Audio 3 – Lab 2
For this lab, you will mic and record 8 drum tracks into Pro Tools.
Step 1: Mic up the following instruments –
Kick drum, Snare drum, Hi-Hat, Tom 1, Tom 2, Tom 3 (Floor Tom), Overhead
Left, Overhead Right
You will plug the XLR cables into the Channel 1-8 snake, and use Channel A to
Provide signal for a headphone mix.
Set up a Shure SM58 as a talkback mic for the drummer, and plug into Channel 9.
Step 2: Open Pro Tools, and Create a New Session, naming it A3_Drum_Lab.
Create 8 Mono Audio Tracks, 1 Stereo Aux Fader, and 1 Stereo Master Fader.
Step 3: Set up the Toft properly to establish communication with the drummer. This will
require you having the L-R Master at unity, Turning up the Main Monitor Level,
Turning up the level on the console's Talkback mic, turning up the mic input for
the drummer's talkback mic, bringing up the Channel 9 linear fader, patching the
Direct Output of Channel 9 into Channel 9's Monitor Input, and finally turning up
the Monitor fader on Channel 9.
Step 4: Get good signal level into Pro Tools by way of setting proper gain structure on
the Toft, as well as turning up the Input Levels for Channels 1-4 on the DIGI 003.
To get signal to the DIGI 003, you may either…
1. Assign to groups from your channels, alternately panning Left and Right, then
raising the group faders to unity,
OR
2. Patch from the Toft Direct Outputs 1-8 to the DIGI 003 Inputs 1-8.
Personally, I prefer patching, and using the Direct Outputs, because when it
comes to monitoring the output of Pro Tools, there will be no confusion as to
what the rotary Submaster Monitor faders are being used for, as you will see in
the next step.
Be sure to arm your tracks in Pro Tools, otherwise you won't see any input levels.
Step 5: Monitor the output of Pro Tools by pressing the Tape buttons for Submaster
Monitor Channels 1 and 2, panning hard left and hard right, and turning up the
rotary faders. Add this signal to the drummer's headphone mix by turning up Aux
5 for Submaster Monitor 1, and Aux 6 for Submaster Monitor 2.
Be sure that you turn up the Master Aux 5 & 6 Rotary faders as well.
Step 6: Record –
Start by recording the drummer hitting each drum 4 times, each hit being about 1
second apart. So, there will be 4 hits on the kick, 4 on the snare, 4 on the hi-hat, 4
on Tom 1, 4 on Tom 2, and 4 on Tom 3. The drummer will then pause for a
second, and finally play freely for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds, using all of
the drums.
Step 7: Save your session, and break down the mic setup, rolling all XLR cables neatly,
and putting all mics and headphone equipment back in the mic cabinet.
Step 8: You will transfer your session files to me in class so that I can grade the lab.
This Lab is due on Monday, September 23, 2013.