From: ken@batman.austin.ibm.com (Ken Goach)
Subject: Yamaha 4track tips (was Re: 4-TRACK OWNERS - can you help me ?)
Reply-To: ken@batman.austin.ibm.com (Ken Goach)
Organization: IBM Austin, TX
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 92 14:58:27 GMT

 

#The original poster asked whether to use effects when recording or
#during mixdown. I do both. While recording I try to increase crispness
#on the original track (Hint to MT-100/MT-120? users: You can use the
#built in EQ to adjust a signal as you record IF you use the Effect
#Returns rather than the Line Inputs. Set the input selector to the
#desired track to L-R rather than 1-4.) It also pays to use some 
#compression while recording so that the sound can be recorded at a
#hotter level.

Right. I thought the documentation didn't scream this in capital
letters enough. I missed it completely and only found out about
it a year after I had the unit and a friend whom I'd loaned it
to told me. Boy, was I embarrassed! So I miked my amp, selected
the L or R record, and set the EQ and got a better sound.

Here's another tip that I discovered, although it may be common
knowledge, that employs this method of recording.

People have been asking about ping pong/bouncing tracks. Well,
the MT-100 II manual gives an explanation about how to do it
with the internal bus, but I've always had problems with the
result. The signal was never strong enough, even if I pushed
the faders to almost 10. The resulting track also lacked the
initial EQ sparkle I worked on.

Well, last night I spent 1.5 hours doing drums for a tune I'm
working on, and I had to put them in real-time from a keyboard
by playing with a metronome click track. THAT was stressful
enough! So I did two tracks - one for drums, one for cymbals
and effects (like a gated snare with reverse reverb). I got
the tracks to an acceptable point and needed to bounce them over
to another track. I did it the way the manual suggested, and the
result was unexciting (from an EQ standpoint) and the signal
was weak (as described above) - barely 1/2 up on the meter
(in the yellow). The other tracks I tried to add were too loud -
I couldn't hear the drums to play with them, and that's bad.
Once I got the drums loud enough and the guitar low enough, the
guitar signal was too weak - barely lighting up the low end
of the meter. I quit in disgust.

Well, this morning I remembered something I thought of in that
twilight just before you fall asleep (for once, I rememeberd!).
I went in and ran the merged (ping-ponged sounds funny) track
out the individual track out in the back of the unit into another
channel, through the EQ (as Kim described), and recorded it from
track 1 to track 2. The difference was amazing! The drums sounded
almost real, and very crisp. I'm sure I'll be able to hear them
now - the singal's much stronger (in the red some, but not peaking).
I'd bet this drum track sounds better than the original tracks
I used to merge! I also used the line/mic fader to boost the
signal in addition to the individual tracks' level faders, and
this helped immensely.

I plan to do more bounce experiments this way in the future. Now,
if I just hadn't wiped out my click track in all the excitement,
I could finish the song! :(

This may be pretty common knowledge, but it helped me, so I thought
in light of this thread I'd share it. If anyone else has any other
tricks to get a better mix/sound/etc, please post 'em.


THIS POSTING DOES NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF MY EMPLOYERS.
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	"We're just a Bob Seger cover band."
		-Les Claypool, PRIMUS
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