Yamaha 101 User Manual

Recording 101

Yamaha Corporation of America

6600 Orangethorpe Ave.

Buena Park, CA 90620 USA

Customer Support: 714-522-9000

AW16G Recording 101 - Table of Contents

Introduction 1

AW16G Features 1

Setting up the AW16G 2

Connecting the Monitor System 2

Connecting the Instruments and/or Microphones 3

Turning the Equipment on 5

Recording 6

Creating a New Song 6

Setting the Input Level 7

Assigning the Input Signal to a Track 8

Recording the First Track 9

Punching In and Punching Out 9

Overdubbing 10

Mixdown 12

Setting Basic Levels 13

Adjusting the Panning 14

Panning Guidelines 15

Adjusting the EQ 16

Using the EQ Library 16

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Adjusting the Dynamic Processors 17

Using the Dynamics Library 17

Using the Internal Effects 18

Recording the Stereo Track 19

Creating an Audio CD 20

Glossary 22

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Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the AW16G!

The AW16G is a very powerful and easy to use digital audio workstation that will allow you to take your musical ideas from concept to completion. By combining all of the necessary tools into an affordable all-in-one unit, the AW16G makes it extremely easy for the home recording musician to achieve high-quality results.

This guide was written with the recording novice in mind. It is written to take you, the user, from start to finish in the easiest possible way. Many advanced recording principles have been purposely left out. The idea is to get you up and running as quickly and easily as possible.

At the end of this guide there is a glossary. Words in this document that have been included in the glossary are underlined.

AW16G Features

 16-Track Hard Disk Recorder – The AW16G records onto an internal 20

Gigabyte tracks for a total of 16 recording tracks.

 36-Channel Mixing Console – Within the AW16G there are a total of 36

mixer channels. This includes 16 channels for playback of the recorded tracks, 8 analog input channels, 2 stereo effects return channels, and 4 stereo channels for the sample pads. Every mixer channel has a 4 band parametric EQ and a dynamics processor.

 2 Internal Effects Processors– There are two built-in effects processors that

have a wide variety of effects. Some examples would be reverb, delay, pitchshift, chorus, phaser, tremolo, and amp simulation.

 Quick Loop Sampler – The AW16G has a built-in pad-type sampler. This is

very useful for drum loops, percussion parts, or anything else that you would like to loop. There are four sample pads with four switchable banks for each pad. The maximum sample time of the Quick Loop Sampler is 44 seconds.

 Built in CD-RW – The internal CD-RW

of your songs, to store song data, and to import or export audio.

(GB) laptop style hard drive. There are 8 mono tracks and 4 stereo

drive can be used to make audio CDs

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Setting up the AW16G

Before you begin recording it is necessary to connect the AW16G with the

equipment that it is to be used with.

Step 1: Connect the Monitoring System

If powered monitors are to be used with the AW16G, connect the Monitor Outs of the AW16G to the inputs of the monitors using unbalanced cable. The monitor outputs of the AW16G are unbalanced 1/ 4-inch jacks so it is not necessary to use balanced cable. Do not use speaker cable to connect the

AW16G to powered monitors.

instrument

With Powered Monitors

If unpowered monitors are to be used with the AW16G, first connect the Monitor Outs of the AW16G to the inputs of the power amp using unbalanced instrument cable. Next, connect the speaker outputs of the power amp to the inputs of the unpowered monitors using speaker cable. For best results 10-16 gauge speaker cable should be used to connect the power amp to the monitors. The lower the gauge of speaker cable, the better the sound quality will be. For shorter distances (less than 10-20 ft.), this will be less noticeable but it is still important to use lower gauge quality speaker cables. Do not use speaker cable

to connect the AW16G to the power amp.

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With Unpowered Monitors

If no monitors are available, or if you prefer, headphones can be used for monitoring. The headphones would be connected to the PHONES jack of the AW16G.

With Headphones

Step 2: Connect the instruments or microphones.

The next step would be to connect the instruments or the microphones to the AW16G that you will be recording. Typically, it is best to start by recording the rhythm instruments first (drums and bass guitar) and then record the other instruments. The final thing recorded is usually the vocals. However, if you are

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more comfortable recording other instruments first and then adding the drums later on this will work as long as you record with a metronome the drummer and other rhythm instruments can follow the tempo of the song. For more info on using the internal metronome of the AW16G see page 47 of the manual.

The AW16G has two XLR inch jacks, and a special Hi-Z directly to the AW16G. Inputs 1 and 2 of the AW16G are the only inputs that can supply phantom power

input jacks, six TRS (tip, ring, and sleeve) 1/4-

input for connecting electric guitars or basses

to condenser microphones.

. This ensures that

Either microphones or devices such as keyboards or drum machines can be connected to inputs 3-8. If microphones with XLR outputs are to be connected to inputs 3-8, an XLR to TRS cable or adapter, should be used.

XLR To TRS Cable

If unbalanced devices with 1/4- inch outputs are to be connected, then unbalanced 1/4" instrument cable should be used.

Unbalanced 1/4" Instrument Cable

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If a condenser microphone is to be connected

If a condenser microphone is to be connected to either input 1 or 2, the phantom power must be

to either input 1 or 2, the phantom power must be turned on.

turned on.

The Hi-Z input should be used to connect electric guitars or basses with

The Hi-Z input should be used to connect electric guitars or basses with passive electronics to the AW16G. If the guitar or bass has active electronics, or

passive electronics to the AW16G. If the guitar or bass has active electronics, or is going through an effects device before being connected to the AW16G, then

is going through an effects device before being connected to the AW16G, then one of the regular 1/4-inch TRS inputs should be used.

one of the regular 1/4-inch TRS inputs should be used.

Step 3: Turn the Equipment on. Step 3: Turn the Equipment on.

The final step before you can begin recording is to turn all of the

The final step before you can begin recording is to turn all of the equipment on. When turning the equipment on the following order should be

equipment on. When turning the equipment on the following order should be used:

used:

1. Turn on external devices such as audio sources and effects processors

connected to the AW16G.

2. Turn on the AW16G. 2. Turn on the AW16G.

3. Turn on the monitoring system connected to the AW16Gs Monitor

Outputs.

This will prevent damage to the speakers. If the monitoring system is

turned on first, then when the AW16G and the other equipment is turned on a loud

‘pop’ will be produced which may damage the speakers.

When turning the equipment off the reverse order should be used: When turning the equipment off the reverse order should be used:

1. Turn off the monitoring system connected to the AW16Gs Monitor

Outputs.

2. Turn off the AW16G. To access the AW16Gs shutdown screen press the

[SONG] key until the SONG SHUTDOWN screen appears then cursor to

SHUTDOWN and press the [ENTER] key.

3. Turn off external devices such as audio sources and effects processors

connected to the AW16G.

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Recording

Now that everything is set up and connected properly you can begin recording. The first step in the recording process is to create a new song.

When you start the AW16G for the first time, an empty song will be loaded automatically. If you use this automatically loaded song, then there is no need to create a new song.

Creating a New Song

1. In the Work Navigate Section press the [SONG]

key until the Song List page is displayed.

2. Move the cursor to the NEW button and press

the [ENTER] key next to the jog wheel.

A popup window will ask you if you want to save the current song.

3. Move the cursor to either YES (if you want to save the current song) or

NO (if you do not want to save the current song) and press the [ENTER]

key.

Another popup window will appear, allowing you to choose any settings that will

carried over from the current song.

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