Ping-Pong Recording - Fostex R8 Owner's Manual

SAFE/RDY and then the correspond ng numeric key.
3. Input the numbers of the tracks you want to overdub with
the numenc keys
4. Press REC to monitor the nput signal on the peak level
meter, and adjust the instrument or mixer teve" so that the
R8 meter peaks only occasionally at +3 dB to +8 dB for
the track(s) to be recorded.
The INPUT M N LED blinks.
5. When you are ready to begin recording, press the REC
and PLAY buttons simultaneously.
Ray along with the sound of the basic track.
NOTE: If you are werdubbing via a live mi rophone. you will
need to monitor the basi tra k(s) via headphones.
6. If you are using the auto return function (p 14). the tape
wl stop automatically al the end of the take and be
rewound
thervAse, end the recording by pressing ttie ST P
button ®.
You can now repeal ths process as often as necessary to
overdub ali your tracks. If you are recording a total of more
than eght parts, you will have to " open up" tracks by using
the p ng-pong function explained below
Punch In/ ut
ccasionaly a record-ng is almost perfect except for a mis ­
take or two. Instead of re-recording the entire track, the
punch in/out procedure lets you selectively correct such un ­
satisfactory mistakes without having to redo everything else
as well
It's important to note however, that liming is critical here If
you punch-in too early or punch-out too late, you could
wreck the very thing you're trying to fix. For this reason, it's
best to find a phrase or a section that surrounds the mistake
and punch-in/out at logical points like do-wnbeats.
Punch in/out can be performed by hand, but it is more prac
t eal to use the optional foot switch connected to the PUNCH
IN/ UT jack II you are both performer and recording
engineer
Rehearsal Mode
You can practice punch in and out using a connected foot
switch, in order to get used to the timing and ensure a per ­
fect punch in/out
1. While holding down the record button REC. step on the
foot switch.
The orange REC indicator @ will start to blink, showing
that rehearsal mode has been entered.
2
Select the traces) you wish to punch in/out on with
SAFE/RDY and the numeric keys
The SAFE/RDY indicators of these tracks will blink red and
green.
3. Rewind to a location prior to the punch-in point, then
press PLAY to start playback.
4. When you reach the punch in point, step on the foot
switch.
This operation switches the monitor from tape mode to
input mode, meaning you will hear the sound from the
recorded traces) you want to correct until the foot switch
ts pressed, and then the signal present at the selected
INPUT track(s) (i.e the sound you are playing li\®).
5. Step on the foot switch again when you reach the end of
the passage to be re-recorded, in order to punch out. This
operation switches the monitor back to tape mode so you
can once again hear the previous recording.
In other words, repeatedly pressing the foot switch allows
you to toggle between tape monitor and input monitor on
the selected traces).
There are two important reasons for this rehearsal. First,
you must match the recording levels of the track (pre
recorded) and the " live" part (to be recorded). Second,
you must match the feel and phrasmg so that when you
punch-out. it sounds like a angle performance
6. To cancel the rehearsal mode, press the REC button and
at the same time step on the foot switch.
Actual Punch In/ ut
1. Rewind the tape to a location prior to the punch-in point
2.
Select the trackfs) you wish to punch in/out on with
SAFE/RDY and the numerc keys.
The SAFE/RDY indicators of these tracks will flash red and
green.
3. Press the PLAY button to start playback.
4. When you reach the punch in point, press PLAY and REC
at trie same time
If you are using a foot switch connected to the PUNCH
INCUT ¿ack. you can step on the foot switch instead.
You can now record your rew part over the previous mis ­
take. thereby correcting it.
5. To punch-out, hold down the PLAY button and stmultane
ously lap ST P
If you are using a foot switch. step on it instead.
Either procedure ends the punch-out recording without
stoppng playback of the tape on all tracks, so that you
immediately know whether your punch-out was smooth
f course, you can also end the punch out by simply
pressing the ST P button to stop the tape
• If you press the ST P button for more than half a second
while holding down PLAY, the tape will also stop
Ping-Pong Recording
Also referred to as "bouncing tracks", pmg-ponging is
another important multi-track technique Dunng the ping-
pong procedure, several existing tracks are played back,
mixed into one track and at the same time re-recorded on
an open track, which makes the original tracks available for
subsequent overdubs The ping-pong procedure may be
repeated mdelinitey in theory-, but m practice more than
twice is usua'ty not sonically pleasing.
Another version of the ping-pong technique lets you mix one
or more live sources with several existing tracks, al the same
time record ng the mix on an availab'e track
To combine the playback (and live) sounds for the ping-
pong. a mixer is necessary See the manual of your console
for details on mixing for ping-pong record ng.
NOTE: Not all tra ks are equally suitable for boun ing. If you
re ord on a tra k adja ent to the one you are mixing from
(for example, tra k 2 + 3 -♦ 4). leakage in the re ord/play
head ould ause feedba k. Therefore, try to avoid ping-
pong re ordings between neighboring tra ks whenever
possible.
If ping-pong to an adja ent tra k is absolutely ne essary,
you may have to lower the levels.
1. Make sure the tracks you want to transfer with the ping ­