{"id":72394,"date":"2021-03-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=72394"},"modified":"2021-06-11T10:42:41","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T15:42:41","slug":"recording-with-ipad-and-daw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/72394-recording-with-ipad-and-daw\/","title":{"rendered":"Recording Made Easy With an iPad Connected to Your DAW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Most home and project studios are run by songwriters, musicians, and composers who fall under the \u201cMe, myself, and I\u201d category of producer. Recording is not easy for people who are doing it solo. Not only are they writing the material, and performing it, but they are also recording and mixing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the setup of the session to the microphone selection and placement choices to the playing, and to the actual recording process – there\u2019s just one person wearing all of the hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the major challenges for people working alone in a studio, up until recently, was just in the specific area of actually performing the recorded material, while also triggering the recording, playback, and stop buttons. You might have started to work on your take, and then had to lift your hand up, to either click the mouse or hotkey to start and stop the recording. This could affect the flow of the performance itself, and the ability to lock into a vibe. It also forced the performer to be right near the computer, which may not be the best spot for considerations related to acoustics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

iPad does all the jobs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, enter the Apple iPad<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s been several years now since the iPad started being integrated into the studio environment. Third-party companies were coming up with apps that allowed a user to connect to some of the main DAWs. But now, the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) manufacturers have fully embraced the iPad as a controller. As a result, there is full integration with every single feature available. Almost as if you were using a mouse and keyboard to control the DAW, but even faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of particular note, the Avid Protools<\/a><\/strong> DAW and the Apple Logic Pro X<\/strong><\/a> DAW both have their own apps for control of all of the features, or at least most of them. And even if there isn\u2019t a direct control for a nuanced tool, when the iPad is used simultaneously with the mouse and keyboard (more in the mixing\/editing stage), several processes are more convenient within the workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"AVID's<\/a>
AVID’s Pro Tools Dock, integrated with iPad. The iPad can operate without the need for the Dock.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Your best friend when recording<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s address a specific set of recording steps in one case study that proves an iPad is well worth its weight in gold for anyone intending to record without an assistant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the purpose of demonstrating, we\u2019ll use Protools Ultimate<\/strong> software, on a 2019 Mac Pro<\/a> with EUCON<\/a> installed, and an iPad loaded with the Avid Control<\/strong> <\/a>app, which connects to the Protools over Wi-Fi via Eucon. And we\u2019ll address it in the context of recording acoustic guitar with a single condenser microphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First step:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you\u2019re about to embark on the most fun adventure \u2013 to create a new session in Protools and then create at least one track. Make sure you name the track<\/strong> something like \u201cac gtr 1,\u201d and it\u2019s a good practice to include the name of the song as well. So, for example, the new track could be named \u201cac gtr 1 The Rocket Yard song.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Name<\/a>
Tip for track naming convention.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This naming convention is needed for a variety of reasons. For example…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. If you have a lot of songs in your catalog and you ever need to find a specific audio file<\/strong> from it because it disappeared from the session, or…<\/li>
  2. If somehow it got moved from one of the hard drives in an OWC\u00a0ThunderBay 4<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to another when you were moving or backing up sessions, and you need to search for it.\u00a0<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Without some identifying information in the track name, a search will turn up a significant number of \u2018ac gtr 1\u2019 tracks. You probably wouldn\u2019t want to spend a week trying to find the one you’re looking for. Another example might be if a music supervisor contacts you, and asks for a specific audio stem for a film. Maybe they loved some guitar part from one of your songs, and you\u2019ll know exactly where it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next step:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Arm the new track to \u2018record<\/strong>\u2019. The button will be lit in red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"arm<\/a>
    Track is armed when the square button is red.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    After that, take the iPad (in your hand, mounted, or on your desk), make sure it\u2019s linked to Protools<\/strong>, and that you can see the faders in the \u2018Mixer\u2019 section of the app. Also, make sure that you can see the signal and meters going up and down when you strum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Protools<\/a>
    Make sure you have audio signal when the track is armed to record. In this photo the track is armed and there is signal.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    You can also check the track in the DAW, to make sure you have a signal coming into the track that’s armed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Staying on the shortlist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Here is the key part of where we start to discover the hidden treasures of the Avid Control app \u2013 when you toggle to the \u2018Soft Keys<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 window within the app on the iPad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Within the Soft Keys page, you will see pages and pages of soft keys that were pre-programmed. You can access file menus, edit menus, specific types of edit windows. You name the function, and it\u2019s already there. If it isn\u2019t, then you can create custom soft keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Double-check that the new track you created a few steps back is selected in the DAW. When looking at the edit window of the DAW, you\u2019ll know the track is selected because the track name is highlighted in white<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Creating Playlists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Now, the detail we to focus on at this point is the soft key that\u2019s named \u2018Playlist<\/strong>\u2019. Press that key, and you enter into a more detailed window for soft keys related to playlists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Here,<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    As long as the track you armed for recording is selected, then you can start pressing the \u2018New Playlist\u2019 soft key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"New<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re watching the selected track on the DAW edit screen, you should note that the track name adds a sequential number at the end every time you press \u2018New Playlist.\u2019 You can press it three times, five times, 10 times, or significantly more times in rapid succession. Now that you\u2019ve created many playlists, you can do multiple takes without making a whole new track each time. At the end of your tracking session, you may have anywhere from five to 30 takes (or more). You would then sift through the playlists and build a track using a common practice dubbed \u201ccomping.\u201d Comping<\/strong> is a mixing technique for another discussion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now that you\u2019ve created plenty of playlists to have enough takes to compile a solid audio recording for the track, press the \u2018Show First Playlist<\/strong>\u2019 soft key. You are now ready to go with the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Always keep it close<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    1. Mount the iPad to a microphone stand, or something that you can easily and quickly reach, that\u2019s near where you\u2019ll be sitting when you\u2019re recording.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/a>
      iPad mounted on a separate microphone stand.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
      1. Move the condenser microphone into close proximity to where you\u2019re set up, and have a chair there. <\/li>
      2. Put headphones on, and sit down with your acoustic guitar. Start strumming and move the microphone around, trying out different positions about 10-16 inches away from the guitar. Direct the top portion of the microphone near the 12th fret. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        You can also move around in the chair with the acoustic guitar in hand, and tilt it around at different angles. These are not fixed rules<\/em> \u2013 you\u2019re just trying to hear the guitar sounding natural through your headphones. This should result in a pretty good recording. Sometimes you have to move the microphone around quite a bit, to find the sweet spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Once you\u2019ve found the sweet spot, we come to the part where the iPad is invaluable. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Now that you\u2019ve set yourself up and are happy with the guitar sound, settle in that position. The reason is that if you move around between takes too far from your original position, the tone of the takes will sound noticeably different when you do your comping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For example…<\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Let\u2019s say you had the greatest take in the world on one of the playlists, but you had a string buzz, a note that was really off, or you made a nonverbal noise while playing. You\u2019d probably want to repair it and use a substitute from another take in the playlist. But if you\u2019ve shifted position in relation to the microphone, it won\u2019t match the same tonality or volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        Here is where the magic happens. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        1. You sit in the same position, with your acoustic guitar in the sweet spot, then you get ready to do the first take. You reach over to the iPad (which is right near your left or right arm), press record<\/strong>, and perform the part. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \"Pressing<\/a>
          Press the “Record” button and play your part<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
          1. When you are done, press stop<\/strong>. The playhead goes back to the beginning. You\u2019ll see the audio waveform in the edit window of the DAW. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
            \"Waveform<\/a>
            Notice the waveform of your recording<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
            1. Try to remain at or near the same position with the acoustic guitar. Then press the soft key that says \u2018Next Playlist<\/strong>\u2019. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
              \"Choosing<\/a>
              Press “Nest Playlist” for another take<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
              1. You will see the audio waveform of your previous take disappear, but it is still there, on the first playlist (and also on your hard drive). Now you are ready to repeat the process.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                \"\"<\/a>
                A new take is ready to go<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
                1. Press record again<\/strong>. Then press stop after the second performance.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                  \"here<\/a>
                  The waveform of take 2<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
                  1. Press the soft key that says ‘Next Playlist\u2019. And so on, and so forth, each time, re-performing the same part \u2013 preferably to a click track. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n