For my last couple of projects I did not use Virtual Tracks for Alternate Takes. I used Virtual Tracks as Scenes and Song Sections, and for me and my projects its worked nice. So I thought I would share.
I had a couple of sections in a song where a keyboard and two saxophones needed this funky delay. They did not need the delay in the other sections of the song. They needed different EQ with the delay effect. I had a similar situation on another project with vocals and a guitar trio where the sections of the song needed to have different effects, EQ, etc.
Some of our seasoned DP users may already do this, but for me it was a nice discovery.
I decided to use the virtual tracks as sections. You know Intro, Verse1, Chorus, Improv, Verse2, Chorus, Ending, etch
with each level of Virtual Track representing A section. For instance on Each Track's Virtual Track 3, I recorded the Chorus. VT4 I recorded Improv, etc. I then bounced each Section(VT Level) to a stereo pair with the appropriate effects, eq, etc applied. On both projects I ended up with 6 sections, each with their own effects, eq, levels etc. That I could then "using copy and paste" place in any order I wanted and repeat sections as many times as I wanted. Since the sections were already recorded and bounced to stereo tracks. I used the Virtual Tracks as Sections and created my own Arranger Chain. If I used one track's virtual track 2 for the chorus, I used all the track's virtual 2s for the chorus. If I used virtual track 4 on one track for a certain scene effect, I used virtual track 4 for all tracks (where it applied) for the same scene. That is I used the virtual tracks in levels (consistently) That worked for me.
Likewise I used the sections as scenes! With each scene and track having their own EQ, effects, mixer levels, etc. Of course the settings on the mixer, dynamics, and effects on the DP24/32 are what ever they are currently set to. BUT! when you bounce them to a track (virtual or otherwise) they are permanently recorded in that track. No, you won't be able to bring up a virtual track and have it restore the settings that were in effect when that virtual track was recorded(That would be nice Tascam!) But bouncing the virtual tracks do capture whatever settings are being applied as insert effects, or send effects EQ, etc to the bounce track etc.
Naturally someone will quickly point out how much easier this all is in a DAW. And my response of late has been F#cK Daws
I'm getting it all done with my DP 24 and my Model 12 occasionally aided and abetted by my DP-02
I just wanted to share this with folks who didn't already know, that bouncing, and virtual tracks together with the copy, move features of the DP 24/32 can be used to set up scenes (of a sort), sections, arranger tracks, and section chains. The Bounce feature allow you to record the state of the machine for any group of tracks, including fader groups, at any time and preserve of all of that in virtual tracks to be used in whatever way you see fit.
I suspect the bounce feature and virtual tracks are likely very under used. Using bounce, scenes, sections, virtual tracks, in conjunction with the stereo tracks, opens all kinds of automation possibilities, arranging possibilities during the DP24/32 mixdown and mastering process. I think we're only limited by our imagination, patience, and persistence. The portastudio is more than an adventure its a lifestyle
So I guess the moral of the story (at least for me it was) Don't just look at virtual tracks for alternative takes of a performance. They can be used to capture scenes, song sections, special samples, arrangement chains, etc. When used with the bounce feature, and the editing functions it basically gives us 240/320 tracks that we can put, and place, move, duplicate, and shift, compress, eq, effect in any manner we choose
Viva La Vida Porta Studio
I had a couple of sections in a song where a keyboard and two saxophones needed this funky delay. They did not need the delay in the other sections of the song. They needed different EQ with the delay effect. I had a similar situation on another project with vocals and a guitar trio where the sections of the song needed to have different effects, EQ, etc.
Some of our seasoned DP users may already do this, but for me it was a nice discovery.
I decided to use the virtual tracks as sections. You know Intro, Verse1, Chorus, Improv, Verse2, Chorus, Ending, etch
with each level of Virtual Track representing A section. For instance on Each Track's Virtual Track 3, I recorded the Chorus. VT4 I recorded Improv, etc. I then bounced each Section(VT Level) to a stereo pair with the appropriate effects, eq, etc applied. On both projects I ended up with 6 sections, each with their own effects, eq, levels etc. That I could then "using copy and paste" place in any order I wanted and repeat sections as many times as I wanted. Since the sections were already recorded and bounced to stereo tracks. I used the Virtual Tracks as Sections and created my own Arranger Chain. If I used one track's virtual track 2 for the chorus, I used all the track's virtual 2s for the chorus. If I used virtual track 4 on one track for a certain scene effect, I used virtual track 4 for all tracks (where it applied) for the same scene. That is I used the virtual tracks in levels (consistently) That worked for me.
Likewise I used the sections as scenes! With each scene and track having their own EQ, effects, mixer levels, etc. Of course the settings on the mixer, dynamics, and effects on the DP24/32 are what ever they are currently set to. BUT! when you bounce them to a track (virtual or otherwise) they are permanently recorded in that track. No, you won't be able to bring up a virtual track and have it restore the settings that were in effect when that virtual track was recorded(That would be nice Tascam!) But bouncing the virtual tracks do capture whatever settings are being applied as insert effects, or send effects EQ, etc to the bounce track etc.
Naturally someone will quickly point out how much easier this all is in a DAW. And my response of late has been F#cK Daws
I'm getting it all done with my DP 24 and my Model 12 occasionally aided and abetted by my DP-02I just wanted to share this with folks who didn't already know, that bouncing, and virtual tracks together with the copy, move features of the DP 24/32 can be used to set up scenes (of a sort), sections, arranger tracks, and section chains. The Bounce feature allow you to record the state of the machine for any group of tracks, including fader groups, at any time and preserve of all of that in virtual tracks to be used in whatever way you see fit.
I suspect the bounce feature and virtual tracks are likely very under used. Using bounce, scenes, sections, virtual tracks, in conjunction with the stereo tracks, opens all kinds of automation possibilities, arranging possibilities during the DP24/32 mixdown and mastering process.
I think we're only limited by our imagination, patience, and persistence. The portastudio is more than an adventure its a lifestyleSo I guess the moral of the story (at least for me it was) Don't just look at virtual tracks for alternative takes of a performance. They can be used to capture scenes, song sections, special samples, arrangement chains, etc. When used with the bounce feature, and the editing functions it basically gives us 240/320 tracks that we can put, and place, move, duplicate, and shift, compress, eq, effect in any manner we choose
Viva La Vida Porta Studio
