I don‘t know about you, but i always don‘t connect with the tracked down version of the song i composed on the Digitakt (or even the Octatrack).
My Workflow is, writing on the Takt, tracking, arranging & mixing in Ableton.
First of all, when i play back the pattern on the Takt, i hear a sound difference. The Takt just sounds deeper.
Second there is a difference in feel. The tracked down version just does not groove.
This is my feeling for a lot of years. I own the Takt since its beginings. Now this weekend I saw Rickie Tinez‘ video and thats the same issue i encounter.
So i did a little test with Overbridge and recorded 32 bars. On every track i but a HiHat to play 8th notes. The result:
If you record all the tracks at the same time, it stays consistent, BUT after 29 bars the sounds will come erlier, consistent over all 8 tracks. So the sounds will come before the beat after 29 bars.
So my idea to track consistently is to record everything as one stereo-recording on my Zoom H2 while muting/unmuting. After i have all the Digitakt tracks layed down on a long two track, i would import them into Ableton and cut them properly.
I would really liobe to read your ideas and solutions on this?
Yup, drift is a problem with most software, not just with audio interface drivers, DAWs, or OSes, but also many software synths with built-in sequencers. Some software claims sample-accurate-MIDI, but that’s just 1 part of the entire equation. Also strange that many people don’t hear the drift.
I guess the solution is to not use Overbridge and get an ERM Multiclock or other master clock/sync device. And a rock-solid multi-channel low-latency interface like an RME. Or record everything to audio in <32 bar chunks, which is what I have to do. And the more plugins I use, the worse the drift.
I enjoy watching Ricky tinez YouTube and he’s a cool guy
but I can clearly see he’s not setting it up correctly in his last video and introduces audio latency. I’ve tested Overbridge heavily and it’s super accurate and there is no need for erm multi clock when using it unless you have something set up incorrectly.
as for the digitakt sounding deeper? Sorry but think you might be imagining it…
Hi DanJames,
when recording via Oberbridge, i have to raise +12dB of gain on every track (also the fx-track) to match the gain of the Digitakt. After doing this, it just does not sound like on the Digitakt. Even when i play the Mix with the Digitakt as a Soundcard. It sounds flat.
With deeper in mean „dimensoinal“ and „moving“ almost mastered.
But thats not the main issue here.
It is about „drifting“.
When recording it just does not groove. But this is very subjective.
I just would like to know your (elektronauts) workflow when tracking your songs down in a DAW and if some of you are also aware of that „drifting“ problem.
Do you have the compressor enabled on the DT? The effect of it is lost when multitracking with OB as it’s a master effect. Might explain you hearing a loss of ‘depth’
I recently did a track by track recording for a label that wanted a stereo track to be a bit more flexible for mixing.
I have encountered these problems in the past, but let me share a bit of my experience:
Pulling out any midi in before tracking will help a bit, because it reduces the drift that occurs as a slave.
Although I could see drifting, I tried to test it. I recorded a very short 4/4 click from my AR at 130 bpm. I recorded it three times at about 4 bars each. I lined up all three tracks sample perfect. I could hear no phasing, double clicks, or triple clicks. It just sounded like one click.
A test like this might give you some peace of mind - It did for me.
…drifting is taking place…which can lead to loose the feel…and the feel is essential to groove…once the microfeel of a groove got lost, u are lost…that much is truu…
but deeper…is nothing but the experience of loudness…
using ob can lead to “too” accurate capturing which leads to missing that feel again…
but the loss of deepness can be brought back by releveling the single stems…
while capturing into audiotracks that run timestretch in the background again can stabelize drifting but will destroy any microfeel of the groove in most cases…
it’s a classic catch 22…i’m afraid…
my solution around all this…capturing/recording phrases…groove relevant stuff goes first and at once via physical outputs…not longer than 16 bars…to static/non stretching tracks…
reality in final arrangements are 4 bar/8 bar loops…so 16 bar snippets will always do fine and no drift accurs…
that little pre summing chemistry of catching signals from physical outputs is also something that can’t be underestimated…also that way it needs no further translation into same “deepness” again…what u hear is what u get becomes way more solid…
i never bother to sort of finish something otb…i’m always aware of capturing the magic otb can offer in single pattern phrases…and a hard daw grid can, then, prevent this magic and take over from there to final arrangement decisions…
dare to be naked RAW in first place…and trust into naked DAW later…
…once i started to measure something, all feel and magic of any moment was gone forever…
doing the math is a good thing…and music is indeed lot’s of math…but also lot’s of magic…
Yeah cool. Im thinking of multi tracking all the material for the album Im working on. I did have the idea not to use a clock for ableton and yeah, just hit record and go, each instrument on its own track. Only 3 instruments, drum machine, 2 synths. Everything sequenced OTB. Should work right?
