Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Other Products > MIDI

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-12-2011, 05:12 AM
ewan.mcghee ewan.mcghee is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 7
Default Recording multiple midi drum channels to multiple audio tracks?

Hello,

I have a SINGLE MIDI track in Pro Tools containing a drum performance. Is there a quick way for me to record each of the drums and cymbals etc out to separate audio tracks, e.g. midi's bass drum out to a new audio track, midi snare out to a new track, etc? I had thought there was a quick way that Pro Tools could do this, where it automatically took each pitch/channel which has data in the midi track and recorded it out to its own audio track. Can anyone help?

I know how to split the single MIDI file out into separate MIDI tracks, with a separate track for each pitch/channel, but can PT go the extra step and convert it to audio rather than midi? Or would I then have to manually create a new audio track for each separate midi pitch/channel track and route the output from each individual MIDI track to the input of the new corresponding audio track? Seems a bit involved.

Thanks for your help in advance
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-12-2011, 08:53 AM
albee1952's Avatar
albee1952 albee1952 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Norwich, CT
Posts: 39,307
Default Re: Recording multiple midi drum channels to multiple audio tracks?

More info will get better advice. For instance, ezdrummer and SD2 have a mixer where you can assign each sound to its own path. Then you can add either AUX tracks or audio tracks with the inputs set to those same paths so you can either record the drum sounds to their own tracks, or just split them out to AUX tracks, which will allow you to do all the same treatment(as if they were audio tracks). I use audio tracks when I want to commit the drum tracks for archival(in case midi or the plugin is not available at some future time), but for general mixing, using AUX tracks works fine. Keep in mind that these 2 plugins(others may be different) seem to default to stereo paths, so I use stereo tracks as a rule(but you can use the plugin mixer PAN function to send a sound as mono and feed mono audio or aux tracks). I know this complicated, but its really not. Again, what drum source may steer you a bit different.
__________________
HP Z4 workstation, Mbox Studio
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...0sound%20works


The better I drink, the more I mix

BTW, my name is Dave, but most people call me.........................Dave
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-12-2011, 09:01 AM
ewan.mcghee ewan.mcghee is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 7
Default Re: Recording multiple midi drum channels to multiple audio tracks?

Quote:
Originally Posted by albee1952 View Post
More info will get better advice. For instance, ezdrummer and SD2 have a mixer where you can assign each sound to its own path. Then you can add either AUX tracks or audio tracks with the inputs set to those same paths so you can either record the drum sounds to their own tracks, or just split them out to AUX tracks, which will allow you to do all the same treatment(as if they were audio tracks). I use audio tracks when I want to commit the drum tracks for archival(in case midi or the plugin is not available at some future time), but for general mixing, using AUX tracks works fine. Keep in mind that these 2 plugins(others may be different) seem to default to stereo paths, so I use stereo tracks as a rule(but you can use the plugin mixer PAN function to send a sound as mono and feed mono audio or aux tracks). I know this complicated, but its really not. Again, what drum source may steer you a bit different.
Thanks Albee, it's a home recording using BFD 2 whose MIDI I need to record to audio to take into a proper studio. From your advice, then, I definitely need Audio tracks, and to look at it from the BFD side, rather than the Pro Tools side, but I could have sworn I once came across a reference to Pro Tools being able to automatically split MIDI channels out to separate audio tracks which was a lot simpler. Anyway, thanks very much for your time and advice.

Last edited by ewan.mcghee; 07-12-2011 at 09:02 AM. Reason: typo
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-12-2011, 11:06 AM
albee1952's Avatar
albee1952 albee1952 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Norwich, CT
Posts: 39,307
Default Re: Recording multiple midi drum channels to multiple audio tracks?

Sorry I am not a BFD user, but I would start with the plugin and look for ways to assign sounds to busses(so you can record them to audio tracks). Maybe a trip to the BFD website, or to youtube.com will get you the info you need. BTW, I would be using a stereo INSTRUMENT track for midi, with BFD inserted on the instrument track(just neater that way).
__________________
HP Z4 workstation, Mbox Studio
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...0sound%20works


The better I drink, the more I mix

BTW, my name is Dave, but most people call me.........................Dave
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-12-2011, 12:47 PM
DonaldM's Avatar
DonaldM DonaldM is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 4,588
Default Re: Recording multiple midi drum channels to multiple audio tracks?

The short answer is yes. I do this all the time. I split the single MIDI drum track into its separate tracks AFTER I duplicate the original track, because I want to be sure to keep the original MIDI track.

Then, I sort through drum samples for each drum in the kit. This kick, that snare, etc. I don't know what you have for drums, but this will work with VI drums as well as external gear with drum sounds.

I then record per normal way each drum track...I have MBox 2 Mini, so I have to record each part pretty much one at a time. Takes a bit longer, but the results are worth it.

Then you can eq each part just like you would a drum track recorded in the studio with a live drummer.

I also make a couple of stereo audio tracks of the full performance from the original MIDI track. After the audio is recorded, I actually split them into mono. Then, by adding a bit of minimal delay and/or reverb you can somewhat emulate room mics and/or overhead mics, depending on what you what. I've also tried just nudging the track behind a sample or two to emulate room mics placed, say, 10 feet out. But I like the delay better.

Albee is right, of course (he always is -), that you can also have the midi file play a drum VI, like BFD or, say, boom, and each drum sound can be tweaked within the VI itself. However, I find I get better overall results in the mix and with the sound by creating the separate audio tracks for each part. Just my bias, I guess...either that, or I like doing things the hard way. Hope this helps.
__________________
"Never believe anything you hear in a song." Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
Owner: Dragon Rock Productions LLC


Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-12-2011, 02:45 PM
cneal92's Avatar
cneal92 cneal92 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Lubbock, TX USA
Posts: 530
Default Re: Recording multiple midi drum channels to multiple audio tracks?

I don't have BFD either, but I read that BFD has 32 outputs, which I'm sure (like SD2) can be made to be the input of an Audio Track in PT and you can record everything in one pass. All you should need to do is setup the necessary routing in the BFD mixer to route specific mic/instruments out separate outs of BFD.
__________________
Chris Neal :: South Plains College
.: Program Coordinator & Asst. Professor in Sound Technology
.: [email protected]
.: Pro Tools Certified Instructor
.: Pro Tools Expert Certified in Music
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Simultaneous recording with multiple midi channels miikkajk MIDI 3 07-17-2012 10:44 PM
merging multiple midi drum tracks? TREBLEBLEED 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 0 02-19-2008 01:08 AM
recording multiple midi tracks ? geophy 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 1 03-26-2007 08:42 PM
> Help - Recording Multiple Midi Tracks Howardk Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 6 03-08-2004 01:11 PM
Recording multiple midi tracks mojorisin2 MIDI 1 11-21-2003 12:15 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:39 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com