Simple Question- Bouncing, Mixdown & Mastering Procedure

[Dave Zippi]

Hello Folks!

I have a simple question concerning "bounce", mixdown" & "mastering" on the DP-24.

I have bounced & mixed-down my song's 13 tracks to a stereo track (23-24).

I've been muting all the tracks with the exception of stereo track (23-24) & then skipping the mixdown operation & going straight to the "mastering" & then burning a CD for analysis.

Is this okay to do or do I need to go to mixdown with track (23-24) & then go to "mastering.

Thanks, Dave

 

[-mjk-]

hi Dave.

Nope. You have to go through the Mixdown process, even if it's only to send 1 track to the mixdown, so it can create the file to process for Mastering.

Please see the sticky topics at the top of the forum, and please watch ALL of Phil Tipping's instructional videos. All of this is clearly explained. Especially this one:

Welcome to the Tascam Forums.

 

[Dave Zippi]

Many Thanks!
Yes, What a difference! I was going straight from "Multi-Track" mode skipping "Mixdown" mode & muting all of my recorded tracks except for my mixdown on tracks # 23-24 & then going straight to "Master" mode. No wonder why my later adjustments were insignificant. The "Mute" shuts off when you go to "Mastering" mode. I was recording everything.
Here's another question to make this all sit well in my brain. If I create a master file in "Mixdown" mode can I skip "Master" mode & then burn a CD to check out my mix on various equipment to see what I need to do when I i want to later go to "MASTER" mode?
-Dave

 

[David Porter]

Here's another question to make this all sit well in my brain. If I create a master file in "Mixdown" mode can I skip "Master" mode & then burn a CD to check out my mix on various equipment to see what I need to do when I i want to later go to "MASTER" mode?
-Dave

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Yes Dave - absolutely you can do that.

You can create the mixdown file - and you don't necessarily have to play/burn that to a disc (but you can do that too if you like). You can simply extract that file from the "Music" folder for that song and copy it to your computer drive and do whatever you want with it from there. Again - that file is found in the "Music" folder of the project that your working on and is titled: "song name".WAV

Then you can comeback - perhaps tweak the mix a little, rinse, and repeat. When you're ready (or maybe never) - you can then do that entire process as it relates to mastering mode. Keep in mind: the master file always over writes the mixdown file. But there is one level of undo - if I recall correctly.

But you can save the different mixdown and master files to your computer drive endlessly.

World without end. Amen.

 

[Mark Richards]

What David wrote, to which I'll add that you don't have to enter Master mode to finalize your mix if you don't need to tweak it with Compression, EQ, or need to Normalize. You can use the stereo songname.wav file created after completing your mixdown. The DP-24/32 CD Burner (which only works in Multitrack mode) will let you burn any songname.wav file that's in your Menu/Song list.

...I was going straight from "Multi-Track" mode skipping "Mixdown" mode & muting all of my recorded tracks except for my mixdown on tracks # 23-24 & then going straight to "Master" mode.

As to what you wrote (quoted above) that's not possible.

If an initial songname.wav file hasn't first been created by doing a mix in Mixdown mode, then trying to bypass Mixdown mode to enter Master mode will send you right back to Multitrack mode, since there's nothing to "master".

So at some point you must have used Mixdown mode to create an initial songname.wav file. That initial songname.wav file would be what you were hearing on playback if your were able to listen while in Master mode. Without that initial songname.wav Mixdown file, you can't enter Master mode.

If you're absolutely sure you never enteted Mixdown mode and created a songname.wav file, then you must have been listening to playback while in Multitrack mode.

 

[Dave Zippi]

Thanks, David for your clear detailed answer.
Mark, come to think about it I must have been doing what you described.