Digital 4 Track Recording

Series Summary

Have you decided that you want to give home recording a shot, but you don’t know where to start? You’ve heard of the digital music revolution, and you know that analog is nice for warmth and tone, and you’ve chosen to go with digital. Maybe the ubiquity of software applications that allow you to do on your laptop what it used to cost thousands of dollars to do in a studio swayed your decision. Whatever the reason for going digital, now that you have, you’ve got to learn how digital recording works. With the large number of inexpensive options for getting your songs down, the choices can be pretty overwhelming, but if you start simple and get a little bit of help, you’re sure to be pleased with the results.

In these free music studio and production videos, get some basic tips on how to do digital 4-track recording. Our expert will walk you the process and give you some pointers to consider when you’re making your first forays into music production, with tips on how to set levels and use effects, record to different channels, lay down bass, drum and guitar tracks, how to overdub and multitrack, saving tracks, and mixing techniques.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm JA Donnelly for Expert Village. Today I'm going to talk to you about 4 track recording. Now 4 track recording has come along way in the last ten years or so. I use to use a small reel to reel player like this but now everything is computer based and digitally recorded and you can use a software like I'm going to show you today. You can use a multi track or a 4 track sequencer built into a synthesizer keyboard as I'm showing you here. Or you can have software on your laptop to take it out on the road to record or in your home studio. Four track recording is basically all the same the tools might be slightly different but recording and over recording tracks for multi tracks generally, once you have the idea you can use any 4 track recorder out there. "