Create New Song Problem(s)

[Tommy MacLuckie]

Long story short, I've had this thing for a few years and got to spend about 4 hours on it and... something happened. I'm finally able to get back to it.

I put 2 songs from a 4track on tracks 1 and 2 (for some reason I was not able to dump all 4 at once), mainly just to save the ideas since my CD burner died the day I was working on some ideas (and to top it off, I had some songs on cassette I was going to put on CD... right before the CD burner died, the 3 cassette decks I had ate my tapes - it was a bit of a frustrating evening, especially since those were my only sources). In the midst of doing that, I didn't mark something right or didn't create a new song, so song 2 is part of the saved song 1.

I've marked it, ha ha, I guess, but... how the hell do I get rid of the 20 some minutes that don't have anything following song 2? I can't remember what I did but it's just silence for 20 minutes or so. And in doing that, how do I get song 2 to become Song 2? Without losing Song 1?

The manual doesn't seem to cover this. If it does I sure the hell don't see it or understand it.

I'm a musician, recorded in New Orleans and blah blah blah, not a sound engineer or whatever, the technical aspects of recording. I know a little bit. As in not much. That's it. Used to being on the creative side, not the capturing side. Attempting to change that but... this ain't no 4track, that's for sure. I'm not keen on losing what I have on the SD card.

Anyone have an idea?

 

[Mark Richards]

Welcome to the Forum.

had this thing for a few years and got to spend about 4 hours on it

First, I strongly urge you to make a safety back up of the entire SD card to your computer.

Second, since you haven't used your portastudio for a few years, I strongly urge you to update to the latest firmware. This way, we are all working from the same starting point with further advice. Info in post #1 here. The firmware update file is found on the TASCAM (tascam.com) DP-24SD support page. Update instructions are in the Owner Manual and included with the update file.

Third, I strongly urge you to assure you have a TASCAM tested and approved SD card to work with. Info on that is in the Equipment Tips sticky.

Once you've got those things squared away, you'll be in much better shape to make use of your portastudio.

BUT, if you'd rather not first do those things:

get rid of the 20 some minutes that don't have anything following song 2?

You get rid of a silent segment by marking the In/Out points and use the Edit function to remove it. The OM has the specific steps (Track Editing). They're straight forward.

song 2 is part of the saved song 1..how do I get song 2 to become Song 2? Without losing Song 1?

Use the Menu/Song function to make a copy of the the entire work (with songs 1 & 2) as it exists, giving the copy a new name. The OM has the specific steps for that too (Song Editing). Again, they're straight forward.

Then load that second copy, Mark the In/Out points of the part you don't want, and use the Edit function to remove it. Load and do the reverse in the first copy, removing the part you don't want. (This is why it pays to have a backup copy on the computer. If things go sideways you can always start over.)

 

[David Porter]

not a sound engineer or whatever, the technical aspects of recording. I know a little bit. As in not much. That's it. Used to being on the creative side, not the capturing side. Attempting to change that but... this ain't no 4track, that's for sure.

This will help you. A lot:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI2uGjCObnySgNrQyJmlcQpQaUdgBdW6l

 

[Tommy MacLuckie]

Welcome to the Forum.


First, I strongly urge you to make a safety back up of the entire SD card to your computer.

Second, since you haven't used your portastudio for a few years, I strongly urge you to update to the latest firmware. This way, we are all working from the same starting point with further advice. Info in post #1 here. The firmware update file is found on the TASCAM (tascam.com) DP-24SD support page. Update instructions are in the Owner Manual and included with the update file.

Third, I strongly urge you to assure you have a TASCAM tested and approved SD card to work with. Info on that is in the Equipment Tips sticky.

Once you've got those things squared away, you'll be in much better shape to make use of your portastudio.

BUT, if you'd rather not first do those things:


You get rid of a silent segment by marking the In/Out points and use the Edit function to remove it. The OM has the specific steps (Track Editing). They're straight forward.


Use the Menu/Song function to make a copy of the the entire work (with songs 1 & 2) as it exists, giving the copy a new name. The OM has the specific steps for that too (Song Editing). Again, they're straight forward.

Then load that second copy, Mark the In/Out points of the part you don't want, and use the Edit function to remove it. Load and do the reverse in the first copy, removing the part you don't want. (This is why it pays to have a backup copy on the computer. If things go sideways you can always start over.)

Wow.

OK.

I'll digest that, look into the SD card - I had no idea that there were good ones, bad ones, etc... the update.

Is this what I get for not spending a little more money and getting Pro Tools? Not that that would be any easier I guess but...

Thanks!

 

[David Porter]

Is this what I get for not spending a little more money and getting Pro Tools?

Nah. That's what you get for not hanging around here with us a little more.

 

[Tommy MacLuckie]

I bought it in January of 2017. Prior to that I had been playing on the road and working on records. My wife got breast cancer. Since I was spending a lot of time at home and she slept a lot I thought I'd focus on recording. That didn't happen so I put it away.

Long story short, I've finally been able to get back to it and it's just as confusing now as it was then!

 

[David Porter]

it's just as confusing now as it was then!

It may not work for every soul... but what helped me to get a solid grasp on this machine was to learn the signal routing by following the block diagram - and doing that in conjunction with the Tipping tutorials.

Taking it slow... learning the DP signal routing as just a simple pass-through mixer. Then as a recorder, and then as a recorder with effects (at different stages of the signal path), and then with an understanding of the Send, Bounce, and Stereo buses.

The block diagram is immensely helpful. It was to me anyway.

 

[-mjk-]

My wife got breast cancer.

We're very sorry to hear that. You're doing the right thing and we admire you for that. You can count on us to help you get going on the DP machine.