Specifications

Introduction
Studio 32 Reference Manual 12
The stages of multitrack recording
Most multitrack recording is a three-stage process. Instead of recording an entire
musical group in a single take of a live performance, recordings are usually made
one instrument at a time and built up in layers. Recording one instrument at a time
makes it easier to fix mistakes of an incorrectly played part. The signal flow may
seem complex, but it’s easy to understand the functions of the Studio 32 once you
understand the basic signal flows of each stage: tracking, overdubbing, and
mixdown.
Recording/Tracking
When recording the first tracks, which define the tempo and basic structure of the
song, signal flows in one direction: from the sources through the mixer to the
recorder. Monitoring the playback from the multitrack isn’t necessary, although
you may need to provide a headphone mix, which can come either from the sources
or through the multitrack (because at this stage, they’re the same thing).
Monitoring/Overdubbing
In order to properly record a performance, the engineer, the producer, and all of the
players must be able to hear what’s going on. Traditionally, the engineer listens to
speakers in the control room (where the mixer is). This is called monitoring. In the
studio, the musicians listen to a cue mix in headphones while overdubbing.
Adjustments to monitor or cue mixes should not affect the mix going to the recorder,
so that recording levels remain set at the optimum, regardless of what the monitor
mix needs to be.
During overdubbing, it’s easy to get confused, since there may be three or more
separate mixes happening at the same time. As long as you keep them separate in
your mind, and keep track of what’s going where, the Studio 32 will let you get
almost any sound mix you want.
Mixdown
In the final stage of multitrack recording, you take all the parts that were
separated so they could be perfected, and recombine them so an audience can hear
them. Mixdown is the “reverse flow”: now the multitrack is the source (sometimes
supplemented by MIDI-controlled “virtual tracks”) and a 2-track stereo recorder is
the destination. During this stage, the tracks are blended together, tonally
enhanced with EQ and effects, positioned in the stereo field with the PAN
controls, and finally recorded onto a mixdown tape deck (such as a DAT machine, 2-
Track reel-to-reel or cassette recorder, or 2 tracks of an ADAT). During mixdown,
the engineer must hear the exact same mix the recorder is receiving. For this
purpose, the Control Room section of the Studio 32 provides an external 2 TRACK
input for listening to the output of the mixdown tape deck.