User Manual

MULTITRAC K REC O RDING TEC HNIQ UES
Be fo re yo u try to a tte mp t a multitra c k re c o rd ing o n yo ur
o wn, it’ s a b so lute ly e sse ntia l tha t yo u und e rsta nd the
func tio n o f a ll the c o ntro ls, switc he s, a nd c o nne c to rs in
e a c h se c tio n. In a d d itio n, yo u sho uld sp e nd a n a d e q ua te
a mo unt o f time to fa milia rize yo urse lf with the b lo c k
d ia g ra m o n p a g e 35. It ma y a p p e a r ha rd to und e rsta nd
a t first, b ut a fte r c a re fully lo o king it o ve r, yo u’ ll find tha t
it’ s no t o nly e a sy to fo !lo w, b ut q uite use ful in und e r-
sta nd ing the va rio us sig na l flo ws invo lve d in using the
C MX1. The numb e rs o n the b lo c k d ia g ra m fo r the c o n-
tro ls, switc he s, a nd c o nne c to rs c o rre sp o nd to tho se
use d in the se c tio n title d “ The C o ntro ls, a nd The ir
Func tio ns” .
dbx SYSTEM
O NE EXAMPLE O F A MULTITRAC K
REC O RDING PRO C ESS
Multitra c k re c o rd ing is usua lly use d to re c o rd a rhythm
se c tio n, with o ve rd ub b ing a nd p ing -p o ng ing o p e ra tio ns
a ssisting in mixing the p a rts o f the va rio us music ia ns in
the p ro p e r b a la nc e . Fina lly, the ta p e is mixe d d o wn to
p ro d uc e a ste re o ma ste r ta p e .
The se a re the ste ps in o ur e xa mple :
Re c o rd the d rums o n tra c k 1
Re c o rd the b a ss o n tra c k 2
Re c o rd the rhythm g uita r o n tra c k 3
Ping -p o ng ing tra c ks 1 — 3 o nto tra c k 4
(fre e ing tra c ks 1—3)
Re c o rd the ke yb o a rd s o n tra c k 1
Re c o rd the le a d g uita r o n tra c k 2
Re c o rd the vo c a ls o n tra c k 3
Mixd o wn tra c ks 1 — 4 to p ro d uc e a ste re o
ma ste r ta p e
Mo nito ring
BEFO RE REC O RDING
REC O RDING LEVEL
In ma king a g o o d re c o rd ing , the mo st imp o rta nt ste p is
se tting the id e a l re c o rd ing le ve l. If the le ve l is to o lo w,
the re c o rd ing will c o nta in a lo t o f no ise a nd hiss; if the
le ve l is to o hig h, the re c o rd ing will so und d isto rte d a nd
unc le a r. Se t the re c o rd ing le ve l a t a fa irly hig h le ve l, b ut
no t so hig h a s to re sult in a ny no tic e a b le d isto rtio n.
The C MX1 is e q uip p e d with p e a k le ve l me te rs whic h
sho w the le ve l o f e a c h tra c k, a s we ll a s the le ve l o f the
ste re o o utp ut sig na l. Use the se me te rs to he lp yo u se t
the id e a l re c o rd ing le ve l, b e c a use the huma n e a r ha s
d iffic ulty in d e te c ting d isto rtio n imme d ia te ly. If the le ve l
me te rs “ p e a k o ut” (sho w the ma ximum re a d ing ) in a
me re insta nt, it’ s no t a p ro b le m. Ho we ve r, if the y’ re p e a k-
ing o ut fo r mo re tha n a se c o nd o r two , the n d isto rtio n
ma y b e c o me a p ro b le m. It’ s a lso imp o rta nt to re me mb e r
tha t d isto rtio n a t lo we r fre q ue nc ie s is le ss a p p a re nt tha n
d isto rtio n a t hig he r fre q ue nc ie s.
Ke e p the d b x switc h “ O N” to e xp a nd d yna mic ra ng e a nd
to re d uc e inhe re nt ta p e no ise .
STEREO PO SITIO NING
It’ s imp o rta nt to think a b o ut the a c o ustic “ p o sitio n” o f
a ll the instrume nts we ll b e fo re yo u sta rt yo ur multitra c k
re c o rd ing . Yo u sho uld ta ke into a c c o unt a c e rta in a mo unt
o f no ise c a use d b y p ing -p o ng ing a nd mixd o wns p la n-
ne d fo r la te r o n.
He re ’ s o ne e xa mp le o f a c o ustic p o sitio ning . Se t the b a ss
d rum a nd the sna re d rum c e nte r, with the to m-
to ms a nd hig h ha t se t o ff to e ithe r sid e to b ring o ut the
“ ste re o ” e ffe c t. The b a ss a nd o the r “ he a vy” instrume nts
sho uld b e in the c e nte r, with the ke yb o a rd s to the le ft
a nd the g uita r to the rig ht. So lo instrume nts a nd vo ic e s
sho uld sp a n b o th rig ht a nd le ft. So lo instrume nts with
a ste re o o utp ut c a n ha ve the ir le ft c ha nne l c o nne c te d
to a d e la y ma c hine , while the rig ht c ha nne l is re c o rd e d
d ire c tly. Yo u c a n p ro b a b ly think o f ma ny o the r d iffe re nt
wa ys to “ a rra ng e ” the so und sta g e .
EQ UALIZATIO N AND EFFEC T PRO C ESSING
Eq ua liza tio n a nd e ffe c t p ro c e ssing a re usua lly a d d e d a t
the p ing -p o ng a nd mixd o wn sta g e s. In multitra c k re c o rd -
ing , the se typ e s o f sig na l p ro c e ssing c a n b e d e c id e d o n
la te r, a nd e mp lo ye d to a ny d e g re e ne c e ssa ry. Ho we ve r,
the MT1X is limite d in the numb e r o f e ffe c ts whic h c a n
b e use d d uring mixd o wn, so it’ s b e st to use the m d ur-
ing the initia l re c o rd ing sta g e s.
In a d d itio n to c irc uits fo r sig na l re c o rd ing , this unit a lso
fe a ture s a se p a ra te mo nito r c irc uit to a llo w the p e rfo rme r
to mo nito r the le ve ls a nd p o sitio ning o f the re c o rd ing in
p ro g re ss thro ug h a p a ir o f he a d p ho ne s. In this c a se , se t
the PHO NES SELEC T switc h to the “ MO NITO R” p o si-
tio n. Ad just the vo lume le ve l a nd ste re o p o sitio ning o f
e a c h tra c k with its MO NITO R LEVEL a nd MO NITO R PAN
c o ntro ls.
In a d d itio n, p o we re d mo nito r sp e a ke rs c a n b e d ire c tly
c o nne c te d to the ST O UT ja c ks o r the AUX SEND ja c k,
tho ug h this ma ke s it imp o ssib le to use the se ja c ks fo r
e xte rna l re c o rd ing o r e ffe c ts. Using sp e a ke rs d uring
re c o rd ing o ff line s p re se nts no p ro b le ms, b ut whe n
mic ro p ho ne s a re use d , fe e d b a c k c a n re sult whe n the
mic ro p ho ne p ic ks up so und fro m the sp e a ke rs. In this
c a se , mo nito ring thro ug h he a d p ho ne s b e c o me s a b so lute -
ly ne c e ssa ry.
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