How do you edit your sessions down?

[RobertSyrett]

The elektron grooveboxes basically extrude music. I am finding quite often these days it’s easier to record 40 minutes worth of noodling and picking out about four minutes and editting it together. But I am not very organized about how I go about this.

Surly there are many of you out there who have had the experience of trying to turn a long musical recording into a short musical recording. I would love to know your organizing heuristics philosophy about what parts are worth keeping and how to zone in on what you want to keep.

[craig]

I bookmarked @AdamJay’s process for M:S here because it is inspiring and had the added complication of not being able to multitrack:

How do you record 'a song' from Model:Samples?

This is the workflow I used when I was making tunes on the OP-1… The general ideal is get a good realtime arrangement to reference what I want to accomplish in the end. Then perform each track somewhat while soloing each track. Then arrange and not be afraid to duplicate tracks to make interesting, effected variations and layers. Here’s the process: Whilst recording stereo, I generally jam out 5 or 6 minutes of the tune as stereo to get a general idea of what kind of arrangement I’d prefer. …

BTW, what device are you using? If it’s a sampler, you could ‘remix’ your favourite sections using long samples

[Andreas_R]

While jamming think about sections of the song, like intro, a break, build-ups, what ever suits the song/ genre.
I also keep an eye on the clock so everything stays in the grid. Alternatively I have marks in the DAW which are 1 minute long, again just as visual cue.
After that It’s a picking the best parts and then putting them in an order that tells a story.
Lay down your arrangement, play with the recording, add effects and more tracks.
Are you recording full mixes or do you record individual tracks?

[RobertSyrett]

@craig

BTW, what device are you using? If it’s a sampler, you could ‘remix’ your favourite sections using long samples

I have the digi boxes and an OT currently. They connect and sequence my modular and a few desktop synths I have kicking about.

@AdamJay would be a welcome voice in the discussion, I rather enjoyed his inoperable data release and wonder if the technique he described was used on that album.

Kind of by coincidence the mylar melodies podcast Why We Bleep was on while reading your comment and the guy he was interviewing started talking about how he edits down his eurorack noodling and how attachment is the enemy of creativity.

TALKING STUDIO PRODUCTIVITY WITH BT: WHY WE BLEEP 022

if the timestamp doesn’t work, they talk about this around 34 minutes in.

@Andreas_R

While jamming think about sections of the song, like intro, a break, build-ups, whatever suits the song/ genre.

How much preplanning do you put into this stage of the process? I tend to view the jam sessions more as an open ended exploration process, but I am obviously open to trying a different approach for a while.

@Andreas_R

also keep an eye on the clock so everything stays in the grid.

Yes, very much! Grid editting can be very convenient, suddenly four bars is easy to see and swap around.

@Andreas_R

Are you recording full mixes or do you record individual tracks?

Both and in between. Usually I have everything running through the OT these days for effects and resampling so those sessions are basically stereo bounces. Other times I will record the boxes separately. I think both have their merits, the bounce usually sounds more organic and the multitrack obviously is easier to sculpt a new track out of.

[AdamJay]

@RobertSyrett

@AdamJay would be a welcome voice in the discussion, I rather enjoyed his inoperable data release and wonder if the technique he described was used on that album

I covered it a bit in this post, but to go into more detail:
Drumatix, and TT-606 were recorded multitrack (individual outs).
AK, A4, Digitone were recorded with stereo outs only. I did not use Overbridge.
Other things like PO-SUB, Monologue, obviously recorded from their single mono output. OT was a single stereo out as well.
I have 16 inputs of MOTU a/d that allows me to operate in real-time with very little added latency (3.99ms round trip).
I record directly into Ableton at 24bit.

Tracks were mostly arranged by performing them in real-time, something I’ve been doing for over 20 years. That’s how the “core” arrangement is decided.

If I botch an arrangement in the moment (miss a change, or a mute, or whatever), depending on what I want to accomplish, I may do a retake or I may just fix it in the Ableton Live arranger afterward.
I like multitracking as it allows me to take individual elements, duplicate them, mangle/pitch/pan/effect them and get a nice fabric of sound incorporated into the tune. Just bringing those added elements in and out makes an arrangement more compelling.
And when I can’t multitrack an instrument, I record some solo’d bits at the end of the take so that I can still work with them in isolation.

But the most important thing for me is focus first. I can’t imagine recording forty minutes of anything. Six or seven minutes is my max. If I can’t get the point across in that time, I’m just making more material that will bog me down later. And the returns for the time invested are diminishing.
Ideally, I prefer to just hit record and play for six or seven minutes, performing the arrangement live by feel, and then do a little mix touch up afterward, render, and be done. If I have to edit, I’ll edit, especially if it will take me less time than redoing the entire performance. And if I don’t have to edit, well then I am just closer to completing this tune and I can move onto the next.

[AdamJay]

@RobertSyrett

wonder if the technique he described was used on that album.

Missed this bit.

No, Inoperable Data and Maxia Zeta were “tracked” as I mentioned in this post.

I use the different method with MS (and previously the OP-1) for track making.
Written live, but recorded and arranged as pieces and parts.

[RobertSyrett]

@AdamJay

But the most important thing for me is focus first. I can’t imagine recording forty minutes of anything. Six or seven minutes is my max. If I can’t get the point across in that time, I’m just making more material that will bog me down later. And the returns for the time invested are diminishing.

I should clarify I am not sitting on the same pattern for 40 minutes. I am changing patterns, and adding/changing scenes to continually evolve the timbres and grooves. But it will quite often be the case that I will pick out the 6 minutes or so where the focus is at it’s high point. But it’s definitely constructive advice and I will try to recording with a time limit today.

[Andreas_R]

@AdamJay

But the most important thing for me is focus first. I can’t imagine recording forty minutes of anything. Six or seven minutes is my max. If I can’t get the point across in that time, I’m just making more material that will bog me down later. And the returns for the time invested are diminishing.
Ideally, I prefer to just hit record and play for six or seven minutes, performing the arrangement live by feel, and then do a little mix touch up afterward, render, and be done. If I have to edit, I’ll edit, especially if it will take me less time than redoing the entire performance. And if I don’t have to edit, well then I am just closer to completing this tune and I can move onto the next.

Here’s your answer @RobertSyrett

I’d start a jam, grab any piece of gear, build until I’m have something that can become a theme for a track. Then figure out a way to build it up, make drops and such. And then don’t think to much, feel the song record it, edit and add stuff.
You can repeat this with further layers like an evolving pad that supports the original theme.
This becomes even easier because you now have an arrangement.

Another way is to record distinct parts of the song one by one.
The beauty of a whole take, of course, is effects tails and a more coherent sound.

[taxhaven]

i picked up a trick off youtube (can’t remember whose vid) that involved mapping a key to track markers in ableton, maybe other daws have this too. while jamming, after a pattern change i would tap this key to insert a marker so i could more easily locate the changes in a long form jam.

[RiddimFernandez]

I use a subtractive method… get the most tracks going that would be the high moment of the track and multitrack 16bars into Ableton.

Then sequence those in Ableton - see what is missing, breakdowns, builds, etc and then get those going in a 16bar loop and record them… then add them into the sequenced song.

[Meatwad]

IIRC it was Andrew Huang who mentioned this technique.

[taxhaven]

i think you’re right!

[og_tea_boi]

I don’t. I run everything into samplers then just work it all from there, I guess I get rid of bad patterns etc. That’s how I’ve always got the best and most interesting results. Then I can just bounce bits out and just do a more traditional, simplistic mixdown.

[okpk]

+1 on recording 6-7 min max. I can see recording a 40 min scratch track to review and find the good stuff, then make a shorter recording where you focus on recreating that.

[craig]

This! In my old band we used to record all our jams/rehearsals in case something new and noteworthy popped out. Some new riffs/ideas came out from doing that. There’s a lot to be said for recording EVERYTHING you ever do, beyond just noodling around.