I've been here before, but...

[Sloom]

I'll try and keep this reasonable:

My friend and rhythm-section partner (drummer) died two years ago, before he could get his recording/production co-op off the ground. He'd wanted me to pick up the ball, but I'm raising a young family and hadn't the resources- I'm a carpenter and can't stop working long enough to be full-on into it! So...his sister sent me and some other friends of his each a small sum of $, and said, "Do a project you would have done with Martin if you could have", more or less. So I got a Tascam US-428 and a cheap-o PC, and Cool Edit Pro 2.

Now, I'm (still) new to this DAW thing, as my life is busy, and there's so much STUFF OUT THERE!!! Including terms and processes- some of which I'd probably like to use. Like 'Beat-Slicers'. I read about them in a magazine, and I can't seem to understand the explanations. They're assuming a degree of knowledge of this stuff, which is understandable, but I've been pretty much out of this loop (Hah-hah...). I'm working on that... No MIDI yet.

What I'm doing is dealing with audio- basically 2 things:
1) Importing 4-trk sessions (we have miles of 4-track cassettes of Martin (drums), a wack guitar player, and myself (bass) doing one-off jam) into software, mixing, getting a 'sound', and burning the sequence of performances to CD; and
2) Tracking song arrangements and recording/working with sounds.

I'm an old-school thinker, and I'm thinking I want a software app just for tracking and mixing. Cool Edit is working for that so far, (but I'm open to suggestions) and is great for laying out files in sequence on the timeline and putting together sections of music for arrangements. Haven't done the Audition upgrade. Also I think I'd like to find a device for dealing efficiently with loops and properties like Tempo.

When I ask the software to deal with a loop's tempo, etc, it does the process mathematically. But my intended 'beats' might be different than the level fluctuations in the piece, thus I have effectively hidden from the software the information it needs to get the result I'm after. It reads my loop in one way, but that's not the intended way. I find myself off the 'beaten' path a lot... So when I try and import the file to some other app (a friend has Cakewalk), I run into trouble trying to get it to sync with the new environment. See? Is there a 'toolbox' out there to help me decode my intentions so the software 'knows' what I'm trying to do? Or do I need to learn Cakewalk?

My other issue (same issue) is learning curve (read: Time). I have young'uns, and some high household-maintenance. So workflow has to cruise along at a pretty good clip. Allright- right now you're saying, "Do it or get off the pot". But I've been playing music for 26 years, recording, playing, teaching, etc. And our little trio I mentioned above was a benchmark period of real musical growth and maturing for all of us. It was important! Martin was a great influence, yadda-yadda... and I'm really driven to do this thing. I'm not leaving.

In short, I want to spend time on mic placement, not on mucking about with my 'hand-made' loops with my 'head-wearing-down combination of math and shoot-in-the-dark reckoning'! I don't mind working with less, I do mind being bewildered by feature-laden apps that have functions I don't use or need to spend time learning.

I bought my -428 a year and a half ago, and paid $500 for it. And I'd like to use the -428, since I spent the clammage. Maybe that was dumb... Anyway, a group of relatively simple, efficient software tools that were integral to (or understood by) each other would be great. Is there such a land, and is this very expensive? Am I simply asking for too much here? Is energyXT part of this equation? Like I said in the header, I've been around here about this- hope I'm not being too tedious (obdurate?).

What do I need to know/spend, and is this a reasonable rant/cry for help?

Thanks for your time.

P.S. Here's my jig:

Intel Celeron, 2GHz(I know...)
ATA 100 40G hard drive (yep, you're right...)
512 MB DDR400 RAM
Toshiba DVD/CD ROM
Kenwood CD reader
All-In-Wonder AGP graphics card
Tascam US-428
Cool Edit Pro2/Beta CD Burner
Fostex PM 0.5 near-fields
Mics:
MXL V63M
Shure SM 57's (3)
Shure SM 58
Shure Beta-thing w/out grille cap
a few Shure, other funky old dynamics
AT871R Boundary mic
Sennheiser Pro-Fi-Power dynamic
Oktava MD-120
Outboard:
Studiomaster Logic-12 mixer
Yamaha MT1X 4-track cassette recorder
TEAC 3340s 2-trk Open-Reel
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress DeLuxe
Cry-Baby Wah
Alesis 3630 comp
Digitech DSP-16 reverb
some other analogue pedals, stuff.
Schecter neck-thru bass
Squier Strat (yep.)
drums, things to make noise...

A'ight, thanks again!

Peace,
Sloom.

[Hink]

while I soak in your post let me say I'm sorry for your loss of a friend...you asked a lot so give us time...

[Hink]

you're using cool edit? Adobe bought them and are Adobe Audition now, an upgrade to 1.5 would be wise...btw I'm an old timer too, so I know about the curve, I think you're using the right app...

[Hink]

I am confused about what you want to mic...

[seamoss]

i am just confused

[Hink]

well as I see it he has stuff he did with his friends on a 4-track cassette that he wants to work with and finish in his laptop. One problem he is having is the drums were revorded by his late friend and are not midi. So as for tempo they're not exact which makes making loops difficult for him...and he really wants to finish this in honor of his departed friend and the third member as this comes from his (their's) happiest musical days...is that about right?

[lawapa]

You have a good start. I'm thinking you want to remix all those cassettes and maybe add some to them over time. So the ability to have these multi track projects up and running is a must. For audio Vegas is hard to beat. Cake is good but midi is not your thing right? You can mix and dam near master using Vegas. Now looping audio is where you lost me. I wonder why this even enters into this project. But Acid is the loop misters tool box. And it can detect your audio's tempo automaticly. If you are trying to even out the tempo on these cassette projects I'd give Acid pro a look. It supports multi track audio.

[Hink]

You have a good start. I'm thinking you want to remix all those cassettes and maybe add some to them over time. So the ability to have these multi track projects up and running is a must. For audio Vegas is hard to beat. Cake is good but midi is not your thing right? You can mix and dam near master using Vegas. Now looping audio is where you lost me. I wonder why this even enters into this project. But Acid is the loop misters tool box. And it can detect your audio's tempo automaticly. If you are trying to even out the tempo on these cassette projects I'd give Acid pro a look. It supports multi track audio.

but he already has cool edit pro and it's a cheap upgrade to AA1.5 which imo opinion is an awesome editor/ multi-track....exactly what he needs and AA is cool edit so it helps his learning curve,,,;)

[Hink]

I'm so confident I am 200% sure... "imo opinion"...

[CC4]

er, maybe something like Home Recording for Musicians for Dummies?

[lawapa]

I thought Cooledit was a 2 track audio editor. But if he upgrades to Audition he get a multi track? I would not hesitate on that one since you got it and know the ropes.

[Hink]

I thought Cooledit was a 2 track audio editor. But if he upgrades to Audition he get a multi track? I would not hesitate on that one since you got it and know the ropes.

no cool edit 2k was 2 track cool edit pro was multi-track....

[headquest]

I'm with the majority here in recommending that upgrading to Adobe Audition 1.5 is a "no-brainer" solution, at least as a starting point. I have AA1.5, and I reckon its the best audio sequencer out there. Great effects and everything you need to "master" your finished track to professional standards and even burn straight to CD

Assuming you get a "boxed" upgrade, the manual is very good and you will benefit from reading it. I know that sounds obvious, but it's easy to skip the manuals - I know! Also there are some useful books out there which might help you out - Richard Riley's "Audio Editing with Adobe Audition" is cheap and easy to read (based on version 1.0, but I think it will cover your needs). Good to dip into for a few minutes during your coffee break! - so that when you get back to work on a track you already have some good tips to work with.

Regarding looping, in AA1.5 you can right click on any audio clip and set "loop properties". Then simply "paint" your loops along the timeline. To my ears, the sound quality (which uses the proprietry .cel format unique to AA) is BETTER than either Acid or Sonar (both of which I have also previously tried).

For drum loops specifically, when you right click on the loop to set properties, the dialog box contains a drop down on the right hand side in the middle - from the list select beat splice for best results.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

[kovacs]

Another good book is "Adobe Audition Ignite!" which is upgraded to cover version 1.5.

[kara]

Perhaps Ableton Live would be a good 'all in one' solution ?

Rony