First Tim Tracking Analog.

SamPura · Post by **SamPura** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:07 pm

I just picked up a Tascam 80 1/2" 8-Track.

I'm planning on tracking my drums to it then into my pro tools. The only question I really have is about recording to Analog Tape in general.

I was told to keep my Kick and Snare track's in the middle of the tape because the edge tracks tend to lose some low frequencies. I'm curious as to what people usually do with their track order when tracking to analog and how true this theory really is.
Should I throw my overhead tracks on the ends?
I'm hoping to slam the shit out of my tracks... any tips on bleed over... things of that sort that I should keep in mind?

Thanks guys.

JohnDavisNYC · Post by **JohnDavisNYC** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:07 pm

i have a Studer, so i can get away with Kick on 1... i have heard that lesser machines this can be a problem.... I have seen people put overheads on 1 and 2, but I have always done it the same as I would to Radar or Logic or PT or Wax Cylinder... Kick In on 1, Kick Out on 2, Snare Top on 3, Snare Bottom (if I have one) on 4, etc.....

I wouldn't bother 'SLAMMING THE SHIT' out of your tracks. They will probably just sound really good hitting tape at a reasonable level... unless you want to get rid of all the attack and power to the drums, then by all means, smash it... if you want a bit of compression, align hot, and then just print normal levels. I am not sure that you will really want the sound of Tascam electronics distorting from trying to print too much level to tape...

speaking of Tascam, I used to use a TRS-8 alot that my partner, Aaron, has... we always put kick on 1, and it was never a problem... kick, snare, hi tom, lo tom, oh l, oh r, room, and bass.... then bounce it to CD-R, print it back to 2 tracks, and keep going... that is how we did the first Ambulance EP....

john

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:34 pm

If you've got noise reduction, don't go past 'o' on the VU meters.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:02 pm

I was taught that things with a lot of high frequency content shouldn't go on the edge tracks and that things with more low frequency content should hit the edge tracks. I've always got BD on track 1.

emrr · Post by **emrr** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:28 pm

drumsound wrote:I was taught that things with a lot of high frequency content shouldn't go on the edge tracks and that things with more low frequency content should hit the edge tracks. I've always got BD on track 1.

This has been the gospel for decades.

xonlocust · Post by **xonlocust** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:43 pm

mhmmmm.

BD on 1. i just did a session on a machine that was kinda fucked (john: an A80 mk IV incedentally) - initially i put BD in on 2, out on 3 etc..... but then track 3 developed a problem mid-session and i bussed it to 1.... i was avoiding it because the heads had visual uneven wear on the bottom tracks. 1k was ok on tk 1, but 10k was stupid fucked, like 8-10db down. still, even using it for BD - it's usable. gotta love thinking on your toes in a new space...

on regular functioning machines though - BD goes on 1 for me commonly.

and re: slam - agreed w/john. try it for shits and giggles, or maybe for a mono mic or the occasional effect - but i like to have my other tracks at a sensible level...

and on that same subject, know your machine - if you have VU meters, know it's not showing you the true transient peaks of fast percussive things like kick/snare - the meters are too slow to react to them. my BD/SD peaks hover round -3 VU. gtrs hover at 0.

lotta guys like to slam it though... experiment with both ways and see whatcha like better and what happens to the signal doing both things... and what you can and can't do downstream in the process based on those choices.... sometimes totally destroying the machine is 100% appropriate...

have fun!

Esmo · Post by **Esmo** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:52 pm

i remember my first tim....

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:53 pm

Esmo wrote:i remember my first tim....

SamPura · Post by **SamPura** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 11:21 pm

I tried tracking with it today. 10 minutes in I realized the fast forward and rewind functions started to slow down. Lame... I thin I need someone to look at it... any recommendations for the bay area CA?

So... Tracking to it hitting red with my NR on sounded obviously a little smeared. I backed down and definitely liked my results more. Also, hitting the Kick Drum on the first track sounded a little rounder on the edge than using the inside tracks... interesting!!!

Then instead of tracking to Tape, I tried tracking to my Pro Tools 002 (with the new tweak head I just got delivered back to me from BLA yesterday... Day01 and a little bit of a difference in sounds. Sounds way more punchy... so far way stoked) and then transferring onto Tape and I enjoyed it more. Sounded cleaner with the overall analog sound I've been looking for.

Thanks for the responses. They helped me try some stuff out throughout the day.

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