recording workflow
Tutorials

Recording Workflow

 

This is a short tutorial about my recording workflow. Hopefully it gives a feeling of how I try to go straight into recording with no distractions caused by the software or the hardware.

Objective

  • Record voice and instrument simultaneously 
  • Use scat singing methodology (ah, or changing vowels)
  • Improvise all instruments in the style and chord complexity chosen 
    • Example: “do this in the key of E Major”
    • Example: “do this in a Latin beat, with lots of syncopation”
    • Example: “do a blues piece, use 12/8 time signature, 12 bar phrases”
  • NOTE:  cleanup/engineering occurs in a different session, you do not want to interrupt the “vibe”. 
  • Let the sound and emotions engulf you, work from the heart, do not control the process, let the subconscious control the recording event.  I will cover this more in a different document.  

Media 

Steps

Set File Name and Template

  • Record – 2025
    •  25a-00 thru 25a-99
    •  25v-00 thru 25v-99
    • 25m-00 thru 25m-99

a means Acoustic Guitar as the chord structure starting point

v means voice and either keyboard or Guitar (acoustic or electric) as the chord structure starting point

m means MODX (external Synthesizer) as the chord structure starting point

each has its own Cubase Template

Check External Mixer balances and inputs

  • Make sure local audio is on (audio sent to monitors before conversion to digital and sent to the DAW
  • Set Main Mix volume 
  • For “v” type recording (voice and keyboard) pan hard right to minimize input to microphones (recording out loud makes the vibe real), microphone is on the Left side of setup, away from keyboard output

Adjust Audio levels inside DAW

  • Set sources
  • Adjust pre-record effects (like EQ for voices, electric guitar “rig” presets etc.
    • Minimize plug-ins, they can drag and cause synch problems (add later)

Set DAW to run a session

  • Click the letters I and O ….  (Punch In/Out)
  • Set Time Signature (4/4, ¾, 6/8) and sub beats, like count 6/8 in 2 beats)
  • Set Tempo
  • Make sure Constraint Delay Compensation is ON
  • Check metronome volume levels (or drum levels, if running full up midi drums) 
  • Select an instrument on MODX (Synth)

Set Lanes

  • Voice – wave file
  • MODX (synth) – midi only, don’t try to record inbound audio, way too unstable
  • Enable Record and Monitor 

Record

  • Hit play, record starts at markers 

Reverse Settings

  • Set Record and Monitor to OFF
  • Set IO to OFF
  • Set metronome to OFF

Advanced Setup

  • AQ set to ON
  • Set quantization to lowest level of rhythm (8th note or 16th note or 8th note triplet gets the beat)