[linux-audio-user] Re: linux-audio-user Digest, Vol 29, Issue 64

[philicorda]

> Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 13:04:19 -0700
> From: Steve D <groups at xscd.com>
> Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] More music

> On Mon, Feb 13, 2006 at 11:32:42AM -0800, R Parker wrote:
> > Punchins aren't illegal and anyone can engineer for
> > you in a non-destructive DAW like Ardour. If you don't
> > tell anyone about the punchin then you can move on to
> > composing and producing another song which makes
> > everybody happy. :)
> > 
> > ron
> --- ---
> 
> I guess my (irrational) fear is that a punchin/punchout will somehow be
> obvious to the listener--that either there will be an abrupt momentary
> change in ambience, an abrupt cutting off of pre-punchin sound as the
> punchin occurs, or I'll be in a slightly different mood and the volume
> or performance won't match, etc. I have been able (I think) to hear
> punchins in old analog tape recordings, of Van Cliburn playing the
> Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov piano concertos, of an obscure (but good)
> eastern European orchestra playing Stravinsky's Firebird (there were
> *lots* of punchins, some of them very obvious and awkward, in that
> recording), and so my listening experience has made me wary of punchins.
> But, like I mentioned, I'm sure it is an irrational fear. ;-)
> 
> During this recording (for Arabesque 1), I made a strong note to myself
> after recording take after take (dozens of them) to learn about and
> begin to try punchin techniques. I'm especially interested to learn
> whether Ardour automatically creates (or can be configured to do so)
> brief overlapping fadeouts/fadeins at punch points. I'm sure that this
> information is in the (as yet not fully read) Ardour online manual. ;-)
> In fact, I think I'll check that out right now-- 

I don't ever think of punch ins.
If I want to replace something I'll start recording 30 seconds before,
and play along until ten seconds or so after. It's really important to
give yourself a long run in and play along, and not stop straight after
the bit you want to replace. The mood is much more consistant than if
you are worrying about hitting a switch at a particular time to drop in,
and stop right after.

I'll also record to a new track, so I can easily see the waveforms of
both recordings, and try a few different places to do the edit.
Sometimes it's better to crossfade between the takes over the sustain of
a held chord, rather than the obvious places of a silent gap or just
before a new note.
With vocals I like to keep the intake of breath before they sing a note.
If I get rid of it, and it's been audible previously in the track, the
edit sounds unnatural in a subliminal way.

Anyway, If I could play as well as you I would bother less with
editing. :)

I only learnt what the point of playlists are in Ardour recently, and I
think they are going to be handy for this. At least for the pop stuff I
do which is quite heavily edited.