Setting up DP Project for recording live

[Tripp]

Hi, I'm in a standard 4 piece rock band and I've used DP7 to record us live. I used a MOTU Ultralite so I only have 8 tracks of audio.

We played 4 sets, so I created a new sequence for each set. Each set has about 12 songs.

How would you set up the project (or projects) to manage all these songs for mixing later? Sequence per song (created after the gig)? Sequence per set? Just use markers? Project per song? One big sequence?

If it helps, the main goal is just to create MP3's for our website and just to have a general record of the performance for critique.

Just curious what other do and looking to get some ideas. Most of my experience is just working with one song per project. I'm going to be doing this a lot so I'd like to get a logical workflow to manage the songs.

Thanks!

[wurliuchi]

Hi, I'm in a standard 4 piece rock band and I've used DP7 to record us live. I used a MOTU Ultralite so I only have 8 tracks of audio.

We played 4 sets, so I created a new sequence for each set. Each set has about 12 songs.

How would you set up the project (or projects) to manage all these songs for mixing later? Sequence per song (created after the gig)? Sequence per set? Just use markers? Project per song? One big sequence?

If it helps, the main goal is just to create MP3's for our website and just to have a general record of the performance for critique.

Just curious what other do and looking to get some ideas. Most of my experience is just working with one song per project. I'm going to be doing this a lot so I'd like to get a logical workflow to manage the songs.

Thanks!

I'm not saying this is the best way, but I've tried all kinds of different ways, and in the end, I go with one big sequence and then separate it out later, which is fast and easy to do once you get used to the steps and have the right settings. I stop and save during breaks, and if there's time (and if the show is important enough), I copy the soundbites to another drive during the break.

48 songs a night? You guys are working too hard.

[Tripp]

I'm not saying this is the best way, but I've tried all kinds of different ways, and in the end, I go with one big sequence and then separate it out later, which is fast and easy to do once you get used to the steps and have the right settings. I stop and save during breaks, and if there's time (and if the show is important enough), I copy the soundbites to another drive during the break.

48 songs a night? You guys are working too hard.

Thanks! When you separate it out, what do you do? Do you create a new sequence for each song you want to mix and have control over?

I'm leaning towards one big sequence too. Then maybe do a very basic mix to make sure levels are close and the pan's are right. No automation. Then create a sequence from selection for each song to mix.

Thanks again!

[wurliuchi]

Depending on the project and what I or others want to get out of it, I work a few different ways. I'm too tired to explain all of them right now, I'll be happy to later on tomorrow (today), but here's one way that gets me working and editing and mixing fast. It just might be my favorite way to work with concerts or live gig recordings because it's so easy to keep the continuity of ambiance and tone.

Once a backup has been made, I open the project, make sure Edge Edit Copy is on, and use the Snip tool to get rid of any extraneous stuff between songs or at break times or whatever. The editing doesn't have to be perfect at this point and you can always adjust things after doing the snip, but I try to get a feel for how the songs should flow together or if they should be spaced apart and how much crowd noise to include and all that. Then I will highlight each song's time range and select "New Saved Time" and name that saved time with the song's name. What I like about Saved Times is how they work with the Memory buttons. Call up a saved time, turn on, say, Auto Stop (the main one I work with) and choose "Set Selection To Bounds" and you're off and running. Each song is right there a click away and you can work in the confines of the song while still being in the main sequence where you can jump around and compare and stay in touch with the overall feel and tone.

I do mix and automate entire shows this way. Two to four hour's worth. It's fairly easy.

No matter which way I work, I do, at some point, always end up with each song in its own project folder with its own Audio Folder and soundbites. Actually, I do this twice, once at the beginning of the process (just to be safe or if I know I want to isolate) and once again when I'm done with the mix in the big sequence. I may not ever edit or mix in these solo projects (it all depends), but I feel better knowing they're there.

If you don't know how to separate the songs out on their own (without fear of losing anything), I'll tell you that tomorrow. Right now I can barely type or spell or keep my eyes open.

I hope this made some sense to you.

[Fibes]

If stuff is straight forward i mix each set and automate everything on a per song basis.

I use markers to bounce individual tracks and automate/edit for ins and outs between tunes.