Recording audio track from MIDI track?

[flmflm]

Hi. I'm having trouble trying to do something that seems pretty easy...
I have a MIDI track with a clip in it, playing a VSTi. What I want to do is to record that sound into an audio track, while I'm changing some parameters of the VSTi, on realtime.

I know I can record automation on the MIDI track, then render to an audio track and so on, but I'd like to record audio without having to record automation, so I can get some audio takes easily, without having to record-erase automation on each step.

Obviously Tracktion asks for an audio input in order to record something into the audio track, but I don't have that input, as I'm on a mac, using built in audio device, so ni INs...

How can I do that? is that possible, or am I missing something?

sorry if my explanation sounds a little weird, it's because of my english...

any help?

thanks

[zeoy]

Here's a workaround
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/758.html or
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/945.html

[flmflm]

Yes, I knew about TapeIt, but it's windows only...
I tried using Jack server, but all I got after an hour of crashes was big feedback noise.

thanks anyway...

[Redmerkurii]

Erm, perhaps you could look to your soundcard rather than your host to record your 'takes' for you. I use a Creative Audigy 2 (Yeah yeah Creative shite blah,blah,blah). Anyway it has a rather nifty feature
'Record what you hear". I think this means (although someone may shoot me down for being a gobshite) is that it takes the signal from the output buss and records it as a wave,mp3, whatever. That is it records the sound after it it has left whichever host you use (FL Studio here) and before it leaves the soundcard to go to your amp/ speakers/headphones what have you.

Maybe your soundcard will enable you to 'Record what you hear' too.

There you have it a simplistic solution from a simpleton.

[zeoy]

... as I'm on a mac ...

Oooops sorry. I didnt see that.
Now if the "audio recorder" workaround is acceptable for you, I don't think that the usual "render and add tracks" or "export-only marked region" solutions are more troublesome. Recording the automation is just a click more and erasing it is very easy too ("delete all points from curve" or something like that).
However I agree with you that some sort of virtual inputs could be a useful addition.

[flmflm]

To Redmerkurii: yes, the "record what you hear" is the option i need (I also have an Audigy ). It's just I don't need/want a soundcard just to do this.

To Zeoy: I guess the fastest solution is what you suggest. Record and delete automation for each take. Just it's two more clicks per take...
by the way, there are solutions similar to tapeIt for osx, as Wiretap or hijack pro, if anyone is interested, but they only work as standalone, not VSTs.

thank you guys for your fast answers.

[futureweaver]

AUTO-ADMIN: Non-MP3, WAV, OGG, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and Facebook links in this post have been protected automatically. Once the member reaches 5 posts the links will function as normal.

Well there's Virtual Audio Cable http://www.ntonyx.com/vac.htm (http://www.ntonyx.com/vac.htm) for Windows. But apparently no equivalent for Mac.

[Lunch Money]

Well, I had mentioned an FR (sort of... it just came up in the middle of another conversation) in which any track could be assigned to become a virtual audio device. Then you'd set track 5 to be a "device", you'd point your track 5 "device" at a new track, and press record.

It was shot down by various people because recording realtime audio would really be the only benefit to it, over other track routing and bussing (what the thread was originally about).

I dunno, I still think it's a cool idea.

Greg

[Watto]

Yep, it has it's merits. It, that is.

[Samb]

Well, I had mentioned an FR (sort of... it just came up in the middle of another conversation) in which any track could be assigned to become a virtual audio device. Then you'd set track 5 to be a "device", you'd point your track 5 "device" at a new track, and press record.

It was shot down by various people because recording realtime audio would really be the only benefit to it, over other track routing and bussing (what the thread was originally about).

I dunno, I still think it's a cool idea.

Greg

I don't think its a bad idea per-se - it clearly has its uses, I just thought that it would make more everyday routing tasks such as setting up sub-mixes more cumbersome.

Perhaps a plugin (which you could drop anywhere in your effects chain, or onto particular clips) which created an associated input which you could point at other tracks would be the best implementation?

[Lunch Money]

You could still set up submixes the way you already do.

A plug-in wouldn't be very elegant, because you'd have no way of knowing where your audio source is coming from. I mean, you'd likely "know" because you're the one that put it there, but it doesn't fit the way Tracktion is laid out. Better to have an input device.

Especially since it wouldn't 'break' anything that currently exists.

[Samb]

A plug-in wouldn't be very elegant, because you'd have no way of knowing where your audio source is coming from. I mean, you'd likely "know" because you're the one that put it there, but it doesn't fit the way Tracktion is laid out. Better to have an input device.

Yeah, I meant that you'd have a plugin to "tap" the audio stream at any point you liked and then an input (just like the other, normal, inputs on the left hand side) would be created to which the "tapped" audio would be sent for re-direction and recording to another track.

Does that sound better?

[Lunch Money]

Ah, yes. That would be extra-cool, being able to tap the audio instead of just using the whole track.

[pHz]

look at all you lot ... hijacking my very own personal FR that ive been banging on about for ages ...

slainte rob