Yamaha AW4416 User Manual 3
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO WORKSTATION
Tutorial
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Tutorial—AW4416 Professional Audio Workstation
AW4416 Professional Audio Workstation
Showing a Yamaha AW4416 to a recording engineer, say, 20 years ago, would
have a similar effect to showing an interplanetary probe to Galileo. After the initial shock both parties would probably nod their heads and mumble something
about inevitability. It had to happen. The AW4416 can do what once required a
couple of rooms full of very, very expensive equipment that required considerable expertise to operate. And it does it very well, indeed. In short, the AW4416
can take your sound recording projects from conception to completion with professional-level control and quality.
If you’ve worked with a Yamaha O2R Digital Mixing Console (a de-facto standard
through the recording and production industries today) or one of Yamaha’s other
top-quality digital consoles, operating the AW4416 will not be a challenge. But if
you’ve never had the pleasure, the power and depth of the AW4416 (translation:
lots of features and flexibility) might be a little daunting at first. This tutorial is
designed to help you make friends with the AW4416 as quickly and as painlessly
as possible. Since the actual recording process is pretty much the same no matter
what equipment you use, we’ve provided a complete set of pre-recorded tracks
for the demo song “So Fine”, and will walk you through the process of mixing
and mastering the tracks to create the final product. We haven’t completely
ignored the initial recording process, however; a few guidelines are provided
below.
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A Note About the Tutorial
This tutorial assumes that you already have a basic knowledge of how the
AW4416 controls and main features work. If you get lost, refer to the AW4416
operation guide for details.
We’ve also included a simple glossary at the end of the tutorial. If you encounter
any terms you’re not familiar with, you might find explanations in the glossary.
— Tutorial
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Tutorial—AW4416 Professional Audio Workstation
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Contents
AW4416 Professional Audio Workstation ........................................1
A Note About the Tutorial .................................................................... 1
Contents .............................................................................................. 2
Laying Down the Basic Tracks ..........................................................5
Rhythm First! ........................................................................................ 5
Separation ............................................................................................ 5
“Scratch” or “Guide” Vocals ................................................................. 6
Microphone Selection? ......................................................................... 6
Overdubs ............................................................................................. 7
To Process or Not To Process? .............................................................. 7
Load the Demo Song ........................................................................ 8
Load the Demo Song From the CD-ROM Onto the AW4416 Hard Disk.......... 8
Load the Demo Song from the Hard Disk ....................................................... 9
Mixdown .........................................................................................10
Phase 1: Listen To the Tracks and Make a Plan ............................................. 10
Do It ................................................................................................... 10
Phase 2: Set Up a Rough Mix ....................................................................... 12
Start with the Drums .......................................................................... 12
Add the Claves/Electronic Drums Track .............................................. 13
Add the Bass Track ............................................................................. 13
Add the Guitar Tracks ......................................................................... 13
Add the Organ & Piano Tracks ........................................................... 13
Add the String Tracks ......................................................................... 13
Add the Lead Vocal ............................................................................ 14
Add the Chorus .................................................................................. 14
Listen! ................................................................................................ 14
Save the Song! ................................................................................... 14
Phase 3: Assemble the Mix Part by Part ........................................................ 15
Tracks 1 & 2: Drums ........................................................................... 15
Track 3: Claves/Electronic Drums ........................................................ 16
Track 4: Bass ....................................................................................... 16
Track 5: Rhythm Guitar ...................................................................... 17
Track 6: Lead Guitar ........................................................................... 17
Track 7: Organ ................................................................................... 17
Track 8: Piano ..................................................................................... 18
Tracks 9 & 10: Strings ........................................................................ 18
Tracks 11 & 12: Female Chorus 1 & 2 ................................................ 18
Track 13: Male Chorus ....................................................................... 19
Track 14: Lead Vocal .......................................................................... 19
Save the Song! ................................................................................... 19
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— Tutorial
Phase 4: Add Ambience ................................................................................ 20
Engage the “Effect 1 Sends” and Select an Effect ................................ 20
Add Ambience to the Tracks as Required ............................................ 21
Tracks 1 & 2: Drums ........................................................................... 21
Track 3: Claves/Electronic Drums ........................................................ 21
Track 4: Bass ....................................................................................... 21
Tracks 5 & 6: Rhythm & Lead Guitar .................................................. 21
Track 7: Organ ................................................................................... 22
Track 8: Piano ..................................................................................... 22
Tutorial—AW4416 Professional Audio Workstation
Tracks 9 & 10: Strings ........................................................................ 22
Tracks 11, 12, & 13: Chorus ............................................................... 22
Track 14: Lead Vocal ........................................................................... 22
Save the Song! ................................................................................... 23
Phase 5: Finalize the Mix & Set Up Automation ............................................ 24
The Automix ....................................................................................... 25
Phase 6: Use the Virtual Tracks to Create an Alternate Mix ............................ 27
Mastering ....................................................................................... 28
Step 1: Set Up the “Master” EQ and Dynamics............................................. 28
Step 2: Record the Song to the Stereo Track................................................. 29
Step 3: Write the Song to a CD-R Disk .......................................................... 30
Practice, Practice … ........................................................................ 30
Glossary .......................................................................................... 31
— Tutorial
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Tutorial—Laying Down the Basic Tracks
Laying Down the Basic Tracks
Although the basic tracks you’ll use to assemble the “So Fine” mix have already
been recorded for you (of course you can add your own tracks, if you like), let’s
take a moment to discuss the initial recording process.
The basic steps introduced here may not apply if you’re recording something very
“avant-garde,” but if you’re laying down a song or instrumental piece with a fairly
standard arrangement, here are a few issues to keep in mind:
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Rhythm First!
Since the rhythm parts define the tempo and “groove” of the music, it makes
sense that they should be recorded first so that the musicians who will be overdubbing the subsequent parts — lead guitar, lead vocal, chorus, etc. — will have
something to lock onto. Of course this isn’t necessary if the piece to be recorded
consists of just one person strumming a guitar and singing or, for that matter, if
you’ll be recording an entire ensemble in one take. But if you’ll be recording your
masterpiece track-by-track or at least section-by-section — whether it’s because
like most of us you’re recording with limited studio space and resources, or sim-
ply because you’re a perfectionist who demands total creative control at all times
— start with the rhythm. The first rhythm part to be recorded could simply be
drums and/or percussion alone, drums and bass, or drums plus bass and a rhythm
keyboard or guitar part.
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Separation
Remember that the more instruments you record via microphones at the same
time, the more you need to think about separation (or “isolation” depending on
whom you talk to). Once again, there are no hard-and-fast rules: if you’ll be
recording an entire rhythm section or ensemble with one stereo microphone pair,
for example, separation is a non-issue — but instrument layout and microphone
placement are critical! But assuming you want all instruments cleanly recorded
on separate tracks so you can do all your spatial arranging and processing later
on, you’ll need to ensure that leakage between instruments and microphones is
minimized. How? Physical separation is the best way. Record different instruments in different rooms, if possible (this corresponds to using “isolation booths”
in a recording studio), or use baffles to reduce leakage when recording more than
one source in the same room. Directional microphones are a good idea, and
close-miking can be a big help. The only way to achieve total separation, though,
is to overdub acoustic sources one-at-a-time. Even then, you’ll probably end up
with a little leakage from the vocalist’s headphones, for example. Line sources,
naturally, do not present a problem.
A little leakage is not a big problem, though, so don’t let it bog you down. Listen
carefully to the individual “So Fine” tracks and you’ll hear what we mean.
— Tutorial
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Tutorial—Laying Down the Basic Tracks
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“Scratch” or “Guide” Vocals
If you’re working alone this won’t be necessary, but when recording a band it’s
sometimes a good idea to have the singer lay down a “scratch vocal” track while
recording the rhythm section. This is simply because bands are generally used to
playing with vocals, and the performance can suffer if there is a void where the
vocals are supposed to be. The scratch vocal track can also be a useful guide
while laying down other overdubs such as guitar or keyboard solos. DON’T rely
on the scratch vocal track to record chorus parts, though, because the teeniest
changes in the pitch or phrasing of the lead vocal part can throw the entire chorus out of whack.
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Microphone Selection?
Oowee! Here’s a subject that can make even the most seasoned recording engi-
neer cringe. But, reality check firmly established, we realize that for most of us
this is not a problem simply because we don’t have a dazzling selection of microphones at our disposal. And that’s that.
But there is one thing we would like to stress: if you don’t already own the micro-
phone(s) you intend to use for recording, CHOOSE THEM WITH CARE!! Really.
Here are a few guidelines for the minimum microphone selection for most home
recording applications.
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If you will be recording vocals and/or acoustic instruments in the (home) studio.
Quite a number of high-quality large-diaphragm condenser microphones have
become available at very reasonable prices in the last few years. Get one. But, if
at all possible, try out a few before making a final commitment. Although most
microphones in this category have uniformly excellent frequency response and
high sensitivity, they do have distinctive sounds. Choose the one that sounds the
best to your own ears. Don’t worry about switchable directivity unless you really
think you’ll need an omni-directional pattern for some application; the plainvanilla cardioid pattern is probably all you’ll ever need for most recording. And
since the AW4416 provides switchable phantom power on inputs 1 and 2, you
can choose studio-quality phantom-powered microphones with confidence.
The same microphone you choose for recording vocals will most probably also
be ideal for recording acoustic guitar, piano, and a range of wind instruments as
well. Not a good choice for close-miking drums and percussion, though. One or
two large-diaphragm condenser mics are, however, perfect for use as drum “over-
heads.”
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Close-miking guitar amps, drums, and other loud stuff.
Here’s where you need one, or perhaps a few, good-quality dynamic micro-
phones. There are a number of “standard” dynamic microphones that are ideal
for this type of application, and which can be acquired for surprisingly little outlay. If you don’t already have a couple of established makers and models in mind,
ask around.
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— Tutorial
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