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Tag Archive: Editing

Why I Don’t Use Elastic Audio or Beat Detective

Yesterday I spent the day shooting videos on drum and bass editing for my Production Club members.

With all the advances in editing technology, especially in the last 5 years, you’d probably assume I’m all about using time-stretching algorithms and beat detective to help me “quantize” my audio tracks, right?

Wrong.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’m all about SIMPLICITY when it comes to editing. (Come to think of it, I like simplicity with most things.)

That’s why I choose to manually chop up my tracks and edit them “by hand.” It’s something that’s simple, clean, and applies to all recording software.

I don’t care if you’re using Garageband or Audacity or Logic or Studio One — the basics of editing and pocketing are the same. Whenever I try to use these fancier editing tools, I end up feeling like I’m losing control of the track.

Rather than intentionally pocketing the downbeat of the first bar of the chorus, I’m trying to tell a piece of software to do that for me, all in the name of “efficiency” or the super catchy catchphrase “workflow.”

Inevitably the automagical software will try to “fix” things that don’t need fixing. Or it will stretch the audio and leave noticeable, audible artifacts.

I don’t want to spend hours getting the recordings to sound amazing, only to allow some time-stretching algorithm to come along and degrade the sound.

The way I edit doesn’t allow for any degradation in sound. It’s smooth. It’s seamless, and you can do it on any DAW.

If you want to see my exact process for editing everything from drums and bass to acoustic and electric guitars or vocals, you need to check out Understanding Editing.

You’ll learn my method and then practice on the practice tracks I provide. You’ll be a better editor by the end of the weekend.

Here’s the link: www.understandingediting.com

Have a great weekend, and happy editing!

by Joe Gilder in Editing • 6 Comments - Leave a comment!

Step 3 – Editing

Pre-Production? Check. Recording? Check. Now what? Mixing? Bzzzzzz. Wrong.

There’s an important step that comes between recording that last instrument and starting the mixing process. It’s called editing.

Editing can mean lots of things. Pocketing, cleaning up, comping, tuning, Beat Detective, quantizing, nudging, “flying,” copying & pasting, cutting out entire sections of the song — all of these could be put under the blanket of editing.

Let’s take a look at what editing is why you should make editing a part of your workflow.

by Joe Gilder in Editing, Production • 16 Comments - Leave a comment!

Intro to Crossfades [Video]

Do you use crossfades when you edit? Do you know what they’re used for? This video should help.

Leave a comment below and let us know how you use crossfades. Also, if you want more in-depth editing training, check this out.

by Joe Gilder in Editing, Video • 2 Comments - Leave a comment!

Editing Drums – Why You Need to Group ALL Drum Tracks [Ask Joe]

Screen shot 2010 08 04 at 11 29 52 AM

Over the weekend, I got this email from Alan:

Hi Joe, Just purchased your Understanding Editing Tutorials. And I have a question. On the 3rd video, “Drum Editing,” you are discussing about overlapping the wav forms so that the cymbals continue to ring out. Wouldn’t it be easier, if instead of grouping the cymbals with the other tracks to be edited, that you leave them alone? Or am I missing the point? If you are grouping all the tracks together, for editing purposes on the kick or the snare, why include the cymbals? I am confused as to why one would include the cymbals for a group editing, and take the risk that they don’t continue to ring out as originally played.

Thanks, Alan

This is a GREAT question, Alan.

by Joe Gilder in Ask Joe, Editing • 13 Comments - Leave a comment!

Day 20 – Don’t Forget to Edit! [31DBR]

Welcome to Day 20 of 31 Days to Better Recordings.

On Days 1-10 we talked about gear. On Days 11-19 we looked into recording techniques. For the remainder of 31 Days to Better Recordings, we’re going to look at what do to with those tracks once they’ve been recorded, things like editing, mixing, and mastering.

Today, let’s take a look at editing.

What is Editing?

That’s a fair question. You may be new to recording, or maybe you’ve just never bothered to think about editing. Either way, I think it’s worth your while to give it some thought. It might be a key factor in making better recordings.

So, what exactly IS editing? I’ve talked about it a lot here on Home Studio Corner (see Intro to Editing), but let’s review.

by Joe Gilder in 31 Days to Better Recordings, Editing • 13 Comments - Leave a comment!

Understanding Editing – New Tutorial Series

Last week was Editing Week here on HSC. I asked you if you edit your tracks, why you should and shouldn’t edit your tracks, and I finished the week off with an Intro to Editing video.

As I mentioned last week, I’ve got something BRAND NEW for you today. I told my HSC customers about it yesterday, and I told my newsletter folks about it this morning, now it’s your turn.

It’s a new set of tutorial videos called Understanding Editing.

This is a fun new product, and I think you’re going to like it. People tend to think they probably NEED to edit their tracks from time to time, but they’re not quite sure where to start. Sound familiar? Perhaps Understanding Editing is for you then.

It includes 3.5 hours of HD videos AND practice tracks, so you can start working on your editing skills right away. All this is available via instant download.

Check it out at:

www.UnderstandingEditing.com

As a brand new HSC product, I’m offering this at a special discounted price. The price will go up to the normal price soon, so jump on this deal while you can. (And as always, there’s no risk to you, you can always request a full refund if you don’t LOVE it.)

Alrighty, go check it out!

by Joe Gilder in Editing, Site News • 4 Comments - Leave a comment!

Audio Editing: Hear It For Yourself

Yesterday I talked about about audio editing and why I do it. If you haven’t read that article yet, be sure to check it out and leave a comment. I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts.

As promised, today I want to share with you an audio example of editing at work.

Audio editing is obviously not some huge mystery. For the most part, it’s just about fixing timing issues. As I said yesterday, it’s not about creating a good performance, but simply enhancing a good one.

The example you’re about to hear is from my upcoming album. In fact, it’s the song featured in the HSC Production Club (which will be re-opening next week).

I played all the guitars in this song, except for the lead guitar, and my brother-in-law played bass. We’re both (if I may say so myself) good musicians and recorded good performances. However, I felt the song still needed some tightening up. Enter editing.

by Joe Gilder in Audio, Engineering • 8 Comments - Leave a comment!

Editing: Why We Do It

Do you edit your recordings?

Once everything has been recorded, before you start mixing, do you edit the audio? Do you fix things? Do you think it’s cheating? Do you think it’s stupid NOT to do it? I’m going to give you my take on it, but be sure to let me know your opinion in the comments section below.

What is Editing?

An audio editor is much like a book editor. He takes the original audio file and adds or removes bits and pieces to make it better.

An audio editor at a radio station will take a spoken-word commercial that’s 34 seconds long and trim it down until it fits into a 30-second spot. A book editor will read the manuscript and suggest that certain parts be taken out…or certain parts be stretched out.

With regard to music production and recording, editing involves any changes made to the audio between the recording phase and the mixing phase. This can involve normalizing audio files, correcting timing issues, removing unwanted sections, or even changing the actual performance itself.

by Joe Gilder in Engineering, Production • 13 Comments - Leave a comment!