DP-24/32(SD) Production Tips

[-mjk-]

I have the line inputs of my DP-32 routed through a patchbay. I also have several line inputs on the Soundcraft Ghost on the patchbay, as well as several group outputs. The Ghost's control room monitoring system is connected to a monster power amp, and 2 vintage AR monitors that sound incredible. My Korg keyboard and Roland drum machine are normalled through the patchbay to corresponding inputs on the DP-32. This arrangement allows me to take those instruments to the Ghost console for its incredible EQ section, as well as using the AR monitors for adjustments, and then sending that audio back through to the DP-32 inputs for recording. Also, I can use the Ghost's legendary mic pres and send those signals to the DP-32 line inputs and bypass the DP-32's mic pres altogether.

One of the main complaints of digital recordings is that it sounds "too clean." In the analog world, tape saturation is a very desirable sound, especially on drums. Trying that on the DP-32 however will produce unusable tracks as that kind of distortion in the digital domain is destructive to the sound. By routing the drum machine to the Ghost, applying it's 4 band EQ, and adjusting the channel gain structure right to "the hairy edge" I can get that wonderful "analog distortion" that we all love, and yet use the group output faders to send an appropriate -12 signal to the DP-32's line inputs. You can't do that with the DP-32 alone.

Having an analog desk like the Ghost opens up many other possibilites too, because vintage analog mic pre distortion is desirable on things like a snare drum. One could use a Send to output a snare track to a guitar amp, and then mic up the amp and bring it back to the console mic pre, very hot. Patched to the DP-32's line input at an appropriate level, you can safely capture that explosive snare in all it's glory with no digital distortion.

 

[-mjk-]

I've updated my track and edit sheets. If there is a better place to put these, feel free to place them there, or tell me and I'll do it.

Track Sheet:

In the old days, many track sheets had dual cells for each track, divided horizontally. That made it easier to manage bounces. I split my track cells and colored the bottom cells red for further organizational clarity.

I also added a BPM field.

Edit Sheet:

I removed the "Tracks" field at the top because it was redundant (the "Source" field is where to list the tracks). This way, the sheet is useful for the entire song and not just one source track.

 

[-mjk-]

Grouping tip for the less experienced:

The DP machines have one fader group. While this is a good thing, I wish it had 8 groups! One can solve some of this by sub-mixing to stereo tracks, but, if you want to control 2 tracks together, and maintain the relationship between them easily, and also the same level of effects and EQ, then importing those tracks to a stereo pair is an excellent solution. Just keep in mind that this will put those tracks hard Left and hard Right.

We've covered complicated sub-mixing and importing elsewhere in this thread, but let's say you are not all that experienced with handing lots of faders. And, perhaps you don't understand the grouping function (totally understandable). Maybe you're not comfortable with bouncing. That's ok, you can still put those tracks under easier control.

Scenario: You recorded 2 guitar tracks, 1 left, 1 right. Then you did the same for the vocals. You added another track, perhaps a bass part, or keyboard part, and all on tracks 1 to 8. In the mix, the guitars are panned hard L/R, and so are the vocals. You need to manually handle those 4 tracks carefully and bring the faders up and down in pairs while handing the remaining tracks too. You also have to make sure the effects settings and EQ are the same for both of the guitar tracks, and then for the vocal tracks too. For someone new at recording, this may seem daunting.

Export the vocal tracks, and the guitar tracks per this tutorial:

Then, import the 2 guitar tracks to a stereo track, i.e. 9/10, and do the same for the vocals, to stereo track 11/12. Now, whatever EQ or FX you apply to the stereo track will be equally applied to both L and R sides.

What if you find that one side is a little hotter than the other side? Just use the Balance control on the mixer screen and touch it up.

Now, you'll only have to manage 1 fader for guitars and 1 fader for vocals.

 

[Mark Richards]

ADDING ANALOG CHARACTERISTICS TO A DIGITAL STEREO MASTER RECORDING

How might some analog characteristics be added to a digital stereo mix to smooth out the sound and take off a bit of the edge intrinsic to digital stereo masters?

A few things come to mind about the DP-xx:

(a) I can create a digital stereo mix and use the DP-xx USB port and my computer to import the digital stereo mix into two blank DP-xx Mono Tracks using Audio Depot.

(b) Two Sends are available to the imported mono left and right tracks. I can use the imported digital stereo tracks created in (a) above to output the digital stereo mix to one or more outboard analog stereo devices using the Send Busses.

(c) I can interface an analog stereo tape deck, an analog mixer, an analog stereo vacuum tube compressor, or an analog vacuum tube pre-amp with the DP-xx.

(d) I can return the analog influenced stereo mix through two DP-xx Inputs (Left: Input A / Right: Input B) and record the analog influenced stereo mix to a blank stereo track for use in the final Mixdown/Master process.

° Applying the following process, the difference between the original digital stereo master and the analog influenced stereo master will be subtle but discernible in an A/B comparison.

° Results will vary depending on the type and quality of the analog device used.

° Good quality reference audio systems and reference headphones will best distinguish the differences.

Process:

1. In Mixdown Mode, set the In/Out points for the song.
2. Mix your multi-track recording to a digital stereo working master file (songname.wav).
3. If desired, enter Master Mode to further process the working digital stereo master file using Master Compression and/or EQ. Do not Normalize.
4. Return to Multi-track Mode.
5. Open the DP-xx USB port to your computer.
6. Copy the digital working master songname.wav file to Audio Depot.
7. Unmount the DP-xx from the computer properly and close the USB connection.
8. Open Audio Depot and Import the stereo digital working master songname.wav into two adjacent DP-xx Mono Tracks.
9. Verify that the In points of the imported tracks are aligned with the originally set In/Out points. If not, use Move/Past to align the two imported Mono Tracks and then re-set the In/Out points.
10. The Faders for all Tracks including the two Mono Tracks should be OFF (all the way down).
11. All Track and Input Effects and EQ settings should be turned OFF to prevent processing unwanted signals.
12. Send 1 and Send 2 for all Inputs should be off and set to zero to prevent damaging feedback loops, and to prevent processing unwanted signals.
13. Except for the two Mono Tracks being processed, Send 1 and Send 2 for all other Tracks should be OFF and set to ZERO to prevent processing unwanted signals.
14. Set the Send Levels for the Mono Tracks being processed to 127.
15. Set the Master Send Levels for Send 1 and Send 2 to 127.
16. Confirm or set the In/Out points for the song.
17. Set the input and output controls of the external stereo signal processor.
18. Press the REC button to turn on Record Ready for the Stereo Track that will receive the analog stereo signal being returned for recording.
19. Monitor the stereo analog signal return by raising the Fader for the Stereo Track to which the analog return is being recorded.
20. Press the AutoPunch Button to turn it on. Set the Pre/Post roll to 1 second.
21. Press the AutoPunch Rehearse Button to turn it on.
22. Press the Record button to do a practice run to check levels.
23. Once levels are satisfactory, Press the Rehearse Button again to turn it off.
24. Press the Record Button. The two Mono Track Send Busses will route the stereo digital signal to external analog stereo device.
25. The external analog stereo signal will return to the DP-xx through the two designated Inputs and be routed to the designated Stereo Track, producing a hybrid analog/digital stereo master. The type of analog device will have an impact on the degree of analog influence over the digital stereo master.
26. When the new recording is done on the Stereo Track, press the AutoPunch Button to turn it off.
27. Enter Mixdown Mode and verify the In/Out points.
28. Using only the Stereo Track that has the hybrid analog/digital stereo recording, set the playback level and press the Record Button to create your Final Master .WAV file, and you’re done. (Do not enter Master Mode unless you did not previously apply Master Compression/EQ to your digital stereo working master and you want to further process the master file.)
29. The original digital stereo master is preserved on the two Mono Tracks should you wish to revert to that version for final processing.

Another way to approach adding some analog impact to your recordings is described in this Production Tips post by -mjk- :
http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/share-dp-24-32-sd-production-tips.5747/page-3#post-29715

 

[-mjk-]

Mark, I'm going to try processing a final mix through the Ghost, after reading your post. I think I'll create a new song for the file import though, just to keep it clean (after loading my Reset template). Great information Mark. You absolutely are a real audio engineer.

 

[Mark Richards]

mj, now you've got ME blushing! But thanks for your kind words.

 

[Mark Richards]

EASILY JOIN SONGS OR SONG CLIPS TOGETHER

In this Production Tips post:
http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/share-dp-24-32-sd-production-tips.5747/#post-29234

-mjk- describes how to optimize the mix of specific song sections of a working stereo mix by mastering each section as a song clip; and then assemble all the clips into an optimized final mix.

TASCAM provides a free, easy-to-use tool for assembling those clips: TASCAM Hi-Res Editor.
https://tascam.com/us/product/hi-res_editor/download

The Hi-Res Editor isn’t very fancy.
° It imports a .WAV file using simple Drag & Drop loading;
° Plays a .WAV file;
° Displays audio characteristics; waveform (adjustable); signal level; and overload level;
° Permits easy setting of In/Out points;
° Permits saving the entire file;
° Permits saving only the portion of the file between user selected In/Out Points;
° Saves/Exports to various sample/bit rate combinations, with optional short auto-fade.

In addition, once a file has been loaded, a second file can be joined instantly at the Out Point of the first file without needing to import the second file into the program, making it very easy to join entire songs or clips of songs together.

One more tool for the tool box.

 

[Bravohorn1]

Great stuff everyone.

 

[Mark Richards]

MULTI-BAND COMPRESSION PRE-SET DESCRIPTIONS
TASCAM for whatever reason decided not to include in the DP-24/32 owner manual any descriptions of how the various multi-band compression pre-sets differ.

However, TASCAM was much more thoughtful when it created the 2488 Neo manual.

So, those of you DP-24/32 owners who would like some guidance in deciding which pre-set might be of most use in the Mastering process may find this helpful:

 

[Mark Richards]

FINDING A SONG'S BPM
If you don't know a song's Beats Per Minute, instead of guessing, this might work if the song has a one or two bar intro count and you know the Time Signature (4/4, 3/4, etc.) of the song:

First Steps

• Press the Metronome Button to open the Metronome Screen.
• Turn Bar Display ON.
• Set the Signature of the song (if it's something other than 4/4). This is critical for this process to work right.
• Note the BPM number. The default is 120. (If it's something else, chances are the actual BPM of the song was set initially and you probably can stop.)
• Press the Home Button to return to the Multitrack Screen.

Next Steps

• From the Multitrack Screen, press the Jog/Play Button to bring up the Wave Form screen.
• Select a drum or bass Track (or any other track that clearly indicates the beats).
• Use the Jog Wheel to find the first bar/beat of the song after the count-in.
• Set the In-Point at the first bar/beat of the song after the count-in.
• Press the Jog/Play Button again to return to the Multitrack Screen.

Last Steps

• Go to the In-Point that was set.
• Look at the Bar Meter and note the displayed Bar/Beat.
• Since you've set the In-Point at the first bar/beat of the song, if the BPM in the Metronome Screen matches the actual BPM of the song, the Bar Meter should display Bar#/Beat 1 (e.g. 002-01 if there was a 1 bar count-in).
• Most likely it won't match unless the song actually was recorded at 120 BPM (the default setting in the Metronome Screen)
• What you're more likely to see is that the Bar Meter displays something else (e.g. Bar 001-04).
• This tells you the actual song BPM is something greater than 120. If the Bar Meter displays something greater than 002-01, then the actual BPM will be something less than 120.
• Open the Metronome Screen and raise the BPM number by 10 (e.g. from the default 120 to 130 BPM)
• Press the Home Button and check the Bar Meter.
• If it reads Bar 002-01, you've found the BPM of the song.
• If it doesn't, repeat the process. Increase/decrease in small increments until the Bar Display shows 002-01 (i.e. the first Beat of Bar 2 matches the In-point set at the first bar/beat of the song).

This process, while not fool-proof, may help you get quickly to the (previously unknown) exact BPM of the song, or at least within 1 or 2 beats of it. It works best if the song has a 4/4 time signature.

 

[Mark Richards]

EASILY SEARCH THROUGH THE OWNER'S MANUAL

You can down load the Owner's Manual as an Acrobat (.pdf) file from the TASCAM web site (tascam.com). At the top right of the home page, click on Support/Downloads, then scroll down the screen and click on your DP-xx model. This takes you to the Manuals tab for that model.

Loading the manual in Acrobat Reader, you can then search on any production or procedure term(s) in which you're interested. A real time saver and frustration minimizer.

 

[Mark Richards]

TRACKING, MIXING, MASTERING WITH HEADPHONES
Monitor headphones provide the sound isolation required during tracking.

Reference headphones provide very precise evaluation of instrument placement, balance and clarity beyond what can be heard using a typical reference audio system played at reasonable audio levels.

Tracking
I use a 1980 (made in Japan) SONY MDR-V6 63 Ohm over-ear, closed-back professional monitor headphone. This headphone is easy to drive using the DP-24/32/SD monitor system. Sound is contained fully within the headphones, and there is isolation from outside mid and high frequency sounds. The MDR-V6 has a flat, neutral frequency response over the full audio spectrum, with a slight emphasis on the mid-range. It provides an accurate representation of the performance during tracking.

Mixing
It’s very important during the mixdown process to evaluate the stereo mix using a reliable reference audio system. Headphones alone cannot assure proper placement, balance and clarity.

In addition to my reference audio system, I use my 2012 (made in Austria) AKG K701 62 Ohm over-ear, open-back professional reference headphone to fine tune the mix. This headphone is easy to drive using the DP-24/32/SD monitor system. The K701 has a flat, neutral frequency response over the full audio spectrum (with a slight emphasis on the highs). Sound is clearly audible outside the headphones, and there is no isolation from outside sounds. This open-back nature of the headphone gives it a wide sound stage and excellent detail and imaging, allowing for very precise evaluation of instrument placement, balance and clarity beyond what can be heard using a typical reference audio system operating at reasonable levels. These features also give it a significant production advantage in the mixdown process over closed-back monitor headphones.

Mastering
Because headphones do not interact with the listening environment, headphones alone cannot tell you definitively how the stereo master will sound when played over home stereo systems.

This means it’s also very important during mastering to evaluate the final stereo master using a reliable reference audio system. The reference audio system should be the primary tool to assure that the stereo master will sound right over home stereo systems.

If any EQ tweaking or overall compression is indicated, I turn to my current go-to cans, (made in Germany) Beyerdynamic DT 880/250 Ohm semi open-back professional reference headphone, to help with the fine tuning.

The DT 880 headphone (either the 250 Ohm or 600 Ohm) is easy to drive using the DP-24/32/SD monitor system. The DT 880 has a flat, neutral frequency response over the full audio spectrum, provides a wide sound stage, and excellent imagery for easy assessment of instrument placement, balance and clarity.

The DT 880 reference headphone has an advantage, for mastering purposes, over the AKG K701 reference headphone. Where the AKG K701 is more precise and analytical; the DT 880, while precise in placement, balance and clarity, also provides the ability to evaluate the final stereo mix as it’s likely to sound on a wide variety of high fidelity playback systems and DAPs.

Evaluation of The Final Stereo Master on Private Listening Systems
Once satisfied with the final stereo master, I turn to three more headphones to evaluate how the final stereo master will sound to those whose primary listening will be done using headphone or earbud reproduction systems.

The first of these is the Audeze Sine, an on-ear closed-back 32 Ohm planar magnetic audiophile headphone meant for use with high end DAPs. This headphone has a flat, neutral frequency response over the full audio spectrum and excellent detail and imaging. I’ve also used this headphone as an evaluation tool during the mastering process, but find the DT 880 better suited in general to that task.

The second is the Beyerdynamic DT 1350-80, an on-ear closed-back 80 Ohm DJ monitor headphone. This headphone has a flat, neutral frequency response over the full audio spectrum and in particular has excellent, natural, solid bass reproduction down to 20 Hz. This is also a good tool to use when tracking bass guitar and drums.

The third is the Audiotechnica M50x, an over-ear closed back 37 Ohm professional monitor headphone. This headphone, while neutral and flat over the entire audio spectrum, places a slight emphasis on the lows and slight de-emphasis on the mid-range, simulating how the master will sound with those headphones designed to emphasize the bass frequencies. I’ve also used this as a general purpose headphone for tracking.

Final Comments
These headphones are not inexpensive. Collectively their cost is north of $1,200USD even with typical on-line discounts.

If I had to give up all but one, the Beyerdynamic DT 880 (either the 250 Ohm or 600 Ohm version) is the one I would choose to keep as my tool for tracking, mixing and mastering.

This isn't meant to be a definitive statement on which headphones to use as tools for music production. These are my personal choices, and I have no vested interest or affiliation with any of the companies that make these headphones.

Choosing headphones is a very personal and subjective process. Others may have differing and valid opinions about one or more of the above headphones and have selected other headphones that best meet their own needs.

Important Note When Considering Headphones:
To take full advantage of a 250 or 600 Ohm high impedance headphone's capabilities as a reference tool requires a proper match of impedance to voltage (Vrms) rather than to power (mW).

Generally, to achieve the same Sound Pressure Level (SPL):
32 Ohm headphones require more power (mW)
250 Ohm and 600 Ohm headphones require more voltage (Vrms)

For example, compare the specs for the 32 Ohm and 250 Ohm versions of the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro:
32 Ohm: Power/Volts Needed for 90dB SPL: 0.49 mW / 0.125 Vrms (more power)
250 Ohm: Power/Volts Needed for 90dB SPL: 0.36 mW / 0.299 Vrms (more voltage)
The technical reasons are beyond the scope of this forum.

250 & 600 Ohm headphones are not efficient when driven with insufficient voltage.

However, when driven properly, the sound stage really opens up (width, depth, detail), precise imaging and placement improves, individual instruments resolve more clearly, etc.

For those interested in learning more, headphones.com has an excellent primer.

 

[Mark Richards]

24 SEPARATE MONO TRACKS RECORDED ON THE DP-24

For direct recording, you can only make use of 12 mono / 6 stereo tracks on the DP-24. However, there's a relatively easy way to turn those stereo pairs into separate mono tracks.

You can export two different mono tracks to Audio Depot, then import each mono track to the left/right stereo pair.

For example:

• Track 1 has been recorded with a high harmony, and Track 2 with a low harmony.
• Export Tracks 1 & 2 to Audio Depot, then Import Track 1 to Track 13 and Track 2 to Track 14.

You now have one fader control of two different tracks, one EQ, etc.

The Tracks 1 & 2 can be cleaned out for reuse, or switched to virtual tracks if you want to preserve the original recording.

This can also be useful when doubling vocals and instruments.

 

[-mjk-]

Get The Most Out Of Your DP Machine: Use Virtual Tracks

My production style requires that I double track, triple track, or even more to get a thick, rich tone on guitars and vocals. The only way to do that is by laying down track after track of closely performed guitars or vocals. That requires lots of tracks. But where do you put those tracks, especially if you already have lots of other tracks finished? Virtual tracks. Its very easy to look at the control surface of the DP machine and think "I'm running out of tracks!" but that's not really the case. Let me illustrate:

On a project I have in-progress, I have 3 stereo guitar submixes on tracks 25/26, 27/28 and 29/30. The sources for each of those submixes (we called them "track assemblies" in the old days) were all 4 tracks of guitars, that I meticulously played to match the previous performances. The "storage tracks" were tracks 1 - 4. However, all of the storage tracks are on 1-4. I didn't need to take up many tracks at all on the machine because once I laid down the first set of 4 tracks, I switched to virtual tracks. Do not underestimate the power of having virtual tracks.

"But you can only play back one virtual track at at time" you might say. Right. But, you need a place to store tracks for submixes, and that's the perfect place for them. In the above cases of guitar track submixes, I did a 4 track submix down to a stereo track. Then I went to the next virtual track, and did the same thing. Now, all of those tracks are on stereo tracks and I can go to the next virtual track and record something else. Every time you do that, it's like cleaning out or erasing the track, but you can go back to it at any time if you need to edit or re-do the submix. Honestly, that fact was lost on me during the first new times I used the machine because I'm from the 24 track analog days, where you had to erase the storage tracks so you could use them again for other takes. Not any more!

The user manual outlines a technique for doing auto punch-ins and recording several takes for things like guitar solos. That works very well and I recommend doing that just to see what you come up with.

To help you manage your virtual tracks, I have modified my Track Sheet to show virtual tracks 1 - 8 (and with an orange colored number cell, to match the color of the nomenclature on the DP machine). Have fun with it!!

 

[Mark Richards]

Great info, mj.

Piggy backing on your autopunch suggestion, that's also a great way to create the perfect take.

Suppose you've recorded three complete takes using autopunch:
Track 1 Virtual track 1 has a perfect intro and first two verses
Track 1 Virtual track 2 has a perfect chorus
Track 1 Virtual track 3 has a perfect third verse and outro

The perfect section of each virtual track can be copied and pasted to Track 2 Virtual Track 1 to create a flawless performance once all the takes are complete. Here's how:

1. Load Track 1 Virtual Track 1
2. Set your In/Out points as needed
3. Copy/Paste the Track 1 Virtual Track 1 segment to Track 2 Virtual Track 1
4. Load Track 1 Virtual Track 2
5. Set your new In point at the previous Out point
6. Set your new Out point as needed
7. Rewind to your new In Point (this is important as it places the curser to the correct paste location of Track 2 Virtual Track 1)
8. Copy/Paste the Track 1 Virtual Track 2 segment to Track 2 Virtual Track 1
9. Load Track 1 Virtual Track 3
10. Set your new In point to your old Out point
11. Rewind to your new In point (see step 8)
12. Copy/Paste the Track 1 Virtual Track 3 segment tonTrack 2 Virtual Track 1

If you've chosen each segment's In/Out points correctly, you should have a perfectly aligned perfect performance on Track 2 Virtual Track 1, and all three performances are still preserved on Track 1's Virtual Tracks.

 

[-mjk-]

Mark, thank you for expanding the topic.

 

[SimonPD]

Thanks to all who've posted some great tips here. I have a question/request:

I purchased a DP24 with a view to recording some "good" (in terms of sound quality) demos. That said, having read through this and many other threads on the site it seems pretty clear that there are endless possibilities where this machine is concerned. One thing I'm very interested to hear, however, is an audio example of what's possible in terms of the end result when recording, mixing and mastering using solely the effects that are in the box.

My current setup is rather limited - drum machine + TS1 sync unit, MacBook Pro with Logic Pro X that I'm patching through for guitar/bass amp emulation, and a Technics P30 keyboard. Getting a decent enough sounding signal into the DP seems relatively straightforward, but I'm fascinated to hear what can be achieved by the box alone when in the right pair of hands (and ears). Would any of you more experienced mixer/producer/ex-studio owner guys be able to upload some examples?

 

[SimonPD]

-mjk-, I had already taken a listen to many of the songs in that particular thread; there's some really good stuff there. Be nice to hear one of yours or Mark Richards', however

P.S. I'd taken a listen to the guitar track you uploaded a while ago. Was impressed by the texture and quality of the sound, which tweaked my interest to hear a completed song.

 

[Mark Richards]

DP-24/32/SD MASTER COMPRESSION PRE-SET PARAMETERS

Click on this thumbnail to display all the adjustable parameters used by the Master Compression pre-sets.

The chart demonstrates clearly that there's no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to using compression at the mastering stage; and it demonstrates how the individual parameters interactively influence the sound of the master recording. For example, compare "Basic CD" and "Pop" to understand how to make a master recording "more showy".

The chart also helps demonstrate how for various genres the selection of specific pre-sets can be used to improve the sound and impact of a good master recording.

Keep in mind that at the mastering stage of production, applying compression isn't going to make a bad mix into a good master. But the pre-sets do give the less experienced a chance to experiment with using compression to enhance the overall impact of a good mix.

At various stages of the production process, the more experienced can take advantage in a number of ways of the fully adjustable parameters.

In the following post, I've uploaded a waveform graph showing the impact of various Master Compression pre-sets on a clip of one of master recordings.

Click below to download the DP-24/32/SD Master Compression pre-set chart.

 

[Mark Richards]

DP-24/32/SD MASTER COMPRESSION PRE-SET EXAMPLES


This waveform graph shows the impact of various Master Compression pre-sets on a clip from one of my master recordings made on my DP-24. Refer back to the chart to see what each pre-set is meant to accomplish. The only differences are due to the compression pre-sets. No Master EQ or Master Normalizing had been applied either to the original master recording or any of the compressed segments.

PM me if you'd like to hear the clip.