Cubase vst-Tape Tracks-Controlling Tape Recorders by - HTML preview

Using Tape Tracks

Tape Tracks allow you to activate recording on your tape recorder from the Arrange window. This is done identically, regardless of which of the supported tape recorders and available drivers you use:

1. Create a new Track and set its class to Tape Track.

2. Use the Channel column in Cubase VST to select the tape recorder track you wish to record on.
For example, to record on track 3 on the tape recorder, set the Cubase VST Track to Channel 3.

A Track set to class “Tape Track”.
The Channel corresponds to the Track on the tape recorder.

3. If you wish, make up tape Tracks for as many of your actual tape recorder tracks as you like. You can move the Tracks and create new Tracks at will, it is only the channel setting that decides which track on the tape recorder each Cubase VST Tape Track controls.

P We strongly recommend you not to make up a Cubase VST Tape Track for the tape recorder track you have the Timecode (SMPTE) on, since recording over the Timecode can be disastrous. Retrieving a lost sync track is very hard. To avoid confusion, do not set two Tape Tracks to the same channel.

Setting Tracks to Record Ready

One Track at a Time
• To activate Recording on one Track, simply select it. The corresponding tape recorder track is set to Record Ready mode.

 

Multiple Tracks

 

To activate recording on multiple Tracks, proceed as follows:

 

1. Activate Multi Recording in Merge mode.

 

See the Multi Track Recording chapter of the “Getting into the Details” document for details. Track 1, 3 and 4 set to record ready.

 

2. Use the “R” column to set as many Tape Tracks as desired to record ready. The corresponding tracks on the tape recorder are put into Record Ready mode.

Performing the recording

When you activate recording in Cubase VST, recording immediately starts on the track(s) on the tape recorder.

You can use all of Cubase VST’s manual and automatic punch in and out options to control recording on as many Tape Tracks as you like. You can also record in Cycle mode, but you will have to wait some time for the tape recorder to rewind at the end of each “lap”.

About the Parts

When you record on a Tape Track, Parts appear between the positions you punch in and out, just as with for example MIDI Tracks.

 

However, these Parts do not contain any data and can not be opened in any editor.

The Tape Track Parts are instead only used as visual guides to where on the Track you have actually recorded anything, on the tape. If you for example are doing background vocals for a number of choruses in a Song, the Tape Track Parts are great guides to which choruses you have recorded on yet, and which you have not.