Multitrack recording

Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the recording of multiple sound sources, whether simultaneously or at different times. This is the most common method of recording popular music. Musicians or singers can be recorded separately, then these performances can be edited together to create a cohesive result. It is also called 'multitracking' or just 'tracking' for short.

Using a personal computer as a multitrack recording device

Today, a sufficiently dedicated and talented artist can literally produce a million selling album in his own bedroom, using only his personal computer as a professional tracking machine. This has been done by many artists already. In order to use a personal computer as a multitracking device, a minimum of three items are required:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• A personal computer which has a sound card
• Multitrack recording software installed and running on the computer (even inexpensive software like PG Music's Power Tracks Pro would suffice)
• At least one or more recording sources such as a musical instrument like a guitar or a synthesizer, a decent microphone to record the vocals of a singer and/or any other sources of sound to be recorded.

This is all that is needed to set up a multitracking studio at home which will produce recordings with a very decent quality. An individual can use the standard sound card in a personal computer to capture sounds he wishes to record. This is done

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

simply by attaching either a microphone to the microphone input jack if voice is to be recorded, or by attaching a stereo cable from the electronic device (such as a synthesizer or a guitar amplifier) to the line input of the sound card. At most one records two tracks at a time, but builds up the tracks layer by layer. For example, first the band plays the whole song, but only the drums are recorded on tracks 10 and 11. Then, the computer plays back the just recorded drums, while the rest of the band plays alongwith the sound of the drums coming from the computer, and the drummer rests, and this time the keyboards are recorded on tracks 1 and 2. Third time around, the drummer and the keyboardist rest, while the computer plays back tracks 1 and 2 (which have the keyboards) and tracks 10 and 11 (which have the drums) and records the lead guitar part on tracks 3 and 4. And so on for the bass guitar and any other instruments. At the end of this process, all the instruments and human singers' voices have been recorded onto individual tracks inside the computer software which has recorded these sounds onto individual computer files on the computer's hard drive. Now, any special effects like reverb, chorus, delays can be applied inside the computer software. When the band members are happy with the sound, all the multiple tracks are mixed down onto two clean tracks, again inside the multitracking software. Finally, a CD is burnt of the final two mixed down tracks which can then be widely distributed.

Related Topics:
Microphone - Synthesizer - Guitar - Amplifier

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some of the leading providers of multitracking software for a personal computer are Digidesign (software called ProTools), Cakewalk (software called SONAR), Apple (software called Logic Pro) and PG Music (software called Power Tracks Pro). Protools is regarded as the king of multitracking software, and is a standard in most recording studios in the US.

Related Topics:
Digidesign - ProTools - Cakewalk - Apple - Logic Pro - PG Music - Power Tracks Pro

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~