R•A•M•P

Recording in Digital Performer

•Create or Open a Digital Performer File

•Configure the Digital Performer File

•Add audio track(s): Project>Add Track>Mono (or Stereo) Audio Track

•The new tracks appear in your Tracks Window

•Assign Input/Output to Mbox: Setup>Configure Hardware System>Configure Hardware Driver. Select Digidesign HW (Mbox) and hit OK.

•Assign Input/Output to Mbox: Studio>Audio Bundles. Click the Inputs tab. Create new mono or stereo inputs as needed.

•Click the Outputs tab and create a stereo output.

•Close the Audio Bundles window by clicking in the upper left hand corner.

•In the Tracks window, assign the inputs of your audio tracks to either a mono or stereo input.

•Likewise, assign the outputs of your audio tracks to either a mono or stereo output.

•Put an Audio Track into record by clicking on the “arm record button.” It turns red.

•Open the Audio Monitor window: Studio>Audio Monitor. The track you have selected for recording is highlighted (you may need to scroll to find it).

Notice that the “Take File” has the same name as your track name.

Also notice that the “Take Folder” is the Audio Files folder that is in your project folder. Click on the Take Folder name if you want to see the whole path to that folder. This is the folder where the audio files you record will be stored.

•Send a signal to the Mbox. If you are coming from the Mackie board, you will patch into the Source 1-2 jacks on the back of the Mbox using 1/4” phone plugs. If you are plugging a mic directly into the Mbox, you would also plug into those jacks using an XLR cable.

If you are coming from the board, click the “source” button on the front of the Mbox until “inst” is selected. If you plugging a mic in directly, click the “source” button until “mic” is selected, and make sure you have pushed in the “48v” (phantom power) button on the back of the Mbox.

•Plug headphones into the front of the Mbox. With a signal coming into the Mbox, turn up the “source” knob on the channel(s) you are sending a signal to. Turn the mix knob all the way to the left (“input”) and then turn up the headphone knob until you hear a comfortable volume.

If you don’t hear anything, retrace your steps: make sure you have a signal coming out of the Mackie board, that you are patched properly, and that the buttons and knobs are properly configured.

•In DP, look at your Audio Monitor window. You should now see a signal on the meter. Using proper gain structure, set a signal that is most often between –12 and just under 0. If you are lighting the red light at all, turn your signal down.

•Locate to the measure and beat where you want to start the recording.

•You are now ready to record. Hit the Record button (or Command-3 on the number pad). The transport will start, and you will see a red bar form in the right part of the Tracks window.

•When you are done recording, hit the stop button. Your newly recorded file will now appear as an audio soundbite in the Tracks window.

•If you want playback your tracks, turn the mix knob on the Mbox all the way to the right (“playback), and locate the DP cursor to a point somewhere in the recording. Start transport. You should hear your recording in the headphones.

•If you want to monitor the output of the Mbox through the Mackie, patch from the Output jacks on the back of the Mbox into 2 channels on the Mackie board.

--Now you could:

•Do more recording on that track or others.

•Edit the audio soundbite you just made.

•Record new takes of the performance you just did on that track or others

•Punch-in on the take track to correct flaws.

--If you want to punch-in, engage the Auto Record button in the Transport window. Notice that In and Out Punch points are now logged below the locator window. Locate the cursor to where you want to start recording, and hit the In punch-point button. This will locate the punch in point to that spot. If you want to punch out at a certain point, do the same process with the out button. If not, set the out point to a measure number past the end point of your sequence.

•If you want to monitor the output of an audio channel while recording new track, patch the Mbox to two channels of the mixer. On those two channels, send an aux out, patched to the headphone amp. Plug your phones into the headphone amp, and monitor everything from there.

Anything you want to hear needs to be patched into the board. So if you want to hear the Apple Software Synth from your eMac, you need to take the audio output (where the headphones are plugged in) and connect it with an 1/8" stereo plug, to two channels of the board. Use the same aux send as on the board, and balance. Use a similar plan for hearing the Yamaha keyboard.