Using same Send Effect setting on 2 separate tracks

[Jonathanalen]

Help! I'm using a DP-32SD, trying to record some acoustic guitar tracks using a condenser mic and the internal reverb Send Effect. I'd like to record a sort of "call and response," i.e., a riff on one track, followed by a riff on another track, and then back to the first track, etc. The idea is to preserve the Send Effect setting for both tracks, and just assign the signal to one track to record, and then to the other track, and then back to the first track. (They will be panned L and R in the mixdown.) I found a great setting for one track, but when I try to assign that input to a different track, I pick up the acoustic, but can't use the reverb Send Effect! I keep getting an error code telling me that "While using a guitar effect, the use of dynamic effects is limited to one or two channels." But I am NOT using any dynamic effects, and reverb is a Send Effect, not a guitar effect. To keep the creative process moving, I'd like to avoid having to physically hook up the mic to separate tracks for each take on each riff. Any insights?

 

[Phil Tipping]

If you get that message, the guitar effect must be inserted into one of the tracks. Maybe you did this inadvertently - the system can be a bit non-intuituve until you get your head round it. To remove the guitar effect you have to explicitly take it out of the track insert path; just turning it off is not sufficient. Go to the guitar effect screen and you'll see a track no. at the top right of the screen. That track select button will also be lit. Press the select button to turn it off, and the track no. will change to a '--' symbol. The guitar effect is now out of the picture.
Similarly you may have inserted dynamic effects inadvertently - go to the dynamics screen, press each input source button and you'll see which dynamic effect is inserted into that input path. This time, you just press the on/off button to remove the effect from the input path. Repeat for all inputs A to H.
What you are doing with re-assigning the same input to different tracks in succession is perfectly valid. It's also possible to leave it assigned to multiple tracks and just arm them in succession... only armed tracks are recorded.
But note that when you use the send effect like this, it is not actually being recorded. You are only hearing it via the monitoring system, and then when you playback, you are hearing it being applied to the playback signal. It isn't really on the recording.

 

[Jonathanalen]

Phil, thank you so much for the incredibly helpful and lucid explanation of how to clear out hidden dynamic or guitar effects. As it happens, I did have a rogue dynamic effect (noise suppression) embedded in one of the tracks. Per your instructions, I turned it off. No other effects are on. The error code is gone.

I then discovered your treasure trove of videos that answered many of my other questions! Incredibly useful. I am left with one question that you can probably help me with in a minute. My situation is as follows. I copied a bunch of my old songs from an old Tascam 4 track cassette onto the DP-32SD. I did separate line outs from each old track and recorded them simultaneously onto new digital tracks. Everything came out great. I even reduced some hiss using noise suppression. The old material had already been recorded with live reverb. Now I want to add a few new tracks to some of the old songs. The old tracks already have reverb, so only the new tracks would need a touch. Would it make sense -- and is it possible -- to simply record the new tracks dry and add the reverb send effect to just the new tracks when I mix down and master the final song? Or would I be better off "live recording" the reverb onto the new tracks using the bounce technique you cover in one of your videos?

Many thanks for any thoughts or insights you can provide. -- Jonathan

 

[Phil Tipping]

Yes you can add a reverb send effect to any combination of tracks and/or live inputs (different levels for each) during mixdown or bouncing. The trick for recording live inputs in bounce mode and adding the send effect on-the-fly can also be used.
As to which method is best, some points to consider...
The live input methods may be difficult to repeat if it doesn't sound right.
The bouncing methods have less on-the-fly adjustment than the mixdown methods.
The bouncing methods let you create multiple 'mixes' for comparison (assuming you have enough spare stereo tracks).
The mixdown methods create a file ready for mastering.

 

[Jonathanalen]

Phil, thank you for saving me hours of frustration! To your list of pros and cons I would add one more thought that may be relevant for others. If you are planning to touch up a live track with punch-ins/punch-outs (as I tend to do), it may make more sense to add the reverb during the mix down, when the track is completed, for a more seamless finish. Punch-ins/outs can cut off the reverb during live takes, resulting in a messy and unprofessional sounding final track. Anyway, thanks again for your knowledge and insights!