFECTS (REVERB, CHORUS, ECHO) 4-track simultaneous recording 8-input mixer section 2-band high/low equalizer on 4 main input channels Two dedicated W" stereo inputs Two XLR balanced mic inputs assignable to Channels 1 through 4 One W" dedicated Guitar input RCA unbalanced stereo SUB inputs Separate main and monitor outputs Headphone output with level control Two effect sends, one of which is switchable to Tape Cue 3-3/4 i.p.s. high tape speed dbx® noise reduction Optional RC-30P punch-in pedal 424 mkIII MICROPHONES (OPTIONAL) MIDI SEQUENCER MIXER MULTITRACK RECORDER Ô The mixer and multitrack are usually combined into one unit Ô Ô Ô CASSETTE DECK OR CD BURNER MONITOR SPEAKERS/HEADPHONES Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô 4-track simultaneous recording with logiccontrolled 4-track tape transport and dbx® noise reduction. ±12% pitch control RTZ and 2 locate points, repeat function, auto punch I/O with rehearsal function and more 6 full-function input channels with MID sweepable 3-band EQ, 2 aux sends for effects processing Four assignable XLR Microphone inputs Dedicated W" stereo inputs (channel 7-8) Separate main L-R and monitor outputs Dedicated W" tape outputs Sync output 5 Getting started with multitrack recording: cassette tape Portastudios Number of tracks: 4 Number of mixer channels: 1 to 6 Recording medium: analog cassette tapes Teasi T Mixdown to: external cassette or CD recorder Extras: none ASCAM's Portastudios® are the est and least expensive way to get started in multitrack recording. The MF-P01, Porta02 mkII, 414 mkII, and 424 mkIII are 4-track tape decks complete with sound mixers. They record on the same blank cassette tapes you can buy anywhere and connect to all standard electronic instruments, speaker systems, and microphones. Because of noise reduction technology (and in some cases a faster tape speed), the sound quality is very good even though it's not digital. On these TASCAM Portastudios, you can record up to four separate tracks or channels on a cassette tape. What are the differences between the Portastudios? PORTA02 mkII Pan Controls (four) Output Level Controls (four) These knobs control the playback levels of the tracks you've already recorded during overdubbing and mixdown. Input Level Faders (two) These faders set the level of the microphone or instrument as you're recording them. Level Indicators (two) more than two tracks at a time. It also has no effect send, so you can't add reverb or other effects while mixing down. The 424 mkIII lets you record up to four tracks at once from its six-input mixer, has two effects sends, a sweepable midrange EQ on each channel, and four high-quality XLR inputs for low-impedance microphones. Another difference is that the larger Portastudios have better sound quality because of dbx noise reduction and faster tape speeds. If you plan on getting together with friends to record several instruments at once, the 414 mkII or 424 mkIII is probably your best choice. If you like to work alone, even the MF-P01 can do the trick. Linear or nonlinear? The biggest differences are the mixers. For example, on the Porta02 mkII, the mixer has only two inputs, so you can't record 424 mkIII 3-ban ...