Tips and tricks for your DAW

SOS mag has some fantastic stuff available online for most of the major DAWs.

I'm a Logic user, so I'm going to post a link to the Logic stuff: http://www.soundonsound.com/articles/AppleLogic.php

Just when I think I have a handle on most of what Logic can do, I go and have a look at this and discover all kinds of nooks and crannies that I barely knew existed. And some new ways to use the features that I was, I thought, pretty familiar with.

On a slightly tangential, er, tangent, has anybody here checked out any of the commercial DVDs on mixing or the various DAWs? Kenny Goia (sp?) I think has a mixing rock one (as well as Reaper and protools ones) that could potentially be cool. I think he worked on some of the Hall and Oates stuff and other Philly area acts, amongst others. He's pretty active online, but that's about all I know. There are others that cover similar ground - at least in theory.

Cheers,
Geoff

On a slightly tangential, er, tangent, has anybody here checked out any of the commercial DVDs on mixing or the various DAWs?


I'm interested as well.
I'm trying to make a long-term decision on which DAW to jump in with...I just started using Audacity a few weeks ago.

I'm headin' to the beach for 10 days of R&R next week...I ordered a couple beginner's recording books from Amazon.
I read about a few DVD offerings there, but decided against taking a laptop with me for reasons many married men would understand.

Slightly "tangent" to your "tangent", I saw one DVD titled Alan Parsons Presents Art And Science of Sound Recording ....not advancing a specific DAW, but I did not know:

"Parsons' illustrious career as a recording engineer, producer, composer and artist acts as both backdrop and inspiration for the series. Parsons worked with The Beatles on the albums °Abbey Road° and °Let It Be°, engineered Pink Floyd's °Dark Side of the Moon°, and produced a string of multi-platinum hits for The Hollies, Pilot, Ambrosia, Al Stewart and other artists, as well as for The Alan Parsons Project."

Back on point, I'd be interested in anybody's take on recording DVDs.

Tom

Lots of good stuff on that Logic page about stuff I know little to nothing about — bookmarked it. Thanx for posting, Geoff!

I've used the Gioia basic DVD on REAPER and it rocks. He just released a new "Tips and Tricks" for REAPER 4. REAPER has a ton of tutorial material available in various forms and links from the forum.

Fran

@tapollock - I've heard that the Parson's recording DVD is really good. Actually had it in my hand to purchase on a day I was buying new monitors and decided to cut back on the "damage" that day.

Thought I'd try and upload my little cheat sheet for Logic.

Over the last couple years as I've delved into Logic I've put all the stuff I use and especially the keyboard shortcuts on a couple sheets of paper that I keep handy while recording. There may be some things that are wrong - I only have Express, and much of this was compiled for v.8, and I understand that some of the keyboard shortcuts have changed, comping is a bit different in v.9 etc. And, of course, I may have simply effed up. There also isn't any midi stuff, or delving into the various editors. Maybe in time.

Also note that Logic often has multiple ways of doing something (there are at least four different ways to create markers, etc.) So you may see a way of doing something on there that is not what you're used to doing.

But, if you find it useful, have at it, modify for your needs, etc.

Cheers,
Geoff

Thanks, Geoff.

Much better organized than my chaotic cheat sheet! Saved & printed. Appreciate it, Geoff!

Much better organized than my chaotic cheat sheet! Saved & printed. Appreciate it, Geoff!

Hey, if you guys find anything not copacetic in there - please let me know.

There's lots of little stuff I probably should put in there or I'll forget. Stuff like you can use the markers as text editors - you could put the lyrics for each section in there and blow up the font to guide you as you track. Or whatever. (Also, remember that the Notes function is there - and use it. Especially for whenever you need to document settings where you go out and back in. Good luck recalling your mix if you don't document that stuff. So, ya gotta.) To quickly go back and forth between regions on adjacent tracks - use the solo button (on the transport bar) and then toggle play off using the spacebar to play (and stop) and then use the up or down arrows to switch between tracks (and then spacebar again to toggle on). And you can quickly(ish) go back and forth between a couple or three tracks in solo.

I've been trying to wrap my head around the flex time and flex tool stuff. Have a ways to go there. This adds some further suggestions there: http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/how-to-use-transient-markers-in-logic-pro/

Cheers,
Geoff

That's a great tut! I'd never thought of editing flex/transient markers in the Sample Editor, but it does give a lot of extra flexibility. This one's a keeper.