Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] Ardour : features page
From: Tom Pincince (stillone_AT_snowcrest.net)
Date: Mon Oct 16 2000 - 10:09:59 EEST
>I don't understand any situation where you would want to use a
>multichannel recorder in this way. If you explain the
>performance/composition context, maybe I would reconsider.
There are many situations where multichannel recorders are used this
way, if the recorder is an edl based daw. ADAT's and hd equivalents
can't be used this way at all. If ardour, in its current form, is
primarily an adat replacement then do a feature freeze and look at this
after you have reached 1.0. A 24 track adat replacement using a general
purpose computer and linux is a worthy goal in itself and I would rather
see it reach 1.0 asap.
Since the ultimate goal is to build a complete daw eventually, I will
elaborate on this loop recording concept for future consideration.
Suppose I have a multitrack recording of a song and I want to add an
instrumental solo. The song is 5 minutes long and the solo is 30
seconds long and occurs somewhere in the middle. It is common for
multiple versions of the solo to be recorded, and the producer chooses
the best one for inclusion in the song. One way of recording multiple
solos is for the soloist to listen to the song from the beginning or a
punch in point and overdub one solo, creating a new file. The recording
is then stopped, the solo is muted, a new soundfile is defined, the song
is queued up to the beginning or punch in point, and the recording
process begins again. This is not fun. What I do in studio vision pro
is I define a region beginning 2 measures before the beginning of the
solo and ending 2 measures after the solo. This region includes all
tracks that the soloist would like to hear while playing. I then
individually loop each of those tracks for playback and record the
soloist to a single track. The region to contain the solo simply plays
over and over, and the soloist can record as many takes as is desired
without being interrupted to re-queue the song. Now the solos are
located sequentially on one track so if I recorded 5 solos of 30 seconds
each then I have one soundfile that is 150 seconds long and only the
first one is synched with the song. I then separate the solos by
defining regions of precisely equal duration to the original looped
region and every solo can now be positioned in its own track using a
snap to edits feature. These solos are now in the perfect position for
creating a single composite solo if none of them are good enough on
their own. I think logic goes one step further and actually assigns
each iteration through the loop to its own track and auto mutes the
previous iteration. This obviously requires edl functionality, single
sample accuracy for defining punch points, etc. It is worth noting that
the recording process does not need to create new files for each
iteration. It is also not loop recording, since only the playback of
previously recorded tracks are looped. I also use Session by
digidesign, a very simple audio only program which disables looping when
in record mode. What I do here is I define the region to be looped then
I repeat paste this region as many times as desired. While this is
technically not looping the effect is identical.
>Robert Fripp has been one of the prime exponents of this technique,
>and what I have seen him do could not be accomplished with a
>multichannel HDR system for quite some time to come.
My main instrument is ebow electric guitar through delay loops. I have
been playing this way almost daily for the last 15 years, and have in
fact been referred to as a rent-a-fripp. If you can imagine fripp with
an ee degree and a softer meditative sound, that's me. I have some
definite ideas on how to incorporate dynamic loop recording into an edl
based daw, and a clear idea of why a jamman is not sufficient. Until
edl functions are available, such a detailed discussion would be
premature, but I will continue to watch and wait.
Tom
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