I know this has been discussed a few times and no universally acceptable answers were given at the time. I don't know if anyone has found another way to do this or not. I'm sharing a method that has been working for me for a while. My approach assumes you're using Auto Punch to record the track, or a segment of a track. The Preroll works in conjunction with the Auto Punch feature.
1. Set your Bar DISP on under the Metronome Option
2. Set your Temp and Time Signature
3. Calculate Preroll, for example lets say we have MM. 74 and quarter note gets 1 beat (4/4)
That means 74 beats in a minute. Since there are 60 seconds in a minute we can
74/ 60 = 1.23 So a quarter note will take 1.23 (more or less seconds). Since we have
4 quarter notes per measure we multiply. 4 * 1.23 = approx 4.9 seconds.
4. Set the Preroll to 4.9 (This is the amount of time 4 beats will take)
5. Set Metronome mode to REC & Play
Done.
When you hit record, the unit and the metronome will play for 4 beats prior to starting the recording. You can test this with AutoPunch and Rehearse, or AutoPunch, Rehearse and Repeat.
The Metronome will start sounding 4 beats before recording starts. So as long as you are using Measures, and beats , Time Signatures, and Tempos. You should be able to set up a fairly accurate count-in using By calculating the Preroll seconds according to step 3. And setting the Metronome Mode to Rec & Play. If you set the Metronome to Rec, The preroll duration will not sound the metronome, and the metronome will only start to sound once the Auto Punch-in point is reached.
I hope this helps some one. It works for me. I also use the foot switch with this method, so I'm at my instrument ready to go by the time the count-in is done.
Note: If you want a preroll count at the beginning of a song, instead of somewhere else in the song, make sure leave enough empty measures for your count in. For example if you want 1 measure of preroll and metronome, then set AutoPunch-in to start recording on Measure 2. If you want 2 measures of prereoll count, then set AutoPunch-in to start recording on Measure 3. So your song will have 1 or 2 empty measures at the beginning (which can be deleted after your song is dones)
1. Set your Bar DISP on under the Metronome Option
2. Set your Temp and Time Signature
3. Calculate Preroll, for example lets say we have MM. 74 and quarter note gets 1 beat (4/4)
That means 74 beats in a minute. Since there are 60 seconds in a minute we can
74/ 60 = 1.23 So a quarter note will take 1.23 (more or less seconds). Since we have
4 quarter notes per measure we multiply. 4 * 1.23 = approx 4.9 seconds.
4. Set the Preroll to 4.9 (This is the amount of time 4 beats will take)
5. Set Metronome mode to REC & Play
Done.
When you hit record, the unit and the metronome will play for 4 beats prior to starting the recording. You can test this with AutoPunch and Rehearse, or AutoPunch, Rehearse and Repeat.
The Metronome will start sounding 4 beats before recording starts. So as long as you are using Measures, and beats , Time Signatures, and Tempos. You should be able to set up a fairly accurate count-in using By calculating the Preroll seconds according to step 3. And setting the Metronome Mode to Rec & Play. If you set the Metronome to Rec, The preroll duration will not sound the metronome, and the metronome will only start to sound once the Auto Punch-in point is reached.
I hope this helps some one. It works for me. I also use the foot switch with this method, so I'm at my instrument ready to go by the time the count-in is done.
Note: If you want a preroll count at the beginning of a song, instead of somewhere else in the song, make sure leave enough empty measures for your count in. For example if you want 1 measure of preroll and metronome, then set AutoPunch-in to start recording on Measure 2. If you want 2 measures of prereoll count, then set AutoPunch-in to start recording on Measure 3. So your song will have 1 or 2 empty measures at the beginning (which can be deleted after your song is dones)
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