Basic Principles Of Mixing & Multitrack Recording; Recording/Tracking; Monitoring - Alesis X2 Reference Manual

Introduction
in the console (each channel, monitor, effect return, aux send, and group output). It
features its own ADAT Synchronization Interface jack, plus MIDI in/out jacks, so
that its built-in 10,000-event sequencer can be synchronized directly to the ADAT
system or to a MIDI system. The mutes may be externally controlled by a MIDI
sequencer, or, in live applications, by using 100 sets of four mute groups.
Control room monitoring is made simpler by stereo-in-place Solo on each main
channel, monitor channel, and aux return. Each aux master and group may be
previewed in the control room while leaving the rest of the signal path undisturbed.
Studio outputs, a built-in talkback mic and three-frequency oscillator provide the
necessary facilities for complete communication between engineer and artist.
Basic Principles of Mixing & Multitrack Recording
The function of the X2 Mixer, or any recording console for that matter, is to provide
control of volume, tone and spatial positioning of signals from microphones,
electronic instruments, and tape machines, and then to route these signals to a
monitor system and tape recorder so they can be recorded and heard. Before the
introduction of multitrack tape recorders, these signals had to be mixed together as
a live performance. If the desired performance wasn't correct because of a musical
mistake or mixing problem, the performance had to be recorded again and again
until the performance was deemed satisfactory.
The introduction of multitrack tape machines has changed this recording method
forever. Most recording today has evolved into a multi-step process, including:

Recording/Tracking

Instead of needing an entire musical group to come together in order to capture a
live performance, recordings can be made one instrument at a time and pieced
together in a building block fashion. With the advent of drum machines and
sequencers (such as the Alesis HR-16, HR-16:B, SR-16 and MMT-8), it is possible to
build an entire song using "virtual" tracks before ever having to record onto tape.
Using this method of recording an instrument at a time allows for fixing mistakes
(normally called "punching in") of an incorrectly played part. By "punching in," or
replacing, the misplayed part, you can record a performance over and over again
until it's perfect.

Monitoring

In order to properly record a performance, both the engineer, producer and all of
the players must be able to hear the performance. When listening to the speakers in
a control room (where the mixer is), this is called monitoring; when the musicians
are listening to headphones while overdubbing, this is called cueing. Adjustments to
monitor or cue mixes should not affect the mix going to the recorder, so that
recording levels remain at the optimum, even if the performer requires less of a
particular instrument in the headphones.
Monitoring is a more complex operation than it might seem at first, since there are
many mixes that occur simultaneously. Often there are 3 separate mixes (sometimes
10 X2 Reference Manual