Recording an audio track back to the same track?

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by akjl4

Alright, I am using logic 8 and I have a regular old audio file on as audio track the thing is I also have an external effects processor routed to that track. So I need to make a new audio file that has the effects on it. How could I do this? I know I can bounce a new audio file but, to stream line the process and also record multiple takes it would be awesome to acheive this without bouncing. I tried to simply record enable the track but was left with a blank track after recording.

You're not explaining things very well. All you should need to do is record the output of the FX unit back to an audio track. You'll need a minimum of 2 tracks for this - one for playback, one for record.

Sounds to me like you're using the external effect as a hardware insert? in which case, you need to internally bus the output of the audio track with the effect on it to another track, and put that one into record. Once it's bounced, you can use the original audio object if you want (obviously disabling the external processing.

If it's a send effect (eg reverb/delay) that's external, you just need an audio track that's set to the inputs your effects unit is plugged up to. In this case, you'll need to end up using both tracks in the final mix.

[akjl4]

Sorry psycho, I did not explain that very well, I was kind of assuming people would know what I was talking about. But you were right I am using an external effect processor as an insert. So your explaination helped out. Thanks, Alvin

[akjl4]

Weird, I tried the protocol and it did'nt work for me. I Made the output of the track with the audio file on it Bus 2 and then highlighted the track I wanted to record to and set the input to (I'm talking about the slots under the i/o) bus2 and no audio played through the track. I also tried setting the bus send of the track that I wanted to record to Bus 2 and no luck either. Can anybody tell me what i am doing wrong? Weird thing is that the effect getting effected by the audio got recorded but not the audio region it's self hows that work?
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logic 7.1

[idrinkalot]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

You'll need a minimum of 2 tracks for this - one for playback, one for record.

Exactly.
You're trying to record onto the same track that you're playing back from?

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by akjl4

Weird, I tried the protocol and it did'nt work for me. I Made the output of the track with the audio file on it Bus 2 and then highlighted the track I wanted to record to and set the input to (I'm talking about the slots under the i/o) bus2 and no audio played through the track. I also tried setting the bus send of the track that I wanted to record to Bus 2 and no luck either. Can anybody tell me what i am doing wrong? Weird thing is that the effect getting effected by the audio got recorded but not the audio region it's self hows that work?
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logic 7.1

Can you post screen shots of your audio mixer, and also of your arrange page? (shift+apple+3 to screen grab).

that might make some more sense!

Can you explain "the effect getting effected" better? do you mean you captured say reverb but no dry signal? what type of processing do you have as an insert?

[blayz2002]

What you should do is

First create a new audio track in Logic.
Then set the input of that track to the channel your Soundcard is outputting the returned (i.e. processed) signal to.

(If in doubt look at what channel on your soundcard is reciving the the processed signal on and where that is then being sent/routed to Logic, set you inoput channel to that).

Then record enable the track you just created, and mute it's output (so no feedback loop). Then hit your record button.

Once done copy the track to the orignal track if required.

If still confused advise what soundcard you are using and someone here should be able to help.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by blayz2002

What you should do is

First create a new audio track in Logic.
Then set the input of that track to the channel your Soundcard is outputting the returned (i.e. processed) signal to.

(If in doubt look at what channel on your soundcard is reciving the the processed signal on and where that is then being sent/routed to Logic, set you inoput channel to that).

Then record enable the track you just created, and mute it's output (so no feedback loop). Then hit your record button.

Once done copy the track to the orignal track if required.

If still confused advise what soundcard you are using and someone here should be able to help.

I think I went through all of that...it's just that until we find out exactly how things are set up already it's difficult to say how to print and move on (although the OP has said it's an inserted effect, the fact he seems to manage to have printed just the effect leads to suggest otherwise).

[akjl4]

As you can see I routed audio track 3s output to bus2 and then the input of audio 2(the track I am trying to record to) also to bus2. I hit play and no signal is carried. I also tried using a send on audio 2 to bus 2 also with no signal.

[blayz2002]

Thing is if your savvy enough to have set up a outboard effect that you're accessing from in the DAW, via your interface..(i.e. not by sending out to a mixer and inserting there). How can you not be savvy enough to know how to record it??

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by akjl4

As you can see I routed audio track threes output to bus2 and then the input of audio 2 also to bus2. I hit play and no signal is carried. I also tried using a send on audio 2 to bus 2 also with no signal.

What are the channels you have set in the I/O?

[akjl4]

Originally Posted by blayz2002

Thing is if your savvy enough to have set up a outboard effect that you're accessing from in the DAW, via your interface..(i.e. not by sending out to a mixer and inserting there). How can you not be savvy enough to know how to record it??

Yeah, I know what you are saying it seems incomprehendible but, I have started mixing Itb and have been Itb until now so I have no experience mixing Otb until now.

[akjl4]

Originally Posted by blayz2002

What are the channels you have set in the I/O?

My sound cards outputs are sent to outputs 1-2 making the outputs of my firewire effects 3-18. I had to make an aggregate device which my sound card and firewire efx are both a part of and then can be set as soundcard in logic to output thru. This set might very well be the place where something is being over looked by me.

[Joe Porto]

If the FX is in an insert, what happens if you freeze the track? I recall with Cubase, you could freeze tracks with external inserts. Haven't tried in Logic yet.

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by akjl4

My sound cards outputs are sent to outputs 1-2 making the outputs of my firewire effects 3-18. I had to make an aggregate device which my sound card and firewire efx are both a part of and then can be set as soundcard in logic to output thru. This set might very well be the place where something is being over looked by me.

Ok so what you have here is track 3 sending audio out to your interface channels 5&6 and then coming back into Logic on 3&4. So if you set up track 4's input to 3&4 it should be able to record the audio with the effect. Just make sure you mute the output on track 4 when recording.

Also after you record I would then insert the Logic comp you have on channel 3 so your comping the recoded effected track.

[akjl4]

Thanks blayz, that got it to work! Just one more thing it seems that after I record the track and then play it back against the original is sounds lick it lost a little lows and highs and probably mids, they sound a little duller. Is this just because the recording at 24bit 44.1 just loses some of the sonic character that you hear listening straight from the source? is recording at higher sampling rates the only thing I can do to help this?

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by akjl4

Thanks blayz, that got it to work! Just one more thing it seems that after I record the track and then play it back against the original is sounds lick it lost a little lows and highs and probably mids, they sound a little duller. Is this just because the recording at 24bit 44.1 just loses some of the sonic character that you hear listening straight from the source? is recording at higher sampling rates the only thing I can do to help this?

Good...

The change in sound quality is the round trip the audio is taking out and then back in, on your sound card. It's all down to the quality of the converters.

As a general rule most would agree that unless you have fairly high end converters you better of keeping the audio ITB. We're probably talking Echo or RME upwards.

It could also be that whatever outboard effect your using is also not cutting it. Maybe you could try a higher sample rate...but I don't have much experience of that.

So now you know how to do this you should experiment with whether adding the same effect from a plugin can compete with what you are doing with the outboard?

[akjl4]

Originally Posted by blayz2002

Good...

The change in sound quality is the round trip the audio is taking out and then back in, on your sound card. It's all down to the quality of the converters.

As a general rule most would agree that unless you have fairly high end converters you better of keeping the audio ITB. We're probably talking Echo or RME upwards.

It could also be that whatever outboard effect your using is also not cutting it. Maybe you could try a higher sample rate...but I don't have much experience of that.

So now you know how to do this you should experiment with whether adding the same effect from a plugin can compete with what you are doing with the outboard?

Well the outboard effects I am using Is Eventide H8000FW so it is definetly not the quality of effects, but its got me wondering about the quality of converters it uses. I wonder what most around here would say about using them vs getting something better. Im guessing the are decent since it has such good quality effects its just that I could hear a difference.

Another thing blayz, you mentioned how the audio is making around trip back to my sound card out and then back in. Would'nt I always be hearing the converters whether I was recording the signal or not? I wondering if it might be logic that is degrading the sound quality? Really thanks for all your help and time ! After this Im gonna make some damn music and stop floating around at these sites so much.

[JoeM'Geek]

This is what I'm trying to do with protools and an m/box2.

I'm on the verge of crying. Writing and recording music used to be fun.

[akjl4]

Another thing, I have my H8000 synced to a Native instruments Kore that I am using for a sound card for my monitors, would having my H8000 externally clocked to a seperate interface like this potenially reduce sound quality?

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by akjl4

Another thing blayz, you mentioned how the audio is making around trip back to my sound card out and then back in. Would'nt I always be hearing the converters whether I was recording the signal or not? I wondering if it might be logic that is degrading the sound quality? Really thanks for all your help and time ! After this Im gonna make some damn music and stop floating around at these sites so much.

Depends on whether the audio is something you recorded or is an internal bounce from a softsynth. If something you recorded it's going through the ADC/ DAC twice. If it;s a bounce from a softsynth then it once on the ADC but twice DAC. It won't have anything to do with Logic.

[cl516]

akjl4
i thought the H8000 worked over Firewire with Logic?
i thought the signal doesn't need to be converted at all?

[akjl4]

Originally Posted by cl516

akjl4
i thought the H8000 worked over Firewire with Logic?
i thought the signal doesn't need to be converted at all?

yeah, I have it hooked up to logic with firewire but for logic to be able use it as a insert effect logic sends out a signal then the H8000 sends it back, so I think it goes through the dac twice, once in and once out? If no conversion is required, I dont know what is causing the signal to degrade slightly?

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by akjl4

yeah, I have it hooked up to logic with firewire but for logic to be able use it as a insert effect logic sends out a signal then the H8000 sends it back, so I think it goes through the dac twice, once in and once out? If no conversion is required, I dont know what is causing the signal to degrade slightly?

What sound card or interface are using for your main audio? Does it have any digital I/O?

[manning1]

akjl4 .
i dont know specifically what your trying to do, but to save the hassle ,
cant you just in your daw duplicate the original track to a new trak , then add yer fx ?