Skip to main content Recording Functions TouchMix Training : Recording Functions
Collapse all Expand all Close Search Results CERTIFICATION STEPS COMPLETED
Certification Steps Completed 1 ) TouchMix Introduction
2m 3s - Touchmix Introduction 2m 3s
2 ) Mixer Navigation
3m 16s 3 ) Simple vs. Advanced Mode
2m 37s - Simple vs. Advanced Mode 2m 37s
4 ) Preset Libraries
5m 39s 5 ) FX Wizard
5m 59s 6 ) Advanced Effects
4m 16s 7 ) Gain Wizard
3m 8s 8 ) Recording Functions
7m 15s - Recording Functions 7m 15s
9 ) Adv. Recording & Playback
7m 15s - Advanced Recording & Playback 7m 15s
10 ) Updating Firmware
4m 20s 11 ) TouchMix 8/16 Firmware v3.0
4m 25s - TouchMix 8/16 Firmware v3.0 4m 25s
12 ) RTAs
5m 46s 13 ) Connecting to Wi-Fi
3m 34s - Connecting a Wi-Fi router 3m 34s
14 ) Feedback Wizard
5m 11s 15 ) Copy & Paste
3m 0s 16 ) TM-30 Pro: Overview
5m 42s 17 ) TM-30 Pro: DAW
4m 44s 18 ) TM-30 Pro: Patch Matrix
5m 37s 19 ) TM-30 Pro: Custom Fader Banks
1m 58s - Custom Fader Banks 1m 58s
20 ) TM-30 Pro: External Control
7m 31s - External Control Surface Operation 7m 31s
21 ) TM-30 Pro: Auto Mixer
9m 2s - Auto Mixer Part 1 5m 9s
- Auto Mixer Part 2 3m 53s
22 ) TouchMix-30 Pro: Scenes, Snapshots and Cue Lists
14m 23s - Scenes 1m 41s
- Snapshots 5m 56s
- Cue Lists 6m 46s
23 ) TouchMix-30 Pro Control App: Offline Editing
6m 37s 24 ) Assessment
- Video Transcript
- Lesson Description
- Downloads and Links
Video Transcript
Recording Functions 7m 15s 0:07 In these next few tutorials, we're going to go over the recording and playback functions of the Touchmix. 0:13 If you're looking to capture some tracks and get a great finished recording, the TouchMix is an amazing tool. 0:19 After you've recorded your tracks, you can either get a mix-down on the TouchMix itself, 0:24 or you can import those tracks into your favorite DAW for some more post-production. 0:28 Before we get started, it's important to understand that the TouchMix is not a DAW. 0:33 But on the flip side, your DAW is not a live sound mixer. 0:38 Let's start with some basics. A TouchMix-16 can create up to 22 tracks of 32-bit WAV audio files at a time. 0:46 That's a whole lot of ones and zeroes, 0:48 so it requires a hard drive that is capable of reading and writing at a very fast rate. 0:53 You'll need about 8 or 9 megabytes of storage for every minute of track. 0:58 We've found that the best results come from a USB 3.0 drive that spins at 7200 RPM 1:04 and uses an external power supply, like this one. 1:09 However, there are solid state drives without an external power supply that work great too. 1:14 Check out the QSC website for the most recent list of qualified hard drives. 1:19 It's also possible to successfully use a USB thumb drive when recording a single stereo track. 1:24 USB thumb drives come in thousands of models with varying levels of performance. 1:31 If you're going to record with one, 1:33 be sure to test it in a non-critical situation before recording anything that's important to you. 1:38 Regardless of which hard drive or thumb drive you use, 1:41 it will need to be formatted with the FAT32 file system. 1:45 Here's a quick tip: we like to use a two-drive workflow. We have our "archive drive" and our "show drive". 1:54 The archive drive stores all of our sessions and has a much larger storage capacity than our show drive. 2:01 The show drive goes with you to the show. It's always a good idea to format this guy before every performance. 2:07 Afterwards, use your computer to transfer the recordings from the show drive to the archive drive. 2:13 So let’s get started by plugging the show drive into one of the TouchMix's USB ports. 2:18 Like any USB device, it may take up to ten to fifteen seconds for the TouchMix to initialize the hard drive. 2:24 You can access the TouchMix's recording functions by pressing the 2:27 "Record/Play" button next to the touchscreen. 2:30 You'll see your channel faders shrink to about half their normal height, 2:34 and new controls appear at the bottom of the screen. 2:38 To initiate a new recording session or recall an existing one, 2:40 tap the "New/Recall" button. This takes you to the Recording Setup screen. 2:46 Any sessions already on your hard drive are listed in the "USB Sessions" window. 2:51 If you want to work with one of these, simply select it and tap "Recall Session." 2:56 If you're starting a new session, tap the "New Session" button, give it a unique name, and press Enter. 3:04 This is also where you'll select the record pick-off point. For most cases, set this control to the "Pre" position. 3:11 In this mode, your recorded tracks will be unaffected by any channel EQ, gating or compression, 3:17 so you'll have the freedom to adjust them later during the mix-down. 3:21 Choosing "Post" EQ includes the result of all channel EQ and dynamics onto the recorded track. 3:26 When you're done setting up your session, press the "Record/Play" button again 3:30 and you'll see your session's name displayed here. 3:33 Now that you're ready to record, you need to tell the mixer which tracks you want to capture. 3:38 At the bottom of every channel are two controls: "Track" and "Arm". 3:42 When "Track" is activated, the multi-track recording from the hard drive 3:47 becomes the source for the input channel, overriding the channel's mic or line input. 3:52 This will be useful in Playback functions, which we'll cover in another video. 3:56 To record a channel, you'll want to make sure that "Track" is set to off, 4:00 so you'll have access to the "Arm" switch. 4:03 Tap this switch for every channel you want to arm for recording. 4:07 You'll also see the record indicator appear on all of the armed channels. 4:11 Then tap the "Record" button and start playing because the TouchMix is recording. 4:17 Here's a workflow tip, one thing that's very important: When you're done with your session, 4:22 be sure to hit the "Stop" button before you disconnect your hard drive or power down the mixer. 4:27 When you hit the "Stop" button, the TouchMix creates a project file for the session. 4:32 Without that file, you can't recall your recording on the TouchMix, 4:36 or import it into a DAW. Basically, your recording is hosed! 4:40 So far we've been telling you about multi-track recording, 4:44 but what if you just want a stereo recording and you don't want to mix down tracks after the gig? 4:48 Here's what you do: If you go to the "Stereo In/2-Track" Fader Bank, 4:53 you'll see a channel called "2-Track Record." 4:56 Here, you can record the Main Left and Right Mix. 4:59 On the TouchMix-16, you also have the option of recording one of the stereo Aux mixes. 5:05 So why would you want to use the Aux outputs instead of the Main outputs? 5:10 After all, it sounded good in the house, so the recording should sound good, right? Not necessarily. 5:16 Say you've got this guitar player with a screaming four 12 cabinet and a killer amp head. 5:22 His stage volume is so high that you don't really need to put any guitar in the PA. 5:32 Without the PA, the keyboard can't be heard at all. 5:35 For the live sound mix, you would have little if any guitar in the PA, but the keyboard would be really loud. 5:41 The live audience would hear a good balance - plenty of guitar from the stage, 5:45 and plenty of keys from the PA. 5:47 But a recording of the main output will have a lot of keyboard and not much guitar. 5:53 Ironically, the instruments that are loudest on stage will be vastly under-represented in the stereo mix. 6:00 Here's what I'm telling you: a recording from the Main stereo output of the TouchMix 6:05 is only going to sound like what you're sending to the PA, 6:08 but it's not going to capture what your group sounds like in the room. 6:12 With that in mind, you can choose to select the "Aux 7/8" or "Aux 9/10" 6:18 as the source for your 2-track recording. 6:20 Then, set up a mix on the corresponding Aux with the right blend of keyboards and monster guitar rig. 6:26 You'll probably want to use a set of headphones when you're setting these aux levels, 6:30 so that you're not distracted by the PA levels. 6:32 And there is another use for the stereo recording function. 6:35 You could use it to make a mix-down of the multi-track recording on the hard drive. 6:41 Select "Track" as a source for all the input channels and "Main" 6:46 as the source for your 2-track record channel. Then arm the 2-track channel to record. 6:52 Listen to the Main output and mix your tracks so they sound the way you like. 6:56 Then set the Play indicator to the song's start and push the record button. 7:00 The multi-track recording will play back and be mixed to a stereo track. 7:05 So, those are the basics for recording your gig. 7:08 In the next tutorial, we'll show you what to do with your recordings after your gig. See you next time. Lesson Description
Recording Functions 7m 15s We'll demonstrate the multi-track recording and playback capabilities of the TouchMix compact digital mixer.
Downloads and Links
Recording Functions 7m 15s Click here to download the video: "Recording Functions" (720p)
Visit the TouchMix product page!
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