VDAT Dilemma

[dawman]

I have decided to use VDAT live but was wondering if there was an application that could do my playback w/ VDAT quality so I could record live. It would be no more than 8 tracks. Drums and vocals.

I can't see using dual instances of VDAT, don't even know if playback of one while recording to the other would work.

I guess I have found what I like Cubase 4.1 to do. Create MIDI tracks, as it is very fast and simple, plus the markers make it very easy for re dubs.

Reaper is just a cheap app. I will follow as it grows.

Samplitude Pro seems to be a great recording application and media transfer tool. Could it playback at the same quality of VDAT? If so, that would make live recordings into VDAT very easy, especially if there are no mic's needed other than vocals.

I could use a couple VDAT's and then master the recording a little for a decent live demo.

Live demos really help nail down high dollar contracts especially if a video can be combined using 2 or 3 camera's.

I know many guys will say use Cubase, sorry I hear too big of a difference in quality. 32bit Integer sounds so nice I can't ever buy anything less.

Thanks In Advance.

[chriskorff]

Never tried opening multiple instances of VDAT myself, but if that works then your best bet would be to have the recording and playback VDATs working from different hard drives (ie. tell the instance of VDAT that you want to do the recording, to write to a 'tape' on one hard drive, while the playback one should be reading from another). Assuming you can open a couple of instances of VDAT, that shouldn't be a problem.

Cheers,

Chris

[garyb]

vdat can playback tracks and record at the same time, you just need to have prepared enough tracks ahead of time.

[nightscope]

Reaper is just a cheap app. I will follow as it grows.

Reaper is already probably one of the very best applications for recording audio. Especially for live recording. I know a few who are using it for serious classical professional live recordings. It is the most stable I have personally come across. It's routing is perfect for use with Scope via ASIO. I use it controlled with a Behringer BCF2000 in MCU mode and BCFview. This allows instant mapping of faders, pots, mute, solo, record arming without the need for the creation of mapping templates, with a visual interface to see where you are when navigating. It doesn't yet support MCU mode for FX parameter manipulation which is a pity. It hasn't the shiny GUI's of the other established players but is no less capable. MIDI is pretty good with recent updates. I don't do much MIDI fiddling so I don't really mind either way. No score editor. For me it's by far the best strictly audio "tape machine" for my use with Scope.

If you need any help with Reaper, Jimmy, PM me and I'll advise to the best of my limited ability. Mind you. I think most of the DAW programs are pretty amazing these days. All good.

I like VDat for live stuff. I haven't yet tried importing VDat tracks into Reaper for mixing yet tho fully intend to.

ns

[nightscope]

Not Jimmy but a question here. Is there a possibility to add a time offset (some ticks) to a midi track in reaper ?

Hi stardust,

Never used it if there is one.

However, I have just had a quick look at the manual and the program to see what may be relevant.

From the manual,

This refers to the Reaper Preferences, Audio, MIDI Devices configuration page.

"On this screen you should select in turn each of the listed MIDI Input and Output devices and right-click over its name, then choose Enabled. If you need to specify a time offset for any MIDI Output device, right click over the device name and choose Configure Output from the context menu (see right)." Offset is in ms. There is also an option for "Open device in low latency/low precision mode". Page 24 of Manual.

This refers to CC's.
"A control change message can act as either an override (setting the parameter to the exact value specified), or an offset (adjusting the parameter up or down by the amount specified)." Page 189 of Manual.

From looking at program,

Right clicking on a MIDI item to reveal Media Item Properties gives the option to "snap to offset"(hrs:mins:secs[0:00:000]). Or to simply adjust the MIDI item's start position.

So I guess not in ticks but in milliseconds.

ns

[Sounddesigner]

Try SAWstudio, it is integer and sounds great to me. One of the best i've heard. There is a Basic version for only $300, the Lite and Full versions are costly. I've been demoing it and it seems geared twards fast workflow and stability aswell and has a great looking gui. Check out the video's on the website and download the demo.

http://www.sawstudio.com

Video's: http://www.sawstudio.com/support_videos.htm

[dawman]

Coolness........Thanks Guys,

Many answers to questions. I like the idea of VDAT doing everything. That seems like a great idea since it's already loaded, and I actually remeber doing this using Wolf's Session Motes device that has the feedback module included.

I need to learn Reaper better, and have always admired SAW as it is a local app. from Las Vegas, and has automated many showrooms here for years. Customer service is on site from what choreographers I know have told me. I believe the developer installed many DAW's around town, and maintains them.

An all Scope set-up GS4 is what I will end up using, and 32bit XP Home seems as though it will do just fine for the time being.

I think that I can record live w/ a click track sent to the wireless ear monitors and not the mains, and the druma and backing vocal tracks would be synced also.

Clock 2 Click, VRC-128, a ramp from Modular and VDAT will be my Scope sequencer and Multi Track.

Below is a pic of the sync scenario w/ click track, and I can even have the meter perform in any time signature, and even place the click wherever I want it to.

Brotha' Man Alfonso sent me the Modular trick below and it works really well. VRC could even have CC Controls for using my transports on the KS88.

The all Scope way seems like it's the way to go. Too many applications make me nervous.

[Me$$iah]

it is possible to open up 2 instances of VDAT.


I know Ive done it. hehe..


I didnt think about using a seperate drive from the one I had the first VDAT playing from, but that should, indeed, be easy to set up .

It worked by the way, flawlessly, and with that VDAT sound, ..........


Tho as I only bounced down a 16 track recording to stereo it would have been far easier to have just extend the first one and route back into itself....... i started to do that after this initial experiment.

[dawman]

Brotha' Man Chriskorff's idea makes good sense as these VDAT files take time once you have stuffed 42 x 8 files and their vtp.'s onto a drive.

And I said I was going to have an easy job w/o load times............right-o.

I might just bring along my ancient Alesis HD24/96.

[nightscope]

Below is a pic of the sync scenario w/ click track

Excellent pic trick.

Snaffled.

ns